Sentencing of two co-accused who pleaded guilty to ten counts including possession of stolen property, theft of motor vehicles, and breach of release orders arising from an organized auto-theft ring targeting hotel parking lots across Halton, Peel, and Toronto.
The operation involved sophisticated methods including vehicle reprogramming, GPS disabling, use of aliases, and transport to shipping containers.
The court accepted joint sentencing positions, imposing a global sentence of 3 years and 5.3 months (731 days going forward) for Bello Reyes and 2.5 years (347 days going forward) for Habibzai, with enhanced pre-sentence custody credits reflecting harsh institutional conditions including triple-bunking.
The court emphasized deterrence and denunciation as paramount sentencing principles given the epidemic of auto theft in Ontario.