NANAIMO — A man ravaged by drugs converted a Parksville hotel room into his personal forgery lab involving drivers licenses and social insurance cards.
John Allen Heisler, 41, pleaded guilty to 11 charges linked to his drug-addicted odyssey of scamming businesses and numerous individuals in Nanaimo, Parksville, Tofino and the Comox Valley in 2021 and earlier this year.
He pleaded guilty to fraud and property crime charges on Friday, Nov. 18 in provincial court in Nanaimo before judge Brian Harvey confirmed a jointly submitted sentence recommendation on Monday, Nov 21 of more than nine months already served behind bars and two years probation.
While locked up at Nanaimo Correctional Centre (NCC), Heisler admitted to defrauding Long Beach Lodge in February 2021 on three occasions, resulting in about $6,500 withdrawn from the Tofino business.
In late April 2021, Oceanside RCMP received a report from a local computer repair store regarding suspicious material on Heisler’s computer.
Court was told an employee noticed multiple images on the device of apparent fraudulent social insurance cards and driver’s licenses.
Heisler was tracked by officers to a hotel room where he was arrested and a search warrant obtained.
The Crown’s Liam Thomson noted it appeared Heisler obtained the room fraudulently.
Inside the room police discovered a high quality printer, desktop computer, laminating machine and various cutting devices.
Images of multiple passports not linked to Heisler and drivers licenses were among the items seized.
“Certainly Mr. Heisler was engaged in attempting to create forgeries of Canadian drivers licenses as well as SIN cards,” Thomson said, who noted the operation did not appear to be overly sophisticated.
Heisler was released, only to have his behaviour inflict additional people and escalate in a more brazen fashion.
On Jan. 28, 2022, a Courtenay Wal Mart loss prevention officer found Heisler’s wallet misplaced in the store with 16 grams of crystal meth inside. RCMP were called with Heisler still in the store.
He admitted to police on the spot he had warrants out for his arrest.
Thomson noted a vehicle in the store’s parking lot was fraudulently registered by Heisler to another man.
Heisler was found on scene with credit cards and identifying documents belonging to several people.
One of the victims reported his identification was stolen and an unsuccessful attempt then made to withdraw $18,000.
The drug possession charge was not included in a plea agreement between the Crown and defence and is intended to be stayed at the end of the proceedings.
On Feb. 17, 2022 court was told Heisler approached a staff member at a Parksville used car lot and asked if he could take a 2011 Toyota Venza for a test drive.
After insisting he had the money to buy the compact SUV valued at $10,000, Heisler instead drove it off the lot, never returned and the vehicle has not been recovered.
A restitution order for $10,000 was ordered against Heisler.
He has been locked up since May 14, 2022 after he became enraged when trying to pump gas at a north Nanaimo service station.
Heisler decided to lash out at another customer, slashing all four tires of a woman’s car. The vehicle used by Heiser during the offence was stolen four days earlier.
The Crown emphasized the seriousness of Heisler’s crimes, pointing to the fraud charges in particular.
“The creation and forgery of Canadian identifying materials such as driver’s licenses and SIN cards for the purpose of defrauding individuals is very serious,” Thomson said. ” I saw some matters which were more sophisticated than this where individuals received three to four years after trial.”
James Owen, the offender’s lawyer, told court his client’s unstable childhood involved Heisler turning to drinking and marijuana use and dropping out of high school in the tenth grade.
The instability continued when Heisler served a six month youth sentence after moving to Port Hardy to live with a family member.
Heisler had long spurts of strong employment interrupted by turmoil and drug use. During a 2010 robbery in the Comox Valley an unmasked Heisler took off with cash from a pub where he was a regular customer.
At the time Heisler was addicted to prescription drugs and was living in his truck.
Following a brief tenure in a management role with a company in Port Alberni in 2019, the wheels fell off for Heisler.
“Unfortunately there was a turn for the worse and Mr. Heisler was introduced to crystal methamphetamine, which became a problem for him and led to the list of charges that takes him before this court today,” Owen said.
Through his lawyer, Heisler stated BC Corrections staff saved his life and that he’d probably be dead if he wasn’t taken off the streets.
Heisler has completed numerous programs at NCC involving substance use, anger management and violence, Owen said.
He apologized to one of his victims through a letter submitted to the court.
Ferry arrangements were made for Heisler to be sent to a Port Coquitlam recovery house on Monday, Nov 21 for an indefinite term as part of a two year probationary term.
Two years of house arrest are also in effect against Heisler, who was ordered to abide by numerous restrictions for the next two years.
The father of one child eventually intends to move to Campbell River.
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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com
On Twitter: @reporterholmes
