A Maple Ridge crystal meth addict is facing between two and four years in jail after pleading guilty to 35 criminal charges relating to identity theft and fraud.
Daniel Rowe, 53, pleaded guilty on Nov. 26 to charges including identity theft, fraud, use of stolen credit cards and forging documents.
Crown prosecutor Jonas Dow is calling for a four-year sentence in what he has called one of the biggest identity-theft cases in B.C.
"It blows everything else out of the water," Dow said, as reported in the Maple Ridge Times.
Rowe illegally purchased gas, hotel rooms, meals, convenience store items and rented tools during an eight-month period in 2007.
He was arrested on Jan. 3, 2007, and his wallet was packed with stolen ID, such as driver's licences, birth certificates and social insurance numbers.
Defence lawyer Mark Berry is calling for a two-year sentence with three years' probation.
Berry said Rowe was one of a group of crystal meth addicts who used the ID to fund their drug habits.
"The take here, to the extent we can add it up, came to something just north of $8,000," the Times reported Berry saying. "Despite the fact that he has a plethora of various people's ID."
Berry said Rowe has showed remorse while in custody.
Rowe told the court he was sorry.
"I can't say nothing for the way I acted . . . I was injecting the drugs," Rowe said as reported in the Times. "I lived in one room in the ghetto. I ate out of garbage cans. When someone offered me a get-rich scheme, I took it. And I didn't get rich.
"I'm so ashamed. My son's in jail. I can see the pattern and it makes me sick. As God is my witness, I won't do this again."
Rowe is slated to be sentenced on Dec. 8.
