A man charged with possessing stolen property under $5,000 pleaded guilty Wednesday, Jan. 29 to two Motor Vehicle Act charges instead.
In Prince George provincial court, Judge Michael Brecknell sentenced Jeff-Davis Conger, 44, to two concurrent one-year driving bans for driving while prohibited on Aug. 24, 2023 and Sept. 30, 2024.
In the first instance, Prince George RCMP officers observed Conger drive a stolen 2002 GMC Sierra into a Husky Gas station where he parked between shipping containers. They arrested Conger after he exited the vehicle and determined he had been prohibited from driving since April 2021.
Last August, police caught him driving a Ford F250 without a front licence plate after noticing the vehicle pull into an alley off Hemlock Street. Police also noticed Conger had been prohibited from driving since April 2021.
Conger, who has worked as a truck driver and equipment operator, has a lengthy record for driving violations. His ICBC file includes seven roadside prohibitions and 10 instances of failing to produce a driver’s licence or proof of insurance, along with multiple tickets for speeding and failing to stop at a stop sign.
In addition to the driving suspension, Crown and defence jointly asked for a $500 fine on the first file and $750 fine on the other. Brecknell also ordered Conger to pay $75 and $112.50, respectively, in victim surcharges.
Brecknell said the new driving prohibitions “are just a kiss on the cheek and a slap on the back because you already have an indefinite prohibition back to 2021.”
“So, assuming you get all your matters cleaned up and have a nice chat with the superintendent of motor vehicles, and do everything that they want you to do, you probably won't be legally permitted to drive on any roads in British Columbia for quite some time,” Brecknell said.
He warned Conger that the driving ban carries over to Alberta, which has a reciprocal enforcement agreement with B.C. authorities.
“So if you got pinched over there, you'd find yourself in trouble as well,” Brecknell said.
