Repeat B.C. poppy thief sentenced to five months in jail, probation

NANAIMO, B.C. – A man who admitted in court to repeatedly pilfering poppy donations before Remembrance Day has been sentenced in Nanaimo, B.C., to five months in jail.

Criminal Justice Branch spokesman Neil MacKenzie says Anthony Britt pleaded guilty to four separate theft charges arising out of incidents on Nov. 3 and Nov. 6.

He says Britt was accused of distracting the clerks, or waiting for them to be busy, before stealing the donations.

MacKenzie says Britt was also ordered to serve one year of probation and pay a $100 victim surcharge on each of the charges.

Const. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP says tipsters lit up the detachment’s switchboard with information about Britt’s identity within an hour of an image of the suspect appearing in local media.

O’Brien says Britt turned himself in to the detachment on Nov. 10 and was not given credit for the two weeks of time he served before being sentenced.