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Abbotsford man sentenced in case that began with Surrey break-in

Richard Thompson initially faced 19 charges, but pleaded guilty to two
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These were among the guns seized by police after searching a residence on Larch Street in Abbotsford in January 2018. Richard Thompson was subsequently charged and has now been sentenced.

A man who was arrested in Abbotsford last year and charged with 19 offences following an investigation that began in Surrey has been sentenced to almost another seven years in prison.

Richard Michael William Thompson, 47, previously pleaded guilty to just two of the 19 charges: possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition and possession for the purpose of trafficking from Jan. 24, 2018.

He was sentenced recently in Abbotsford provincial court to another six years and eight months in prison, on top of credit for time already served.

The other 17 charges – more drug and weapons charges, as well as possession of property obtained by crime, all from January 2018 – were stayed at sentencing.

RELATED: Surrey break and enter leads to Abbotsford arrest

Thompson’s sentence also included another two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking from July 2018 in Abbotsford. Another four drug and weapons charges were stayed in that case.

Thompson was arrested in late January 2018 after Surrey RCMP responded to a break-and-enter earlier that month in the 11220 block of 163 Street in Fleetwood.

The homeowners reported that almost $15,000 in property had been stolen from their home.

Investigators received information that some of the property had been located in a Langley store.

They retrieved one of the stolen items, and were able to identify Thompson as a suspect.

He was then tracked to a home in the 34000 block of Larch Street in Abbotsford, where investigators searched the residence on Jan. 23, 2018, and seized six firearms, suspected illicit drugs, and stolen electronics.

Police at the time said they believed that four of the guns had been stolen from other break-ins throughout the Lower Mainland.

Thompson’s criminal record includes prior convictions for possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of stolen property and assault.



Vikki Hopes

About the Author: Vikki Hopes

I have been a journalist for almost 40 years, and have been at the Abbotsford News since 1991.
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