A Home Depot worker fired two years ago for stealing DeWalt and Milwaukee brand power tools and listing them at a discount on Facebook Marketplace was sentenced to 14 months of house arrest for theft over $5,000 on Sept. 22.
David Tschritter, 24, will also spend two years on probation.
In Prince George Provincial Court, Judge Cassandra Malfair said Tschritter can leave his residence only for employment and emergency medical treatment for himself or an immediate family member or on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tschritter pleaded guilty to the theft charge on Aug. 14. Crown stayed a charge of possession of stolen property.
During the August hearing, Crown prosecutor Anne Baines told Malfair that a loss prevention officer at Home Depot found Tschritter stole $14,321.38 “or more” of goods and listed them online under a pseudonym. Tschritter was fired Sept. 19, 2023 and charged with theft over $5,000 and possession of stolen property over $5,000.
Tschritter confessed and consented to the Prince George RCMP searching his residence for stolen items. Baines told court that Tschritter did not know how many items he stole.
Baines sought nine-to-12 months of jail for Tschritter or 18 months-to-two years of a conditional sentence in the community.
His defence lawyer, Shora Amini, wanted a conditional discharge, which would have meant no criminal record upon successful completion of the sentence.
Amini said he was 22 at the time, lost connection to his church and under financial stress after his wife suffered complications from the birth of the couple’s second child.
Malfair ordered Tschritter to stay away from all Home Depot stores in BC and to perform 50 hours of community work service during his probation.
