Men accused in commercial break-in spree were wearing ankle bracelets

Two men in electric ankle bracelets who were being monitored by justice officials have been accused in a two-month spree of commercial break-ins, vehicle thefts and other property crimes.

City police have charged one of the suspects and are searching for the second.

About $140,000 worth of property, including trailers, lawn equipment, motorcycles and bicycles, was reported stolen in 13 incidents in Winnipeg and the Rural Municipality of Headingley between April 20 and June 28, the Winnipeg Police Service said.

Both suspects were wearing electronic monitoring bracelets during that time.

Police spokesman Const. Claude Chancy said the ankle-monitoring program works — but isn’t foolproof.

“We have people that are subject by the court to be wearing these ankle monitors, and, of course, there’s no physical way of stopping them from doing what they please, once they’re being monitored,” he said.

“We have people tampering with the monitors, cutting them off.”

He said police “quite regularly” arrest people wearing ankle monitors for either breaching their court-ordered conditions or for committing further crimes.

The devices feature GPS technology and allow law enforcement to track a person’s location, use audio and vibration commands, and issue loud alerts if a person enters a location they’re barred from visiting.

Probation services, the Crown prosecutions office and police enforce the program, while security company Commissionaires Manitoba monitors those wearing the bracelets under the province’s authority. The security firm alerts police to breaches.

“Then, we will try to locate the person, as a breach of their conditional release,” said Chancy.

“It’s not foolproof, but overall … generally speaking, the system does work, but like anything else, we have people who will test the parameters of their conditions, and that’s when they breach and we get contacted and deal with them accordingly, as far as charges are concerned.”

Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe, who has praised the monitoring program since the government introduced it in the summer of 2024, said the system works.

“The ankle monitors are effective and have shown to be effective,” he said on Monday.

“That does not mean every offender who’s wearing an ankle monitor will not reoffend, there are still people who reoffend while wearing ankle monitors, but this then gives the tools to the police to better monitor, obviously, but also apprehend those folks or make a case, build a case about the offence that’s happened.”

Police arrested one of their suspects in the spree, Justin Andrew Hanson, 35, on Aug. 4 after he allegedly fled an attempted traffic stop at high speed on the 100 block of Clonard Avenue in St. Vital and abandoned the vehicle he was driving.

Officers later found stolen property, a rifle, ammunition and a lock cutter while searching homes on the 100 block of Stranmillis Avenue in St. Vital and the 100 block of Strauss Drive in St. James, police said.

Hanson was charged with 22 offences including break and enter, failing to comply with court orders and weapons charges.

Hanson has been convicted of a slew of offences since 2014, including seven prior break-and-enters, several counts of possession of property obtained by crime, public mischief, operating while impaired, weapons possession, forgery and seven court order breaches, court records show.

A warrant has been issued for 41-year-old Jesse Troy Lafreniere, who is charged with 23 offences.

Lafreniere, too, has a lengthy record in the province.

Since 2020 alone, he’s been convicted of escaping lawful custody, dangerous driving, two break-and-enters, two counts each of possessing a stolen vehicle and possessing illicit drugs, an assault, uttering threats, mischief to property and 16 breaches of court or probation orders.

The suspects allegedly wore disguises and used stolen vehicles and stolen licence plates during many of the incidents.

Anyone with information about Lafreniere’s whereabouts is asked to call the major crimes unit at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS).

The provincial government relaunched an ankle monitor program for certain people on bail in August 2024.

The province initially earmarked $2.9 million for electric monitoring over two years, with Wiebe saying the funding may continue based on its success. He announced another $1.2-million commitment and expanded the program to northern areas in July last year.

A previous ankle monitor program was scrapped by the former Progressive Conservative government in 2017. Former premier Heather Stefanson — who was then the justice minister — called the monitors inaccurate and ineffective.

The Tories pledged to renew the program in the spring of 2023, but lost the provincial election that fall.

The New Democratic Party then moved ahead with the plan after it formed government.

Last fall, the province revealed that more than 60 per cent of people wearing the monitors were either rearrested or breached their conditions, as of October 2025.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca