A Kitchener judge has granted a conditional discharge to an international student from India who admitted to stealing approximately $800 worth of butter and clarified butter from local grocery stores, a case the court suggested may be linked to a larger, organized theft operation.
Court Hears of Drug-Fuelled Thefts
In proceedings last week, Justice John Lynch of the Kitchener court approved the discharge for the 25-year-old man. The court heard that the student, who arrived in Canada from India in 2021, turned to drugs and theft after the pressures of moving abroad, studying, and supporting himself became overwhelming.
According to his defence lawyer, Amardeep Mahil, the man dropped out of a college business program, worked in construction, and then began using heroin and crystal methamphetamine. His drug use "led him to commit these thefts," Mahil stated, as reported by the Waterloo Region Record.
Details of the Butter Heists
The specific incidents occurred in early 2025. In January, the man entered a Food Basics store on Fairway Road South in Kitchener and placed 38 bricks of butter worth $284 into a bag before leaving without paying.
The following month, he went to a Sobeys on Highland Road West and stole 20 containers of ghee (clarified butter) valued at $497. A loss prevention officer confronted him outside the store, leading to his arrest and the recovery of the stolen goods.
Connection to a Wider Theft Ring
While the court was not formally presented with evidence linking this individual to an organized ring, Justice Lynch expressed skepticism that the man was a "prolific baker." He indicated the thefts were likely "part of something larger and organized."
This suspicion aligns with a broader police investigation. Waterloo Regional Police reportedly looked into 15 thefts of butter or ghee totalling $8,000 over a six-month period starting in 2024. Several individuals from Brampton and Caledon were charged in connection with those incidents. The man in this case, who also lived in Brampton, matched the age description of one of the charged suspects.
Judge's Remarks on Immigration and Consequences
During sentencing, Justice Lynch referenced recent national discussions on international students. "I listened only last night to our prime minister addressing the issue of foreign students, indicating how we are hoping to keep only the best and the brightest," Lynch said. "It’s hard to imagine that this is the individual that we are perceiving as the one we want to keep."
The conditional discharge means the man will not have a criminal record if he successfully follows the court's conditions, which typically include a period of probation. A conviction could have severely impacted his immigration status in Canada. The judge accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence for the discharge but noted it "may well not have been the position I would have taken absent that joint submission."
The case sheds light on a peculiar trend of high-value dairy thefts in Southern Ontario. In a related development from January 2025, Peel Regional Police arrested six people allegedly involved in stealing about $60,000 worth of butter and ghee from grocery stores across their region.
