Sweet Revenge

Whether he deserves it or not, Igor has reached legendary status for downtown commuters. Only days after an article appears in the Toronto Sun by Brett Clarkson on bike theft, including long quotes by Igor about how he's constantly targeted as "the darkest nightmare in the western hemisphere", the very same Trinity-Bellwoods bike theft mastermind is caught by undercover cops for directing bike thieves to cut the locks off of two bikes near his shop. Looks like Igor was getting cocky and lazy by "overfishing" his local pond.

Even though it feels good, I don't expect this to be the last of Igor, not by far. I imagine he'll be back at his shop in no time, but taking a bit more care by fishing further out. Remember folks: Register your bikes and increase the chances of getting your bikes back!

There's already a number of comments on this article, including one commenter who claims to know the history of Igor starting from a lowly immigrant whose bike gets stolen and turns bad when he realizes that if "you can't fight them, join them"!

Here's the full article:

July 17, 2008
Big wheel caught in sting
Two charged after cops watch man use bolt-cutters in bike theft
By BRETT CLARKSON, SUN MEDIA

A well-known Queen St. W. bike dealer is facing charges after he was arrested at his store last night by plainclothes cops who alleged they watched him direct a man with bolt-cutters to cut the locks off two nearby bikes and steal them.

Igor Kenk, 49, owner of the Bicycle Clinic at Queen St. W. and Strachan Ave., was put in handcuffs just after 7 p.m. by Consts. James Rowe and Craig Meredith, who were watching the corner as part of a "bait-bike" sting.

A man showed up with bolt-cutters to steal a bicycle, police allege.

Both Kenk and Jean Laveau are charged with one count of theft under $5,000, one count of attempted theft under $5,000, and one count of possession of property obtained by crime.

HIGH-THEFT LOCATIONS

Laveau was also charged with possession of burglary tools.

Meredith said he watched from across the street as Kenk allegedly pointed out the two bikes. Kenk then allegedly paid the man money for one of the bikes, Meredith said. The man was allegedly in the process of cutting the lock on a second bike when cops arrested him.

Both were taken to 14 Division station and were slated to appear in bail court this morning at 10 a.m. at Old City Hall.

Coincidentally, officers Rowe and Meredith were part of a three-man team who yesterday planted a so-called bait bike at various high-theft locations downtown.

They had planted an unlocked bike at Queen St. W. and Strachan Ave. around 7 p.m. and were watching the corner when their attention was diverted away from the unlocked bait bike to the locked bike which was allegedly stolen.

BIKE OWNER 'ECSTATIC'

Afterwards, the owner of the second bike emerged to find his bike in the care of police and the alleged thief in handcuffs.

"He was ecstatic by what we had done," Rowe said.

Kenk, who has owned the Bicycle Clinic for 16 years, has owned the building at his current 927 Queen St. W. location since 1995, when he purchased it for $85,000.