If you have met me personally, since late 2005 onward, I may have alluded to some of this at some point, but was probably quite vague. If you don’t know me, I do encourage you to stick around, the story will be worth it… It just might inspire needed change in your or a loved ones life…

HERE WE GO:

10-years ago I got a second chance at life. On Oct 26, 2005 I completed a 5-year prison sentence, in a penitentiary in the United States, and 5-days later I was deported back to Canada (October 31, 2005). I was born in Canada, but had not lived in Canada since I was 11yrs old. I had lived in the USA from age 11-25 (spending my final 5-yrs in the USA locked up, though that was not the only time I was locked up… just my longest stay), and was now being returned to Canada, accompanied by 2 American federal agents, who ultimately left me in the Vancouver International Airport.

Earlier this month was also my 15-year anniversary for being clean from using methamphetamine. I last got high on meth on October 9th or 10th, 2000.

Now, being known as a Christian man, a generally law abiding citizen (*for the record I do not have a criminal record in Canada at all), and a legitimate business owner, for those not familiar with my story, all of this will come as a shock of sorts. I have kept my story under wraps for the most part for the past 10-years… choosing to reveal certain aspects of it to some people, with more or less detail depending on the audience and what I thought they could handle or needed to hear at the time.

When I say that I was in prison, it was an actual penitentiary… not a little county jail or remand centre… but the state pen. Locked up with all manner of criminals… murderers, thieves, drug traffickers and violent men of all types… Gang members, good guys, bad guys, sociopaths and criminals of all varieties… People that most of you would only ever see on TV. I was sentenced to 5-10 years (5-years fixed + 5-years indeterminate) and did a full 5-years. I was locked up with people that are still there now, and some that will NEVER get out.

I went away for my part in a home invasion… with the actual charges I was convicted of being 1 felony count of aggravated battery and 1 felony count of burglary (the burglary charge was for entering the dwelling with the intent to commit a crime… we were not there to steal, we were there specifically to hurt someone. It was a paid hit, not to end a life, but to send a serious message to someone). The home invasion actually took place in a different state than I lived in at the time, being just 10-miles or so over the state line.. and when they arrested me in the actual state I lived in at the time, it was in the midst of a cocaine transaction that I was facilitating and I got nailed with possession of cocaine as well. Which could have netted me a prison sentence by itself, but with far greater charges stemming from the home invasion in a neighbouring state, I was convicted of the cocaine charge and promptly sent to the other state. (I was given the option to fight or waive extradition, but knowing I was cooked either way, I waived it, knowing that fighting it would be useless).

I had been using drugs since my early teens, and was a meth addict from the age of 16 until my final incarceration at age 20. I developed a sick love affair with shooting meth, that completely ruled my life, and influenced almost every decision I made.
This was not my first time incarcerated, but definitely the longest by far. I had previously finished my juvenile criminal career with 4 felony convictions and multiple misdemeanor convictions… (the felonies which lead to me having my 18th birthday in a juvenile detention facility… juvie… kid jail). In the early stages of adulthood I also completed a few county jail sentences, along with court ordered rehab, and some house arrest at one point. I was clearly a slow learner… finishing with 7 total felony convictions, multiple misdemeanors, being arrested 10 or more times, and all of this by the age of 20.

When I say I was a criminal, it was in the truest sense of the word. I was not just a kid mixed up with the wrong crowd, or someone that made one bad decision… I had sold drugs full-time from the age of 16, and over the next few years was involved in non-stop felony drug transactions, along with pretty well anything else that I could make money at. Theft, cheque & gift certificate scams, selling firearms (that was near the end), and ultimately violence for money… which cost me my freedom. One of the few good things that came from that life is that I learned to speak Spanish, eventually fluently, due to my part in the drug trade, and it being a language that was spoken by those that I chose to surround myself with.

When I got locked up the final time, early in my incarceration I read the New Testament and believed it, accepted Jesus, and became a Christian. At some point during my prison stay I turned away from the Lord, content to not believe and resume some old behaviours (In the process of my denial of Christ, I went as far as to investigate Buddhism and Taoism, the latter quite extensively). After spending 5-years inside, and getting out, and having some extended family take me in, and give me a hand at a second shot at life… Having to re-learn how to live in society, get a real job etc…  A few months later during some personal things,  I reached out to the Lord, and came back to Him, and will NEVER turn away again. Over the years I have been blessed with a beautiful daughter, an amazing house, an awesome business, and a life that I never, ever would have thought I would have. I am surrounded by amazing people and though I don’t always act like it or consciously think of it, I of all people need to be appreciative of every day that I have. I know that I defy the odds and defy almost every statistic on the topics of long-term incarceration and addiction. I need to be appreciative of every day that I am free from prison, free from drug addiction, free from a life of constant crime (and all of the garbage that accompanies that), and that I am free from my old life, born again. God is certainly good!

This is just the “very fast version” of my story, and only the tip of the proverbial iceberg, as I have volumes of experiences, and after having shared some of the stories with some people, and being told that they are interesting, I have been encouraged to write a book about all of this. It has taken a year, with some longer breaks in there, but the rough draft is very near completion. I recently shared a part of it with a published author, who has assured me that my writing is good, and encouraged me to get a literary agent, for my story to be shopped to publishers. I suppose we’ll see where this all goes. A verse that has remained constant, and that God has been faithful to with me, ever since I got out and got saved is: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4

I am far from perfect, but I serve a perfect, loving, merciful God, and He has blessed me with far more than this reformed convict deserves!

*The photos are from various times during my incarceration, including my old, cracked & taped state prison ID card. I have many more photos, but this is good for now.