Rapper turned robber off to prison
Man sentenced to four years for role in armed robbery at Delhi cannabis operation
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An up-and-coming rap musician from Toronto who made a decision to grab a Glock and a mask and try to rob a medical marijuana facility in Delhi was sent to penitentiary despite his hard-luck story.
Mahadale Mahadale, 24, and three male accomplices arrived at the marijuana farm on the evening of Oct. 25, 2018, and appeared to be gathering a large number of plants when they were spotted.
“You’re in the process of throwing your life away,” warned Justice Robert Gee as he sentenced Mahadale to four years.
Three of four business partners — all men — who own and operate the licensed facility ended up restrained with plastic ties. A fourth partner — a woman — hid in a vehicle and was able to call police.
One of the partners was pistol-whipped, swelling his eye closed.
When Norfolk OPP arrived, a suspect vehicle drove off and suspects also ran to a nearby corn field.
Police closed Highway 3, from Schafer Side Road to Highway 59, west of Delhi, for about eight hours as the emergency response team, aviation services, canine units and the OPP tactics and rescue unit searched for the robbers.
The four suspects were finally found and arrested at about 4 a.m.
Police seized fully loaded weapons — one with a laser scope, flashlights, ski masks and a U-Haul rental truck partially loaded with marijuana plants.
Mahadale was bitten in the calf by a police dog. The incident remains under investigation by the province’s Special Investigations Unit.
Mahadale is the third Toronto area man to be convicted and sentenced in the case.
They were each charged break and enter, disguise with intent, robbery with a firearm, unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, using a firearm while committing an offence, forcible confinement, pointing a firearm, assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm.
Mahadale also was charged with possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to a prohibition order.
Tyreek Nosworthy, 19, of North York, pleaded guilty in August was sentenced to four years in prison.
In July, Khalid Ramadan, of Thornhill, was convicted in a Toronto court on the Delhi charges, plus other charges from Toronto.. He was sentenced to almost 14 years in prison, less the 18 months of time served .
Traequon Mahoney of Brampton has pleaded not guilty.
Mahadale’s lawyer, Loui Dallas, said his client is part of a group of Somalian rappers called UpTop Movementz that has a huge following on YouTube with millions of hits on their videos. The UpTop name refers to the upper part of the Jane/Finch neighbourhood in Toronto. The rappers’ songs focus on their gritty living conditions and hardships, including crime and guns.
Mahadale, who performs under the name “FB”, was born in Canada but he has an older brother who was deported to Somalia due to crime.
In court, Mahadale was apologetic and remorseful.
“It was dumb,” he told the judge, explaining his biggest concern is being sent out of province and away from his family.
“I’ve been through a whole bunch of stuff but I want to move forward with my life.
Dallas said Mahadale grew up as one of six children in a single-parent home in the high-crime rate Toronto area.
But the judge said many people grow up in the Jane and Finch area without getting involved in crime.
“You can’t blame it on that,” Gee said. “You made the decision yourself. There are bad people willing to get into trouble everywhere.”
The judge said Mahadale’s four-year sentence means that, if he gets involved in any kind of violent offence in the future, it all but guarantees he’ll be right back behind bars.
“The next judge will look at your record and see this. If you get out and pick up where you left off, it’s called warehousing.”
Gee urged Mahadale to use his prison time to pursue his education and “turn your life around.”
Mahadale was ordered to submit a sample of his DNA for the national offenders registry, shun weapons for the rest of his life and to have no contact with his co-accused unless they end up serving time at the same prison.
SGamble@postmedia.com
@EXPSGamble
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