Gambling addict spared deportation for faking own kidnapping

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This article was published 24/02/2020 (1520 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg man who faked his own kidnapping to pay off a gambling debt has been spared a criminal conviction that would have likely seen him deported to his native China.

Yang Xi, 32, previously pleaded guilty to public mischief for the February 2018 incident and on Tuesday was granted a three year conditional discharge.

“I’m giving you a chance here, Mr. Xi,” said provincial court Judge Kael Mckenzie. “This is not an opportunity I came to lightly.”

McKenzie sentenced Xi to three years supervised probation, during which time he is to complete 240 hours of community service work and abstain from all forms of gambling, even scratch-and-win tickets.

Court has heard Xi, in Canada on a student visa, had disappeared for several hours when his wife received a video text message that had been sent to Xi’s mother in China showing him struggling on the ground, with his hands and feet bound by tape. A second message sent to Xi’s mother demanded $66,666 be paid within the next 10 hours, warning that if family members called police they would not see Xi again.

Xi’s wife called Winnipeg police and, hours later, received another text message reporting “that if they had any final words for (Xi), this would be his last night,” court heard. Police traced Xi’s cellphone to a St. Vital apartment and arrived to find Xi’s 2016 Volkswagen Jetta parked outside. Xi was found inside the apartment, unharmed, with two friends.

Interviewed by police, Xi quickly admitted his “big mistake,” saying he had lost $40,000 to a gambling addiction and needed money from his parents to pay off his debts.

According to a psychological report provided to court, Xi suggested his gambling problem started shortly after his arrival in Winnipeg in 2017, but in an interview with police, Xi’s wife alleged it was Xi’s gambling debts in China that spurred their move to Canada.

At a hearing last year, Crown attorney Mark Kantor recommended Xi be sentenced to six months house arrest, arguing the premeditated nature of his crime — which tied up the resources of the Winnipeg Police Service’s tactical support team and major crimes unit, as well as both the Canadian and Chinese embassies – disentitled him from a conditional discharge.

While his kidnapping plot was unsophisticated and motivated by greed, Xi has taken significant steps to rehabilitate himself since his arrest, Mckenzie said, including having himself banned from all Winnipeg gambling centres, and undergoing a psychological assessment and addictions counselling.

“Mr. Xi has demonstrated that he has been deterred and he has learned from his mistakes,” McKenzie said. 

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca