Speeding BMW driver convicted after online boast

[1HungryMan]

Originally Posted by larryn

You forgot one thing... He pleaded guilty, when asked, so the cops were 1000% right in charging him... I assume his parents (thankfully) made him own up. As the article also rightfully points out that the kid could have said "it was only a joke" (meaning the braggart thread), and it would have been up to the cops to prove it... So, that is why I think the 'rents got involved.

I didn't forget it, but before I saw another article....

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/arti...-loses-licence

...I wondered what exactly were the circumstances of the "admission" as I know how cops operate, and why so many cases are thrown out over lack of evidence or trumped up charges.

However, it appears that he did have a lawyer and that he did admit his douchebaggery, *and* his parents were also involved.

STILL, it is a very bizarre precedent to charge someone for a crime that did not happen. In fact, this paragraph says it all:

"Rigenco also admitted to smoking marijuana and started a thread about a car accident he said he was involved in with his BMW a few weeks after the speeding incident. Barmakov (the cop) said police didn’t have enough evidence to pursue charges for either of these things."

Imagine if I started a thread that said I drive to Kitchener every weekend and have frequently driven 140kh, and cops show up at my door. Most certainly charges without an admission could never stick. It's just preposterous.

Anyway, we're all happy he's off the road and according to the article, he lost his beast.

[larryn]

Originally Posted by 1HungryMan

I didn't forget it, but before I saw another article....

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/arti...-loses-licence

...I wondered what exactly were the circumstances of the "admission" as I know how cops operate, and why so many cases are thrown out over lack of evidence or trumped up charges.

However, it appears that he did have a lawyer and that he did admit his douchebaggery, *and* his parents were also involved.

STILL, it is a very bizarre precedent to charge someone for a crime that did not happen. In fact, this paragraph says it all:

"Rigenco also admitted to smoking marijuana and started a thread about a car accident he said he was involved in with his BMW a few weeks after the speeding incident. Barmakov (the cop) said police didn’t have enough evidence to pursue charges for either of these things."

Imagine if I started a thread that said I drive to Kitchener every weekend and have frequently driven 140kh, and cops show up at my door. Most certainly charges without an admission could never stick. It's just preposterous.

Anyway, we're all happy he's off the road and according to the article, he lost his beast.

Yep, well, if that happened, you could man-up, or you could easily get off. I'm also glad this punk was force taught a lesson, anyway.

So, this thread (or at least the direction the thread took about civil liberties) is misleading. They didn't bust him because of the original thread, at all. They busted him because, when questioned, he admitted it. The police just followed up on a lead, and they probably thought that the best they would do is to scare the kid into mellowing out.

[FORGED LIFESTYLE]

Sucks to be that kid!

[BlackjackMulligan]

Originally Posted by larryn

Yep, well, if that happened, you could man-up, or you could easily get off. I'm also glad this punk was force taught a lesson, anyway.

So, this thread (or at least the direction the thread took about civil liberties) is misleading. They didn't bust him because of the original thread, at all. They busted him because, when questioned, he admitted it. The police just followed up on a lead, and they probably thought that the best they would do is to scare the kid into mellowing out.

Exactly, people are acting like the police read the forum and went to his house and arrested him. The article clearly states that the police did a full investigation and obviously when they presented the evidence he folded like a house of cards. Serves him right.

[nordique14]

As always the best advice when asked a question by the cops is to KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.

[1HungryMan]

Originally Posted by nordique14

As always the best advice when asked a question by the cops is to KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.

Hey the kid went on the 5 series board even after the story was published the other day to boast about being famous. He's clearly a level 9 moron.

[larryn]

Originally Posted by 1HungryMan

Hey the kid went on the 5 series board even after the story was published the other day to boast about being famous. He's clearly a level 9 moron.

@ level 9 moron

I betcha that these days you could probably trade a level 9 moron for a level 12 jackass on eBay.

[nordique14]

Originally Posted by 1HungryMan

Hey the kid went on the 5 series board even after the story was published the other day to boast about being famous. He's clearly a level 9 moron.

Very true. Maybe I should amend my comment to keeping your mouth shut at all times when you do something stupid. The rest of the world does not need to hear any bragging about being a moron/jackass.

[BlackjackMulligan]

Originally Posted by 1HungryMan

Hey the kid went on the 5 series board even after the story was published the other day to boast about being famous. He's clearly a level 9 moron.

do you have a link to his post? I'd like to read it but I'm being lazy lol...

Originally Posted by nordique14

Very true. Maybe I should amend my comment to keeping your mouth shut at all times when you do something stupid. The rest of the world does not need to hear any bragging about being a moron/jackass.

How about people having a little self restraint and not acting like a moron/jackass to begin with?

[1HungryMan]

Originally Posted by BlackjackMulligan

do you have a link to his post? I'd like to read it but I'm being lazy lol...



How about people having a little self restraint and not acting like a moron/jackass to begin with?

I think it was deleted. I can't seem to find it.

[larryn]

Originally Posted by 1HungryMan

I think it was deleted. I can't seem to find it.

It's still there...

[BlackjackMulligan]

Originally Posted by larryn

It's still there...

ahh, that was an interesting 20 minute read. And to all those defending him/saying he shouldn't have been convicted- have a read. This kid is a piece of work.

[Taymaishu]

Wow... That's pretty nuts, but really an idiot for being honest with the police. I mean fair enough, i have a LOT of respect for him for owning up.

This is why when we have meets in Australia we partake in 'spirited driving' and keep our meeting spots and times to Private Messages.

[BlackFlash]

Hmm, I certainly hope I'm wrong, but I do get the impression reading this thread that people think excessive speeding is ok as long as a cop doesn't see you do it. Surely I am mistaken...

I was never under the impression that this guy was convicted on a whim (i.e. him writing about it in a forum post). The forum post just triggered an investigation, which, in this particular case, was quickly bolstered by a confession.

I would say for every one case of someone innocent getting railroaded to a guilty verdict in Canada there are ten cases of guilty people getting off on a technicality.

[bozola]

Makes you think twice about posting about possible illegal activities. I remember forgetting my turn signal once.

[jkp1187]

Seems fair to me. Not like they convicted him based solely on the online boasting. In the wrong hands, a car is quite effective as a deadly weapon.

LOL where he says he's a "careful driver".....

[Jaguar66]

This guy made a lot of press.



http://www.globaltoronto.com/Vaughan...185/story.html


http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/arti...about-speeding

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/sto...iction658.html

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2.../14978671.html

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loc...10?hub=Toronto

http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/c...entid=25148603

[Lester]

I would like to see a universal graduated licensing system in place, based on driver's age. Something like:

New drivers shall be limited to driving automobiles that have engines that shall not exceed the lesser of:

Their age divided by 10 in displacement expressed in litres;

or

10 times their age in horsepower;

Until they have reached an age plus number of accident-free and traffic violation free years that equals at least 30.

This means that a new driver, age 16 - would be limited to vehicles with engines having the lesser of either a maximum size of 1.6 litres or a horespower rating of 160. At 21 years of age - if that driver has 5 years of accident free plus 5 years of traffic violation free driving (21+5+5 = 31) the restriction would be lifted.

A new driver, age 20 - would be limited to vehicles with engines having the lesser of either a maximum size of 2.0 litres or a horespower rating of 200. If after 4 years of accident free and traffic violation free driving (24 + 4 + 4 = 32 ), then the restriction would be lifted.

This is a fair way to let new/young drivers gain driving experience without tempting them with exceedingly high horspower vehicles that within seconds can get them in serious trouble. It is also a fair way to reward them with good behaviour after 4 or 5 accident and traffic violation-free years, to allow them to move to vehicles with higher horsepower and/or engine displacement.

Exclusions could be allowed for business use, military or emergency vehicles.

[cj350s]

If “speeding and murder are not in the same league” perhaps someone could explain the difference between a teenager driving a 3000+ lb. motor vehicle through a residential neighborhood at 140 KPH, and a person randomly discharging a firearm in the same area.

Explain how a person caught in the path of a speeding motor vehicle versus a stray bullet is any less dead. It would seem to me the choice of weapons is immaterial.

Yes it’s quite possible an expensive lawyer could have successfully fought the charge, but would you appreciate the release of this dangerous and irresponsible fool to operate a motor vehicle anywhere near you or your family tomorrow?

York Regional Police should be commended for their investigation and the subsequent charges laid related to this incident, and I for one thank them for it.

BMW drivers are often (wrongfully or rightfully) perceived as having an elitist attitude, and when public safety is compromised by the irresponsible actions of a person driving one of our vehicles it only serves to enforce that perception and reflects negatively on all of us.

My thoughts anyway.

[Lucky1]

Originally Posted by Lester

Vladimir Rigenco, 19, found himself the target of a police probe several months ago, when a U.S. citizen called in a tip stemming from Mr. Rigenco's post on an Internet forum for BMW fans. In it, the young man boasted about driving 100 kilometres per hour above the posted speed limit on Apple Blossom Drive, a residential road in Vaughan.

If it could be proven that he was in fact the person who made the post then he has confessed his crime publicly right? I don't see how this becomes an issue of convicting someone without evidence unless there was any doubt as to whether he made the post himself or not. And I for one am happy to see anyone who brags about a crime get arrested for said crime afterwards.

[1HungryMan]

Originally Posted by Lucky1

If it could be proven that he was in fact the person who made the post then he has confessed his crime publicly right? I don't see how this becomes an issue of convicting someone without evidence unless there was any doubt as to whether he made the post himself or not. And I for one am happy to see anyone who brags about a crime get arrested for said crime afterwards.

He wasn't committing a crime, he was speeding. The idea that someone can be charged with careless driving on the basis of an online boast is incredible. There was no immediate "victim" per se and technically he wasn't acting criminally he was speeding. Again, people need to realize that getting him off the street is a good thing but is not the same as being slightly horrified by the rather bizarre way in which a person not actually in the act of speeding is later charged for that act because of a boast (and later an admission). It would have been much more legal to have caught him IN THE ACT AFTER the complaint was made. Again guys, it wasn't a crime.

This is cops being lazy, plain and simple. Their (good) intent was to get him off the street and rather than doing a simple speed trap in the area he was witnessed (jesus they're on the danforth bridge where I live every damned day!) on, they used a confession. Any good lawyer would have had that tossed.

But it always surprises me that people don't give a shit about the law and their own rights if something enrages them enough. Sad. What's next? Cops trolling boards looking for people that have jokingly talked about getting wasted and getting in a bar fight? Very bad precedent. If you don't care about how you clean up crime, then why have rights and due process? Just have a totalitarian regime--much more effective.

[larryn]

1HungryMan, I believe you are misreading the situation. My interpretation of reading between the lines is that I believe it was reported, and the driver and his parents were contacted by the police.. The parents then saw the thread, and felt they should make their child responsible for his acts. There's certainly no way a 19 y.o. could own a new M5 without major help.. So, kudos to the parents for laying down a meaningful learning experience, though sticking a kid in a $90k 500hp car doesn't seem like a bright idea.

Regardless, no civil liberties were compromised when there is a guilty plea. If they can afford an M5 for the kid, they certainly could have gotten him off with any mediocre attorney... Which tells me the punk was forced to own up to his actions.

The only other explanation would be that the kids had a change of heart and decided to fess up... (we all know that wouldn't have happened, if you've read the thread).