A man who robbed a local pharmacy twice in just over a week has been returned to prison after slipping into drug use while on parole.
Mohamed Ismail Arafa, 30, pleaded guilty to the two robberies, two counts of using an imitation firearm and one count of uttering threats in 2009 and was originally sentenced to seven years in custody, but on appeal his sentence was reduced to five years.
Arafa robbed the Tudor Glenn Market Pharmacy twice, just eight days apart over the holidays in late 2007 and early 2008. During those robberies he demanded cash, but his main focus was on oxycontin a powerful and addictive painkiller.
After time on day parole, he was granted full parole last year. He found a job and residence quickly and was reporting regularly to his parole officer, but at a party in September he was offered cocaine and took it.
The report from the parole board said Arafa instantly felt bad and can’t identify why he took the drug. In both that case and another reported use, Arafa told his parole office about the incident after testing positive. After the September incident, he was warned he would face serious consequences if he tested positive again.
In February 2012, he tested positive again and according to the board’s decision Arafa could offer no reason why he took drugs.
“They report that you did not display insight into how or why your breach happened and that you used drugs with little prompting,” the board wrote in its report.
After that second failed test, Arafa was immediately jailed. The hearing in early May formally revoked his parole, which was already suspended because of the drug tests.
Prior to the two robberies, Arafa had no criminal record. During the sentencing, his lawyer said he had been prescribed the painkiller after a car accident and had become hooked.
The parole board said his use of a new drug was very concerning.
“You are no longer manageable in the community after a return to drug use, because your use of drugs is directly connected to your current offences and your current offences are serious and violent nature.”
The parole board also worried Arafa hadn’t identified what had caused him to do cocaine in the first place and he could be unable to avoid such triggers in the future.
Arafa will be allowed to apply again for parole; his sentence will completely expire in 2014.
