Latest news with #Biernacki
Toronto Sun
7 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Drug dealer gets house arrest for ex-girlfriend's fatal overdose
Joshua Biernacki leaves the London courthouse on Dec. 4, 2024. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press) Despite years of experience with illegal drugs, Joshua Biernacki didn't believe he or his former girlfriend would ever be seriously harmed by them. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account He told the author of a pre-sentence report that he and Deborah Beer 'never thought about the serious consequences … (and) never thought that this could happen to us.' But tragically it did. Beer, 28, was found dead of a heroin overdose on Nov. 7, 2021, slumped in the closet of the bedroom she shared with her young daughter, a needle still in her arm. The half-a-gram of heroin had been couriered to her by Biernacki at her request. The former boyfriend from Oshawa had maintained a relationship with Beer even after she became pregnant by someone else, got clean and moved into her mother's apartment in London. Biernacki, 33, was charged with manslaughter. He was the third suspected drug dealer to face the homicide charge laid by London police for selling drugs that directly led to a death. In the other cases, the charges were withdrawn or reduced. Biernacki, however, was the first in London to go before a jury. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. At the end of the December trial, Biernacki was found not guilty of manslaughter, but guilty of the included offence of heroin trafficking. What was clear from both his trial and sentencing hearing is that Biernacki has deep remorse over Beer's death, struggles with a substance abuse disorder and has a limited criminal history. In his sentencing decision released a week ago, Superior Court Justice Michael Carnegie described Biernacki as a 'low-level drug trafficker' and imposed an 18-month conditional sentence, otherwise known as house arrest, along with two years of probation. What swayed Carnegie to a conditional sentence disposition had much to do with the longtime relationship between Biernacki and Beer and how both of them were aware about the risks of taking the drug. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Beer, who had been staying sober and working at a Tim Hortons, reached out to Biernacki to buy heroin for herself and a co-worker. Biernacki wanted Beer to reconsider but ultimately agreed to sell her the drug for $130. He sent messages to her about how to divide the drugs and how much was safe to use. Carnegie noted Beer's response was she was not 'dumb' and as a mother, she would be careful. She also assured Biernacki that she was making the decision herself. 'I don't blame anyone for selling me drugs or nothing … I fully made the choice,' she wrote in a text message to him. 'Sadly, Ms. Beer went into this trafficking misadventure with her eyes wide open. She was and communicated her awareness of the inherent risks of using heroin, particularly after her hiatus of whatever duration from heavy use,' Carnegie said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Biernacki couldn't resist her request even though he knew of her long addiction history that began when she was 14. 'He was not doing Ms. Beer any favours and it is no answer to infer, if he did not sell, she would have found heroin elsewhere,' Carnegie said. 'Ms. Beer's death has devastated her family. Her loss is deeply felt. And, to whatever extent Mr. Biernacki contributed to this loss, he is genuinely remorseful. And he ought to be.' Beer's mother and sister described their grief in emotional victim impact statements. 'Suffice it to say, the overall impact upon the victim's family has been profound,' Carnegie said. Biernacki, the judge added, appeared visibly affected in court and exhibited what he interpreted as 'genuine regret.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Carnegie pointed out Biernacki has been a drug addict, like Beer, since he was a teen. He became addicted to heroin when he was 19 and has been hooked on opioids, including fentanyl and crystal meth. He also has used cocaine. He has tried to break free from his addiction through in-patient programs beginning in 2019 and remains under care. Beer's death caused him to consider suicide. Biernacki also 'acknowledges many relapses over the years, including heroin overdoses. He significantly relapsed after hearing of Ms. Beer's death. By all accounts, the victim's passing has had a devastating impact upon him. He describes himself as 'the criminal here' and that he regrets what he did,' Carnegie said. The Crown sought a two-year jail term while the defence argued for a 12- to 18-month conditional sentence along with three years probation. Carnegie pointed out that had Biernacki not followed his restrictive bail regime, then he would have considered the maximum two years-less-a-day of house arrest. The sentence and probation term, he said, was primarily for 'enhanced rehabilitative purposes.' jsims@ World Olympics Toronto & GTA Columnists Music
Chicago Tribune
20-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
$45 million bond issue in Western Springs would fund infrastructure projects
Voters in Western Springs will be asked to approve a $45 million bond issue in the April 1 Consolidated General Election, funding village officials hope to have available to complete projects addressing aging infrastructure such as sanitary and storm sewers, water mains, roadways, sidewalks and street lighting. Village officials are hopeful the referendum will be successful. 'We're already doing engineering for some projects, projects that we've jumped ahead because we know that we need to do them,' said Casey Biernacki, deputy village manager. 'One project in particular is Woodland Avenue.' That project addresses roadway, drainage, sewer and service line work planned along the Woodland from Burlington Avenue to 47th Street. Biernacki indicated that if the bonds are approved, the village would start engineering on some projects fairly soon, but 'actually using bond funds, I would probably say 2026 would be when we'd first start spending … potentially late 2025.' The debt repayment time frame for the bonds, including interest, would be between 17 and 20 years; the total amount of the bonds issued would have to be used in 7 to 10 years. The language of the referendum question stipulates that the interest shall be no higher than 7%. One factor in the village's favor, officials said, is the recent upgrade of its credit rating by Standard and Poor's to AA+, an action 'supported by the village's operating results, which has historically been very consistent, reflecting management's budgetary practices and robust monitoring,' according to the agency's ratings report. The plans for the funds, which can be found under the Village web site under the referendum tab, show the various projects being prioritized in the first 1 to 3 years, including rehabilitation of the Spring Rock Park combined sewer line that drains Old Town North, water main improvements near Lyons Township High School, reestablishing an emergency interconnection to Hinsdale's water system, and various road resurfacing and sidewalk improvements. New sidewalks also are planned, coordinated with the Illinois Department of Transportation's Safe Routes To Schools program. 'We're working with all the school districts in the area,' Biernacki said. 'We hope to have that project completed by November of this year and we expect to outline some additional sidewalk routes through parts of the village that don't have them.' New sidewalks would also be included when roads, water, and sewers would be reconstructed on streets that don't yet have them. Officials said about 30% of the village's streets are not lined by sidewalks. Beyond the first 3 years, road improvements and some stormwater and water main improvements are scheduled for Central Avenue, Commonwealth Drive, Woodland Avenue and Lawn Drive. The $45 million price tag is considerably larger than the two most recent bond issues approved by Western Springs voters, $6 million in 2008, and $12 million in 2016. Those bond issues were for road work only. Officials said the annual cost of the proposed bonds to homeowners would be $345 for the owner of a $750,000 home and $465 for owners of a $1 million property. The village's website's referendum page has a tool detailing costs based on individual property values. Officials also are looking at critical infrastructure needs over a longer time frame, with its Capital Infrastructure Plan having $200 million in recommended projects needed in the next 30-40 years. 'If approved, over the next 7 to 10 years, we would continue looking for alternative revenue sources to find ways to fund capital infrastructure projects,' Biernacki said, 'but it's very likely that in 7 to 10 years we'll be looking at another referendum, if our finance sources stay the same.' Passage of the bond issue is crucial, Biernacki said, because with 95% residential zoning, Western Springs is essentially a 'bedroom community' without the sales tax base of some nearby towns. 'It's challenging,' Biernacki said. 'We don't have a big box store, we don't have a Costco or a Home Depot or car dealerships. We've got a great growing downtown with wonderful businesses but we just don't have the sales tax revenue that some of our neighbors have. So if you looked at all of our existing funding sources and we tried to fund these critical infrastructure projects — one to two projects a year — we're figuring about six years with existing revenue sources, to fund a project like this.'
