'Chronic offender' immediately identified, nabbed for $40K art theft: Vancouver police

A man with over 115 criminal convictions has been arrested after allegedly stealing nearly $40,000 worth of art from a gallery in Vancouver, according to police.

Surveillance video from the Vancouver Fine Art Gallery on Dec. 30 shows a man briefly observe a pair of sculptures before taking one and walking away. 

Dror Daral, the gallery’s director, told CTV News that the man’s actions initially went unnoticed.

“At night time I went to close the gates, didn’t even notice the sculpture gone,” Daral said. “In the morning, I came back and didn’t even notice it gone.”

The same man was caught on camera entering the gallery the following afternoon to swipe another sculpture.

This time around, Daral says he was watching out for the suspect.

“As soon as that happens I shot out, I’m ex-military so I shot straight after him,” he said.

After a brief pursuit, Daral said he decided to return to the gallery because it was unattended.

Police responded to the second robbery shortly after Daral reported it and began reviewing security footage. 

“One of our officers immediately recognized the suspect,” said Sgt. Steve Addison of the Vancouver Police Department.

She says that's how police ended up at the East Vancouver home where the suspect lives.

“He showed up still carrying the stolen sculpture that had been stolen just an hour earlier, we were able to arrest him,” said Addison

The VPD quickly obtained a search warrant and recovered the other sculpture from the suspect’s home.

50-year-old Francis Boivin, known to police as a "chronic offender” was charged with two counts of theft over $5,000.

Daral, who was grateful for the swift actions of the VPD, says he’s expecting to get the art work back in a few days, but is frustrated that Boivin even had the chance to steal it in the first place.

“Something really needs to be repaired in our legal system,” he said.

"It's sad to see that someone like this walks free and violates hard working people just trying to make a living,’ Daral added.

“He does this over and over and over again and doesn’t get thrown away.”

Boivin fappeared in court Tuesday and remains in custody. Accoring to police, his next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 17.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Lisa Staecy.