Booze can party host convicted and jailed again: Vancouver police

A Vancouver mannotorious for throwing penthouse parties that violated pandemic restrictionsas well as other B.C. liquor lawsis back in jail,convicted on new charges relating to another series of parties, saypolice.

In a statement Friday, Vancouver police said Mohammad Movassaghi, 43, has been sentenced to 29 days in custody, 12 months probationand a $10,000 fine, after pleading guilty to several charges in connection with parties thrown athis three-level, 1,100-square-footpenthouse on Richards Street in August.

Movassaghi first came to theattention of police in January this year,when neighbours startedmaking noise complaints about large parties inside his condo. When police arrived, they found athree-level, 1,100-square-foot penthousepacked with people, none of whom were wearing masks.

At the time, police issued $230 in fines under the Emergency Program Act to each of the 78 partygoers, including a doorman, and allegedMovassaghi wasrunninga makeshift nightclub, show loungeand cash bar,selling liquor without a licence.

Movassaghi was arrested and charged under the Public Health Act and taken to jail, and police seized cash, booze, and credit card machines used during the parties.

He pleaded guilty to three charges, including failing to follow orders of a health officer, and wassentenced to one day in jail, a $5,000 fine and 18 months probation.

Parties restarted

By August, police say they had begun investigating Movassaghi again after he began hosting another series of parties.

He was arrested Wednesday on several charges, including breach of probation, in relation to the set of illegal gatherings for which he was convicted in January.

This time, Movassaghi pleaded guilty to two counts of failingto comply with an order from the health officerand one count of selling liquor.

At the end of May this year, B.C.'s director of civil forfeiture filed a claim in B.C. Supreme Court against Movassaghi, alleging the $8,740 seized when Vancouver police raided his suite should be considered the proceeds of crime because the money was used to engage in unlawful activities including disobeying public health orders.