THUNDER BAY - One of the four individuals charged with first-degree murder in connection to the 2019 death of 21-year-old Samatar Warsame of Toronto has pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted robbery.
Hikomel Joiles, 30, appeared in a Toronto courtroom via video on Tuesday where he pleaded not guilty to the original charge of first-degree murder but guilty to attempted robbery arising from the same incident.
Joiles also pleaded guilty to several firearm related charges laid at the time of his arrest in May 2022, including carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a restricted firearm, and possession of a firearm while under a prohibition order for life.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Joiles became involved in drug trafficking in Southern Ontario with several other individuals.
He would travel to other areas of the province to traffic drugs and eventually ended up in Thunder Bay in late 2018.
Initially, Joiles and Warsame were acquainted and worked with the same individuals, but a disagreement took place while in Thunder Bay and Warsame began trafficking drugs separate from the others.
In January 2019, there was a plan to rob one of Warsame’s stash houses and Joiles travelled to a Sherrington Street residence with another individual.
They were unable to gain entrance to the residence either because they had the wrong key or wrong address.
Joiles then returned to a Gore Street residence where he was staying. When the others arrived later, they said they needed to wash their clothes and leave Thunder Bay. Joiles interpreted that to mean something bad had happened. He ended up leaving with two others and drove back to Southern Ontario.
Warsame’s body was located on the shoulder of Highway 527 in Shuniah on Jan. 13, 2019. The case remained unsolved for 40 months until the Ontario Provincial Police arrested and charged Joiles, as well as 26-year-old Kaveh Lozoomi-Garmroodi of Toronto, 44-year-old Stephan Richard Parr, and 34-year-old Amy Rose-Podnar, both of Thunder Bay.
The police investigation determined Joiles had a credible alibi for Warsame’s murder.
At the time of Joiles arrest in Whitby, Ont. he was in possession of a .40 caliber handgun with an extended capacity magazine.
As part of a joint submission from counsel, Joiles was sentenced to 12 months on the charge of attempted robbery, with 30 days credit of enhanced pre-sentence custody.
On the firearm charges, Joiles was sentenced to four years time served, with credit of 1,460 days of pre-sentence custody.
Joiles is left with 11 months to serve in custody, which is to be followed by 24 months probation. He is also required to submit a DNA sample and is subject to a weapons prohibition for life.
The three remaining accused are scheduled to stand trial next month.
