Notorious inner-city landlord who asked inmates to assault employee will serve house arrest

A notorious inner-city landlord will spend the next eight months on house arrest after admitting he asked inmates at the Edmonton Remand Centre to assault a former employee who was also in custody.

Abdullah Shah, also known as Carmen Pervez, pleaded guilty Monday to counselling an offence (assault causing bodily harm)for asking a number of men to beat up Clark Moukhaiber.

In January 2019, Shah made a number of phone calls to remand centre inmates requesting the assault, according to an agreed statement of facts.

"I need him brought in, he's ripped me off huge," Shah said on one recorded call. "I don't give a f*** what it's gonna cost."

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Shah's lawyer told Court of Queen's Bench Justice Nate Whitling that his client and Moukhaiber had a falling out after "a very large theft" of tools and equipment.

"A verbal argument ensued as a result of that," Paul Moreau said. "He made a large number of threats against Shah ... to victimize his children in a violent fashion."

Moreau said that argumentled to the phone calls Shah made to the remand centre.

During a phone call a few days later to another inmate, Shah said he had been "ripped off" for $90,000.

"I want it done so badly, the minute you tell me he's in medical, I'll be putting $1,000 in your account," he told inmate Salem Godinjak.

Moukhaiber was not assaulted while he was in the remand centre. But on Feb. 21, 2019, he ended up in hospital after being attacked by a number of individuals, including Godinjak, according to the agreed statement of facts.

Crown prosecutor Marissa Tordoff said Godinjak received a 10-month jail sentence for assaulting Moukhaiber.

"He was not assaulted as a consequence of anything my client said," Moreau told the judge.

But Tordoff argued that Shah's conversations were with "people who were actually willing to carry this out."

"It's not been proven or admitted that the assault was the result of Mr. Shah's requests," Whitling said inagreeing to the joint submission for a conditional sentence.

The sentence includes another seven months under curfew.Whitling also imposed a $200 victim surcharge and ordered Shah to perform 100 hours of community service as part of his sentence.

Lawyer says Shah getting out of property business

Shah served four months in pretrial custody before he was released on $10,000 cash bail. While free on bail, he was charged with a number of criminal offences, including four counts of trafficking fentanyl.

Shah gained notoriety in Edmonton as a result of his inner-city properties. But on Monday, his lawyer suggested Shah is getting out of that business.

"He's sold off the majority of his portfolio and is transitioning out of that business completely," Moreau told the judge.

The defence lawyer would notelaborate when CBC News asked for further details.

Shah also declined comment when given the chance to address the court prior to sentencing.

He has portrayed himself as a community-minded property owner who tried to help others who were less fortunate. At one time, he said he owned about 100 rental properties in the Edmonton area.