If all the allegations prove to be true, a 24-year-old Hungarian man with close to 400 charges against him could be called Canada’s hardest working criminal.
Police allege that Lajos Galamb went on his intrepidly productive run of break-and-enters in Ontario beginning in Jan. 2024 – all while he was supposed to be on house arrest. That run netted him 193 charges for incidents spanning multiple jurisdictions over just one year.
Galamb is also facing 195 other break-and-enter-related charges in jurisdictions outside the initial investigation area, including Waterloo, Guelph, London, York, Peel, and Durham regions.
The Toronto Police Association rang an alarm bell over the story in a widely circulated X post that lamented what many perceive as a revolving-door justice system and calling for bail reform: “How many more chances do repeat violent offenders get before meaningful change happens?”
“This is yet another example of why we need real bail reform NOW,” the Toronto Police Association post continued.
Commenting on the Toronto Police Association’s X post, Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre added: “397 strikes, you’re out! But woke Liberals’ catch-and-release, hug-a-thug laws turn him loose to terrorize our people.”
Law enforcement agencies are collaborating as they work to piece together the full scope of the alleged crimes.
Their investigations also involve two other Hungarians.
In 2018, Galamb and two other Hungarian nationals were arrested for allegedly stealing metal from properties in the Cobourg area.
Despite this prior arrest, Galamb and his alleged partners-in-crime remain in Canada and are not in custody, raising questions about the effectiveness of the judicial, immigration and deportation systems.
A law enforcement source, speaking to The Toronto Sun, expressed frustration over the challenges of deporting non-violent offenders.
“Unless it’s a violent offense, they’ll get multiple immigration hearings, claim refugee status, and allege persecution back home. Once they’re in, you can’t get them out.”
