A young man who was convicted of a number of crimes related to an Edmonton extortion scheme has been granted day parole to a community-based residential facility for six months, pending bed space availability.
Divnoor Asht, 20, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to extortion, arson, mischief causing property damage and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and was sentenced to just over three years in prison.
Between October 2023 and July 2025, police launched an investigation dubbed Project Gaslight which looked into a series of extortions targeting South Asian homebuilders in Edmonton. Victims were allegedly threatened with death or that their homes would be burned down if they refused to pay large sums of money.
According to a written decision from the Parole Board of Canada last week, Asht acted as a “middle manager,” taking instructions from a co-accused who communicated with members of the group involved in the scheme who lived abroad.
The decision states Asht did not personally make threats or carry out arsons, but co-ordinated the attacks and reported back to higher-ranking members once acts of intimidation or arsons had been carried out.
Asht has no prior criminal record.
The parole board noted he demonstrated a lack of empathy by messaging someone a photo of a burning house followed by laughing emojis.
It also stated the offences generated significant media attention, although much of the focus remained on his co-accused.
At the hearing, Asht discussed his offences with the parole board, acknowledging he did not believe his actions were wrong at the time.
“You realize this now, and feel you wasted your life,” the parole board’s decision reads.
The board also noted Asht collected two payments from higher-ranking members totalling $10,000 over an eight-month period, and that he lied to his parents about his activities.
Documents filed with the board describe Asht as having positive relationships with his family members.
He completed high school and briefly worked at an electronics store for several months. Since 2023, he has mainly completed small jobs with his father, who works as an electrician.
The decision states there is no information suggesting Asht is affiliated with any groups deemed to be security threats or terrorist organizations.
According to the parole board, Asht received a Criminal Risk Index score of three, placing him in a lower-risk category for recidivism. His Statistical Information on Recidivism score was eight, indicating that four out of five offenders with similar scores do not commit another indictable offence following release.
The board noted Asht’s offending pattern reflected “impressionability and a lack of consequential thinking,” with his offences linked to his personal relationships and associates.
The decision also noted there were no behavioural concerns reported while he was in remand custody.
However, Asht incurred two serious institutional charges while incarcerated.
The parole board said Asht attributed the incidents to poor judgment and stated he had learned to stay busy to avoid negative behaviour. He also said he now thinks before acting and has become more patient.
Asht said he hoped to eventually reside with his parents and sister. A post-sentence community assessment found his family to be positive and to be able to offer pro-social supports.
The parole board also noted Asht has confirmed employment as an electrician apprentice upon release and hopes to eventually start his own business.
Correctional Service Canada recommended day parole, stating Asht has no criminal history, no identified programming needs, and confirmed positive community supports.
However, CSC recommended he initially reside at a community-based residential facility rather than with family, noting he committed his offences while living at home without his parents’ knowledge.
In its risk assessment, the parole board weighed both aggravating and mitigating factors.
“The board is satisfied that your risk is manageable on a day parole release at this time,” the decision reads.
Conditions of release include not associating or communicating with anyone he knows or believes to be involved in criminal activity.
Asht is also prohibited from contacting his victims, must seek or maintain employment, provide financial disclosure to his parole supervisor, and cannot possess more than one mobile communication device or SIM card without permission.
He must also abide by a nightly curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., except for approved employment, educational or vocational activities authorized by his parole supervisor.
Asht remains subject to a firearms prohibition, a forfeiture order for seized items and a DNA order from when a judge sentenced him for his crimes.