A Lumby man has been sentenced to two years less a day of house arrest after pleading guilty to three firearms-related offences.
The charges stem from a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) criminal investigation.
Eric James Canel, born in 1994, was sentenced March 12.
The CBSA arrested Canel in April 2022 and executed a search warrant at his residence in relation to improperly declared firearm parts. CBSA investigators seized a loaded illegal ghost handgun, eight non-restricted firearms, ammunition, a stun gun, and a prohibited knife.
In addition to house arrest, Canel was sentenced to 240 hours of community service and three years probation. He was also required to forfeit all firearms and ammunition, and given a 10-year prohibition for non-restricted firearms and a lifetime prohibition for restricted and prohibited firearms.
At the time of the search, Canel was under a court-ordered firearm prohibition resulting from a firearms-related conviction in 2016.
"The Canada Border Services Agency Criminal Investigations Section worked diligently to investigate this case and provide evidence for conviction," said Nina Patel, regional director general, CBSA, Pacific Region. "The CBSA protects Canadians by securing our border and investigating those who break Canada's laws."
In June 2023, Canel was charged in Vernon Provincial Court and on June 12, 2024, pleaded guilty to three Criminal Code of Canada charges:
- Section 92(1) Possession of firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized;
- Section 95(1) Possession of prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition;
- Section 117.01(1) Possession contrary to order.
In 2024, the CBSA in the Pacific Region kept 228 firearms and 1,249 prohibited devices off the streets in the continued efforts to keep our communities safe.
