More than 1,000 guns seized from southern Alberta store in firearms trafficking probe
CBC News | Posted: June 8, 2017 3:39 PM | Last Updated: December 10, 2019
2 owners of K & D Implements in Cardston arrested on numerous charges
For an update posted Dec. 10, 2019, see: Store owner handed big fine but no jail time for illegal gun sales
Police have seized the entire inventory of a gun store in Cardston, in southern Alberta, after a five-month probe turned up evidence that two of its owners were trafficking firearms illegally, according to the Alberta Law Enforcement Teams (ALERT).
Officers with ALERT's organized crime and gang team carried out a search warrant at K & D Implements on May 29 with help from Cardston RCMP and Lethbridge police.
Dean Sommerfeldt, 58, and Todd Sommerfeldt, 31 were arrested and charged with numerous offences, including trafficking a firearm, possession of weapons for the purpose of trafficking and careless storage of a restricted weapon.
The men are accused of failing on several occasions to ensure that firearms purchasers had valid Possession Acquisition Licenses (PAL), which constitutes firearms trafficking, ALERT said in a release.
"This gun store needlessly put public safety at risk by allowing conceivably anyone to acquire guns. We would be naive to believe that this was not exploited by organized crime and the criminal element," said ALERT Lethbridge Staff Sgt. Jason Walper.
The seized inventory included:
- Over 1 million rounds of ammunition.
- 49 handguns.
- 972 long guns.
- 270 kilograms of gun powder.
- 446 kilograms of Tannerite, an explosive material.
- 12,000 firearm primers.
Both suspects were released from custody on a number of court-imposed conditions, including that they not possess any firearms.