A U.S. man has been handed two one-year jail sentences and a 10-year weapons prohibition after pleading guilty to lying to Canadian border officers about a weapon he was carrying when he tried to enter Canada last year.
According to the Canada Border Services Agency, Michael Lynden Wilson told officers at the Pacific Highway crossing on Dec. 10 that he had a "safety piece" in his jacket.
During a subsequent search – which resulted in an arrest – the officers seized an unloaded prohibited semi-automatic handgun and two loaded ammunition magazines.
Wilson – who is also facing outstanding charges in the U.S. – pleaded guilty in Surrey Provincial Court on March 26 to one count of making false statements contrary to the Customs Act and one count of possession of a prohibited firearm together with readily accessible ammunition contrary to the Criminal Code.
In addition to the concurrent jail terms and weapons prohibition, Wilson was ordered to pay a $200 victim surcharge.
His eligibility to remain in Canada is to be determined by the CBSA.
CBSA officials noted that firearms seizures logged by border services officers in the Pacific Region increased by 44 per cent between 2010 and 2014. In that same period, the number of weapons seized increased by almost 107 per cent.
CIS assistant director Harald Wuigk described Wilson's case as "an excellent example of the work CBSA undertakes to safeguard the safety and security of Canadians."
Anyone with information about suspicious cross-border activity is encouraged to call the CBSA Border Watch toll-free line at 1-888-502-9060.