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By Curtis Galbraith
Court

Court update: Sentences given out in several cases, trial set in illegal gun selling case

Feb 16, 2021 | 6:00 AM

A trespassing complaint to Beaverlodge RCMP that led to a weapons seizure has resulted in a jail sentence for the man charged.

Alberta Justice says Craig Horseman was sentenced to 180 days time served after pleading guilty to charges of carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public during a February 3 appearance in Grande Prairie court.

Eight other charges were withdrawn.

Beaverlodge RCMP said at the time that on March 9 last year, they got a report of trespassing from Hythe. Police located the suspect, who then ran away when told he was being arrested. He was found after a foot chase, and a search of his person led to the discovery of a loaded rifle and three knives.

At the time of his arrest, Horseman was already wanted in connection with a September 2019 theft from a well site. He also pleaded guilty to a single count of trespassing on premises and given a $100 fine. Two theft under $5000 counts were withdrawn.

Trial dates set in illegal gun-selling case

Alberta Justice says trial dates have been set for a Grande Prairie woman suspected of illegally selling firearms.

The trial for Misty Kohuch is set for November 23 through 26.

She was charged with several offences including trafficking a firearm, possession of a firearm for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking after an ALERT investigation and arrest in October of 2019.

Investigators said at the time that this was related to what they call straw purchasing, where guns are bought legally then re-sold on the criminal market.

They add that their investigation started in July of 2019 and there were five handgun purchases involved from July to October.

Sentences given out in Peace River gun, assault, pursuit incident

Short jail sentences have been given to two of the four people charged after an incident in Peace River last June.

Peace Regional RCMP said at the time that at around 1 a.m. June 6, 2020, officers responded to a report of an assault on a man and an attempt to steal his truck.

Just before 7 a.m., RCMP were called again about people in two vehicles pointing guns at each other.

Two men were arrested in one vehicle. A man and a woman in the other were arrested after a pursuit that included two deployments of a tire deflation device and the suspect vehicle travelling on its rims for 20 kilometres.

Alberta Justice says Cody Ross Letendre was sentenced to 90 days time served on February 10 in Peace River court on charges of flight from a peace officer, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and driving a motor vehicle while unauthorized.

On February 9, Bobby Fawn Auger was given a 20-day time served sentence after admitting to three charges of failure to comply with a release order. She also pleaded guilty to similar charges in two other arrests.

Christopher Dale Laboucan is to stand trial June 16 in Peace River on several firearms charges.

All the charges against Duane Charles Merrier were withdrawn in July 2020.

Four-year jail sentence in shots fired incident

An incident last April when a shot was fired at a grader operator has led to a four-year jail sentence for the man charged.

Alberta Justice says Dion Ray Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of intentionally discharging a firearm and assault causing bodily harm September 14, 2020, in High Prairie court.

High Prairie RCMP said on April 2, 2020, just before 6 p.m. a shot was fired at someone running a grader on Whitefish Lake First Nation.

Mitchell was arrested a short time later at his home.

by Curtis Galbraith