One of the men accused in connection with an RCMP investigation during the 2022 Coutts border protest has plead guilty, an Alberta court announced.
The Lethbridge Court of Justice said Jerry Morin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms on Tuesday.
Additional charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, possession of a weapon and mischief were all withdrawn by the Crown.
Morin was sentenced to time served, which considered he spent two years in custody before the verdict was issued.
As a result, he was freed from custody.
His lawyer, Greg Dunn, issued a written statement saying that his client “steadfastly maintained from the very beginning that he played no part of any alleged conspiracy.”
“(He) is relieved and grateful that those charges, and associated allegations, have been withdrawn by the Crown,” Dunn said.
While Morin did plead guilty in the case, Dunn says that doesn’t paint the whole picture.
“The charge that Mr. Morin plead guilty to does not suggest that Mr. Morin at any time took firearms into Coutts, only that he agreed to.
“It is unfortunate that Mr. Morin has spent two years in custody of his life awaiting this day. That being said, now that this day is upon him he looks forward to seeing his family and moving on with his life.”
Morin was arrested along with 12 other people when an RCMP raid on a protest camp near the Coutts, Alta., border on Feb. 14, 2022, discovered a cache of firearms and ammunition.
Chris Carbert, Christopher Lysak and Anthony Olienick were the three other men charged with conspiracy to commit murder along with Morin.
