24°c Partly cloudy
25°c Chance of thundershowers
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Man pleads guilty in gun-smuggling operation
A Winnipeg man has admitted to his role in an elaborate gun-smuggling operation.
Adrian Lemay pleaded guilty this week to numerous weapons and trafficking-related charges. Crown and defence lawyers have made a joint recommendation for an 11-year prison sentence. Provincial court Judge Ted Lismer has reserved his decision until May 23.
Lemay and a co-accused, Robert Finlayson, were arrested in July 2010 following a police investigation into the flow of firearms. Finlayson pleaded guilty last year and was given an eight-year sentence. He admitted to taking advantage of his job at a city warehouse, Inland Pacific -- which ships guns across the country -- to steal and sell the weapons in order to feed his drug addiction.
Lemay has now admitted he would purchase the guns, which would then be re-sold once the serial numbers were removed. Crown attorney Mike Desautels told court Tuesday as many as 40 firearms vanished from the warehouse between 2009 and 2010, with many of them still unaccounted for.
Lemay has specifically pleaded guilty to his involvement in nine stolen guns, including a high-powered assault rifle, several handguns and five long guns. He also admitted to having a quantity of ecstasy and cocaine on him at the time of his arrest.
Most of the guns were being grabbed by Finlayson out of shipments bound for other cities, including Edmonton and Montreal, then quickly swapped with Lemay in exchange for cocaine.
Winnipeg police started an investigation after receiving reports of guns missing from orders placed with Inland Pacific. They initially focused on a city courier, who coincidentally had picked up two orders that Finlayson tampered with. Further investigation led directly to Finlayson, who confessed upon his arrest. He told police he was paid between $100 and $200 per gun, along with some crack cocaine. He also ratted out Lemay, court was told.
Gun violence has been a major issue in recent years, with several shootings and slayings making headlines while gang members attempt to settle personal scores and battle over lucrative drug profits. And while there have been sporadic arrests, police have struggled to cut off the source of many of the firearms that find their way into the hands of criminals.
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 49 articles for today)
HBO and James Gandolfini's managers say the actor famous for 'The Sopranos' has died in Italy
7:25 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- Sobey clan to alter city market
- HBO and James Gandolfini's managers say the actor famous for 'The Sopranos' has died in Italy
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Community's children apprehended by province
- Kids of St. Ignatius make Sweet gesture to beloved crossing guard
- 'Shocking' half of First Nations kids living in poverty, new study finds
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Winnipeg man given 2-year sentence for coma-inducing 'sucker punch'
- Toronto woman dead in rural Manitoba ATV wreck
- Man convicted of drunk driving in Henderson pile-up
- Bomber fans wowed by new stadium
- RCMP say woman deliberately murdered her sister with her car
- Portage Ave. stretch re-opens after Friday-night bomb scare
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Two people killed in crash north of Winnipeg
- Two Winnipeg teens identified as victims of crash
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Father, daughter seriously injured in ATV crash
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits north, with temps topping 80 degrees (26C) in Anchorage
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- HBO and James Gandolfini's managers say the actor famous for 'The Sopranos' has died in Italy
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Sobey clan to alter city market
- Community's children apprehended by province
- Accounts and accountability: UK committee says bankers must take more responsibility
- Tory attacks on Trudeau boomerang, raise questions about PMO involvement
- Métis ready to ring bell again
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- Sobeys gobbles up Safeway
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Geothermal heat coming to some Manitoba First Nations
- Spiralling cost of land raises new home prices
- Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits north, with temps topping 80 degrees (26C) in Anchorage
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- Priest kept silent about accusations against Storheim, court hears
- Rogers and MTS announce new network sharing agreement
- $110-K worth of nickel plates stolen from Thompson mine
- New owner for lumber stores
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Door openers being used to break into garages, police warn
- Province formally opens Mental Health Crisis Response Centre
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- New rules let customers cancel phone contracts without penalty after two years
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.