Man accused of printing 3D guns granted bail

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This article was published 09/05/2023 (851 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg man accused of manufacturing and selling 3D-printed guns as part of an alleged criminal partnership has been granted bail.

Jackson Prince, 18, was charged with multiple offences, including two counts of weapons trafficking, after a lengthy Winnipeg police investigation that culminated March 31 with a search warrant on a Boyd Avenue apartment.

Police seized 3D-printed handgun receivers, a 3D-printed AR-15-style rifle that looked like a Nerf toy gun, various firearms parts, illicit drugs and a 3D printer.

Winnipeg Police Service organized crime division Insp. Elton Hall led a news conference May 4 to announce the charges and display some of the brightly-coloured weapons and parts.

At a provincial bail court hearing May 5, Crown attorney Vanessa Gama opposed the accused’s bid for bail.

Gama outlined the “strong” police case against him, reading highlights of more than 7,500 text messages reportedly exchanged between Prince and another man who alleged sold the illegal guns as part of a criminal partnership.

The Crown told court Prince and Jashon Anthony Fernando, 23 — who was arrested in December for allegedly waving a 3D-printed pistol in Polo Park mall — had forged the partnership through a mutual friend, after another Winnipeg man Fernando had been working with to sell 3D-printed guns was arrested in September 2021.

Blake Ellison-Crate, 24, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in April, for his role in 3D-gun manufacturing and trafficking.

After Fernando was arrested — allegedly carrying with a Glock-style pistol built by Prince — WPS firearms investigators seized his cellphone and extracted the text messages, Gama told provincial court Judge Brian Corrin.

Those messages, several of which Gama read aloud in court May 5, reportedly include references to the production of guns by Prince and their sale by Fernando, as well as discussions of how to get access to parts and ammunition.

A text exchange between the two accused in December 2022 strongly inferred a 3D-printed pistol recovered by city police — allegedly used in an April 2022 homicide — had been built by Prince, Gama told court.

On April 12, 2022, Brandon Richard was shot and killed after his vehicle was ambushed by two gunmen on Burrows Avenue.

Police believe the gun used in the crime was fully automatic. Federal law prohibits automatic weapons.

Prince is also accused of creating 3D-printed auto sears or switches, which connect to the slide of a handgun to allow it to fire automatically.

“This is someone who wants to make sure that Winnipeg has the ability to get fully automatic firearms,” Gama told court, arguing releasing him on bail would put the public in danger.

In a voluntary statement to police, Prince admitted to manufacturing guns but had no idea how many, the Crown said.

“Police say, ‘Do you feel remorse for what you’ve done?’ He says, ‘I feel normal,’” Gama said, quoting a recording of the WPS interview.

The charges against Prince and Fernando, which include several counts of firearms trafficking, have not been proven in court.

Defence lawyer Emily Cook, who sought Prince’s release on strict conditions, argued the 18-year-old does not pose a risk to society.

She noted he has no prior record and had never been detained by police before his March 31 arrest.

Prince, who has two children under the age of three with his common-law wife, has had a chaotic life, including a history of family members affected by residential schools and the Sixties Scoop, Cook told court.

The defence lawyer said it would be inappropriate for a young man without a criminal record to be held in jail until trial: “Jail is not the place for him.”

The judge granted Prince’s release, with conditions including an absolute curfew unless accompanied by his mother (who he was ordered to live with) between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Prince is not allowed to possess any weapons, 3D printers or equipment associated with 3D printers or access the internet except for work, counselling or education.

“There’s no question that guns of this nature are essentially very dangerous because they’re commonly associated with crime. They’re effectively crime guns that are very popular with criminals and criminal organizations, because they have these ghost gun qualities that make them very hard to trace,” said Corrin.

The judge also issued a bail condition allowing police to search Prince’s mother’s home — without a warrant — twice a month while he’s on bail.

erik.pindera@winnipegfreepress.com

Twitter: @erik_pindera