Alaska pair accused of gun smuggling no-shows in court

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on March 2, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A warrant has been issued for a U.S. couple accused of trying to smuggle guns over the border at Coutts.
The warrant was issued Tuesday in Lethbridge provincial court after the accused, Adam Peter Brown, 39, and Bethany Ann Brown, 42, didn’t show up for court and they didn’t have anyone attend to represent them.
The Alaska couple is charged under the Customs Act with smuggling and making false statements, and under the Criminal Code with possession of a prohibited or restricted gun with ammunition, failure to follow firearms storage regulations, and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
On Jan. 3, two United States residents arrived in a motorhome at the Coutts border and were referred for further examination. Border services officers searched the vehicle and found two prohibited assault-style rifles, four prohibited 9mm handguns, one restricted .45-calibre handgun and 11 prohibited high-capacity magazines.
The accused were released shortly after their arrest on a promise to appear in court Tuesday, but they or an agent failed to appear.
Border officers in southern Alberta seized 42 undeclared firearms in 30 separate incidents in 2021, the Canada Border Services Agency reported in a news release. Nationally, 1,122 firearms were seized last year, more than double the number from 2020.
“Canada Border Services Agency officers remain on alert to seize smuggled firearms at the border,” Ben Tames, CBSA director for southern Alberta, said in the release. “This is a top priority for the agency and an important way we contribute to Canada’s public safety, protecting the communities we serve.”

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