Accused facing weapons charges released from custody Thursday

By Delon Shurtz on June 18, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

A Lethbridge man facing weapons charges following a police investigation into property theft has been released from custody, while a second man remains in custody pending his bail hearing.
Donovan James Holmberg was released Thursday following his bail hearing in Lethbridge provincial court. The accused, who appeared by CCTV from the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, was released under the supervision of a surety – his girlfriend’s mother – and placed on 24-hour house arrest at her residence.
He is also bound by several conditions, including he report to the Lethbridge Police Service twice a week, and not consume any drugs, have any contact with a co-accused, Nelson Myles Mumford, possess any weapons, and not drive a motor vehicle.
The surety is also responsible for the payment of $1,000 and obligated to call police if Holmberg breaches any of his conditions.
She can, however, ask at any time to be removed as surety, which would likely place Holmberg back into custody.
Police received a report on May 28 of property theft from a residence in the 500 block of 26 Street South.
A subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of two men at a residence in the 1600 block of 2 Avenue North, and police seized three firearms, ammunition, bear spray and stolen property, including a vehicle.
Holmberg, 36, and Mumford, 35, were jointly charged with three counts of possession of an unauthorized firearm, three counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000, two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm in a vehicle, theft under $5,000, possession of a prohibited firearm, and breach of a firearms prohibition.
Holmberg’s next court hearing is scheduled for June 30 when Mumford, whose matters were in court on Thursday, as well, also returns for his next hearing, ostensibly for a bail hearing.