Attorneys to Present Cases for Two Men Found Guilty in Coutts Blockade
On Thursday, lawyers were set to discuss the appropriate sentence for two protesters who were convicted for their involvement in the 2022 border blockade near Coutts, Alta.
While Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert were acquitted of the most serious charge of conspiracy to murder police officers earlier this month, they were found guilty of mischief and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Olienick was also convicted of possessing a pipe bomb.
Justice David Labrenz is scheduled to deliver the sentences on Friday. Labrenz stated that although the jury did not believe there was an actual conspiracy to murder police, they concluded that the men were prepared to engage in a shootout with officers based on the evidence.
Labrenz emphasized that since the accused were found guilty of having weapons for a dangerous purpose, it indicated that the jurors must have believed the men were willing to “engage in a war with police if necessary.”
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The charges against Olienick and Carbert stemmed from the discovery of guns, ammunition, and body armor in trailers near the blockade at the Canada-U.S. border crossing. Additional guns, ammunition, and two pipe bombs were found at Olienick’s residence in Claresholm, Alta.
The blockade was part of a series of protests across the country against COVID-19 regulations and vaccine mandates. Two other protesters involved in the blockade pleaded guilty earlier this year to reduced charges.
Christopher Lysak received a three-year sentence for possessing a restricted firearm in an unauthorized location, while Jerry Morin was sentenced to 3 1/2 years for conspiracy to traffic firearms. Both sentences were equivalent to the time served by the defendants before their trials.
