Ontario judge sentences handgun trafficker to house arrest after mandatory minimum declared unconstitutional

An Ontario judge has sentenced a man to house arrest in a “covert scheme” to traffic handguns into Canada from the United States.

Emerson Wright, 29, was charged with conspiring with his childhood friend, Dylan Crawford, to traffic firearms and possessing a firearm for the purpose of transferring it while knowingly not being authorized to do so. On his first day of trial in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Wright pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in a firearm to Crawford.

“Although the gravity of this offence highlights the need for punishment, it is not so pressing as to make incarceration the only option,” Justice Kelly Tranquilli wrote in a recent sentencing decision out of London, Ont.

“The court should remain mindful of the principle of restraint for a first-time, relatively youthful offender with an established rehabilitation plan.”

Wright is one of nine individuals charged for their role in the scheme.

Wright’s lawyer argued for a conditional sentence of two years less a day.

“He notes there is no longer a mandatory minimum sentence of three years for this offence. He submits that a conditional sentence order is proportionate because of his guilty plea, lack of prior record, the limited nature of his involvement in the criminal enterprise and his drug addiction that influenced his poor judgment,” said the Aug. 11 decision.

“Moreover, he has made significant gains in rehabilitation since his arrest. He is in recovery from his addiction, gainfully employed and is pursuing retraining, all with the close support and guidance of his family and friends.”

The Crown “submits a fit sentence remains at a penitentiary range of three years custody,” said the decision.

Wright “knew he was assisting in a scheme involving the movement of multiple firearms for profit — a violent criminal activity that endangers this community,” it said. “The Crown submits the principles of denunciation and deterrence therefore require a lengthy and severe sentence to address his moral blameworthiness and the gravity of the offence.”

Police discovered the trafficking scheme when they arrested Crawford on an outstanding warrant inside a London Circle K store on Feb. 2, 2023, said the decision.

“Police allege Mr. Crawford discarded a loaded handgun into a display of bagged pistachios in the convenience store just before his arrest.”

When they searched the trunk of Crawford’s car, police found eight other handguns in a knapsack “and launched ‘Project Pistachio’ to discover the origin of these nine guns.”

When investigators extracted data from Crawford’s cell phones, “this information led to evidence of a complex criminal conspiracy amongst nine individuals to smuggle guns purchased in the United States into Canada for profit.”