OLDS - An Olds man charged with conspiracy to commit murder following his arrest near the site of the Coutts border blockade on Feb. 14 was allegedly in possession of two firearms at the time, said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Deanna Fontaine.
Jerry Mitchell Morin, 40, also faces charges of possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose and mischief over $5,000.
Morin was arrested heading southbound on Highway 2 outside Coutts, she said, noting the firearms were seized at that time.
Police initially said Morin was en-route to the protest site at Coutts but now say they cannot confirm that he was in fact heading to the blockade, she said.
Following Morin’s arrest, police did not initially say what type of weapons were seized.
Prior to Morin’s arrest, police arrested 11 other people at or near the Coutts protest site, and seized more than a dozen firearms, including handguns, and body armour.
In a Feb. 14 release at the time, police said they had identified a “small organized group within the larger Coutts protest” who they said had a “willingness to use force against the police if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade.”
Asked whether they believe Morin is a member of an extremist group, Fontaine said, “We are unable to speak to motive. This is something that is addressed as part of the court proceedings by the Crown during trial.”
Morin has been detained in custody and is scheduled to have a bail hearing in Lethbridge provincial court on March 15.
