A verdict of not guilty was returned by a jury late Friday for two men accused of conspiring to kill RCMP officers at the border blockade in Coutts, Alberta.
Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert were convicted on charges of mischief and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Olienick was also found guilty of possessing a pipe bomb.
The arrests occurred after a cache of weapons, ammunition, and body armor was discovered near the blockade at the Canada-U.S. border crossing in 2022. The blockade was part of a series of protests across the country against COVID-19 regulations and vaccine mandates.
During the trial, statements and text messages from the accused indicated their belief that the blockade was a final stand against what they viewed as a tyrannical government.
Upon the announcement of the verdict, there was a collective gasp in the crowded Lethbridge courtroom as the jury acquitted the men of the most serious charge, conspiracy to commit murder. The sentencing for the convictions on the lesser charges was scheduled for Aug. 12.
Supporters outside the courthouse expressed their relief, with one person exclaiming, “Freedom!” while others hugged and shed tears.
Related Stories
The jury deliberated for several days before reaching their verdict.
The trial, which spanned two months, featured elements of undercover operations, government conspiracies, boastful text messages, and references to satanic themes.
Carbert referred to the police as “losers” and “the enemy.” In messages to his mother, he compared the blockade to a war, expressing the belief that he might not survive if the police intervened and they lost at Coutts.
Olienick, speaking to undercover officers posing as protest volunteers, suggested that losing the blockade could result in an invasion by United Nations troops or Chinese communists.
He also made threats of violence, stating that he would “slit their throats” if the police attempted to breach the barricade.
During the trial, Olienick’s lawyer accused one of the undercover female officers of using flirtation to gather information, a claim the officer denied. The officer explained that heart emojis in the text messages were not an indication of romantic interest, but rather a response to the content of the messages.
Olienick criticized the police as pawns of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom he referred to as the “devil.” In a message to a friend, he instructed them to care for his cat in case he did not survive.
Following his arrest and the failure of the blockade, Olienick was captured on video expressing remorse in an empty police interrogation room, saying, “I’m sorry, God.”
The defense did not dispute the inflammatory statements and warnings made by the accused but argued that they did not amount to a conspiracy to commit murder.
Weapons, ammunition, and body armor were discovered in trailers near the blockade, while additional firearms, ammunition, and two pipe bombs were found at Olienick’s residence in Claresholm, Alberta.
Olienick’s lawyer contended that the pipe bombs were intended for industrial purposes.
The trial posed a significant challenge for the jurors and reflected the heightened emotions and tensions surrounding public discussions about pandemic regulations and individual freedoms.
During the trial in early June, jurors arriving at the courthouse were met with a chalk message on the sidewalk advocating for the release of the “Coutts Boys.” Similar messages led to the arrest of a man for obstruction of justice and his subsequent ban from the courthouse.
Carbert’s lawyer, Katherin Beyak, expressed her client’s relief and shock following the verdict, stating that the jury’s decision to acquit on the murder conspiracy charge was appropriate.
Marilyn Burns, Olienick’s lawyer, shared that she was not surprised by the verdict and emphasized that she had always been confident in the lack of evidence supporting a conviction.
She also highlighted the lengthy period Olienick had spent in custody awaiting trial.
Two other individuals faced similar charges related to the conspiracy to commit murder at Coutts. Christopher Lysak and Jerry Morin pleaded guilty to lesser charges earlier in the year, resulting in sentences that accounted for the time served in pretrial detention.
Please rephrase this statement.
Source link
