Two individuals found guilty of mischief at the Coutts, Alberta, border blockade are awaiting their sentencing later this month. Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert were also convicted of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, with Olienick facing an additional charge of possessing a pipe bomb. However, they were acquitted of the more severe charge of conspiring to murder police officers.
During a hearing at the Lethbridge Court of King’s Bench, Crown prosecutor Steven Johnston and defense lawyer Katherin Beyak agreed that the sentencing proceedings would commence on August 26. The hearing is scheduled for four days, with the first two days dedicated to establishing the facts of the case. Following a one-day break, the hearing will reconvene on August 29.
It was noted that the sentencing submissions would take place over one day, with the decision on the sentence being delivered the next day. Additionally, two other protesters who were charged with conspiracy to commit murder at Coutts in early 2022, Christopher Lysak and Jerry Morin, pleaded guilty to lesser charges in February.
Lysak received a three-year sentence for possession of a restricted firearm in an unauthorized location, while Morin was sentenced to 3 1/2 years for conspiracy to traffic firearms. Both sentences were equivalent to the time the individuals had spent in pretrial custody.
During the investigation, RCMP discovered guns, ammunition, and body armor in trailers near the blockade at the Canada-U.S. border crossing, as well as additional weapons, ammunition, and pipe bombs at Olienick’s residence in Claresholm, Alberta. The blockade was part of a series of protests held nationwide against COVID-19 regulations and vaccine mandates.
The trial included statements and text messages from the individuals indicating that the blockade was intended as a final stand against what they perceived as a tyrannical federal government.
