Winnipeg – The CBSA announced the conviction of Ryan Buhler, 35, of regional municipality of Hanover, Manitoba, for the manufacture and possession of unauthorized firearms.
Marco E.L. Mendocino, Minister of Public Safety states, “We’re taking action to keep Canadians safe from gun violence. ‘Ghost guns’ are a serious and growing risk, and the CBSA and other law enforcement agencies are stepping up efforts to address them. I want to thank CBSA employees for their hard work to protect our communities.”
In September 2021, officers at the Toronto International Mail Processing Centre intercepted a postal shipment addressed to Buhler in Manitoba. The shipment, labelled as furniture brackets, was found to contain firearm components needed to assemble a 3D-printed Glock-type pistol also known as a “ghost gun.” CBSA Criminal Investigators in Winnipeg began an investigation.
On December 16, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at Buhler’s residence, where officers seized two 3D-printed Glock-pattern pistols, a 3D printer, three non-restricted firearms, digital devices and a personal quantity of ammunition. On December 31, 2021, Buhler was charged with a number of offences under the Customs Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.
On November 3, 2022, Buhler pleaded guilty in a Steinbach, Manitoba courthouse to:
- Unauthorized firearm manufacturing, Section 99 of the Criminal Code – one count
- Unauthorized firearm possession knowing its possession is unauthorized, Section 92 of the Criminal Code – one count
Buhler was sentenced to a concurrent three-year and two-year jail sentence for those offences, respectively. The remaining charges laid were stayed as a result of a plea agreement.
