The accused was convicted following a jury trial of possession of prohibited or restricted firearms with readily accessible ammunition and careless storage of firearms and ammunition after police discovered three handguns and numerous long guns in a farmhouse used for drug trafficking activity.
The court found the accused had been wilfully blind to the presence of the handguns stored in a safe brought into the home by his stepson and had facilitated the dangerous environment by permitting drug use and trafficking in the residence.
Although the accused did not personally handle the handguns and his long guns were generally stored properly, the court emphasized the serious risks created by the combination of drugs and firearms.
Credit was granted for lengthy pre‑trial house arrest conditions.
A custodial sentence was imposed to meet the objectives of denunciation and deterrence.
