Sentencing hearing begins on charges against two Coutts protesters

Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert were found guilty of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and Olienick of possessing a pipe bomb

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Published Aug 26, 2024  •  2 minute read

Anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate demonstrators leave in a truck convoy after blocking the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alta., on Feb. 15, 2022. Photo by Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — A sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin today for two men convicted of mischief at the 2022 border blockade near Coutts, Alta.

Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert were found not guilty by a jury on Aug. 2 of the most serious charge of conspiracy to commit murder against police officers. However, the two men were found guilty of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and Olienick was convicted of possessing a pipe bomb.

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Possession of an explosive is an indictable offence and could result in a sentence of up to 14 years. Olienick and Carbert have been in custody since February 2022.

Four days have been set aside for the hearing. A decision on sentence from Justice David Labrenz is expected on Friday.

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Two other protesters had been charged with conspiracy to commit murder at Coutts in early 2022. In February of this year, Christopher Lysak and Jerry Morin pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

Lysak was sentenced to three years for possession of a restricted firearm in an unauthorized place, and Morin was sentenced to three and a half years for conspiracy to traffic firearms. Both sentences amounted to the time the men had already served in pretrial custody.

Olienick and Carbert were charged after RCMP found guns, ammunition and body armour in trailers near the blockade at the key Canada-U.S. border crossing. More guns, ammunition and two pipe bombs were located at Olienick’s home in Claresholm, Alta.

The blockade was one of several held across the country to protest COVID-19 rules and vaccine mandates. The trial heard statements and text messages from the men warning that the blockade was a last stand against a tyrannical federal government.

The Crown has already given notice it plans to appeal the not guilty verdicts for conspiracy to commit murder.

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