Lethbridge lawyer to handle weapons case

A couple of Cardston businessmen facing several weapons-related charges following a police raid last month have hired a Lethbridge lawyer to handle their case.

Frank Llewellyn appeared in Cardston provincial court Monday where he went on the record for the accused, Dean Dan Sommerfeldt and Todd Dean Sommerfeldt, owners of K&D Implements of Cardston. Both men were previously released from custody and were not required to attend court.

After some housekeeping to transfer the individual charges against both men to a single information, the matter was simply adjourned to July 17 to allow Llewellyn time to obtain details about the case from the Crown’s office.

“I’ve received no disclosure to date,” Llewellyn told court.

Dean Sommerfeldt, 58, and Todd Sommerfeldt, 31, are charged with trafficking a firearm, possession of a weapon for the purpose of trafficking, careless storage of a restricted weapon, transfer of a weapon and/or ammunition without authority, failure to report a lost weapon, unauthorized possession of a weapon, and knowingly possessing a prohibited weapon while unauthorized to do so.

ALERT Lethbridge organized crime and gang team and the RCMP National Weapons Enforcement Support Team conducted a five-month investigation into K&D Implements in Cardston, then on May 29 they searched the business with help from Cardston RCMP and Lethbridge police.

The entire store’s inventory of 1,000 guns and one million rounds of ammunition was seized. The seizure includes 49 handguns, 972 long guns, 270 kilograms of gun powder, 446 kg of Tannerite, a binary explosive material, and 12,000 firearm primers. The estimated value of the seized items is between $1.2 and $1.4 million.

The investigation began after police received a number of complaints from the public. ALERT reported that a business was selling firearms and ammunition illegally and failed to ensure that firearms purchasers provided valid Possession Acquisition Licences.

Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter