Ex-leader of Soldiers of Odin faces charges

Estevan police have charged the co-leader of Patriots of Unity, a Saskatchewan organization that split off from the provincial chapter of Soldiers of Odin earlier this month, after seizing ammunition and explosives from a home in Estevan last fall.

Officers executed a search warrant at a home on Seventh Street on Oct. 20, 2016 during an investigation that led to the arrest of David Alan Tierney, 36.

Police seized six firearms, eight containers of Tannerite explosives, about 2,000 rounds of ammunition, one pair of brass knuckles, 220 grams of marijuana, six grams of psilocybin mushrooms and an undisclosed amount of cash. Tannerite is the brand name of an explosive typically used in long-range target shooting. It is legal to own in Canada, but a Possession and Acquisition Licence is required to buy it.

Tierney was under a court order not to possess firearms, ammunition or explosives. He is charged with nine counts of possession of firearms and explosives contrary to a court order, two counts of unsafe storage of firearms, one count of possession of a prohibited weapon, one count of possession of proceeds of crime, one count of possession of psilocybin and one count of possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Tierney made a court appearance on Oct. 24 and was released on bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 6.

He was previously one of two provincial leaders of Soldiers of Odin, an organization that has been linked to anti-refugee and anti-Muslim sentiments. It was originally founded in Finland by white supremacist Mika Ranta as a response to perceived threats from Middle Eastern refugees.

Saskatchewan’s Soldiers of Odin branch has denied any ties to racist beliefs, but past Facebook posts by several members contained prejudiced statements against Muslims. The Estevan chapter was established in March 2016; several chapters in other Saskatchewan cities soon followed. Saskatchewan’s branch had two provincial leaders based out of Estevan — Tierney and Travis Stovin.

Earlier this month, Tierney announced a parting of ways with the Soldiers of Odin and the establishment of a new group in Saskatchewan called Patriots of Unity, which he and Stovin now lead. In a Facebook post, he accused the Soldiers of Odin of being racist and listed other grievances with the organization.

“Our views here in Canada do not stand for the racist views of SOO and the fact that mandatory money and personal info is not what we stand for,” Tierney wrote.

The Patriots of Unity’s bylaws prohibit drugs unless they are medically prescribed.