Local man receives fines for illegal firearm purchase
A man who purchased a firearm without a license, and was arrested as part of a drug trafficking investigation, was sentenced to paying fines Tuesday at the Medicine Hat Courthouse.
Jamie Vorra was “caught in a net that wasn’t cast for him,” said defence counsel Clinton Yarshenko, but this turned out to be good thing for the 27-year-old, as he has “pulled himself up by his bootstraps” and now “seems to be on the right path.”
Vorra will have to pay a total of $3,250 — not including the victim surcharge — after pleading guilty to one count of unauthorized possession of a firearm, identity fraud, simple possession, and resisting a peace officer. The more serious firearm charges, which could carry a jail term of multiple years, were withdrawn, as part of the joint submission between Crown and defence.
The charges against Vorra stem back to investigation in early 2016 by police into drug trafficking. Vorra was not t he investigation’s initial target, but he became incidental to it.
Vorra did not have a firearms license, but went to the Canadian Tire and used another person’s license to purchase a Russian SKS semi-automatic. This was caught on video. When police arrested Vorra, they found in his possession cannabis, and 0.7 grams of cocaine. During this arrest, Vorra yelled, objected and did not respond to verbal commands by police.
“The best thing ever happen to be is being on house arrest,” Vorra told the judge during sentencing. At the time, Vorra was directionless, but has since been working as a journeyman, and sought out work in dry camps, said Yarshenko.
Vorra has long wanted to have the charges resolved through pleading guilty, it was noted; but this has been delayed due to the numerous other co-accused, and their charges. He has no criminal record.
Several people were arrested as part of the investigation where $40,000 in drugs and firearms were seized after two homes were raided by police. Some of those involved have since pled guilty, while others are heading to trial.