An Edmonton man will spend time behind bars after he used a 3D printer to manufacture guns.
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he → spend → guns
The judge told the court these types of weapons create a unique danger to the public, police and potential victims.
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types → tell → public
Roy Tucker, 31, originally faced more than 40 charges from the Edmonton Police Service, related to manufacturing 3D printed firearms and possession of prohibited firearms.
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Tucker → face → firearms
Tucker’s charges stemmed from a national investigation called Project Reproduction, which began in Quebec in 2022.
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which → stem → 2022
Police discovered in 2023 that the 31-year-old had purchased files that could be used to 3D print parts for firearms and in June of that year, officers searched Tucker’s northside home.
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officers → discover → home
Tucker was a registered firearms owner and according to an agreed statement of facts, officers found 38 lawfully owned guns in his home.
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officers → register → home
They also found numerous 3D-printed parts used to build firearms.
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They → find → firearms
During his trial, the Crown told the court they found Tucker had printed or attempted to print 16 firearms.
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Tucker → tell → firearms
Officers were able to build three operational guns from the 3D-printed parts and there were enough parts to assemble five more weapons.
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Officers → build → weapons
The agreed statement of facts said Tucker also had more than 32,000 rounds of ammunition around his home.
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Tucker → agree → home
He also owned 27 overcapacity magazines; some had more than the 30 rounds that are legally capable.
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that → own → rounds
The Crown sought a four-and-a-half year jail sentence and numerous ancillary orders.
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Crown → seek → sentence
Crown prosecutor Kerri Facchinutti said this was planned and deliberate and the opposite of an impulsive crime.
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this → say → crime
Facchinutti noted 3D-printed weapons undermine Canada’s firearms program, and ghost guns are highly valuable on the black market.
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guns → note → market
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The defense proposed a two-year conditional sentence order, with potentially 12 to 18 months of house arrest and a significant amount of community service.
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defense → get → service
Defense lawyer Graham Rapson told the court that there was no suggestion or proof that the 3D-printed parts were going to be sold, and there is no evidence his client used the 3D printed firearms.
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client → tell → firearms
The defense asked the judge to consider Tucker’s autism diagnosis in the sentence, saying it contributed to the 3D-printing activity and the number of items found in his home.
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it → ask → home
Rapson suggested this was a hobby that has gone wrong and Tucker has a low risk of reoffending.
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Tucker → suggest → reoffending
Justice John Henderson questioned if a two-year sentence can satisfy general deterrence for this type of crime and that any message sent by the sentence has to dissuade people from getting into the 3D-weapons printing business.
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message → question → business
Tucker spoke in court Wednesday.
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Tucker → speak → court
In an emotional speech, he told the justice his intent was never for violence or profit and his actions stemmed from curiosity.
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actions → tell → curiosity
“I know in my heart I will never do this again,” he said.
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he → know → this
“I will never touch a firearm again.”
In his sentencing decision Thursday morning, Henderson told the court because of the severity of the crime, the 31-year-old could not serve his sentence in the community and a sentence of less than two years in custody would not satisfy the seriousness.
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sentence → touch → seriousness
The gravity of these offences is very high, the judge told the court in his decision.
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judge → tell → decision
The agreed statement of facts said Tucker had a print out of Bill C-21, which proposed major changes to Canadian gun control laws.
“Several portions of the bill are highlighted, including prison time for the offences and search and seizure provisions,” the statement said.
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statement → agree → offences
Henderson told the court that showed Tucker knew of the existence of regulations and still proceeded with manufacturing.
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Tucker → tell → manufacturing
Henderson said this was a well-planned, sophisticated scheme that took place over many months.
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that → say → months
Noting while there was no evidence to suggest Tucker attempted to sell or sold the weapon parts, making them in the first place created an inherent danger.
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making → note → danger
“There is no single victim in this case, thus the gravity of the harm must be based not on the harm to a single victim, but to society and its values,” Henderson said.
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Henderson → be → society
He noted the intention of Parliament to keep the public safe from firearms could not be clearer.
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intention → note → firearms
Tucker held his head in his hands as he was sentenced to three years in prison and received a lifetime weapons ban.
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he → hold → ban
Tucker was released the day of his 2024 arrest, therefore will not receive any credit for time served awaiting trial.
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Tucker → release → trial
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