Image: Canada Border Services Agency / According to a news release from Canada Border Services Agency, Jerry Armas, a U.S. citizen from the Golden State, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for possessing and attempting to smuggle illegal firearms across the border.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

American sentenced

California man sentenced for trying to smuggle loaded handgun through Fraser Valley port of entry

May 4, 2024 | 6:35 PM

SURREY — A California man who tried to bring a prohibited gun into Canada without declaring it is paying a steep price for his ill-advised decision a little over a year ago.

According to a news release from Canada Border Services Agency, Jerry Armas, a U.S. citizen from the Golden State, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for possessing and attempting to smuggle illegal firearms across the border.

In March 2023, Armas attempted to enter Canada through the Douglas port of entry in Surrey with no declaration. Upon a vehicle examination, border services officers found 18.1 grams of cocaine and a privately-made, un-serialized 9mm ghost gun, along with 118 rounds of ammunition. CBSA investigators subsequently charged Armas for offences under the Customs Act and Criminal Code.

Armas appeared before the court in Surrey on March 21, 2024, and pleaded guilty to two offences with the following sentences:

• Section 95(1) of the Criminal Code: 25 months for possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition
• Section 159(1) of the Customs Act: 2 months for smuggling a firearm

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In addition to the prison sentence, Armas also received a lifetime firearms prohibition.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says it is committed to keeping Canadians safe and ensuring individuals who attempt to smuggle illegal firearms and narcotics across the border are held accountable.