Two of the men charged with conspiracy to commit murder during the 2022 blockade in Coutts, Alta., have pleaded guilty to lesser charges and are expected to be released from custody.
Jerry Morin and Christopher Lysak entered the plea deals in a Lethbridge courtroom on the morning of Feb. 6. Mr. Morin is currently being released from Lethbridge remand, while Mr. Lysak is also expected to be released later in the day, according to freelance journalist Mocha Bezirgan.
Mr. Lysak pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon in an unauthorized place, while Mr. Morin admitted to a charge of conspiracy to traffic firearms. Both men were sentenced to more than three years in prison, and will be released from custody after getting credit for time served.
Mr. Morin was given enhanced credit for his time served, as he spent periods of time in solitary confinement. Both men also have a weapons prohibition for 10 years.
The two men, along with Chris Carbert and Anthony Olienick, were accused of conspiring to kill police officers at a blockade near Coutts during a protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions. The four men, known as the “Coutts Four,” were among 11 people arrested in February 2022 after RCMP found firearms, ammunition, and body armour in three trailers located near Coutts. Additionally, Mr. Olienick was charged with making or possessing an explosive device.
Shortly after the arrests, peaceful convoy demonstrators abandoned the Coutts protest site, saying they wanted to ensure they were not associated with the alleged perpetrators.
723 Days in Custody
In total, the four men have spent more than 720 days in pre-trial detention since their arrests, and bail has not been granted for any of them. On Jan. 15, Mr. Carbert was denied bail for the second time at a hearing, with the first request being denied back in May 2022. Mr. Carbert and Mr. Olienick are set to stand trial in June.
Marco Van Huigenbos, a town councilor and unofficial spokesperson for the Coutts protestors back in 2022, told reporters following the hearing that the two men’s release would likely raise “a lot of questions” for Mr. Carbet and Olienick. He said it was “unheard of” for men to be held in pre-trial for two years for charges of weapons trafficking and holding a weapon in an unauthorized place.
He added that “723 days pretrial is a travesty of justice in Canada, and it has to be treated as such. There has to be a full inquiry into these prosecutions.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was recently asked about the Coutts Four by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and she said the Crown operated “independently' and prosecutors would have to ”make sure that they have a reasonable likelihood of conviction.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
