Prison time for gun trafficking

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/08/2021 (1523 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two men who partnered to sell more than a dozen guns stolen in Brandon created an ongoing risk to public safety, a judge said, and were sent to prison for lengthy terms on Monday morning.

Chad Hooke and Mathieu Plamondon were sentenced to six years and 10 and a half years in prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme to sell the guns to criminals in another province.

Hooke pleaded guilty to theft over $5,000 and weapons trafficking, while Plamondon was convicted of conspiracy to commit weapons trafficking, possession of weapons for purposes of trafficking and weapons trafficking after a lengthy trial.

The operation started in May 2018, when Hooke stole 18 guns from his stepfather’s collection. He conspired with Plamondon, whom he met through the drug trade, to transport the weapons to Alberta, where Plamondon had criminal contacts.

“Chad Hooke and Mathieu Plamondon each played a key role. Without Mr. Hooke, there were no firearms, and without Mr. Plamondon there were no connections through which to sell the firearms,” Hewitt-Michta said.

“The accused conspired … they schemed and planned and prepared. They were not always brilliant or successful in their execution, and their operation lacked sophistication at times, but in other respects they were organized and devious.”

The pair were only caught after Plamondon “double-crossed” Hooke and took the guns to sell himself, Hewitt-Michta said. They were arrested after a gun left in a hotel pillowcase was found by housekeeping staff.

The guns, including several handguns, were all capable of lethal force and chosen to sell because of their appeal to criminals, Hewitt-Michta said.

One of the weapons was recovered in Prince Albert, Sask., but the majority have not been found by police.

During a sentencing hearing in July, the court heard both men had addiction issues and were motive to commit the crime by profit and “greed.”

Hooke’s defence lawyer, Amado Claros, asked for a three-year prison sentence for the charges. The judge said that given all the circumstances and planning six years is still low for the crimes.

While Plamondon has a “tragic” backstory of family abuse and addiction, Hewitt-Michta said she had no other choice but to sentence him to a lengthy prison term of 10 and a half years. Defence lawyer Tara Walker originally recommended a sentence of three years in prison.

Hewitt-Michta said Plamondon poses a serious ongoing risk to public safety.

“Things happened before he was ever born and throughout his formative years that are not fair and were not his fault. Those events contribute, along with his own poor decisions, to where he finds himself today,” she said.

Both Hooke and Plamondon sat quietly in the courtroom while Hewitt-Michta delivered her decision.

Accounting for the time both men have already spent in jail, Hooke has 1,549 days to spend in jail, while Plamondon has a total of 2,742 days remaining.

She also banned both men from owning firearms for the rest of their lives and ordered them to provide a DNA sample while in prison.

Hewitt-Michta said both men showed remorse for the crimes and said she hopes they come out of prison healthier and better people.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @DrewMay_