Three charged in straw buying, firearms trafficking activities

Three men are facing 26 charges in connection to firearms trafficking.

Four Glock 48 handguns purchased through straw-buying

In December 2020, the EPS Firearms Investigation Unit (FIU) became aware of suspicious firearms purchases that indicated the buyer was a “straw buyer,” a term used to describe someone who uses a legitimate Possession and Acquisition Licence to purchase guns legally and then sell them illegally.

On Dec. 23, 2020, it is alleged that the buyer, Marty Wilson, 49, left his residence in Valleyview, AB, and drove to Edmonton, where he purchased four Glock 48 handguns. He then picked up a second male, Daniel Graham, 27, and continued to an address in south Edmonton, where a third male, Gabriel Adam, 28, met with them.

Hours later, Wilson and Graham left the residence and were arrested. Upon arrest, police searched the vehicle the two men were traveling in and located an original Glock box missing one of the recently purchased Glock 48 handguns and one of the two magazines it had originally contained, as well as three other boxes, each containing one Glock 48 handgun and two magazines. Police also located small quantities of cocaine and fentanyl.

Adam was arrested a short time later in a second vehicle, where police located and seized the loaded Glock 48 that was recently purchased by Wilson on the front seat. Throughout the vehicle, police also found approximately 120 g of cocaine with a street value of $12,400; 160 g of fentanyl with a street value of $25,000; and $6,500 CAD in cash.

A search warrant of a Valleyview, AB residence resulted in the seizure of 12 non-restricted firearms.

The men were charged as follows:

-Marty Wilson, 49, with firearms trafficking (x2), possession of firearms for the purposes of trafficking (x4), possession of loaded restricted firearm and alter or deface serial number

-Daniel Graham, 27, with firearms trafficking, possession of firearms for the purposes of trafficking (x4), possession of loaded restricted firearm, alter or deface serial number, unauthorized possession of firearm and possession of a controlled substance (x3)

-Gabriel Adam, 28, with possession of loaded restricted firearm, unauthorized possession of restricted firearm, possession of loaded firearm in vehicle, possession of controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking (x3) and proceeds of crime over $5000.

“Straw purchasing is one of the ways firearms make it into the hands of criminals and onto our streets, and traffickers of firearms can come from many sources,” says Sgt. Eric Stewart, EPS Firearms Investigation Unit. “There are no jurisdictional boundaries to firearms trafficking, and we will be relentless in our pursuit of gun crime in our city and province. We will continue to hold those accountable who choose to commit gun crime, which contributes to the degradation of public safety.” 

The EPS is grateful to the RCMP Grande Prairie and Valleyview Detachments, RCMP National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST) and the RCMP Emergency Response Team for their assistance in this file.

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