UPDATED: Two Coutts Four members agree to plea deal | Western Standard - Jonathan Bradley:
February 6, 2024 - "Coutts Four members Chris Lysak and Jerry Morin have accepted a plea deal in their conspiracy to commit murder case. The word from the attendees of the trial is that the conspiracy to commit murder on RCMP charges have been dropped and the two men will be set free,' tweeted Media Bezirgan investigative journalist Mocha Bezirgan on Tuesday. 'I will confirm with the courts once the information related to the plea deal becomes available'.... Bezirgan [also[ said Coutts Four member Anthony Olieneck has a new lawyer, which has delayed his trial until February 20.
"Bridge City News anchor Hal Roberts acknowledged two of the Coutts Four will be released this afternoon after pleading guilty to a single charge each. [see video] 'Chris Lysak plead[ed] guilty to a restricted weapons charge and Jerry Morin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffick a firearm,' said Roberts. 'Chris Carbert and Anthony Olieneck remain held'....
"Court of King’s Bench of Alberta Justice David Vaughan Hartigan accepted on Tuesday a joint recommendation by Crown attorneys and defence lawyers Greg Dunn and Daniel Song for Morin and Lysak to be handed the equivalent of sentences of time in custody.
"That amounted to a three-and-a-half year sentence for Morin and three years for Lysak. It is normal for accused people in remand to get one-and-a-half days credit for every day served. Morin was given enhanced credit for spending periods of time in solitary confinement.
"Dunn indicated he could not comment at length on the verdict for Morin because of the ongoing litigation against Carbert and Olieneck. 'Mr. Morin has steadfastly maintained from the very beginning that he played no part of any alleged conspiracy to murder police officers and is relieved and grateful that those charges and associated allegations have been withdrawn by the Crown,' said Dunn. 'Moreover, the charge that Mr. Morin plead guilty to does not suggest that Mr. Morin at any time took firearms into Coutts — only that he agreed to'....
"Song said Lysak was satisfied with the outcome. 'To be clear, Mr. Lysak did not admit to possessing his handgun for a dangerous purpose,' said Song. 'He did not attend the Coutts protests with the intent to harm anyone'....
"The RCMP laid charges against 13 Albertans in 2022 after an investigation that resulted in it seizing a cache of weapons during the Coutts Border Blockade. Lysak, Morin, Olienick, and Lethbridge, AB, resident Chris Carbert, 44, were slapped with conspiracy to commit murder, possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes and mischief over $5,000 charges. Lysak faced an additional charge of uttering threats.
"Magrath, AB, resident Ursula Allred, 22; Red Deer, AB, resident Luke Berk, 62; Raymond, AB, residents Evan Colenutt, 23, Justin Martin, 22, Stewart Eastin Oler, 22, and Janx Zaremba, 18; Calgary resident Johnson Chickow Law, 39; Coutts resident Joanne Person, 62, and undisclosed Alberta location resident Jaclyne Martin, 39, have all been charged with possession of a weapon and mischief to property over $5,000.
"Carbert was denied bail on January 15, despite being held in remand for 702 days for charges connected to the Coutts Border Blockade.... A publication ban remains in place, denying the public some details on the trial."
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/breaking-two-coutts-four-members-agree-to-plea-deal/52185
February 06, 2024 | Full Newscast | Bridge City News (story runs first 2-1/2 minutes):
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