Storage locker found with assault rifles, dynamite and heroin

VERNON – Two men are facing a variety of charges after a storage locker was found with assault rifles, heroin and thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods.

Police stopped a vehicle April 8 to arrest a man for an outstanding warrant, but the passenger and driver tried to flee police on foot. The pair were arrested nearby shortly after and a search of the vehicle found a loaded pistol, according to a police press release.

Based on the investigation, police got a search warrant for a storage locker the pair visited.

On April 9 RCMP searched the storage locker and found a large collection of stolen or illegal items, including: another handgun, two sawed off shotguns, three semi-automatic assault rifles, dynamite sticks, heroin, stolen auto parts and stolen camera equipment.

The automotive parts were traced back to break-ins in Vernon earlier this year and valued at $11,000. The camera gear is worth roughly $10,000 and was from a residential break and enter in Penticton.

The RCMP Explosives Disposal Unit were called in to deal with the dynamite sticks.

John Ross, a 25-year-old Lower Mainland resident, and Taras Becker, a 28-year-old Vernon man, both face numerous charges after the arrests and search. 


To contact a reporter for this story, email Brendan Kergin or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

Brendan Kergin

Brendan grew up down on the coast before moving to Kamloops to pursue a degree in journalism. After graduating from TRU in 2013 he moved to Toronto to work as an editor, but decided to move back west after a couple years. With a big interest in politics, Brendan will be covering city hall. Outside of council chambers he’ll write about anything; if you have a story you think people might be interested in, contact him at bkergin@infonews.ca


Brendan Kergin's Stories

More Articles