Oliver man sentenced to three years for smuggling guns

PENTICTON – In a hearing in Penticton court today filled with procedural difficulties, an Oliver man was sentenced to three years in prison for gun smuggling.

Alex Louie was sentenced today, March 19, on two counts of gun smuggling, two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm and one count of making false statements after being found guilty in a jury trial last year.

He was caught by Canadian border authorities around 1:30 a.m. Feb. 1, 2017 at the Osoyoos border crossing with two handguns wired to the undercarriage of his vehicle.

The hearings have consistently been marked by interrupted proceedings with Louie, who goes by the name 'Senk’lip', speaking out of turn, refusing to speak or refusing to acknowledge Crown evidence.

Today’s hearing was no exception, as Judge Arne Silverman adjourned proceedings for a short period when Louie refused to stop speaking.

Louie has repeatedly refused legal counsel in the matter, insisting because he is indigenous the courts have no authority over him. He offered little in defence of his actions today, instead focussing on the court's jurisdiction, an argument that has been repeatedly denied by Judge Arne Silverman.

Crown prosecutor Clarke Burnett asked for mandatory minimums in the case, three years for the weapons smuggling charges, and a year each on the two separate charges of firearms possession, and a year for making a false statement, all of which to run concurrently.

Judge Sliverman, in passing sentencing, made note of the numerous attempts to offer Louie legal counsel, as well as an opportunity offered to allow him time to challenge the mandatory minimums under the Charter of Rights. The judge also noted his lack of prior criminal record in determining a sentence of three years less time served.

Louie has been in Okanagan Correctional Centre since his arrest in February 2017, so with time served, he has 477 days, or just under 16 months, remaining in his sentence.

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