EDMONTON – A suspected drug dealer is facing 40 charges, including child endangerment, after officials seized handguns and drugs from homes in west Edmonton and St. Albert.
The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams, along with police, RCMP and Sheriffs, executed two search warrants on Nov. 20 and seized nearly $60,000 in drugs and cash and five loaded handguns.
Six children between the ages of five and 14 were in the west Edmonton home when it was searched.
ALERT said none of the five handguns was stored properly. Some were loaded and there was ammunition close by. Officials said the children living in the home “could have easily accessed the guns or drugs.”
One of the handguns was a 40-calibre Glock, equipped with a laser sight and had its serial number removed.
The law enforcement team “took every precaution to minimize the impact on the children.” The Edmonton police Child at Risk Response Team was also at the scene to help.
The children are now staying with another family member.
A 39-year-old Edmonton man is facing a total of 40 criminal charges. He is not being named in order to protect the identity of the children. The 30-year-old mother of the children has also been charged with six counts of causing a child to be drug endangered, six counts of causing a child to be in need of intervention, abandoning a child, and additional firearms and drug charges.
The charges the man faces include:
· Drug trafficking;
· Possession for the purpose of trafficking (x 3);
· Careless/unsafe storage of a firearm (x 5);
· Unauthorized possession of a firearm (x 5);
· Possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition (x 5);
· Tampering with a firearm’s serial number;
· Possession of a prohibited weapon;
· Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle;
· Child abandonment;
· Causing a child to be drug endangered (x 6);
· Causing a child to be in need of intervention (x 6);
· Breach of recognizance (x 5).
Items seized from the home include:
· Five loaded, restricted handguns;
· 77 rounds of ammunition;
· Prohibited conducted energy weapon;
· 334 grams of cocaine;
· 310 grams of a cocaine buffing agent;
· 200 ecstasy pills;
· 113 grams of marihuana;
· Drug trafficking paraphernalia;
· Three vehicles as offense-related property;
· $20,550 cash proceeds of crime.
Both the man and woman appeared in Edmonton court on Nov. 24. The man remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court again on Nov. 27.
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