Sentencing delayed for 3 ringleaders convicted of mischief at Coutts blockade

The sentencing for three men convicted of helping lead and coordinate the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 has been delayed.

Alex Van Herk, Marco Van Huigenbos, and Gerhard (George) Janzen were all found guilty by a jury of one count each of mischief over $5,000 in April.

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A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Friday but the lawyer for Van Huigenbos is no longer representing him.

Van Huigenbos needs time to retain new counsel and a sentencing date will now be set Oct. 17.

The three were charged for their roles in a blockade that tied up cross-border traffic between Canada and the United States at Coutts for two weeks in early 2022 in protest of COVID-19 rules and restrictions.

The maximum sentence for public mischief over $5000 is 10 years in prison.