A Cardston, Alta., man who pleaded guilty to illegally selling guns and ammunition was sentenced to 13 months of house arrest on Monday.
Dean Sommerfeldt was also given a $20,000 fine for failing to properly secure his firearms.
Sommerfeldt was charged in the spring of 2017 along with his son, Todd Sommerfeldt.
The charges stem from an undercover operation at K & D Implements in Cardston, which Sommerfeldt owns, where hundreds of guns and ammunition were seized.
In September, Sommerfeldt pleaded guilty to three counts of transferring weapons or ammunition without authority and one count of improperly displaying firearms.
Originally, he and his son were charged with a number of weapons-related offences, including the possession of weapons for the purpose of trafficking.
During Monday’s sentencing hearing, Crown Prosecutor Tom Brannen asked the judge for a custodial sentence for Sommerfeld. Brannen noted jail time is needed to set a precedent for other community members on the severity of illegally selling and purchasing firearms.
However, defense lawyer Ed Burlew countered with a conditional sentence, comprised of a combination of house arrest and curfews.
Burlew told the court that Sommerfeldt has no previous convictions and while he needs to be punished, he would fair better by remaining a part of his community.
Judge D.K Miller ultimately sided with the defense, stating that while Sommerfeldt outright broke the rules and broke the law of parliament, his offence should be punished by means of a conditional sentence.
During the sentencing hearing, the Crown asked for all charges laid against Todd Sommerfeldt to be stayed in light of his father’s pleading guilty, which the court agreed to.
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