After a six-month-long firearms trafficking investigation, a 33-year-old man from Vegreville, Alta., has been charged with 68 offences.
Charges against Michael Harker include possession for the purpose of firearms trafficking, firearms trafficking, fraud, identity fraud and possession of identity documents.
In November 2021, three illicit firearms were seized during a vehicle stop by Edmonton police. A firearm trafficking investigation began and the suspect was identified as Harker.
According to police, he had purchased “17 fraudulent handguns from 11 sellers across Alberta over a short period of time in November 2021.”
It’s alleged Harker then trafficked several of the fraudulently purchased handguns between November 2021 and January 2022.
Police said Hawker allegedly tried to fraudulently buy 25 firearms (non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited) from an Ontario auction house in December 2021, but police and Alberta’s Chief Firearms Office (CFO) were able to block the sale.
Two Hills RCMP seized four handguns from Harker’s home in Vegreville as part of a January 2022 investigation, EPS said.
That same month, Edmonton police seized one of the handguns in an unrelated investigation in the city.
In February, Vegreville RCMP seized another one of the handguns in another unrelated investigation.
Between the four investigations from three agencies, nine handguns were seized. Eight of the 17 handguns that police say were fraudulently purchased are still unaccounted for. Investigators are trying to find them.
EPS investigators allege Harker was able to buy the 17 firearms by assuming the identity of an Edmonton man in 2021, using his firearms licence and identity information to buy from sellers, the Canadian Firearms Program and CFO. The complainant reported the identity theft to the police, but it was too late, the firearms had already been purchased.
Michael Harker, 33, turned himself in to the EPS on April 5.
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