Manitoba man pleads guilty in 3D-printed ‘ghost gun’ case

A man from the RM of Hanover is headed to jail after admitting in court to printing 3D “ghost guns” at his rural Manitoba home.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) began investigating after a suspicious package bound for Manitoba was intercepted at the International Mail Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ont., in September 2021.

The package, labelled as furniture brackets, was found to contain metal parts needed to assemble a 3D-printed Glock-type pistol, also known as a “ghost gun.”

With help from the RCMP, the CBSA raided a home in the RM of Hanover in December 2021, arresting 34-year-old Ryan Buhler.

1:13 Ghost guns new to Winnipeg

In the home they found two 3D-printed handguns along with three other firearms, ammunition and a 3D printer, police have previously said.

Buhler was initially charged with several counts of manufacturing and possessing firearms without authorization.

On Tuesday the CBSA said Buhler, now 35, has been sentenced to concurrent three-year and two-year jail sentences after pleading guilty to one count of unauthorized firearm manufacturing and one count of unauthorized firearm possession.

The remaining charges were stayed as a result of a plea agreement, the CBSA said in a release.

“CBSA officers remain on alert to seize prohibited firearms and firearm parts,” Brad Wozny, from the CBSA, said in a release.

“This continues to be a top priority for the Agency and an important way we contribute to public safety, protecting the communities we serve on a daily basis.”