This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A Utah man was convicted Thursday of smuggling a firearm across the Canadian border.
According to a news release from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Franklin Michael Crane sought entry to Canada at the port of Coutts, Alberta, on Aug. 9 when CBSA officers found a loaded 9 mm handgun in his vehicle's center console. Lisa White, a CBSA communications officer, said Crane had lied to officers when they asked if he had weapons in his vehicle.
"Our laws are clear," she said. "When people are coming to Canada, we expect that people respond to all questions."
He spent six days in jail and was ordered by the Lethbridge Provincial Court to pay a $5,000 fine, forfeit his weapon and observe a 10-year weapons prohibition order.
"I commend our CBSA officers at Coutts for ensuring this lethal weapon did not make its way into Canada," said Lauren D. Delgaty, Regional Director General for CBSA in the Prairie Region, in the news release. "Whether it's one handgun or several, the CBSA is committed to upholding Canadian laws and taking appropriate enforcement action to ensure the safety of Canada and its citizens."
It isn't the first time a Utahn has been detained after carrying a firearm at the Canadian border. Last August, a 26-year-old Alpine man was arrested for possession of a handgun at Niagara Falls during a six-week motorcycle ride to raise money for the American Cancer Society. He spent four months in jail.
"They're lethal weapons," White said. "Whether it's one firearm or many firearms, we don't want them on our streets."
Twitter: @matthew_piper