Red Deer RCMP arrested a man and a woman after a late night traffic stop on Oct. 10th led to the seizure of two firearms, methamphetamine and drug trafficking paraphernalia; the pair faces 62 charges.
At 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 10th, a member of the Red Deer RCMP traffic unit was on patrol in the Highland Green neighbourhood and located a suspicious vehicle in an alley. As police approached, the vehicle came to a stop in a parking lot and the male driver and female passenger attempted to walk away from the scene. They were detained by police without incident. In a subsequent search of the vehicle, RCMP seized a loaded handgun and a loaded rifle which had been stolen during residential break-ins in Blackfalds and Sylvan Lake, other weapons including knives, a hatchet and multiple cans of bear spray, what is believed to be methamphetamine, cash seized as proceeds of crime, items consistent with drug trafficking, and large amounts of stolen identification.
RCMP have sworn a number of criminal charges against the pair and continue to investigate the circumstances around the various pieces of stolen identification.
“The Red Deer RCMP Pinpoint crime reduction strategy involves every Red Deer unit actively applying targeted attention to crime hot spots, to prolific offenders and to public safety,” said Inspector Gerald Grobmeier of the Red Deer RCMP. “This duo faces 62 charges in total as a result of traffic enforcement efforts to help keep Red Deer as safe as possible on all levels of policing.”
Michael Onischuk, 31, was on numerous weapons prohibitions at the time of his arrest; he faces the 50 charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000, possession of a restricted firearm without licence, possession of a firearm without a license, two counts of careless use, storage and transportation of a firearm, three counts of possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a restricted firearm in a vehicle, two counts of possession of a firearm obtained by crime, 36 counts of a firearm or weapon possession contrary to a prohibition order and driving while unauthorized.
Chelsey Praski-O’Connor, 29, faces the charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000, possession of a restricted firearm without a licence, possession of a firearm without a licence, two counts of careless use, storage and transportation of a firearm, two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a restricted firearm in a vehicle and two counts of possession of a firearm obtained by crime.
-Submitted by Red Deer RCMP
