RCAF Major facing more than 25 charges after CBSA seize firearms in Kingston, Petawawa
A Royal Canadian Air Force Major is facing multiple charges after an investigation and seizure of various prohibited weapons from two residences — one in Kingston, the other in Petawawa — last month.
The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team (OFSET) announced the charges in a media release dated Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023.
In August 2023, Major Kendrick Barling of the Royal Canadian Air Force returned to Canada after being posted in the United States for five years. According to the release, Major Barling’s household goods were shipped through Canadian Forces Base Trenton, where numerous undeclared firearms were discovered hidden throughout the shipment.
CBSA OFSET investigators executed a search warrant at a residence in Kingston on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, and another on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, at a residence in Petawawa. During the searches, officers reportedly located and seized several prohibited firearms and items, including:
- Seven handguns
- 10 rifles (including assault rifles)
- Two shotguns
- Approximately 45,000 rounds of ammunition of varying calibres
- Hundreds of magazines that included AR-15 over-capacity magazines
According to the release, multiple firearms have duplicate serial numbers.
As a result, Major Kendrick Barling, has been charged by the CBSA with the following offences:
- Five counts: smuggling goods into Canada
- Two counts: making false statements
- Two counts: importing goods without a permit
- Nine counts: importing a firearm knowing it is unauthorized
- Nine counts: unauthorized importing of a firearm
- Two counts: contravention of transportation regulations
The CBSA said that Barling is next scheduled to appear in court on December 22, 2023.
“The CBSA Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team works hard to keep our communities safe. Thanks to their dedication and due diligence, they have successfully taken many dangerous weapons off of our streets,” said Eric Lapierre, Regional Director General for CSBA Northern Ontario Region.
“This successful investigation is another example of collaboration between law enforcement partners, such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the United States of America, as we work together to keep our communities safe.”