A 39-year-old Langley man has been given a 30-month prison sentence after he was arrested with a sawed-off shotgun, bear spray, machete, and body armour in his car.
Stephen George Johnson was arrested in Surrey on May 16, 2024 by an officer with the Uniform Gang Enforcement Team of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU).
Johnson was pulled over for a traffic stop because the officer noticed the vehicle had been modified in ways that violated the Motor Vehicle Act.
He was then arrested for an unrelated offence during the traffic stop, and police searched the car.
The search turned up multiple weapons:
• A loaded, prohibited pistol with an altered serial number
• A loaded sawed-off shotgun
• Imitation firearms
• A machete
• Bear spray
• An armoured vest
On Sept. 6, after the arrest, Johnson was charged with several firearms-related crimes.
On July 9 last year, he pleaded guilty to possession of a loaded prohibited firearm, without having a licence or a registration certificate.
He was sentenced on Feb. 13.
The judge also handed Johnson a 10-year ban on possessing firearms, and he was ordered to give a DNA sample. The weapons and fake guns seized by police were forfeited.
“This arrest highlights our continued commitment to keeping illegal firearms off our streets,” said Sgt. Sarbjit K. Sangha, spokesperson for CFSEU-BC. “The possession of a loaded prohibited firearm poses a significant risk to public safety. Our officers remain focused on proactive enforcement to target individuals who present the highest risk to community safety.”