Alberta Man Denied Bail Following Conspiracy to Murder Charge Related to Coutts Border Blockade

A police vehicle looks out over an empty highway after protesters opposing federal COVID-19 mandates left following their blockade of the highway at the busy U.S. border crossing in Coutts, Alberta, on Feb. 15, 2022. (The Canadian Press)

The fourth and last man charged with conspiracy to commit murder in relation to the Alberta border protest earlier this year has been denied bail.

Jerry Morin, 40, is to remain in jail to await trial after Justice Johnna Kubik ruled to deny him bail in a Lethbridge court on July 18.

Morin, along with Anthony Olienick, Chris Carbert, and Christopher Lysak, were accused of conspiring to commit murder earlier this year during a Canada-U.S. border blockade held at Coutts, Alberta. They were also accused of possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose and mischief over $5,000.

Morin was among 14 people charged after Alberta RCMP executed search warrants on three trailers on Feb. 14, in response to reports that the group was carrying firearms and a large quantity of ammunition.

RCMP found a cache of long guns, handguns, body armour, large amounts of ammunition, and high-capacity magazines in the trailers and police said the group had “a willingness to use force” against law enforcement if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade.

Olienick, Carbert, and Lysak had all been previously denied. All four men will face a trial in June next year.

The Coutts blockade, which started in late January and lasted for nearly three weeks, was one of several protests at Canada-U.S. border crossings in solidarity with the Freedom Convoy protest in downtown Ottawa that opposed federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions.

The blockade at the Coutts border ended after RCMP arrested the group found with the firearms. A convoy organizer later explained that they decided to end the demonstration at that time so as not to be associated with violence.

“We want to wrap this up in a peaceful way,” Marco Van Huigenbos said in a video message posted on Twitter by Rebel News reporter Syd Fizzard on Feb. 14.

The Canadian Press contributed to this article