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National Post

U.S. musician's security caught with illegal gun at Ontario border

SARNIA – A U.S. man working security for a hip hop artist has been banned from coming back to Canada for one year after he was caught smuggling his disassembled illegal handgun across the Blue Water Bridge on a tour bus. Article content A Sarnia courtroom recently heard two buses arrived on the Canadian side of the twin-span bridge connecting Michigan and Ontario on Sept. 11 around 4 a.m. A group of artists and their entourage were at a show in Detroit the previous night and were heading to Toronto for a concert later that day at Scotiabank Arena. Article content Article content Article content The court did not hear who the musicians were, but the list of dates and locations mentioned by the prosecutor coincides with the 2024 Crash World Tour, which featured Kehlani and rappers Flo Milli and Anycia. Article content Article content Kyle Jones, a licensed security professional on one of the buses, told Canada Border Services Agency officers he had nothing to declare, including no firearms. But the officers found a handgun recoil spring in one of his bags. Jones told the officers he left the rest of the gun's parts at his brother's house in Detroit, but he was arrested after they found a firearm frame hidden behind the bus's stereo equipment. Jones later admitted he had all the parts for the gun stashed in various places around the two buses, including the barrel and three magazines. He also told the officers why he did this. Jones is expected to have a firearm with him while on tour in the U.S. and usually carries a Smith and Wesson nine-millimetre pistol. Article content But he knew he couldn't bring it into Canada, so he hatched a plan: he'd use a licensed dealer at a firearms store in Detroit to ship it to Philadelphia, where he could get it back after the tour's concert there. Article content Article content Article content But the dealer didn't return his calls on the day it was supposed to be shipped. Article content So he took apart his gun, wrapped the various pieces in red tape and hid them on the buses. Article content Jones initially was charged with two offences under the Customs Act, but no criminal charges were laid as investigators found no evidence he intended to sell or use the firearm while in Canada. They also found, based on how long it took them to pull the parts out from hiding, he wouldn't have had time to do that while in Canada for less than 24 hours and while working security. Article content Jones recently pleaded guilty to the single offence of making a false statement to a border officer and was sentenced to a discharge conditional on following a one-year probation order. It has a single rule: don't come back to Canada during that time. Article content 'Lying to border services officers affects the integrity of the border and it compromises not only that integrity, but also indirectly risks the safety of Canadian citizens,' federal prosecutor Brian Higgins said. 'The public needs to see that there are consequences for making false statements at the border.'