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Lawyer takes on gun charges

A lawyer who specializes in defending firearms owners across Canada is acting for a Red Deer small businessman charged with several firearms charges.

A lawyer who specializes in defending firearms owners across Canada is acting for a Red Deer small businessman charged with several firearms charges.

Richard Fritze of Red Deer reserved his client David Glenn Elliott’s plea on 16 charges until July 30 during a brief provincial court appearance on Thursday. Lawyer Kevin Sproule acted as Fritze’s agent.

Fritze has defended numerous Canadians charged with various firearms offences.

Elliott wasn’t present on Thursday.

Elliott, 46, who owns Hempnstuff Exotic Boutique, is charged with one count of uttering threats, two counts of possession of marijuana and 13 counts of unsafe storage of a firearm.

He was charged on July 2 after RCMP officers found more than 100 firearms, comprised of pistols, rifles, shotguns and antique guns. Police said they also seized 500,000 to one million rounds of live ammunition, an undisclosed amount of marijuana and other property from the business.

Elliott’s website suggests a downtown storefront would soon be opening to sell the firearms.

The website shows Elliott as a contact and lists antique firearms in prices of up to $10,000 for a Colt 1873 with pearl handles or a Mauser c96, an antique semi-automatic pistol created from the late 1800s until the late 1930s in Germany.

Fritze is also acting for a Quebec man who has launched a constitutional challenge against Canadian gun control regulations. Fritze has also handled gun control charges for defendants in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

He also defended Bruce Hutton, founder of the Law-abiding Unregistered Firearms Association of Rocky Mountain House.

jwilson@www.reddeeradvocate.com