Police tracked him down at the ‘Freedom Convoy.’ A year later, he’s still in jail on 50 gun charges

OTTAWA—A man who police urgently tracked through his cellphone and arrested near the National War Memorial during last year’s “Freedom Convoy” occupation was charged with illegally possessing a collection of guns and bullets at his home north of Toronto, the Star has learned.

Police never publicized the incident, but emails tabled during the Emergencies Act inquiry revealed that, early on Feb. 17 last year, law enforcement searched a home in Keswick, near Lake Simcoe. When they found an array of weapons — including semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and machetes — officers scrambled to track down their suspect by “pinging” his phone, and located him near the protest occupation near Parliament Hill, according to the emails.

After police and border agents refused to disclose information about the arrest, a spokesperson for the federal prosecution service told the Star the man accused in the case is Mike Vukmanovic. According to documents from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the 57-year-old faces 50 firearms-related charges after he was arrested on Feb. 17 last year and denied bail.

Vukmanovic’s mother, Slobodanka Jurcic, confirmed to the Star that her son was arrested that day near the War Memorial, and said he is currently jailed at the provincial corrections centre in Lindsay. Vukmanovic dismissed his lawyer several weeks ago, Jurcic said, and is now representing himself in the case.

According to Jurcic, it’s true Vukmanovic had guns in his home, but she said her son had no violent intentions and did not bring any of his weapons to the capital. He travelled there twice to attend what he considered “peaceful” protests against pandemic health measures, she said.

All of the charges relate to weapons found in Vukmanovic’s home. He is not charged with possessing any weapons while in Ottawa.

“He didn’t threaten anybody, he didn’t hurt anybody,” Jurcic said. “It breaks my heart for him.”

Asked why her son had a collection of guns, Jurcic said all she could say was that he was preparing for “the end of the world” due to his concern about the state of society. He had enough food at his house to last a year, she said.

“In his mind, the world is changing, and he wants to be protected.”

A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada told the Star that the Crown dropped 11 of the original 61 charges against Vukmanovic in order to “streamline” its case against him, leaving him with 50 charges.

Those include with six counts of possessing a firearm or ammunition contrary to an order not to have them; 10 counts of possessing a firearm without a licence; 10 counts of knowingly possessing a firearm without being the licence holder; and 10 counts of carelessly storing a firearm.

He is also accused of five counts of possessing a prohibited firearm with readily accessible ammunition; four counts of illegally manufacturing a firearm; one count each of possessing a prohibited overcapacity magazine, and knowing it was prohibited; and one count of illegally possessing 3,632 rounds of ammunition.

Vukmanovic’s indictment lists the guns he is alleged to have had in his home around the time he was arrested: two semi-automatic rifles, two shotguns, two bolt-action rifles. The charge sheet alleges he had parts to make four more “Glock-style” handguns with a 3-D printer.

Finally, he is accused of smuggling or trying to smuggle a “fully assembled prohibited handgun barrel and slide” into Canada near Windsor, Ont. around Jan. 25 last year, and of illegally importing that same type of gun part around that time.

Court documents say he is seeking a bail review to get out of custody and intends to represent himself at his trial, which is set to begin next February.

The emails tabled at the inquiry last fall showed police were concerned about the man whose home they searched in Keswick on Feb. 17, more than two weeks into the so-called “Freedom Convoy” occupation around Parliament Hill. By then, the federal government had triggered the never-before-used Emergencies Act to quash the protests, which had also sparked blockades at border crossings across Canada.

RCMP had seized a cache of guns and body armour at one of them, in southern Alberta, days earlier, alleging four people were involved in a plot to kill police officers if they moved against the blockade.

According to emailssubmittedat the inquiry, the Ontario Provincial Police, Canada Border Services Agency and York Regional Police searched a Keswick home around 4 a.m. on Feb. 17. The emails said police found rifles, shotguns, ammunition and a 3-D printer with parts to make a “Glock-style handgun.”

One of the emails — with a subject line: “High Risk — Firearms Suspect” — also said police found machetes by the front door, a “full camouflage suit (similar to those worn by military),” and “several silver bars located throughout the house including in the freezer.” On top of that, “an anti-government/police notice” was taped to a storm door, the email said.

The suspect wasn’t home at the time, and a neighbour told police the suspect was in Ottawa, the email said, prompting concerns about threats to the public and law enforcement. Referring to the suspect’s cellphone number, OPP Asst. Dep. Sgt. Robin McKay wrote to other officers: “I believe an emergency track maybe (sic) warranted.”

In a subsequent email, sent just before 10 a.m., McKay confirmed the suspect’s phone was “just pinged” to within eight metres of the National War Memorial. Another officer responded about half an hour later, saying “looks like there is a team right to where his phone is pinging to.”

The next email, from OPP Supt. Pat Morris, informed his colleagues: “Subject in Custody.”

Vukmanovic is next scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on April 5.

Correction — March 8, 2023: This story has been updated. Mike Vukmanovic is 57 years old and faces 50 firearms-related charges. A previous version said he is 52 and faces 61 charges.

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