For first time in Canadian history, gun smuggler charged with criminal negligence causing death

The Toronto Police Service announced via press release on Wednesday that it would be laying a variety of charges against a convicted smuggler which the force described as the "first of its kind."

Jeffrey Gilmour, 44, is facing ten charges including criminal negligence causing death, the first time such a charge has been levelled against a gun smuggler in Canadian law enforcement history.

Gilmour was arrested at the US-Canadian border in July of 2019 as part of an operation called Project 93, an investigation targeting gun smuggling across the border. The city of Toronto has been particularly affected by gun smuggling from the United States, with some experts saying that it has played a key role in the rising gun crime seen in Toronto over the past few years.

According to police, Gilmour was caught attempting to smuggle three handguns across the border by hiding them in his car. His home was subsequently searched, where police found another handgun illegally imported from the United States. All four handguns were purchased in the state of Florida, although it is unclear if Gilmour made the purchases himself.

Gilmour was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for the smuggling. However, as his imported firearms continue to appear at crime scenes in Toronto, more scrutiny came upon Gilmour's criminal behaviour. In one incident, a man was found dead of a gunshot wound in his vehicle near the intersection of Finch and Dufferin in Toronto, with the firearm used having been allegedly purchased by Gilmour in Florida.

As a result, Gilmour is now facing the unprecedented charge of criminal negligence causing death.

Gilmour is also facing nine additional charges, including three counts of knowingly possessing a firearm for transfer, three counts of importing a firearm knowing no authority, and three counts of knowingly transferring a firearm.

"Those involved in the trafficking of illegal firearms show a wanton and reckless disregard for the lives of others by putting a lethal weapon into the hands of someone who is likely to use it for a dangerous purpose," said Detective Sergeant Robert DiDanieli. "Not only should they be held accountable for the offence of trafficking the firearm, but they should bear some responsibility for the crimes in which that firearm is used."

Gilmour is expected to make an appearance in court on Feb 3.