Cypress County man facing 61 charges after weapons found in stolen vehicle bust

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on January 27, 2023.

https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

A Cypress County man with life-time ban against owning firearms now faces 61 more charges, most of which are weapons-related, according to regional crime investigators.

ALERT Medicine Hat officers stated on Thursday they seized six rifles and three shotguns from a home while they were searching for a stolen recreational vehicle on Jan. 4.

That search warrant turned up an all-terrain vehicle and trailer police say were stolen in Redcliff in December. A subsequent search found firearms, two crossbows and ammunition.

“These weapons had all been left in plain sight, stored carelessly throughout the garage,” said acting Staff Sergeant David Gornisiewicz, of the local ALERT unit, which conducted the investigation alongside the Redcliff RCMP and Medicine Hat Police Service.

“Some of the guns our officers seized were also found loaded, which could have been a very dangerous situation if they had ended up in the wrong hands.”

Denver Ailsby, 44, was taken into custody and released after bail hearing. His next scheduled Provincial Court appearance is set for Jan. 31.

He faces one charge of possessing stolen property valued above $5,000 and possessing a gun with a defaced serial number. He is also charged with multiple counts of possessing firearms without a license, careless storage of a firearm, possessing weapons dangerous to the public, and breaching a court-ordered prohibition against possessing firearms.

The ATV, a 2013 Polaris RZR 900, and trailer have a stated value of $27,000, according to police.