A selection of the prohibited and restricted firearms and firearms manufacturing devices seized by CBSA officers via two search warrants in 2024. (CBSA / HANDOUT)
A 57-year-old man from Beausejour has been sentenced to five years in prison for multiple firearms-related offences, including possession of prohibited weapons and devices linked to the manufacture of untraceable “ghost guns.”
Robert Ripcik pleaded guilty in Selkirk Provincial Court to several charges on Friday, including unauthorized possession of firearms and prohibited devices. He was also handed a 10-year firearm ban and must provide a DNA sample.
Ripcik was arrested in March 2024 following a lengthy investigation launched after border agents intercepted a suspicious shipment in April 2023 containing parts used to make firearms without serial numbers.
Searches at a rural property near Chatfield uncovered a cache of weapons and equipment, including a 3D printer, a Ghost Gunner CNC machine, multiple ghost gun components, and a fully automatic AR-15-style rifle.
“Ghost guns in particular pose a serious risk for many reasons, including how difficult they are to trace when used by criminals,” said Janalee Bell-Boychuk, regional director general, prairie region, CBSA.
Bell-Boychuk says the border agency was assisted in the investigation by Winnipeg police, Manitoba RCMP and Manitoba Conservation.
