Large Cache of Guns Seized in Red Deer

Red Deer… More than a dozen [alert-tooltip title=”More and more, ALERT investigators are finding firearms when they investigate organized crime groups who are involved in drug trafficking. Click to find out more.”]firearms[/alert-tooltip], some of which were stolen, have been recovered by ALERT’s Red Deer [alert-tooltip title=”ALERT has organized crime teams based in seven cities across Alberta. Click for more  info.”]organized crime and gang team[/alert-tooltip].

On September 11, 2019, ALERT executed a search warrant at a home in the Clearview Ridge subdivision. Red Deer RCMP provided assistance with the short-term investigation that began just weeks earlier.

Once inside the home, investigators seized:

• 56 grams of [alert-tooltip title=”Cocaine is a powerful, addictive drug derived from the leaves of coca plants, which are native to parts of South America. Click for more info.”]cocaine[/alert-tooltip], worth an estimated $5,600;
• 12 rifles, including one semi-automatic rifle;
• two handguns;
• a sawed-off shotgun;
• a prohibited magazine; and
• more than 9,000 rounds of ammunition.

A preliminary check found that four of the weapons were reported stolen after a break-and-enter in Three Hills, Alta., in August. All the firearms seized will be submitted for forensic analysis and ballistic testing to determine if they were used in any criminal activities.

ALERT alleges that the home’s residents were involved in firearms and drug trafficking.

Two people were arrested when the search was carried out. Zane Middlemiss, a 26-year-old man, and Sage Sunderwald, a 21-year-old woman, have been charged with a total of 80 firearm- and drug-related offences.

Members of the public who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous.

[alert-tooltip title=”More than 300 municipal police and RCMP officers work together in teams at ALERT to investigate everything from drug trafficking to child exploitation to gang violence. Click for more info.”]ALERT[/alert-tooltip] was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.