Suspect denies sawed-off-rifle charges
Marc LeBlanc, 43, also pleads not guilty to possessing stolen IDs, damaging moving truck
A transient man in custody on firearms and stolen-property charges denied all the allegations against him Monday and will be headed to trial later this year.
Marc LeBlanc, 43, of no fixed address, appeared in Fredericton provincial court Monday by telephone from jail, where he’s remanded on 17 charges.
He was scheduled to elect mode of trial and enter pleas.
LeBlanc is represented by legal aid staff lawyer Edward Derrah, but duty counsel Gwynne Hearn appeared Monday in court as his agent.
She noted that after consulting Derrah as his counsel, LeBlanc was electing to be tried in provincial court and pleading not guilty to all counts.
The defendant faces the following charges, all alleged to have occurred in Oromocto on Sept. 30:
carrying a concealed weapon (a sawed-off rifle) without authorization;
two counts of possessing sawed-off rifles for a purpose dangerous to the public peace;
possessing a loaded, prohibited firearm (a sawed-off rifle) without a licence or certificate;
possessing two sawed-off-rifles while prohibited by a court order, as well as possessing ammunition while prohibited;
being the occupant of a motor vehicle in which he knew there was a prohibited firearm;
possessing an unloaded prohibited firearm (a sawed-off rifle) with readily accessible ammo;
possessing the rifles knowing he didn’t have a licence for them;
storing firearms improperly;
obstructing RCMP Const. Shawn Elhatton in the execution of his duty;
causing more than $5,000 in property damage to a U-Haul moving cube truck;
and four counts of possessing identity documents, namely driver’s licences belonging to Braden Robert Kent, Joseph Frank Levi Lirette and Alex Girouard, and the birth certificate of Joseph Paul Daniel Fougere.
Crown prosecutor Rodney Jordan said a full day of court time would be needed for trial, and Judge Scott Brittain noted that triggered the need for a case-management conference.
Such proceedings are held to determine if the issues to be explored at trial can be narrowed and/or to see if the two sides can resolve the case without trial.
The judge set LeBlanc’s matter over to Feb. 27 for that conference, and his trial date will be set at that time.
Brittain remanded LeBlanc again until then.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.