A man nicknamed “The Gun Guy” by the superintendent of prisons is facing seven years in jail following the largest ever seizure of illegal weapons in the province.
Forty-four-year-old Scott Waterman first faced 140 charges after a search of homes in Torbay, Flatrock and Pouch Cove more than three years ago, in early 2022.
(RNC displays just some of the weapons seized as part of “massive” firearms trafficking investigation. February 17, 2022)
Police found more than a hundred types of guns of all shapes and sizes and firepower, plus 3D printers used to make some of them, as well as silencers, bulletproof vests and brass knuckles — laying it all out there during a massive show and tell for media.
Waterman initially pleaded not guilty but changed his tune a year later in a deal with the Crown that saw the 140 charges whittled down to just seven, all linked to the possession, manufacturing and trafficking of illegal weapons.
That’s part of a joint submission for a seven-year sentence, which acknowledges a previous conviction for smuggling tasers into Canada from the U.S., as well as the seriousness of gun-trafficking for the public and society as a whole.
But it also considers the four months he spent in jail after his arrest, during which his lawyer Erin Breen says he was subject to unacceptable conditions and behavior by corrections staff, not the least of which was the Superintendent of Prisons, Dan Chafe, referring to Waterman in a bail application as “The Gun Guy,” while he was still presumed innocent.
Asked today by Judge James Walsh if he had anything to say, Waterman simply apologized for his actions.
“The key is, have you learned from them?” asked Walsh.
“Yes, sir,” he replied.
Walsh is scheduled to sentence Waterman on Sept. 11th.
