Calgary police fraud investigation sees 25 guns seized, 50 charges laid

A police vehicle is shown at Calgary Police Service headquarters in Calgary, Alta., on April 9, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

Two men are facing charges after a Calgary police investigation into a southern Alberta auction house.

Officers launched their investigation last month after a family reported concerns with the sale of their dead father’s estate items.

The family hired Starling Auctions in Claresholm in April to sell a large collection of firearms, may of which were restricted or rare.

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They said the online auction had a profit of more than $93,000, but alleged some of the more valuable guns weren’t included in the auction.

It’s alleged that after months, Starling Auctions had still not paid the family for the sale.

When they received a cheque, the family alleged it bounced due to insufficient funds.

Police say the family “continued to inquire about the location of the firearms missing from the original auction” and began to have concerns that Starling Auctions had kept them.

Police issued warrants for two rural properties outside of Claresholm on Sept. 26, at which time they recovered 25 firearms with an estimated total value of $19,000.

“Investigators also determined that while Starling Auctions held a valid business Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL), the two individuals in possession of the firearms did not,” police said.

Jesse Ray Starling, 46, is charged with one count of fraud over $5,000 and multiple counts of careless storage of a firearm and unauthorized possession of a firearm.

Whitney Starling, 19, is charged with careless storage of a firearm and unauthorized possession of a firearm.

They are scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 18, 2025.