Man accused of driving getaway truck in Pearson gold heist to plead guilty to gun charges in U.S.

A suspect involved in the multi-million dollar gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport on April 17, 2023 is seen loading the stolen goods onto a truck. (Peel Regional Police)

The man accused of driving off with nearly $20 million in stolen gold bars after a heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport two years ago has agreed to plead guilty to weapons-related charges in the U.S., according to court documents.

Peel police allege Brampton resident Durante King-McLean was the driver of a delivery truck that took off with 6,600 gold bars and a quantity of cash that were being held at an Air Canada cargo facility on the evening of April 17, 2023.

The gold, along with about $2.5 million in foreign currency, had been shipped to Toronto from Zurich in the hull of an Air Canada plane that landed at the airport earlier that day.

In the summer after the heist, police said they identified King-McLean as the driver but were unable to locate him.

Months later in September 2023, King-McLean was arrested by U.S. law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania. Police said the rental car he was driving near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania contained 65 illegal firearms.

Investigators have previously said they believe the heist and the weapons seizure are linked.

According to the U.S. court documents, King-McLean has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment.

A hearing has been scheduled for May 14 for McLean-King to change his plea in a Harrisburg courtroom.