8-year prison sentence for B.C. man who manufactured guns with 3D printer

A 33-year-old man from Aldergrove, B.C., is facing drug and firearms charges, and the province's anti-gang police unit alleges he was involved in the 3D printing of guns. (CFSEU-BC)

A B.C. man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for illegally manufacturing firearms using a 3D-printer, as well as possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking.

Tyson Saverio Santolla pleaded guilty to possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl and manufacturing firearms back in June 2025. He received his sentence Friday, according to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C., the provincial anti-gang law enforcement task force.

The charges stemmed from an investigation launched by the CFSEU-BC’s Illegal Firearms Enforcement Team in January 2021.

In May 2021, investigators arrested three people and executed search warrants at four locations in Abbotsford and Aldergrove, the CFSEU-BC said in a news release Friday.

Officers seized “significant quantities of drugs” during the searches, police said. They also seized “materials associated with the production of controlled substances,” as well as “a firearm manufacturing operation utilizing 3D-printer technology,” according to the CFSEU-BC.

Santolla was charged in May 2023. Police did not say whether the other people arrested during the searches had been charged.

“The combination of illegal firearms and drug trafficking poses a significant danger to public safety,” said Sgt. Sarbjit K. Sangha, in the release.

“This outcome demonstrates our commitment to removing these threats from our communities and ensuring those responsible face meaningful consequences.”