Vancouver Island man sentenced to 5 years in prison on drug, gun charges

CBSA investigators seized multiples weapons and hundreds of grams of drugs from a Nanaimo, B.C., property, the agency said. (CBSA)

A Nanaimo man has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking and weapons changes, according to authorities.

Cody Edward Ranger was sentenced in provincial court last week for one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of possessing a loaded prohibited firearm, the Canada Border Services Agency said in a news release.

The investigation into Ranger began in 2022 when border agents “intercepted” three silencers at Vancouver International Airport, the statement from CBSA said.

“The Canada Border Services Agency is committed to keeping illegal drugs and prohibited firearms out of our country and away from our communities,” a spokesperson wrote.

“Our officers and criminal investigators work diligently to secure the border and ensure that those who break the law are held accountable.”

In 2023 a search of a home and two vehicles in Nanaimo resulted in the seizure of multiple firearms – including two ghost guns – as well as cocaine, meth, and MDMA and 22 electronic devices.

As a result, Ranger was charged with three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking; three counts of possession of a loaded prohibited firearm; two counts of possession of a prohibited device; and one count of unauthorized possession of a restricted firearm.

When Ranger entered guilty pleas to three charges, the remaining six were stayed, according to publicly available court records.