A Canadian man who has his right to carry a gun revoked donned a wetsuit and flippers and swam across a river to the United States, where he then stole a handgun from a pawn shop, police said.
Jeremy James Wallace, 24, of Ontario was named in a criminal complaint that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials filed last week in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, The Detroit News reported.
According to WJBK, Wallace allegedly made the trip across the St. Clair River from Sombra, Ontario, to East China Township, Michigan, and then walked to New Haven. New Haven is about 37 miles from Detroit.
In the affidavit obtained by the news station, deputies claim Wallace admitted to being in the U.S. illegally, adding that he swam across the U.S.-Canada border, telling deputies he was wearing a wetsuit, flotation devices and swimming fins.
Canadian man swims across St. Clair River to steal gun from Macomb County pawn shop https://t.co/v6cT6Y8spP pic.twitter.com/QwYZq52U3m
— FOX 2 Detroit (@FOX2News) September 15, 2023
Wallace then allegedly went to Metro Pawn & Guns in New Haven, where he asked to see a .22-caliber pistol.
As he looked at the gun, he asked to see another weapon and when the employee went to get the other gun, Wallace grabbed the .22-caliber handgun and two empty magazines before fleeing from the store.
Deputies responding to the robbery call said they saw Wallace run into the woods. Deputies followed and he was arrested.
According to the court filing, Wallace said that once he was in possession of the handgun, he planned to swim back to Sombra.
He faces charges of improper entry by an alien, an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a stolen firearm.
If Wallace is convicted, he faces up to six months in federal prison for the improper entry charge, up to 10 years for the being an alien in possession of a firearm charge and up to 10 years for the stolen firearm possession charge, The Detroit News reported.
