Convicted ‘ghost gun’ maker in Edmonton sentenced to 3 years in prison

A man who 3D printed an arsenal of so-called ghost guns in Edmonton was sentenced by an Alberta Court judge on Thursday to three years behind bars.

Roy Tucker, 31, put his hands on his face and looked down as the sentence was read out. His family members cried in the courtroom.

BACKGROUND: ‘First significant seizure’ of 3D-printed firearms in Edmonton: police

Tucker — an engineering technologist — was convicted of three firearms charges, including manufacturing and possessing prohibited handguns he made using a 3D printer at home. Ghost guns get their name because 3D-printed guns are untraceable and unregulated.

He was arrested as part of a national investigation — Project Reproduction — into privately made firearms. Edmonton police say they were alerted by Quebec provincial police, the Sûreté du Québec, that an Edmonton man was purchasing parts specifically for 3D-printed firearms from a Montreal supplier.

In February 2024, Edmonton police announced it seized a cache of weapons, including three loaded handguns, 16 privately made Glock-style handguns, a commercial-grade 3D printer, and firearms blueprints. They also seized two prohibited semi-automatic firearms believed to have been smuggled into Canada from the United States.

At the time, authorities described Tucker’s operation as “sophisticated.”

Police also found handwritten notes in his home, including one mentioning the Montreal Ecole Polytechnique shooting. There were also notes he wrote about federal gun laws and potential prison times.

Court documents show Tucker did have legal papers for some weapons — guns he mainly kept in a locked gun room. He had about 30 non-restricted firearms, and police found a lot of 3D-printed gun parts – parts that could be put together quickly. Police officers successfully fired three Glock handguns. He had 32,000 rounds of ammunition.

There’s no evidence Tucker tried to sell any of the 3D-printed weapons.

At the sentencing hearing Wednesday, his lawyer claimed it’s a hobby gone wrong, and the reason he collected so many guns has to do with him being on the autism spectrum. The attorney also pointed out he’s been living in the community for the last three years without issue.

Tucker apologized in the courtroom on Wednesday, saying his intent was not for violence or for profit, but rather curiosity. “I realize my hobby and curiosity were very, very far from the law,” he said.

Prosecutors wanted Tucker to get a four-and-a-half-year sentence behind bars, while the defence pushed for two years of house arrest.

On Thursday, the judge said he wanted to send a message, with the sentence possibly acting as a deterrent for others. He said even though there’s a low risk Tucker will offend again, his moral responsibility in the crimes is high.

Tucker now has a lifetime weapons ban.

–With files from Lauren Boothby