EDMUNSTON, New Brunswick – A U.S. resident from Maine was sentenced Thursday to six months in a Canadian jail after attempting to smuggle 15 handguns into New Brunswick.

Mitchell Bubar, a criminal investigator with the Canada Border Services Agency, said this is one of the biggest border weapons seizures ever in Atlantic Canada.

“We seize weapons regularly, but this is rare, for this many at one time,” he said. “All the firearms were well hidden.”

Phillip Michaud of St. Agatha, Maine, was entering Canada at the border in Edmundston around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 5. Bubar said agents had received information that someone would be trying to cross with undeclared firearms and were on the lookout.

Michaud was arrested without incident and the guns were seized. He was held over the weekend and appeared Monday in Edmundston provincial court, where he was formally charged.

He returned to court Thursday with his atttorney and pleaded guilty to three firearms violations under the Criminal Code and three violations of the Customs Act. The customs offenses included failing to report goods in his possession, making false or deceptive statements and attempting to smuggle prohibited goods.

In total, he was sentenced to six months in jail, with more than $7,000 in fines.

Michaud first told border officials he was heading into Edmundston to do some shopping. His attorney told the court Michaud was driving to Longueuil, Quebec, near Montreal. He planned to attend a gun show, where he intended to trade his handguns.

Michaud approached in a pickup truck as he tried to enter Canada.

“We asked him if he had any firearms and he said no,” said Bubar, who investigated the case with colleague Jeff Hayward, in conjunction with the Edmundston Police Force and the Integrated Border Enforcement Team.