An American fugitive preacher who was captured in Canada after fleeing his conviction in Arizona on firearms charges has been ordered extradited to the United States.
The Rev. Al Waddell, 51, who is alleged to be a member of the violent white supremacist group Posse Comitatus, faces up to 65 years in prison for making and selling silencers, having an unregistered machine gun and giving false information at his trial.
He also faces a maximum of five years for escaping. He has been a fugitive since 1985.
Justice Thomas Braidwood of the British Columbia Supreme Court ordered Waddell extradited on only two of the seven charges.
Canada’s extradition law provides that a fugitive may only be extradited for offenses that are crimes in Canada.
Five of the seven firearms offenses against Waddell are not. The justice ruled that only the submachine gun offense and the making of false statement are crimes in Canada.
While a silencer is considered a prohibited weapon in Canada, it must be assembled.
The Canadian extradition ruling means Arizona may only sentence Waddell for those two offenses.
The weapons listed in the charges against Waddell include a Colt AR-15 machine gun, a 22-caliber Ruger rifle and a number of silencers for 22-caliber, 9mm, 45-caliber and 380-caliber firearms.
Waddell, who intends to appeal the extradition order, denied being a member of the Posse Comitatus.
He told the justice, “I am diametrically opposed to violence. It is against my Christian beliefs.”
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