A Quebec man has pleaded guilty to seven out of 11 charges related to firearms possession and controlled materials after his 2025 arrest, when he was an active member of the military.
Matthew Forbes, 34, of Pont-Rouge, Que., was arrested by the RCMP during an investigation where three other men were accused of facilitating terrorism. In 2025, the RCMP classified the group’s activities as ideologically motivated violent extremism.
While Forbes was not accused of terrorism, he was charged for possessing and selling firearms and controlled goods without the required authorizations.
The prosecution’s proof included money transfers between Forbes and buyers, according to a shared statement of facts.
It outlined that while Forbes was in Quebec, he possessed and transferred military-grade material.
The shared statement of facts notes that Canada is bound to the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations, also known as ITAR — responsible for the export and import of defense controlled goods.
In Canada, citizens or organizations must be registered with the Controlled Goods Program in order to have military-grade goods in their possession, according to the Defense Production Act, or Section 37 of the federal statute. Four of the seven charges Forbes pleaded guilty to were in violation of Section 37.
In court, Forbes confirmed he was aware of these regulations.
“I committed these acts and I am ready to face the consequences,” he said.
In one of the several transactions mentioned in the shared statement of facts, Forbes met a buyer at the Quebec Citadelle, a military base and fortress, where he is said to have illegally transferred materials in exchange for $40,000 US.
During this time, he was under surveillance by the RCMP as part of an investigation looking into a total of four individuals that began in March 2023.
Forbes was granted bail on strict conditions last year.
According to his lawyer, Forbes is suspended from the military with pay. He was previously a member of the 5e Régiment d’artillerie légère du Canada at the military base in Valcartier, near Quebec City — which is mandated to generate fire support resources in support of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group and the Canadian Armed Forces.
He will be back in court this fall and a decision will be rendered by the end of the year.
The prosecution says they are seeking a federal prison charge and Forbes could be sentenced to 10 years in prison and face a $2 million fine.
The three other men — Marc-Aurèle Chabot, Simon Angers-Audet, and Raphaël Lagacé — have been charged with weapons charges and the serious offence of facilitating a terrorist activity. They were denied bail in August. In September, three of them opted for a jury trial.
