Controversial Cape Breton property developer pleads guilty to firearms charges

A controversial Cape Breton property dealer who has previously been in the news over allegations of selling overpriced land to European immigrants and for distributing Second World War-era Nazi propaganda has pleaded guilty to multiple firearms charges.

Under the terms of a plea deal, Frank Eckhardt of Grand River, Richmond County, has to forfeit all his firearms and is prohibited from owning any for two years.

Crown prosecutor John MacDonald called that a "major sanction."

"Essentially, that places him in the same [position] of any person who has no permits, no firearms," MacDonald said. "If he wishes to become a firearms owner again, he starts from scratch."

Eckhardt is a German immigrant with permanent resident status who runs F.E. Property Sales, marketing local land to Europeans.

Over the last five years, three immigrant couples have complained Eckhardt was charging inflated prices.

Unhappy customers

One German couple got out of a deal with Eckhardt, saying the price was too high and that he had sent them a CD containing gardening tips and offensive Nazi material.

RCMP investigated their claims, but no charges were laid. 

In 2019, an Austrian couple said they lost their life savings and were unable to immigrate to Canada despite a deal they had with Eckhardt. Another couple bought property from Eckhardt and leased a commercial building from him in 2021.

They say when they tried to get out of the lease because it was higher than market rates, they had to call RCMP because Eckhardt threatened to have their visas revoked.

Eckhardt was charged with extortion, but that case fell apart two years ago when the couple sold their property and moved back to Germany. 

However, during that investigation, RCMP searched Eckhardt's property and laid more than a dozen firearms charges, including transporting a loaded firearm and possession of several illegal weapons.

Court documents show RCMP seized five handguns, four rifles and two shotguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and $137,250 in cash.

According to RCMP, Eckhardt's handguns included three registered, restricted firearms, for which he has a licence, and two muzzleloader percussion pistols that were unregistered.

In Port Hawkesbury Supreme Court on Friday, Eckhardt pleaded guilty to three counts that Crown and defence lawyers called "very technical breaches" of the regulations on storing firearms.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Eckhardt had stored all the guns in a locked cabinet, but several of them did not have trigger locks as required and were stored along with ammunition for those guns, which is against the regulations.

Guns stored with ammo, one loaded

In addition, a double-barrelled 12-gauge shotgun was stored in the locked cabinet, also without a trigger lock, but it was also loaded with two shells, which is also against the rules.

The guns included a Glock 35 semi-automatic pistol, an Alfa Proj .22 calibre revolver, a Sig Sauer P320 semi-automatic pistol and two unregistered replica black powder muzzleloader pistols.

The Crown prosecutor said one of the black powder guns had been handmade by Eckhardt's father in Germany.

Justice Patrick Murray accepted the plea deal and joint sentencing recommendations, which include several probation conditions that Eckhardt has to meet.

MacDonald said if Eckhardt successfully completes his probation and receives a conditional discharge, he can avoid a criminal record and probably protect his permanent resident status.

The Crown prosecutor said under the sentence, Eckhardt presents no risk to the public and said justice is served.

MacDonald also said if the cash seized during the search of Eckhardt's property has not been returned to him, it should be because it was not subject to any of the charges in Eckhardt's plea deal.

Through his lawyer, Eckhardt declined to address the court and declined a request for an interview.

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