RCMP executed a search warrant at Mark’s rural property on July 7, 2026, as part of a firearms‑trafficking investigation linked to an earlier U.S. case involving another Dauphin‑area man. During the raid, officers found:
439 firearms
An antique cannon
Ammunition
Over $300,000 in cash
Investigators say hundreds of the firearms were improperly stored, at least three were illegally trafficked, and one had a tampered serial number.
RCMP expect it will take weeks to catalogue the full collection and determine how many weapons were illegally possessed.
ChargesMark, age 78, faces 12 Criminal Code charges, including:
Firearms trafficking
Possession of a firearm with a tampered serial number
Unauthorized possession of firearms and prohibited devices
Unsafe storage of firearms (three counts)
Careless use of a firearm (two counts)
Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000
He was arrested, appeared in court, and later released with conditions.
Why RCMP searched his homeThe investigation began in March 2026 after a 73‑year‑old Dauphin man was charged in Minnesota for firearms offences. RCMP say firearms linked to that man were purchased by a second suspect and never legally transferred — leading investigators to Mark’s residence.
Who is Inky Mark?MP for Dauphin‑Swan River (later Dauphin‑Swan River‑Neepawa) from 1997–2010
Served under the Reform Party, Canadian Alliance, Progressive Conservatives, and Conservatives
Former mayor of Dauphin (1994–1997)
Known for advocacy on immigration, multiculturalism, and gun rights, including opposition to the long‑gun registry in the late 1990s and early 2000s
Current statusThe allegations have not been proven in court. Mark is scheduled to return to court in August. RCMP say motive is unclear, though they acknowledge he was a long‑time firearms collector.