A 35-year-old man banned from possessing firearms was allegedly nabbed with a loaded handgun in Whitby this week.
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Toronto Police say Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force officers began investigating the man believing he was in possession of a firearm.
The accused was arrested in the area of Thickson Rd. S. and Consumers Dr. in Whitby around 12 p.m. on Monday.
“At the time of his arrest, he was found to be in possession of a loaded handgun with an over capacity magazine,” acting Det.-Sgt. Brent Johnston alleged in a statement Wednesday.
Mark Bollers, of Whitby, is and charged with possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm; unauthorized possession of a firearm; possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized; unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted weapon in a motor vehicle; possession of a firearm, prohibited or restricted weapon obtained by crime; careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device or ammunition; carrying a concealed weapon; and possession of a prohibited device or ammunition knowing its possession is unauthorized.
The accused is also charged with two counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to prohibition order, suggesting he was subject to a court order banning him from possessing a gun.
Police were unable to confirm if the accused is the same Mark Bollers who was arrested for home violent invasions in Toronto and Kingston five days apart in 2017.
“We can’t provide or confirm information about a person’s past criminal history,” Const. Stephanie Miceli said.
In the Kingston incident, two men forced their way into a woman’s apartment at gunpoint, pistol-whipped and robbed her of cash, a cellphone and other items on Feb. 15, 2017. One of the home invaders also pointed a gun at the woman’s three-year-old son when he came out of his room during the robbery.
Five days later – on Feb. 20, 2017 – bandits burst into a man’s condo near Yonge St. and Sheppard Ave. in North York. Video footage released at the time by Toronto Police showed two men wrestling the “innocent” victim to the ground.
One home invader shot the man in his shoulder and a second home invader stabbed him in his head with a screwdriver numerous times before ransacking the condo and taking off with jewelry and cash.
In April 2017, Kingston Police charged Mark Anthony Boller, then 27, of Toronto, with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, breaking-and-entering, robbery with a firearm, and breaching bail conditions.
Two months later, Toronto Police charged Bollers and three others with attempted murder, aggravated assault and robbery while armed with a firearm.
It wasn’t difficult for Toronto cops to find Bollers because he was already locked up after pleading guilty to previous firearms offences following his arrest by Kingston cops.
And Toronto Police alleged at the time that investigators were able to place him at the scene of the North York home invasion thanks to the electronic ankle monitor he was wearing while out on bail for 2015 gun charges.