2 men charged in Calgary gun, stolen property investigation
Posted Oct 21, 2025 8:38 am.
Two Calgary men are facing several fire arm, drug, and stolen property offences following a months-long investigation.
The Calgary Police Service’s (CPS) Gun Violence Enforcement Team (GVET) began looking into a man back in August, believing he was selling drugs, guns, and stolen property,
During the investigation, police say the suspect was seen attending a storage and RV parking lot in southeast Calgary, as well as meeting with a second man later identified as a suspect in a separate District 8 investigation into social disorder around a home in Rangeview.
A search warrant was executed on two homes in the city’s southeast and a storage unit associated to the suspects earlier this month.
In the search of a home on Seton Circle SE, officers seized a loaded Ranger repeater .22 caliber rifle, a snub nose revolver, a loaded Ruger Mark II .22 calibre handgun, a disassembled Colt 1911 handgun, a musket, a Browning .243 calibre sawed-off rifle, multiple types of ammunition, and 13.5 grams of methamphetamine.
Another search of a home on Lavender Road SE and a storage unit on 114 Avenue SE located more than 50 pieces of stolen identification, key fobs, garage door openers, as well as dozens of stolen tools, police say.
“We continue to be concerned about gun violence in our city,” said Staff Sgt. Matthew Gow of the Organized Crime Unit. “Getting firearms off the streets is a priority of the Gun Violence Enforcement Team”.
John Werstroh, 31, is facing several charges, including four counts of possession of a prohibited firearm, and one count of possession of stolen property over $5,000.
He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 24.
Ryan Bantugan, 41, is the other man charged, accused on multiple crimes. Among his charges are carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a loaded prohibited weapon, break and enter, and possession of a controlled substance.
Bantugan was released with conditions and is next set to be in court on Oct. 28.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police at 403-266-1234 or tip anonymously through CrimeStoppers.
