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An Ottawa man was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to gun-running as part of a local arms ring ensnared in a police sting operation.

Luke McCormick, 25, surrounded by family and supporters, stood to face Justice Trevor Brown before he was escorted from the courtroom by Ottawa police.

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Justice Brown called the sentence “shocking and crushing” for the father of a young child, but called it the “proper sentence in the public interest.”

Crown attorney Julian Daller, who prosecuted the case along with federal Crown Colleen Liggett, said McCormick should be commended for his “turnaround since the charges.”

A convincing letter of remorse filed with the court, the strong support of his family, McCormick’s guilty plea and his lack of a prior criminal record were considered mitigating factors in the sentence, which was proposed jointly by the Crown and defence counsel Sean May.