In her opening address to a 12-member Calgary Court of King’s Bench jury, Crown prosecutor Alexandra Russell outlined the case she expects to call against former UCP staffer Andrea Petzold, who faces multiple firearms-related charges following a May 2023 RCMP search.“This case is about public safety and the common-sense rules that govern firearm ownership in Canada,” Russell told jurors. “These laws exist to protect our communities from the risks posed by illegal and improperly stored weapons.”Russell said the Crown will argue Petzold "broke those rules" by keeping a prohibited handgun and loaded, overcapacity magazines hidden in her basement..Petzold faces five charges, including four under the Criminal Code, after RCMP executed a search warrant on May 17, 2023, at her rental home.“On May 17, 2023, police searched the home Ms. Petzold was renting,” Russell told jurors.“In the basement they found a Glock 19 handgun, 9mm ammunition, and two prohibited magazines, all stored together on a shelf. These items are illegal to possess without proper licensing, and Ms. Petzold had none.”.Russell said jurors will be asked to determine one key issue over the course of the week-long trial: “Did Ms. Petzold knowingly possess these illegal and dangerous items found in her basement?”The first witness, RCMP Cpl. Ramzey Abdelhameid, testified about the execution of the warrant. Abdelhameid, a 13-year veteran of the force, said he was then stationed at the Cochrane detachment, working with the Federal Serious Organized Crime Team.He told the jury he and two other officers arrived at the home shortly after noon. Petzold was present and was provided a copy of the search warrant and a notice of execution..Abdelhameid described photographing the residence before, during, and after the search. On the main floor he documented living and dining areas, a kitchen, and bedrooms, one clearly belonging to a child.In the basement officers located children’s toys in one room and, in a separate storage and laundry area, a Pelican-brand case containing a Glock 19 9mm pistol with mismatching serial numbers, two loaded 15-round magazines, and a bag of loose ammunition.Nearby were boxes and cans of shotgun, .22, and .308 ammunition, along with firearm manuals and documents bearing Petzold’s name..The corporal testified that the magazines had not been modified to the 10-round legal limit and were considered prohibited devices under federal law.He said the seized items were entered into evidence and later tested by experts to confirm their classification. DNA swabs taken from the firearm did not yield a usable sample..The trial is expected to continue this week with additional RCMP witnesses and expert firearms testimony. Petzold once worked with Craig Chandler and the Progressive Group for Independent Business and more recently was a staffer with former UCP MLA Leela Aheer, who placed last in that party's 2022 leadership race.She also worked in the Legislative Assembly Office of the Government of Alberta and calls herself a Chinatown advocate and community organizer.
