Fraud and Firearms: What Went Down in Claresholm?

Talk about a local story with some serious kick! Just south of us in Claresholm, a major fraud investigation has wrapped up, uncovering a cache of 25 firearms and reminding us all about the importance of due diligence.

The saga began on Saturday, April 19, 2025, when an estate entered a legal agreement with Starling Auctions to sell a valuable firearms collection. But things went south quickly. By September 2025, the estate noticed high-value items were mysteriously missing, and the auction house defaulted on payments, leaving family members in a financial and legal bind.

That’s when law enforcement stepped in. Warrants executed on Friday, September 26, 2025, led to the discovery and seizure of the firearms, with an estimated total value of $19,000. The Calgary Police Service was instrumental in uncovering these weapons. Jesse Ray Starling and Whitney Starling have since been charged in connection with the incident.

This hits home for Calgarians. Firearms in the wrong hands pose a significant risk to community safety, whether they’re found in Claresholm or our own city limits. This situation serves as a critical reminder to carefully vet authenticity when dealing with valuable assets or family legacies. If you have any information, please reach out at 403-266-1234 or tip anonymously via Crime Stoppers.

This story comes to us from the Calgary Newsroom. Get more info at the source: https://newsroom.calgary.ca/twenty-five-firearms-seized-in-fraud-investigation/