Man convicted in Ontario motorcycle crash arrested in U.S., accused of gun smuggling

HAMILTON — Police say a 25-year-old man wanted in connection with a fatal motorcycle crash in Hamilton five years ago was arrested in New York this week and accused of gun smuggling.

Hamilton Police say New York State Police pulled Faizan Ali over near Liberty, N.Y. on Thursday, along with two other men from Hamilton who he was travelling with.

The FBI says police searched the vehicle and found an “unusually heavy suitcase,” which they allege was filled with guns.

The federal agency says there were 89 firearms in the vehicle in total, including at least 17 that had been reported stolen, which the men are accused of trying to smuggle into Canada.

Hamilton police announced in July 2024 that Ali had been convicted in a deadly motorcycle crash from three years prior, but was released before sentencing and didn’t turn up for his next court date.

They say he had been on the lam ever since, and is now in police custody in the United States.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2026.

Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press