Black Piston Motorcycle Club Member sentenced to nine years
St. Catharines, Canada (January 13, 2017) — Isaac Lucas,
the second man in charge of the Black Pistons Motorcycle Club in St.
Catharines, has been sentenced to nine years in jail for his involvement in a
major drug dealing operation that had links to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club.
Following a lengthy trial last summer, Lucas, 39, was
found guilty of three charges, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, conspiracy to
traffic in heroin, and trafficking in cocaine.
On Friday, he appeared for sentencing in a Superior Court
of Justice in St. Catharines in front of Judge Joseph Henderson.
Lucas was described by the judge as “a distributor and
enforcer” for the Black Pistons and “the right-hand man” of leader Randy
McGean, who in October was sentenced to 11 years behind bars. Once McGean’s
pre-trial custody was factored in to the sentence, he was left with a
seven-year, one-month jail term.
Court heard Lucas, who has a lengthy criminal record, was
not a cocaine or heroin addict, but was involved in the ongoing commercial
enterprise to make money.
“He has very little respect for the law,” said Henderson,
noting his criminal record started in 1994 and he has two prior drug-related
convictions. In 1998, he was convicted of two robberies and sent to the
penitentiary for six years.
Defence lawyer Mike Wendl asked the judge to consider an
increased credit for his client’s pre-trial custody because of the harsh
conditions he was subjected to during the 10 months he spent at Maplehurst.
Wendl said the facility was on lockdown 70 per cent of
the time Lucas was in custody and inmates didn’t get showers or time in the
yard.
“You would think we were more advanced than that in
Canada,” he said.
Wendl said the network was well established before his
client became involved and he simply wanted to be a part of something that was
his attraction.
Federal prosecutor Niall Gilks said Lucas never ran a
bail hearing and that would have determined if he could be released. The Crown
opposed any increase in credit for any pre-trial custody because no evidence
was provided to the court, only submissions by the defense.
Gilks pointed out that when a lockdown occurs at a jail,
it doesn’t mean every inmate is locked down, it could depend on certain units
within the facility.
“This was a high-level operation and the motivation is
purely for profit,” said Gilks. “He should be viewed high up in the chain. If
anyone wanted drugs they had to go through him.”
The judge said Lucas was dealing in hard drugs. He
described heroin as being a pernicious, dangerous, highly-addictive drug that
often ruins the lives of those who use it.
In total, Lucas received a nine-year sentence. However,
because of his pre-trial custody he was given a credit of four years and 10
months, which leaves a sentence of four years and two months.
The Pistons had a clubhouse at 80 Page Street in St.
Catharines. The future of that property is still in question because it’s under
a corporation in the name of Daniel Carley, 35, who is currently in jail
serving a two and a half year sentence. Carley was convicted in August for
trafficking in crack cocaine.
Stuff seized by cops during Project Resurgence, a 2013 shakeup
of Motorcycle Clubs
At age 24, Carley won $5-million on a lottery scratch
ticket, but he became a drug addict and lost everything.
SOURCE: Niagara Falls Review