Fredericton, Canada (October 17, 2018) BTN — A Fredericton
man and woman associated with the Hells Angels will be incarcerated for various
drug and weapons charges.
Robin Moulton, 49, a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, was
sentenced in Woodstock Court of Queen's Bench on Wednesday to four and half
years for possession of cocaine with the intention of trafficking and
possessing a drug press intended for trafficking purposes.
Marie Antonette Bugay, 41, described by the court as an
associate of the Angels, was sentenced to 30 months in jail for possession of a
loaded firearm without a license, possession of property obtained by crime and
possession of cocaine.
Both plead guilty and, as a result, the Crown withdrew 10
additional charges, including illegal weapons possession and illegal weapons
storage. At the time of the charges, the pair were in a romantic
relationship and Bugay was associated with Moulton's company that sold clothing
representing the Angels.
Both were sentenced together as part of a joint indictment
stemming from their arrest on Aug. 22, 2017. They were apprehended by police as
part of an ongoing joint-force investigation into motorcycle club activities in New Brunswick. Moulton, described by the court as a full-patch Hells Angels
member for 12 years, sat next to Bugay during Wednesday's sentencing.
Moulton, wearing a black long-sleeve shirt with a grey
goatee and his grey hair in a ponytail, kept his gaze lowered for most of the
proceeding, occasionally sharing glances with Bugay, who wore a black shirt
with a grey vest and black thick-rimmed glasses.
The investigation
During the delivery of the facts by Justice Richard G.
Petrie, the court heard that Moulton had been under police surveillance as a
part of Operation J-Trident. Police witnessed Moulton using three storage
lockers in Fredericton and one in the Woodstock area. On May 11, 2017, Moulton
was observed by police to be moving a large hydraulic shop press from a storage
locker in Fredericton to a storage locker in Woodstock.
Robin Moulton being led away in handcuffs
Police determined that to be significant as it is often used
as a tool to compress cocaine. After obtaining a general warrant, police
covertly entered the Woodstock storage locker and found trace amounts of
cocaine on metal blocks and the hydraulic press.
A second warrant allowed officers to covertly place a
motion-activated camera inside the locker, and another warrant led police to
find a 9-millimetre Berretta pistol stuffed inside a mitten. Police disabled
the weapon before returning it. When the handgun was later analyzed, Bugay's
DNA was found on the trigger.
The camera installed in the storage locker captured images
of Moulton using the hydraulic press to compress a white powdered substance
into bricks, which were then put into clear bags and placed into a duffel bag
before leaving.
Police then followed Moulton, pulled over his rental car
and, upon searching the vehicle, found 272.4 grams of cocaine at about 35 per
cent purity valued at between $12,000 and $24,000. Moulton was arrested,
leading to search warrants at his residence, Bugay's residence and the
additional search lockers in Fredericton. Police found 28.9 grams of cocaine valued at between $1,400
and $4,000 at Bugay's home. She was later arrested while in her vehicle, where
a duffel bag stuffed with $77,000 in cash was discovered. It was determined
this to be the proceeds of crime.
In addition to prison time, both Bugay and Moulton are
ordered to provide a sample of DNA for a databank. Bugay will be required to
forfeit the $77,000 seized by police, is prohibited from owning a firearm for
10 years and was fined $600 in victim surcharges, while Moulton is banned for
life from owning a firearm and was fined $400 in victim surcharges. Bugay had no prior charges before her arrest. The court
mentioned that Moulton also had a prior drug possession charge from about 10
years ago.
Previous incarceration
Although not mentioned as a part of Wednesday's court
proceedings, Moulton was previously sentenced to five
years and four months in federal prison for trafficking cocaine and for possessing
a prohibited or restricted weapon with ammunition.
His sentence began on July 30, 2008, but he was released on
February 17, 2012, with special conditions.
Moulton was not to associate with anyone known or believed
to be involved in criminal activity or associate with club members, including
the Angels. He was also ordered to provide his parole officer with financial
records as well as to reside at a specific place.
SOURCE: CBC Radio-Canada