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Showing posts with label Hells Angels MC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hells Angels MC. Show all posts

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Feds charge HAMC and RDMC members in North Carolina

Raleigh, North Carolina, USA (October 17, 2024) - A federal indictment in the Eastern District of North Carolina has charged 16 motorcycle club members for engaging in violent criminal activity around Raleigh and Fayetteville. Several members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and the Red Devils Motorcycle Club were at the center of a criminal investigation known as Operation Broken Halo that began in January 2023.
 


The indictment alleges that all 16 defendants are members or associates of the HAMC, a violent outlaw motorcycle group alleged to use violence, threats, and intimidation to carry out its perceived mission and enforce its rules. During a Wednesday press conference, US Attorney Michael Easley outlined the charges and said that while the vast majority of motorcycle clubs are composed of law-abiding citizens, a fraction partake in illegal activity.



Five defendants charged with one count of Murder in Aid of Racketeering face a mandatory life sentence upon conviction. Other defendants face anywhere from three to 30 years in prison. A full list of the defendants can be found on the Justice Department’s press release link below. Officials warned that criminal enterprises engaging in violence “better keep on riding” through North Carolina or the Department of Justice will be “riding you in pursuit of cases.”

SOURCE: Press Release

Friday, September 20, 2024

Hells Angels MC and Red Devils MC members arrested

Hamilton, Ontario (September 20, 2024) - Four members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and one member of the Red Devils Motorcycle Club have been arrested and charged with assault causing bodily harm and robbery in connection to an incident that took place in Hamilton in July 2024.
 


On July 4, 2024, an assault occurred at an establishment located in Hamilton. During the assault, it's is alleged that the accused robbed the victim of personal items. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-led Biker Enforcement Unit (BEU), in collaboration with Hamilton Police Service (HPS), began an investigation into the occurrence.

On August 21, 2024, the BEU and HPS executed search warrants at the residences of the accused. Search warrants were also executed at the Hells Angels MC clubhouse and the Red Devils MC clubhouse in Hamilton.

As a result of the search warrants, police seized four shotguns, three rifles, a shotgun barrel, ammunition, body armour and a Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL). A total of 13 charges were laid against five individuals. They were released on an undertaking and are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Hamilton on September 23, 2024.

SOURCE: Toronto Sun

Monday, July 29, 2024

Armond Edward Bletcher

Armond Bletcher was born on November 14, 1942, in Alameda County, California, USA. His father, Edward E. Bletcher, was a decorated United States Navy veteran who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Edward's military service deeply influenced Armond's upbringing, instilling in him values of resilience and strength.
 

Standing somewhere between 6 foot 3 and 6 feet 8 inches tall and tipping the scales around 350 pounds, he faced relentless bullying due to his size, which had a lasting impact on his life. Determined to change his circumstances, Armond dedicated himself to weightlifting and reportedly used horse steroids to build his physique. This transformation from a bullied victim to a formidable force allowed him to confront his past tormentors and establish himself as a powerful figure.
 
Armond Bletcher’s prized motorcycle and car, ca. 1963

His reputation only grew as he became involved with the mafia and worked as a bodyguard for the legendary singer Frank Sinatra. These connections solidified his standing as a man not to be trifled with and added to his mystique. As a friend of the Fresno Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, and a feature favorite with the staff at Easyriders magazine, Armond was literally a giant among men and a controversial figure to this day.
 
1976 Easyriders magazine

Despite his tough exterior, family was always important to Armond. The values instilled in him by his father played a crucial role in shaping his character and the path he chose. Edward E. Bletcher's final resting place at Belmont Memorial Park in Fresno, California, serves as a poignant reminder of the lasting impact of family on Armond's life.
 
Armond flexing his bicep among his friends in an undated photo

His resilience and capacity to endure physical harm without flinching earned him immense respect from his peers. This unyielding toughness, combined with his steadfast loyalty, made him an influential force within the organization.
 
1976 Easyriders magazine

He tragically met his match at the wrong end of a .357 when a baseball bat beating couldn’t diffuse his anger, just pissed him off more. He was dead at 33 yrs old. Armond had allegedly gone after his cousins to “mess them up” when they refused to put him on their shop payroll, which he desperately needed to show an honest source of income while being investigated by the Feds for numerous illegal activities. Having his personal lifestyle and exploits plastered on the pages of Easyriders magazine probably didn’t help matters much.
 
Armond's gravesite at Belmont Memorial Park Fresno, Fresno County, California, USA

“Hell’s Angels love to fistfight. There’s never a shortage of drunks or fools willing to take us on, and a lot of times we’ll take on each other. Armond Bletcher stood 6″8″ and weighed 350 lbs. He was so strong he could pick up a couple motorcycles and put them on the back of a pickup truck. In the early 70's Armond could bench 705 lbs., but he had to arch his back to do it. He was never in competition, but he took steroids and was unbelievably big.” ~Ralph “Sonny” Barger

Thursday, July 25, 2024

Snitch scared about HAMC member release from prison

Toronto, Ontario Canada (July 25, 2024) - A police snitch who helped put Dean Kelsie in prison says last week's decision to release the alleged former Hells Angels Motorcycle Club hitman on day parole is a mistake. Paul Derry, snitch, says he has known Dean since he was six years old, said this about his former friend. "He will kill again and that's not me being scared of anybody or any vendetta against Dean," Paul said in an interview with a local news source.

At a hearing on July 18, the Parole Board of Canada decided to release Dean, 50, on day parole for a period of six months. Dean is serving a life sentence for murder. He allegedly shot and killed Sean Simmons in the lobby of an apartment building in north-end Dartmouth, N.S., in October 2000. Three other men were also charged in the killing, which was allegedly ordered by a member of the Hells Angels MC who was upset that Simmons had an affair with his wife.
 


Neil Smith and Wayne James were sentenced to life in prison for their part in the murder. Steven Gareau had charges against him stayed in 2018. Dean was originally convicted of first-degree murder. After the decision was overturned on appeal and a new trial ordered, the Supreme Court of Canada refused a bid by Nova Scotia prosecutors to reinstate the first-degree murder conviction, instead substituting a conviction for the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

He was first granted day parole in 2021, and his release was reviewed every six months. But his release was suspended in January of this year and he was sent back to prison after he threatened a co-worker at the job he'd landed outside of prison.

Paul, snitch, after reading of Kelsie's release, said the decision could have grave consequences. "If the parole board continues to let Dean out on any kind of release, he is eventually going to kill somebody," Paul said. "He has not changed a bit. That's very apparent by everything you've watched over the last couple of years since his appeal, his last trial."

The board has imposed special conditions on Dean's release. They include that he abstain from drugs and alcohol, not associate with anyone with a criminal record, stay away from the Simmons family and take anger management training.

Paul, snitch, said life has been hard on his family. "Watching my family go through what they've gone through has been difficult," he said. "There's no end to this sentence. I mean, never mind the fact that you have to constantly think about the part you played in those things but you also have to look at what your family goes through because of what you do now, even if you've changed, it doesn't change the damage that's done and that continues to go on."

Monday, July 15, 2024

Cops issue hundreds of tickets at HAMC event

Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada (July 15, 2024) - The Lethbridge Police Service issued 194 tickets and made a dozen arrests in response to a couple of events that brought an influx of people and vehicles into Lethbridge over the weekend.
 


One of those was a gathering of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and many of their supporters, who were in town to celebrate the opening of a new Lethbridge clubhouse. The other was the annual Street Machine Weekend, a celebration of cars and car culture.

RELATED | Local police warns public of Hells Angels MC arrival

Police monitoring of the Street Machine event resulted in 10 arrests, and a another two people were arrested at the Hells Angels gathering. Police issued 154 tickets, mostly for stunting and equipment violations, at the Street Machine event, while 40 tickets, most for careless driving, speeding and failing to stop at stop signs or red lights, were written in relation to the Hells Angels MC gathering.



Five impaired drivers were removed from the road and two roadside sanctions were given to drivers with a blood-alcohol level above .05 at the Street Machine event. Fifty Hells Angels MC members or their associates were removed from licensed establishments under the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act.

Friday, July 12, 2024

HAMC member at Berkeley protest in 1965

Photo of Michael H. Walter dated October 16, 1965. Michael was a member of the Oakland charter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club. Michael was taken into custody by Berkeley police officers after breaking through police lines.
 


He reportedly tore down a placard and battled some of the Vietnam protest marchers in Berkeley. A police officer was seriously injured in the melee and Michael was jailed.
Photograph: Anonymous

Thursday, July 11, 2024

Local police warns public of Hells Angels MC arrival

Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada (July 11, 2024) - The Lethbridge Police Service will be joined by officers from law enforcement agencies across Alberta and Canada as members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club come to the city. It is expected that a large number of Hells Angels MC members and their supporters will arrive in the city on July 12. The police is asking the public to be aware of the significant increase in motorcycle traffic and share the road safely.
 


Police are informing the public that members of a new Hells Angels charter in Lethbridge, their support clubs and others, are holding a grand opening party and are anticipated to ride during various events over the weekend. LPS Acting Inspector Pete Christos says as many as 200-300 members are expected to take part in this weekend’s events, but most are from out of town and will likely leave afterward.



LPS will be joined by the RCMP, ALERT Integrated Gang Enforcement Team, Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, Medicine Hat Police Service, Taber Police Service, Camrose Police Service and other Canadian police agencies for the day. 

Christos says, “It has been well documented that many outlaw motorcycle gang members, their friends and associates, are involved in criminal activity, we will be working with our policing partners to monitor their presence, deter illegal activity and maintain public safety through an overt police presence.” He is telling the public to enjoy their weekend as normal, but if you encounter a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, do not engage with them. 

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Hells Angels MC members arrested following investigation

Quebec City, Canada (March 28, 2024) - Two members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club were arrested Wednesday following a drug-trafficking investigation in the Quebec City region. In a release, the Sûreté du Québec said the two Hells Angels were arrested along with 14 other people following an investigation by the National Organized Crime Repression Squad (ENRCO). The probe began in 2021.
 


“The arrests of the 14 men and two women, aged between 22 and 62, took place in Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, St-Étienne-des-Grès, Quebec City, La Pocatière, Ste-Brigitte-de-Laval, St-Férréol -les-Neiges, Vallée Jonction, Lévis and Saint-Bernard,” the SQ wrote in the release.

The two Hells Angels who were arrested are Marc Roberge of Stoneham et Tewkesbury, and Mario Auger, of St-Étienne-des-Grès. Both men are named in an arrest warrant issued from the Quebec City courthouse. They each face six charges in all, including committing a crime for the benefit of a criminal organization, conspiracy to traffic in drugs, trafficking in GHB, cocaine and methamphetamine, and possession of money that came from a crime.

Auger is a Buddhist and has been a member of the Hells Angels since 1998.

Since the start of this investigation, roughly 40 search warrants were carried out. Police seized more than $585,000 in Canadian money, two kilograms of cocaine, more than 550 litres of GHB and several weapons.

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Hells Angels MC member in custody after bar fight

Cedar Lake, Indiana, USA (February 18, 2024) - An Indianapolis, Indiana man is locked up in jail after fleeing a Cedar Lake bar and resisting arrest on Valentine’s Day. Cedar Lake Police were called to Town Club Tavern on Lake Shore Drive, for a man fighting with other customers.
 


When they arrived, witnesses said the man, Timothy Berry, started arguing with them after bragging he’s with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. While verbally arguing with the patrons, Berry started throwing barstools and then pulled out the hair of one patron.



Berry left, then returned with a snow shovel and swung it at the same customers before fleeing the bar, leaving behind a tennis shoe and his debit card. Officers later found Berry at a residence in the 13000 block of Fulton Street, where he refused to leave. 

A juvenile then ran from the residence to the officers, who confirmed Berry was the only other person inside. Northwest Regional SWAT was notified, and negotiators convinced Berry to leave without incident, Fishers said. Berry was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on charges.

Monday, January 29, 2024

HAMC members charged in murder conspiracy

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (January 29, 2024) - The U.S. Justice Department announced charges Monday against an Iranian national and two Canadians, including members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, for allegedly plotting to assassinate an Iranian defector living in Maryland.
 


The indictment unsealed in federal court in Minnesota is at least the third Iran-based murder-for-hire plot prosecuted by the Justice Department since 2022. The targets in the previous cases were former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton and a New York-based Iranian-American journalist.



Prosecutors say the latest alleged plot was orchestrated by an Iranian national, Naji Sharifi Zindashti, but the indictment does not accuse the Iranian government of directing the scheme.


SOURCE: Indictment   

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Hells Angels MC member has day parole suspended

Nova Scotia, Canada (January 25, 2024) - The Parole Board of Canada has suspended day parole for Dean Kelsie, a suspected Hells Angels Motorcycle Club hitman, because he was allegedly intimidating co-workers. Kelsie has been serving a life sentence since March of 2003 for second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He has received additional convictions for assaults he committed while in prison.
 


Kelsie allegedly shot and killed Sean Simmons in the lobby of an apartment building in Dartmouth, N.S., in October 2000. Kelsie was one of four men accused of the killing, which was supposedly ordered by a Hells Angel member who was upset that Simmons had an affair with his wife. His journey through the justice system has been long and complicated and included a ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada that reduced his conviction to second-degree murder from first-degree murder.

He was first granted day parole in 2021, and that has been renewed in six-month increments since then. Family and friends of Simmons remain opposed to Kelsie's release and have made submissions to that effect, including one earlier this month. But Kelsie's latest problems stem from allegations he resorts to aggressive and threatening behavior when he becomes angry or impatient.

RELATED | Hells Angels murder case in Canada continues on


The parole board cited a confrontation at Kelsie's workplace in October, "According to the foreman supervisor, the conflict lasted three days and during which several phone calls from your co-worker were received to report that you had been threatening him and that he feared for his safety."

Police laid three charges of uttering death threats against Kelsie. Those charges are due to be heard in court in February. Kelsie's day parole suspension runs until July, at which time it will be reviewed.

Friday, January 5, 2024

Hells Angels MC member lands in prison

Kelowna, BC, Canada (January 5, 2024) - A British Columbia Hells Angels motorcycle club member was sentenced to four years in prison after an RCMP investigation uncovered a scheme to transport drugs along the Pacific coast between California and BC. The investigation started in Kelowna in 2015, coming to a close for Vincenzo James Sansalone early last month, according to a BC RCMP news release.
 


Sansalone was nabbed after a 2018 search warrant and faced two charges of trafficking a controlled substance. Police said he was one of six suspects, but just four of them were charged. The investigation, initially spurred in Kelowna, was led by the BC Federal Serious and Organized Crime unit. It reached across multiple Canadian jurisdictions and American, including San Diego, Seattle and Metro Vancouver.

Investigators used undercover operations and wire taps over the course of the investigation, while also collaborating with law enforcement south of the border, according to BC RCMP. During the investigation, RCMP seized 12 kilograms of MDMA and $380,000 of cash, which police say the suspects planned to use as a down payment for 18 kilograms of cocaine.

Sansalone was sentenced to four years in prison with a lifetime firearms ban on December. 6, according to court records. Co-accused Daniel James Alexander, born in 1986, faced a more serious charge of conspiracy and was sentenced to five years imprisonment in March 2023. While Sansalone's trafficking was centered in Vancouver, according to court records, it was Alexander's conspiracy charge that implicated him in the cross-border trafficking scheme.

SOURCE: RCMP

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Motorcycle Clubs Continued 1-2-24

Two unidentified Bandidos MC members embrace a unidentified Hells Angels MC member
Date: Unknown

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Former Hells Angels MC clubhouse demolished

Nanaimo, B.C., Canada (November, 16, 2023) - A clubhouse that once belonged to the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is now demolished, just weeks after a court ruling confirmed the British Columbia government has the right to seize the property. Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, says in a statement that the clubhouse in Nanaimo, is coming down immediately.
 


In February, the appeal court ordered the forfeiture of three properties and the province became the registered owner of the properties. However, Angel Acres Recreation and Festival Property Ltd. and all others interested in the properties appealed. They sought a restraining order to prevent the province from disposing of the land pending a decision from the high court in Ottawa.
 
"After more than a decade of legal action, government is now in legal possession of three properties previously used as Hells Angels' clubhouses in Nanaimo, Kelowna and East Vancouver to coordinate criminal activities, and today we will be demolishing the clubhouse in Nanaimo,” Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said.



A Supreme Court of Canada ruling upheld a British Columbia court's decision finding an "inescapable" inference that the Nanaimo clubhouse and other Hells Angels properties in Kelowna and east Vancouver were used for criminal activity.

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Hells Angels MC Members Arrested

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain (November 14, 2023) - The National Police have arrested six people in different locations in Tenerife for their involvement in crimes including belonging to a criminal organization, damages, serious threats, and coercion. The detainees are members of the Canary Islands charter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.
 


The police investigation, conducted jointly by the General Information Commissioner and the Provincial Information Brigade of Tenerife, began three years ago when it was discovered that the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club intended to expand its influence to the island of Tenerife.

The expansion of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Spain has been gradual, with an increasing number of members across the country, especially in recent years, targeting strategic points for organized crime, such as the Costa del Sol, the entire Levantine Coast, the Costa Brava, and the Canary Islands.



The operation carried out by the National Police is part of the European police forces' fight against the establishment of these "outlaw" motorcycle clubs linked to organized crime, led by Europol through the (AP) Monitor Project.

Various police operations have already been conducted against different chapters of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) in Spain, for crimes including belonging to a criminal organization, drug trafficking, coercion, extortion, violent robbery, and illegal possession of weapons.

Thursday, November 9, 2023

No police escort for annual Christmas toy run

Fairfield, California, USA (November 9, 2023) - Police Chief Dan Marshall said he would quit his job if the city forces his police officers to assist with a Christmas toy run, all because the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club are involved.
 
Photo: Operating Engineers Local 3

Over the decades-long Samoa Mission Christmas Toy Run, hundreds of motorcyclists, including Santa, parade down Fairfield streets. Fairfield police have served as an escort in the past. The chief says no more.



Community members asked Police Chief Dan Marshall to reconsider his stand. He stood firm, saying he doesn't want to put his officers in harm's way. The past two years Hell's Angels have participated, he said. "We do not support any criminal organization," he said during public comments at Tuesday night's city council meeting.

Toy Run will continue despite no police escort

The event is nearing its 20th anniversary. Last year, more than 400 toys were distributed, Gene Ahu, of Mission Samoa, said. Past toy runs have been done without a permit as a favor, Marshall said. He emphasized as long as the bikers follow the rules of the road, there should not be an issue. "I'm glad they are doing it," Marshall said.



Mayor Catherine "Cat" Moy and councilmembers Scott Tonnesen and Rick Vaccaro praised the event and offered their support for Marshall's decision. Many bikers involved in the ride stood in the council chamber's entryway during the discussion. The Toy Run is sponsored by Bad Boyz MC, Operating Engineers Local No. 3 and Mission Samoa.

Friday, October 13, 2023

Hells Angels MC Clubhouses Seized by Court

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (October 13, 2023) - The Supreme Court of Canada says it will not hear an appeal from the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club over properties the province of British Columbia seized from the club in Kelowna, Nanaimo and Vancouver.

On Thursday, the country's highest court dismissed a leave to appeal from Angel Acres Recreation and Festival Property Ltd. that sought to challenge a decision by a lower court in British Columbia, that said the clubhouses would likely be used for criminal activity in the future.
 


The Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for the province to sell the three properties, which were seized outright and the locks changed in April. Thursday's ruling ends a 16-year legal saga regarding the clubhouses.

Lawyers representing the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club went to court to stop the province from selling the properties, which it is allowed to do under the Civil Forfeiture Act. The act came into place in British Columbia in 2006 and is meant to "ensure that people cannot profit from unlawful activity or use property in a way that may harm other persons."

The British Columbia's forfeiture office first made a move to seize the Nanaimo clubhouse in 2007, and then  attempted the same with the Kelowna and Vancouver clubhouses in 2012. The properties are located at 805 Victoria Road in Nanaimo, 837 Ellis Street in Kelowna and 3598 East Georgia Street in Vancouver.



In its attempt to stop the seizures, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club initially won a decision in British Columbia Supreme Court in 2020. But, that was overturned in February by the British Columbia Appeal Court, which found there was little evidence the club would have suffered "irreparable harm" if the properties were sold.

At the time, the civil forfeiture office said it would return the contents and belongings in the three clubhouses, as those were not subject to forfeiture. It would then sell the properties.

Friday, September 29, 2023

Hells Angel MC member pleads guilty

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (September 29, 2023) - A Hells Angels Motorcycle Club member and four men have plead guilty to multiple drug trafficking and conspiracy charges for offences said to have taken place in Vancouver, Maple Ridge and Vernon between September 2020 and July 2021.
 


“This was a complex, multi-jurisdictional investigation affecting several communities,” Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-BC) spokesperson Sgt. Brenda Winpenny said. “Illegal drugs, including fentanyl, is an extremely dangerous drug that is proving to have widespread consequences in our province.”

Winpenny added: “This investigation is a testament to the dedication and tenacity of our investigators to hold those, who deal in drugs and are involved in criminal activity, to account and brought to justice.” The charges came in December after CFSEU-BC executed 12 search warrants at locations throughout Metro Vancouver and the Okanagan.



Police seized about $650,000 in Canadian currency and about two kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of MDMA, one kilogram of fentanyl, 200 grams of ketamine, 10 kilograms marijuana and 16 kilograms of a drug-cutting agent.

Also seized were three rifles, a shotgun, three prohibited magazines, ammunition, body armour, two vehicles and a cocaine press. Inside one residence, police seized a Hells Angels Motorcycle Club vest and various items of Hells Angels support clothing.

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Hells Angels MC Banned from Ponde Compound

South Australia (September 14, 2023) - Hells Angels members will be barred from a regular meeting place after state parliament passed a law designating the property a prescribed place. The Ponde compound, about 100km east of Adelaide, was home to a rock music festival until 2002 but will now be off bounds to club members after the government's latest move to block its use by the bikie gang.
 


"We do not want to see outlaw motorcycle gangs getting a hold back in South Australia," Attorney-General Kyam Maher told reporters on Thursday. "We will do everything that is in our power to make South Australians safer and that includes changing the law very quickly when we need to."

The High Court in August invalidated an attempt by the previous Liberal government to ban the bikies from Ponde, but Mr Maher was adamant his law would face no such obstacles as it amended the legislation itself and was not just a regulation. "What we've done through the passage of this legislation in parliament, is to make it as bulletproof as possible," he said.



The declaration of the site as a prescribed place means any members of a listed criminal organisation cannot visit. But the Law Society of South Australia criticised the bill, arguing it was based on a flawed regime. In a submission to Mr Maher, the society's president James Marsh said the law increased the risk that individuals could have their property unjustly confiscated.

"The society queries the justification in abrogating any citizen's right to procedural fairness," he wrote. Mr Maher said the society's representations "fell on deaf ears." "We will do absolutely everything we can to make sure bikies have as little influence in this state as possible," he said.

In 2019, police found a burnt-out car on the property that had been linked to a bashing murder. At one stage the government tried to seize the land as a criminal asset but later dropped that bid.

Hells Angels MC member being released from prison

Quebec, Canada (September 14, 2023) - One of the most influential Hells Angels MC members in Quebec will be released from a federal penitentiary soon as he nears the statutory release date of the 14-year sentence he received as a result of his guilty pleas in two major investigations into the motorcycle club.

In a decision made earlier this week, the Parole Board of Canada ordered that Marvin (Casper) Ouimet, 54, be required to reside at a halfway house for six months after he reaches his statutory release date. The board imposed several other conditions of Ouimet’s release because he made it clear he is still a Hells Angel and will remain one when he is released.
 


In one case, Ouimet pleaded guilty in Operation SharQc, an investigation that in 2009 resulted in the roundup of almost every member of the Hells Angels MC in Quebec. The probe was based on the theory that almost every member of the club in Quebec was part of a conspiracy to murder rival members of criminal organizations in the province during a war over drug-trafficking turf that stretched from 1994 to 2002.

In the other case, Operation Diligence, Ouimet pleaded guilty to money laundering and other related charges. Ouimet admitted he invested $200,000 to purchase land in Lachute. The plan was to subdivide the land into 100 lots and build bungalows or semi-detached homes on them. Operation Diligence began after the owner of a family business that once replaced Montreal city hall’s copper roof alleged that Ouimet wanted to take control of his company and a masonry firm.

Ouimet’s attempt to take control of the company is mentioned in a written summary of the parole board’s decision.

“All your criminality has been committed for financial gain. You were convicted of being at the head of a network of money laundering and infiltration of the legal economy in the construction industry. Official information reports, among other things, false invoices, under the table payments, transfer of money to tax havens,” the parole board wrote. “The crimes were committed over a significant period of three years  and one of the victims declared having suffered intimidation when you took control of his company.”