Hells Angels lose clubhouse to forfeiture

Nanaimo, BC, Canada (August 26, 2019) BTN — The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and seven members have failed to have the province’s attempt to seize three of their clubhouses thrown out of court.

In a roughly 15,000-word ruling in advance of his decision in the civil forfeiture case, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Barry Davies rejected the Angels’ arguments that their rights had been violated in the proceedings to grab their properties in Nanaimo, the East End of Vancouver and Kelowna.

The fulcrum of the petition was the legality of the RCMP’s disclosure to the Civil Forfeiture Office of information gleaned from “Project Halo,” “Project E-Pandora” and “Project E-Predicate” — investigations involving the motorcycle enthusiasts.

Related | Hells Angels MC still fighting for their clubhouse

Davies said in the decision published Monday that there was no support for the club’s claims.

“I share some of the concerns raised by the petitioners with respect to the potential that exists for lack of notice and lack of record-keeping in the transmission of information and have observed that the relationship between the police and the CFO with the attendant possibility of conflict arising from the intersection of criminal law substance and procedure and civil forfeiture law substance and procedure may require not only evidentiary oversight by the court but may also engage charter scrutiny,” Davies wrote.

“I have also, however, determined that there is no evidentiary foundation for an argument that any lack of notice or record-keeping has compromised the ability of these petitioners or any of the other defendants in the related forfeiture proceedings to defend those proceedings.”

A vehicle belonging to The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia sits in front of the former Nanaimo Hells Angels clubhouse in Nanaimo. Photo: Richard Lam/Postmedia

The Director of Civil Forfeiture seized the Nanaimo Hells Angels clubhouse in Nov. 2007 and commenced proceedings in Nov. 2012 against the East End and Kelowna clubhouses.

The two proceedings were joined for trial in Aug. 2015 based upon the allegation that each clubhouse was an “instrument of unlawful activity” because “in future, they were likely to be used to engage in unlawful activity that may result in the acquisition of an interest in property and/or cause serious bodily harm to persons.”

The Angels filed counterclaims that asserted the “instruments of unlawful activity” provisions of the Civil Forfeiture Act were unconstitutional.

The trial of the forfeiture proceedings commenced on April 23, 2018.

In Oct. 2018, the Angels filed the petition under the Judicial Review Procedures Act seeking to quash the forfeiture litigation and obtain orders prohibiting the Director from continuing the proceedings. After hearing the petition in early April, Davies reserved judgment; he completed the trial of the forfeiture proceedings on April 30. His decisions on the forfeiture applications as well as on the Angels’ counterclaim are pending.

Given the importance of the petition decision, however, it had to be delivered before Davies ruled on the underlying litigation. “I am satisfied that the Director had lawful authority to collect information from the RCMP and to commence and conduct the related forfeiture proceedings,” Davies concluded.

“Accordingly, while I find that entering into the (Memorandum of Understanding) with the RCMP by the Director and the creation of the CFO RCMP Program Manager Position was lawfully authorized, I am also satisfied that, in some circumstances, the relationship between the police and the CFO with the attendant possibility of conflict arising from the intersection of criminal law substance and procedure and civil forfeiture law substance and procedure may require not only evidentiary oversight by the court but also engage charter scrutiny.”

The Nanaimo Clubhouse and contents, except for some released by agreement of the parties, have been in the continuing possession of the CFO for almost 12 years.

SOURCE: Vancouver Sun

Hardliners MC photo provokes city officials

Haarlem, Netherlands (August 12, 2019) BTN — More than twenty members of the new motorcycle club MC Hardliners posed in full colors on the platform of the Haarlem city hall on Thursday afternoon. The photo session was with the back to the camera. MC Hardliners was founded from prison by Lysander de R., the former leader of the Haarlem Hells Angels.

Provocation

According to Noordhollands Dagblad, the municipality of Haarlem does not want to respond to this provocation and the police do not want to say much. At least 25 especially young members of MC Hardliners posed with their backs to the camera on the steps of the Haarlem city hall on Thursday afternoon. Around 5.30 pm the police asked the club members to leave the catering business in the center because wearing full colors in public is not permitted. The members left without problems. Almost a week earlier, around eight Hardliners drove through the center in Haarlem with a lot of noise on their motorbikes.

Mayor Jos Wienen

The photo session at the town hall is striking. The MC Hardliners are looking for a clubhouse in Noord-Holland and perhaps Haarlem. Earlier, mayor Jos Wienen of Haarlem closed the clubhouse of the Hells Angels. Wienen has been threatened since September 2018. It is unclear who is behind those threats, but outlaw motorcycle gangs are also mentioned in this context.

The same place

When it became clear in Haarlem last year that Wienen was being threatened, there was a well-attended demonstration on the Grote Markt in support of the mayor. The members of MC Hardliners posed on Thursday exactly where Wienen stood and spoke on 14 October (the landing of the town hall).

Logo The logo of MC Hardliners is very similar to that of the Hells Angels (see photo). The font of the emblems is the same, the color red-white and also the wing is prominent, but instead of a skull there is a shark.

Lysander de R.

Lysander de R., former leader of the Haarlem Hells Angels, founded MC Hardliners from prison in May. The R. was sentenced to nine years in prison last year because he was guilty of mistreatment, extortion, threat, arson and possession of weapons with two other leaders. Previously it had been claimed against him for fourteen years . He will be detained until at least November 2022. According to the court, a 'rock-hard and beastly chapter' was created under the leadership of De R. in which 'a real reign of reign' was conducted in Haarlem and the surrounding area.

Motorclub MC Hardliners poseert voor stadhuis in Haarlem https://t.co/IQgMolpXPX pic.twitter.com/T15COA5EIq

— haarlem (@haarlem) August 9, 2019

SOURCE: CrimeSite

Alleged killers of Hells Angel member appear in court

Toronto, Ontario (August 6, 2019) BTN — Two young men charged with murdering Hardside Hells Angel Suminder “Ali” Grewal will appear in Surrey Provincial Court Tuesday morning.

Calvin Junior Powery-Hooker, 20, and Nathan James De Jong, 21, were arrested minutes after Grewal was shot to death in the drive-thru of a Starbucks in South Surrey about 9:20 a.m. Friday morning. Each faces one count of first-degree murder, Sgt. Frank Jang, of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said late Saturday.

Members of the Hells Angels, including members of affiliated support clubs, attend the funeral for slain HA Hardside chapter member Chad Wilson, at the Maple Ridge Alliance Church. Photo: Jason Payne

He said IHIT and its partners have been working continuously since Grewal’s murder and “have forwarded their findings so far in the investigation for charge approval consideration to the B.C. Prosecution Service.”

“The two accused men are known to police and investigators are firm in their belief that this was a targeted incident,” he said. “We urge anyone who had recent contact with Calvin Powery-Hooker and/or Nathan De Jong to contact IHIT as soon as possible. IHIT is appealing to the public for dash cam video from drivers who were travelling along 152 Street between 32 Avenue and 96 Avenue around the time of the shooting.”

Neither Powery-Hooker or De Jong have any criminal history in B.C., according to the online court data base. But Powery-Hooker faced an aggravated assault and unlawful confinement charge in St. Albert, Alberta two years ago. The charges were then stayed in January 2018. He was referred to at the time as a resident of Edmonton.


De Jong also appears to be from the Edmonton area. Grewal, 43, was shot to death as he sat in his Dodge Viper in the 3000-block of 152 Street, surrounded by other vehicles and passers-by. Jang said earlier that Grewal died at the scene.

“Immediately following the shooting, members of the public phoned police with information regarding a suspect vehicle which was quickly passed on to all officers. Frontline officers of the Surrey RCMP, members of CFSEU’s Uniformed Gang Enforcement Team and Police Service Dog Garner of the Integrated Police Dog Services (IPDS) responded promptly and were able to intercept the suspect vehicle and subsequently arrest two men in connection with the earlier homicide,” Jang said.

He said investigators are doing a neighbourhood canvass searching for video surveillance footage and witnesses. “IHIT’s crime scene manager will be working with forensic specialists from the Integrated Forensic Identification Services to complete a fulsome forensic examination of the suspect vehicle and the physical evidence collected at the scene of the shooting,” he said.

“Mr. Grewal was a well-established member of an organized crime group and it is believed that his homicide was targeted. IHIT will be engaging with numerous gang enforcement units throughout the Lower Mainland region that will be working to mitigate any on-going violence.”

Personal property records show Grewal leased or purchased on credit a Dodge Viper from Langley’s Willowbrook Motors on Sept. 10, 2015. Last November, Chad Wilson, 43, another member of the Hells Angels Hardside chapter, was found murdered under the Golden Ears Bridge. IHIT continues to investigate that murder.

Grewal and Wilson were both former members of the club’s Haney chapter in Pitt Meadows before helping form the Surrey-based Hardside chapter in early 2017. Mounties in Surrey reviewed all legal means to block the setting up of a clubhouse, but had no legal authority to deny anyone from purchasing or renting a residence.

Police are still probing several theories in connection with the Nov. 18, 2018 slaying of Wilson. Grewal was the Hardside Hells Angel who created a formal link between his chapter and the volatile Brothers Keepers gang. That alliance meant that conflicts the Brothers had with other clubs or over specific incidents of violence could then become issues for Grewal, too.

The Brothers Keepers has had a more direct involvement in shootings and murders that have become part of what police describe as the Lower Mainland gang conflict. Dang said that despite the arrests made Grewal’s shooting, “there is much work ahead for our detectives and partners this long weekend.”

SOURCE: Vancouver Sun

Gun and drugs found in Bandidos clubhouse raid

Melbourne, Australia (August 5, 2019) BTN —A man has been arrested after police seized a loaded firearm and drugs believed to be steroids from the Bandidos MC clubhouse in Melbourne's north.

The police raided properties in Brunswick and Doveton in Melbourne's south-east on Thursday as part of the anti-bikie Echo Taskforce.

The State Emergency Service assisted police with floodlights, as it was still dark, at an address on Weston Street in Brunswick on Thursday morning, a spokeswoman confirmed.

Along with the firearm and drugs, a 48-year-old man was subsequently arrested at the Brunswick property, and charged with possessing an unregistered handgun and unlicensed ammunition as well as a drug of dependence.

No one was arrested and no items were seized at the Doveton property.

Victoria Police said the two search warrants had been executed as part of an ongoing operation.

"Echo Taskforce detectives have executed two warrants this morning, one each in Brunswick and Doveton, as part of an ongoing operation," a spokeswoman said. "As the investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time."

The clubhouse has been the scene of violence in the past.

Former Bandidos enforcer Toby Mitchell was shot by two gunmen in an attempted hit outside the Brunswick clubhouse in 2011.

In 2014 a drunken passerby was beaten to death after taunting a dog tied up outside the clubhouse.

Echo Taskforce was launched in 2011 to tackle Victoria's outlaw bikie gangs.

SOURCE: The Age