Oh deary me! Can this possibly be true? 
jwm
Hells Angels trafficked drugs, judge rules TheStar.com
Ontario judge finds two men guilty of trafficking drugs and declares Hells to be a criminal organization
December 12, 2008
Peter Edwards Staff Reporter
Two senior southern Ontario Hells Angels sold drugs and directed others to move narcotics for the benefit of the outlaw biker club, a judge ruled today.
"I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that one of the main purposes or activities of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Canada is the facilitation or commission of serious offences including trafficking in cocaine and other drugs, extortion and trafficking in firearms," Ontario Superior Court Justice John McMahon said in the University Ave. courthouse as he found Gerald (Skinny) Ward, 60, of trafficking drugs to benefit the biker club.
Ward is a founding member of the Hells Angels Niagara chapter.
The judge made a similar finding against Terry Pink, 41, an executive member of the Simcoe Hells Angels.
Ward and Pink had each vigorously denied that their drug dealing had anything to do with their membership in the biker club.
In a related proceeding, a lawyer for the Hells Angels served notice that the club is seeking the return of all club vests and other items seized by police that have the club's winged skull "death-head" logo.
The effort to recover the items with the club's copyright death-head logo is believed to be a first for Canada.
Sentencing arguments for Ward will be heard on Feb. 27, while Pink's lawyer will make sentencing arguments on Jan. 29.
Pink was released on bail while Ward remains in custody. Ward didn't attend court because of an undisclosed medical problem.
Ward and Pink were charged in September 2006 after selling drugs to Steven Gault, a member of the Oshawa Hells Angels who was working as a paid police agent in an 18-month operation.
They pleaded guilty in September to drug dealing, but denied they broke the law to support the biker club.
McMahon had reserved his decision until today.
Federal prosecutor Tom Andreopoulos had argued that the drug dealing "had everything to do with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club."
Andreopoulous told court that members of the Hells Angels are expected to give 10 per cent of criminal proceeds to the club.
Pink's lawyer, Joseph Bloomenfeld, had argued that there was no evidence the drug deals were connected to his client's Hells Angels membership.
He compared business dealings between Hells Angels to transactions between fellow Kinsmen.
"Is it in association with that organization?" he had asked the judge.
Pink had sold Gault about 8,340 pills of ecstasy in four separate transactions while Ward was charged with directing five other members and associates of the Hells Angels to deliver about four kilograms of high-grade cocaine to Gault.
Gault wore a hidden microphone during the undercover operation as he purchased $3 million in drugs from fellow club members in a massive police operation called Project Tandem.
Gault was paid more than $1-million for his work and is now in a witness protection program.
In an interview with police, Gault said that gaining membership in the Hells Angels and being allowed to wear the club's "death-head" patch had definite business advantages for a criminal.
"The whole idea of a patch and being a full-patch member is that you can be 100 per cent trusted," Gault told police.
"And you can do business with anybody and they're to trust you 100 per cent and that's meaning business as in illegal business — drugs, stolen property — um, anything. Robberies."
Court heard that Ward charged one man $500 per week for the privilege of dealing drugs while others paid tribute to him to keep the peace.
McMahon's finding that the Canadian Hells Angels are a criminal organization supports a landmark ruling in Barrie, by Madam Justice Michelle Fuerst during a 2005 extortion trial.
In another Project Tandem case in September, McMahon called the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club a highly structured criminal organization that's better run than many multinational corporations.
He made the comments in the trial of Kenneth (Wags) Wagner, 43, of the Hells Angels Niagara chapter, who was found guilty of trafficking drugs and a pistol for a criminal enterprise.
jwm
Hells Angels trafficked drugs, judge rules TheStar.com
Ontario judge finds two men guilty of trafficking drugs and declares Hells to be a criminal organization
December 12, 2008
Peter Edwards Staff Reporter
Two senior southern Ontario Hells Angels sold drugs and directed others to move narcotics for the benefit of the outlaw biker club, a judge ruled today.
"I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that one of the main purposes or activities of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Canada is the facilitation or commission of serious offences including trafficking in cocaine and other drugs, extortion and trafficking in firearms," Ontario Superior Court Justice John McMahon said in the University Ave. courthouse as he found Gerald (Skinny) Ward, 60, of trafficking drugs to benefit the biker club.
Ward is a founding member of the Hells Angels Niagara chapter.
The judge made a similar finding against Terry Pink, 41, an executive member of the Simcoe Hells Angels.
Ward and Pink had each vigorously denied that their drug dealing had anything to do with their membership in the biker club.
In a related proceeding, a lawyer for the Hells Angels served notice that the club is seeking the return of all club vests and other items seized by police that have the club's winged skull "death-head" logo.
The effort to recover the items with the club's copyright death-head logo is believed to be a first for Canada.
Sentencing arguments for Ward will be heard on Feb. 27, while Pink's lawyer will make sentencing arguments on Jan. 29.
Pink was released on bail while Ward remains in custody. Ward didn't attend court because of an undisclosed medical problem.
Ward and Pink were charged in September 2006 after selling drugs to Steven Gault, a member of the Oshawa Hells Angels who was working as a paid police agent in an 18-month operation.
They pleaded guilty in September to drug dealing, but denied they broke the law to support the biker club.
McMahon had reserved his decision until today.
Federal prosecutor Tom Andreopoulos had argued that the drug dealing "had everything to do with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club."
Andreopoulous told court that members of the Hells Angels are expected to give 10 per cent of criminal proceeds to the club.
Pink's lawyer, Joseph Bloomenfeld, had argued that there was no evidence the drug deals were connected to his client's Hells Angels membership.
He compared business dealings between Hells Angels to transactions between fellow Kinsmen.
"Is it in association with that organization?" he had asked the judge.
Pink had sold Gault about 8,340 pills of ecstasy in four separate transactions while Ward was charged with directing five other members and associates of the Hells Angels to deliver about four kilograms of high-grade cocaine to Gault.
Gault wore a hidden microphone during the undercover operation as he purchased $3 million in drugs from fellow club members in a massive police operation called Project Tandem.
Gault was paid more than $1-million for his work and is now in a witness protection program.
In an interview with police, Gault said that gaining membership in the Hells Angels and being allowed to wear the club's "death-head" patch had definite business advantages for a criminal.
"The whole idea of a patch and being a full-patch member is that you can be 100 per cent trusted," Gault told police.
"And you can do business with anybody and they're to trust you 100 per cent and that's meaning business as in illegal business — drugs, stolen property — um, anything. Robberies."
Court heard that Ward charged one man $500 per week for the privilege of dealing drugs while others paid tribute to him to keep the peace.
McMahon's finding that the Canadian Hells Angels are a criminal organization supports a landmark ruling in Barrie, by Madam Justice Michelle Fuerst during a 2005 extortion trial.
In another Project Tandem case in September, McMahon called the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club a highly structured criminal organization that's better run than many multinational corporations.
He made the comments in the trial of Kenneth (Wags) Wagner, 43, of the Hells Angels Niagara chapter, who was found guilty of trafficking drugs and a pistol for a criminal enterprise.
