Informant blows lid off Hells Angels
27 arrested after 18-month probe

By Paul Legall
The Hamilton Spectator
Toronto (Sep 30, 2006)

Police have dealt a major psychological blow to the Ontario Hells Angels by recruiting one of its trusted members as an undercover informant.

The unidentified biker, who is in hiding, fed police inside information during an 18-month investigation that targeted six of Ontario's 16 Hells Angels chapters. He was the first full-patch Hells Angels in Canada to betray the Big Red Machine, which puts prospective members through a tough probationary period before admitting them to its inner ranks.

At a news conference in Toronto yesterday, police described how the probe, dubbed Project Tandem, wound up Thursday with the arrest of 27 bikers. Police seized almost $1 million in crime-related property and cash, including jewellery, 10 vehicles and five motorcycles, over $470,000 in Canadian and U.S. currency, and cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy and methamphetamine.

They arrested 14 full-patch Hells Angels and 12 associates and a member of the Vagabonds biker gang.

The charges against them include conspiracy and counselling to commit murder, drug trafficking, weapons-related offences and offences under the new anti-gang laws. A Hamilton resident was among those arrested.

Biker expert Guy Ouellette says recruiting a Hells Angel as an informant is a "a major blow in Ontario."

"It's like having a virus inside the organization," Ouellette said from Montreal. "They need faith and trust within the organization. People will be asking themselves, 'Can I trust this guy? Will he be working for the police?'"

Although the informant hasn't been identified, Ouellette believes he had to be a high-ranking biker because of the kind of information he provided. Ouellette suspects he will reveal the internal workings of the criminal organization when he takes the witness stand.

He added Ontario bikers can no longer try to portray themselves as just a bunch of fun-loving motorcycle enthusiasts now that one of their own is talking to the police.

At yesterday's news conference, OPP Superintendent Don Bell said the informant continued to work undercover inside the Hells Angels until three days ago. He attended secret meetings and other functions while feeding information to the police.

He decided to turn police informant after his fellow bikers tried to recruit him to commit two contract murders, said Bell, who used to head up the Biker Enforcement Unit (BEU).

He wouldn't identify the intended victims. But in a news release yesterday, police stated they charged Steven Vincent Deal, 29, with counselling to commit murder in connection with a plot to kill a Peterborough resident.

They also charged Remond Akleh, 44, of Cobourg, and Mark Cephes Stephenson, 43, of Sutherland, with conspiracy to commit murder in relation to another murder plot in Maple.

Three full-fledged members of the Niagara chapter, including president Gerald (Skinny) Ward, 58, and three associates were arrested. The chapter was established in 2001 under the direction of Hamilton Hells Angel Walter Stadnick.

A founding member of the Niagara club, Ward faces charges of instructing and commission of offences for a criminal organization, drug trafficking, possession of the proceeds of crime and possession of a restricted weapon and ammunition.

Halton and Hamilton police participated in a Joint Forces Investigation along with 13 other agencies and arrested a number of outlaw bikers.

Hamilton resident Martin O'Boyle, 38, an associate of the Windsor Hells Angels, is facing numerous drug-related charges in connection with the seizure of three kilograms of cocaine in the parking lot of an Oakville community centre. He's a former Oakville resident.

Craig McIlquahan, 36, also a Windsor Hells Angels associate, faces drug and gun offences after police seized a loaded handgun and illegal drugs at his Chancery Lane home in Oakville.

Police found more guns, ammunition and drugs at a home on Pelee Boulevard in Oakville. They charged Giuliano Raimondo, 34, with drug and weapons offences and Cathleen Meeking, 29, with numerous drug offences. Raimondo is an associate of the Windsor chapter and Meeking lived in the home.

Police found drugs and a loaded handgun during a search of a home on Glen Hampton Road, Oakville, where they charged Mark Rizek, 36. He lived in the home and is an associate of the Windsor Hells Angels.

Bell said the investigation also revealed they're involved in the burgeoning crystal methamphetamine trade in Ontario. Known by the street name "ice," the drug is highly addictive and could replace crack cocaine as the drug of choice on the street.

plegall@thespec.com

905-526-3385


Hamilton Spectator

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Cut the head off the snake, and see all the little snakes come pouring out to take over the lucrative drug trade.
Prohibition does not work, and will never work. Money makes the drug trade flourish, and continuing prohibition will only continue to prepare the ground for criminal elements to supply substances to the general population.

why do the politicians who seek our support, guarantee that criminal elements are our suppliers ????
why are they bent on deliberate, socially-destructive policies ????
representative government should represent, not direct.

I predict an abbreviated life span for the 'undercover informant'.

Yea well alls i have to say is "FTP"

The informant was probably as guilty as all the others that were arrested and charged, but gets off free and clear. Probably got a lump sum of money as well to relocate and such. Somehow criminals turned informant(ie. snitching rat fucking son of a bitch) are no longer criminals. Even if they were the ring leaders to begin with.