Pubdate: Tue, 06 Mar 2007 Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB) Copyright: 2007 Winnipeg Free Press Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502 Author: Mike McIntyre CROWN SKETCHES CASE AGAINST BIKER Career Criminal Used To Infiltrate Notorious Gang Manitoba police and justice officials knew they had to get creative to go after the Hells Angels -- but nobody expected a unique undercover investigation would pay such dividends, a jury heard Monday as one of the province's biggest biker trials finally began. What started with seven specific targets ended with 15 arrests, several kilograms of seized drugs and countless hours of video and audio surveillance of drug deals going down. The first accused to go on trial is full-patch member Ian Grant, who is facing nine charges including drug trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime, extortion and participating in a criminal organization. He has pleaded not guilty. Two other full-patch members -- including Hells president Ernie Dew -- remain before the courts. Grant wasn't even on the original radar of police but entered into the picture as the investigation continued and expanded, court was told. Crown attorney Chris Mainella spent more than three hours Monday outlining for jurors every aspect of the case against Grant, which is expected to last at least two months. At the heart of the prosecution is career criminal Franco Atanasovic, who infiltrated the Hells Angels as a covert police agent and was involved in the many drug deals which went down during the 13-month probe that ended in February 2006. Mainella made no secret Monday of the fact Atanasovic is an unreliable witness who was clearly in business for himself even when working for the police. Atanasovic -- apparently not happy with the $525,000 he was paid for his services -- was caught "skimming" money that police had given him in order to buy drugs from the various targets. He then tried to lie to police about what he'd done and was also found to be carrying on private conversations on cellphones he'd hidden from his police handlers, said Mainella. In one case, Atanasovic got his teenaged son to meet him in the bathroom of a Winnipeg fast-food restaurant and then slipped him $5,000 in marked bills which police had given him for an upcoming purchase, court was told. Atanasovic and his son are expected to testify later this month. Mainella told jurors the Crown isn't concerned about his lack of credibility because of the fact much of his testimony will be supported by independent evidence. That evidence will include heated phone conversations between Grant and Atanasovic which the Crown says will prove the biker was trying to extort $60,000 from him. In the end, Grant was given a Harley Davidson motorcycle from the agent which forms the basis of the proceeds of crime charge, court was told. Police also searched a safety deposit box registered to Grant and recovered some of the marked money Atanasovic used to buy a kilogram of cocaine and methamphetamine from two men who were allegedly couriers for Grant. At no point is Grant directly seen or heard to be selling drugs to the agent but the Crown intends to follow the money trail and prove his guilt, court was told. RCMP Insp. Dennis McGuffin was the first witness to testify and outlined how the investigation began with an idea to go after the Hells Angels. Police quickly realized they couldn't use conventional tactics or even send an undercover officer in to infiltrate the tight-knit outlaw gang, he said. "To try to become trusted within a criminal organization could take several years. People deal with who they're familiar with and who they're comfortable with," said McGuffin. That's why Atanasovic made the perfect bait. He had known Dew for years and was familiar with most of his targets through his work as a drug dealer, he said. "People will do a lot of things for half a million dollars. But this is something not a lot of people would do, or could do," Mainella said during his opening statement. "But police knew the agent had a lot of connections in the drug underworld." Police drafted a comprehensive plan of attack and got a team of officers together to oversee the daily operations of the investigation. Atanasovic was given several "cover stories" to present to his various targets, which included needing cocaine from some dealers in Pine Falls, needing meth for some customers in North Dakota and coming into some money through a recent inheritance, court was told. The bikers and their associates bought it hook, line and sinker, said Mainella. Jurors will also hear and see detailed evidence of how the Hells Angels operate through expert witness testimony and seized exhibits, including job application forms, photographs and clothing, he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek