Pubdate: Fri, 13 Apr 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 DRUG CASH GIVEN TO SON IN BATHROOM But Teen Says He Didn't Know Police Involved Franco Atanasovic didn't take his teenage son out to the ball game when he wanted to spend some quality time together. Instead, the career criminal turned police agent told his boy to drop everything and meet him right away in the bathroom stall of a local fast-food joint. "Yes, I thought it was odd. But I didn't say anything. It was none of my business," the young man testified Thursday during a brief, but certainly memorable, court appearance. "But I was unsure of the entire situation, unsure of what was going on." His name isn't being published because he is a youth who is in witness protection along with his father and two other siblings. He was called to testify at the trial of Hells Angels member Ian Grant, who is facing nine charges including extortion, drug trafficking, proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal organization. The teen described how Atanasovic called him up and told him to ditch his night out with friends to head straight to the Burger Factory on Portage Avenue. He said the instructions were crystal clear -- stand in a bathroom stall, be quiet and everything will make sense. Moments later, the teen listened as someone walked into the washroom, dropped a wad of cash on the floor and kicked it under the stall before leaving without saying a word. "I recognized it was my father because when he kicked it I recognized his shoe," the teen told jurors. "I then put it down my pants, waited a few minutes and then sat down and ate a burger." Atanasovic was paid $525,000 to infiltrate the Hells Angels during a year-long undercover sting. He captured several drug deals and negotiations on video and audio surveillance. Yet jurors have heard Atanasovic also brokered a side deal in which he skimmed $5,000 cash from a $38,000 bundle police had supplied him to buy drugs during an alleged deal with Grant. Atanasovic testified last month how he got the price down to $33,000, then didn't tell police with hopes of pocketing the money. Only he needed his son's help. However, the plan backfired when Atanasovic left the bathroom stall and the drug deal fell through. He needed to return the entire $38,000 to police, meaning a second frantic phone call to his son. "He told me to meet him at the Tim Hortons," his son said Thursday. The teen quickly scarfed down his burger and returned the $5,000 to his father -- less a $100 bill he was allowed to keep for a job well done. Atanasovic covered that loss from his own pocket. Defence lawyer Ian Garber suggested Thursday that the father-and-son team seemed pretty polished for first-timers. "I'm suggesting this was something you did on a regular basis," he said. "That's not correct, no," replied the teen. "You didn't think it was odd that your father was kicking a pile of money to you under the bathroom stall in the Burger Factory?" asked Garber. The teen said he did but claimed to have no knowledge at the time of his dad's involvement in the police project and isn't particularly interested in what's currently happening. "I don't care what's going on right now. I have to live a life," he said. Garber attacked the credibility of Atanasovic during several days of cross-examination last month. The Crown admits Atanasovic is no saint but believes it can prove the case against Grant through independent evidence they collected. The trial began in early March and is now heading into the final stretch. Experts on organized crime and outlaw motorcycle gangs will be called during the next week and more exhibits will likely be shown to jurors, including an inside look at the Hells clubhouse in north Winnipeg. Jurors are expected to begin deliberations by late April. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek