Pubdate: Fri, 08 Feb 2013
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Keith Fraser
Page: A14

GREEKS GANG LEADER GETS LIFE SENTENCE FOR MURDER

Greeks gang leader Peter Manolakos on Thursday received a sentence of
life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years for the murder
of a rival drug dealer.

Manolakos, 44, also received a sentence of 15 years in prison for the
manslaughter of a former drug runner for the Vernon gang.

The sentences imposed on Manolakos by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Bill
Smart are to be concurrent. The judge also imposed a 17-year jail term
on gang associate Douglas Brownell, 42, for two counts of
manslaughter, but reduced the sentence to five years after giving him
credit for pre-sentence custody.

Smart declared that the Greeks were a criminal organization, an
aggravating factor on sentencing, and said Manolakos ran a relatively
sophisticated drug business.

"He is an intelligent man. He retained control of his gang, and
expanded his drug business, through the use of violence and
intimidation. He ran the business with an apparent indifference as to
the consequence of the drugs he sold and the violence he incurred in
the community."

The mandatory life sentence on Manolakos was imposed in relation to
the May 2005 first-degree murder of rival drug dealer Ron Thom, 32.
The 15-year jail term for the July 2004 manslaughter of former drug
runner Dave Marnuik, 37, will be cut to 19 months after pre-sentence
custody. Smart noted that although Brownell had a lengthy criminal
record, he accepted that he was sincerely remorseful, had accepted
responsibility for his actions and had taken steps to rehabilitate
himself.

Brownell received seven years in jail for the November 2004
manslaughter of Thomas Edward Bryce, 30, and 10 years in jail for the
manslaughter of Thom. Those sentences ran consecutively, but after
credit for presentence custody - including an unusual 2 1/2-for-one
credit for a year Brownell spent in isolation due to safety concerns -
Brownell's sentence was knocked down to five years in jail.

Manolakos and Brownell are the last two of five Greeks gang members or
associates to be sentenced in what was B.C.'s longest-running jury
trial. Three other accused - Dale Gordon Sipes, Leslie Podolski and
Sheldon Richard O'Donnell - were found guilty of first-degree murder
and received the mandatory sentences of life in prison with no parole
eligibility for 25 years.
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