Black Widow
05-16-2009, 01:21 PM
VANCOUVER — In one of the biggest murder conspiracy cases in B.C. history, eight men linked to the United Nations gang have now been charged with plotting to kill Abbotsford's Bacon brothers and their Red Scorpion gang associates.
Five of those UN gangsters were being arrested Friday, including senior gang member Daniel Russell, 27, and Jon Croitoru, a 43-year-old former WWF wrestler known as Johnny K-9, who was also linked to an Ontario double-murder and a police station bombing.
The new charges come less than a month after three other UN men — Barzan Tilli-Choli, Aram Ali and Karwan Ahmet Saed — were charged with plotting the deaths of Jonathan, Jarrod and Jamie Bacon.
And police also said Friday that UN gang founder Clay Roueche, who just pleaded guilty to trafficking charges in the U.S., was also involved in the conspiracy to murder the brothers, but has yet to be indicted.
Crown prosecutor Ralph Keefer told the Vancouver Sun that the evidence supports a charge against Roueche.
"Before we decide whether it is in the public interest to proceed with a conspiracy charge against Clay Roueche, we want to await the outcome of his drug charges south of the border in Seattle," Keefer said.
Also charged Friday are UN members Soroush Ansari, 28, Dilun Heng, 25, and Yong Sung Lee, 27.
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit began its probe into the UN gang after a major U.S. drug seizure in 2006. Police have seized more than 20 firearms, explosives — including grenades — over $265,000 cash, as well as kilos of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, ephedrine, OxyContin, ketamine, marijuana, ecstasy and methamphetamine during the investigation.
Russell is also charged in the U.S. drug case that landed Roueche in jail, but had not yet been extradited. Ansari is a West Vancouver realtor who testified as a character witness at his brother Sasan's murder trial last year.
Croitoru, who wrestled under the name Johnny K-9, was a former member of the Ontario biker gang Satan's Choice. Heng has no criminal record in B.C., while Lee was Roueche's bodyguard and has a trafficking conviction.
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit head Supt. Doug Kiloh admitted going to trial with so many defendants in a single case "will be a very difficult and complex prosecution."
He said the arrests should help ease the bloodshed that has left dozens of young gang members and associates dead over the last couple of years.
"This is a group of significant players, probably the most prominent group with respect to the violence. But do we anticipate the violence on the streets is going to stop? Absolutely not. And our continued effort has to be there, will be there," Kiloh said.
Homicide Insp. Kevin Hackett said the arrests were very significant, especially coming just a month after four Red Scorpions, including Jamie Bacon, were charged in the unprecedented slaughter of six in Surrey in October 2007.
All eight UN suspects are expected to appear in Vancouver provincial court on Tuesday.
The B.C. Integrated Gang Task Force announced last May that the Bacons and their associates had been targeted for death by rivals and anyone near them could be killed in the crossfire.
Earlier this week, Abbotsford police Chief Bob Rich announced that four young men killed in that city this spring were all targeted because of perceived ties to the Bacon brothers and the Red Scorpions.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
calgaryherald
Five of those UN gangsters were being arrested Friday, including senior gang member Daniel Russell, 27, and Jon Croitoru, a 43-year-old former WWF wrestler known as Johnny K-9, who was also linked to an Ontario double-murder and a police station bombing.
The new charges come less than a month after three other UN men — Barzan Tilli-Choli, Aram Ali and Karwan Ahmet Saed — were charged with plotting the deaths of Jonathan, Jarrod and Jamie Bacon.
And police also said Friday that UN gang founder Clay Roueche, who just pleaded guilty to trafficking charges in the U.S., was also involved in the conspiracy to murder the brothers, but has yet to be indicted.
Crown prosecutor Ralph Keefer told the Vancouver Sun that the evidence supports a charge against Roueche.
"Before we decide whether it is in the public interest to proceed with a conspiracy charge against Clay Roueche, we want to await the outcome of his drug charges south of the border in Seattle," Keefer said.
Also charged Friday are UN members Soroush Ansari, 28, Dilun Heng, 25, and Yong Sung Lee, 27.
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit began its probe into the UN gang after a major U.S. drug seizure in 2006. Police have seized more than 20 firearms, explosives — including grenades — over $265,000 cash, as well as kilos of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, ephedrine, OxyContin, ketamine, marijuana, ecstasy and methamphetamine during the investigation.
Russell is also charged in the U.S. drug case that landed Roueche in jail, but had not yet been extradited. Ansari is a West Vancouver realtor who testified as a character witness at his brother Sasan's murder trial last year.
Croitoru, who wrestled under the name Johnny K-9, was a former member of the Ontario biker gang Satan's Choice. Heng has no criminal record in B.C., while Lee was Roueche's bodyguard and has a trafficking conviction.
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit head Supt. Doug Kiloh admitted going to trial with so many defendants in a single case "will be a very difficult and complex prosecution."
He said the arrests should help ease the bloodshed that has left dozens of young gang members and associates dead over the last couple of years.
"This is a group of significant players, probably the most prominent group with respect to the violence. But do we anticipate the violence on the streets is going to stop? Absolutely not. And our continued effort has to be there, will be there," Kiloh said.
Homicide Insp. Kevin Hackett said the arrests were very significant, especially coming just a month after four Red Scorpions, including Jamie Bacon, were charged in the unprecedented slaughter of six in Surrey in October 2007.
All eight UN suspects are expected to appear in Vancouver provincial court on Tuesday.
The B.C. Integrated Gang Task Force announced last May that the Bacons and their associates had been targeted for death by rivals and anyone near them could be killed in the crossfire.
Earlier this week, Abbotsford police Chief Bob Rich announced that four young men killed in that city this spring were all targeted because of perceived ties to the Bacon brothers and the Red Scorpions.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
calgaryherald