Latest news with #HellsAngel
Toronto Sun
13-06-2025
- Toronto Sun
Mafia charges paint surprising picture of who killed whom in power struggles
When it comes to disagreements among organized crime figures, past ties don't seem to mean very much. Published Jun 12, 2025 • Last updated 16 hours ago • 3 minute read Jean-Richard Larivière (right), a member of the Hells Angels who was arrested June 12, 2025, in Project Alliance, a major investigation in the Montreal Mafia. Photo was taken in April 2000 during a funeral for a Hells Angel. John Mahoney/Montreal Gazette The charges filed in Thursday's roundup of significant organized crime figures on Thursday suggest past ties mean nothing during underworld power struggles. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The charge that stands out the most is one that accuses alleged Montreal Mafia leaders Leonardo Rizzuto, 56, and Stefano Sollecito, 57, of the first-degree murder of Lorenzo LoPresti, a man who was killed at his condo in the St-Laurent borough on Oct. 24, 2011. Five other men are also charged with the first-degree murder of LoPresti, but Rizzuto's name is the one that stands out because he and LoPresti grew up on Antoine Bethelet Ave. — a roadway in northern Montreal that used to be known as Mafia Row — when they were much younger. The tall, curly-haired LoPresti was the son of Giuseppe (Joe) LoPresti, who once made headlines for his arrest in a high-profile heroin smuggling trial in the U.S. Giuseppe LoPresti and Vito Rizzuto, Leonardo's father, were both from he same part of Sicily — Cattolica Eraclea — and while Vito Rizzuto rose to be the leader of the Montreal Mafia during the 1980s and '90s, Giuseppe LoPresti was killed in 1992 at age 44 in a homicide that remains unsolved. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. According to court documents filed in an RCMP investigation dubbed Project Clemenza, it appeared to investigators that Lorenzo LoPresti decided to join a group of people tied to the Montreal Mafia who tried to take control of it from the Rizzutos. The takeover failed when the opposing group developed differences of their own. Leonardo Rizzuto and Sollecito were also charged yesterday with plotting to kill men on opposite ends of the split, including Raynald Desjardins, a man who was once very close to Vito Rizzuto, and Salvatore Montagna, a Mafia leader from New York who tried to organize the efforts against the Rizzuto clan. Montagna ended up being killed on Nov. 24, 2011, in Charlemagne, just east of Montreal. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The list of men that Leonardo Rizzuto and Sollecito are alleged to have plotted to kill also includes; Giuseppe Renda, a man who vanished in 2012; Moreno Gallo, an Influential Montreal Mafia figure who was killed in Mexico in 2013; Antonio Vanelli, the intended target in a botched hit that took the life of Angelo D'Onofrio, an innocent man who was shot at the Café-Bar Hillside on Fleury St. in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough on June 2, 2016. Another two men that Rizzuto and Sollecito are charged with plotting to kill are Joseph Dimaulo, a 70-year-old Montreal Mafia leader who was killed in 2012, and Antonio Pietrantonio, a man who survived two attempts on his life in 2011 and 2024. Jean-Richard (Race) Larivière, 57, a member of the Hells Angels who was among the 11 people arrested on Thursday, is now charged with murdering men who were once part of the same biker gang as him. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Larivière had been a member of the Rockers, a Hells Angels support gang during Quebec's biker gang war, which stretched from 1994 to 2002, before he graduated to the Hells Angels by becoming a prospect member of a now defunct Nomads chapter based in Quebec. On Thursday, Larivière was charged with the murders of Vincent Lamer and Sébastien Beauchamp, two men who were also members of the Rockers during the biker gang war. Lamer, who was introduced into the Rockers in 2000, was killed in Montreal during 2017 and Beauchamp, who became a full-patch member of the Rockers in 2000, was killed in 2018. Larivière was also charged on Thursday with the attempted murder of Jean-Guy Bourgouin, a founding member of the Rockers when it was created in 1992. Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA Columnists Sunshine Girls Columnists
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Vancouver police arrest offender hiding in DTES with false name
Vancouver police have arrested a violent offender who has been on the lam and hiding out in the Downtown Eastside for two years. The 30-year-old was out on statutory release in March 2023 after serving a 10-year and five-month jail sentence for several crimes, including second-degree murder in Winnipeg. He was living in a halfway house in New Westminster but failed to return within weeks of his release. A Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest in May 2023. At the time of his release, the man was also serving a four-year sentence for aggravated assault on two corrections officers. He cannot be named because he was a minor when he was convicted. Investigators say the man has been using a false name and living in the Downtown Eastside since his disappearance from the halfway house. He has also been working part-time as kitchen staff in a shelter. Officers arrested him on Saturday near Gore Avenue and Alexander Street. Hells Angel charged with uttering threats in Surrey Bomb threats made at Vancouver airport and Waterfront Station on Sunday
Vancouver Sun
12-05-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Hells Angel charged with uttering threats in Surrey
Surrey Hells Angel Jaswinder Basi has been charged with uttering threats, though police are not commenting on the circumstances that led to his recent arrest. Basi, 40, was a member of the Haney chapter of the B.C. Hells Angel, though last year he moved to Ontario to join the Nomads chapter there. He splits his time between the two provinces, according to sources. The B.C. court online database shows that Basi is accused of making threats to cause death or bodily harm on March 25 in Surrey. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The charge was sworn against him on April 18 and he was arrested a day later while driving a Ford Focus in Cloverdale. He was ordered released on bail on April 19 with a followup court appearance scheduled for May 14. Surrey Police Service spokesman Ian MacDonald said he couldn't comment on the Basi charge and arrest because 'this is part of an ongoing investigation.' Basi owns at least two Lower Mainland businesses. Some of his former Haney chapter-mates have also faced recent run-ins with the law. Last year, Courtenay Lafreniere was sentenced to three years in prison for possession of property obtained by crime. The charge stemmed from an eight-month-long investigation by the anti-gang Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. The probe into a group believed to be involved in a large-scale, interprovincial drug-trafficking operation began in 2020. During a July 2021 search, CFSEU officers found $65,570 in Lafreniere's Maple Ridge home, according to a civil forfeiture lawsuit filed in 2022. Some of it was bundled with elastic bands. There was also benzocaine, cocaine and 2.4 kilograms of cannabis. All but $5,000 of the cash was forfeited to the B.C. government in December, court records indicate. Another longtime Haney Hells Angel, Vincenzo Sansalone, was sentenced in December 2023 to four years in jail for trafficking in a controlled substance. The charge stemmed from a joint Canada-U. S. transnational organized crime investigation conducted by the RCMP's B.C. federal serious and organized crime unit and U.S. authorities. And Haney member Damion Ryan is awaiting trial in custody in Manitoba, where police allege he had a role in a major interprovincial drug trafficking operation. His trial is scheduled for September 2025. Ryan was also charged in the U.S. last year with being part of an unsuccessful murder-for-hire plot targeting two Iranian dissidents living there. The U.S. indictment says Ryan was working for Iranian drug lord Naji Zindashti — on orders from the Iranian government — and alleges he was recorded on an encrypted device agreeing to put together a team to do the hit for $350,000 US, plus $20,000 in expenses. Other B.C. Hells Angels have also been charged or convicted in recent years, including B.C. Nomad Francisco Batista Pires, 62, charged in March with one count of keeping an illegal gaming house. The B.C. bikers are still being impacted by the forfeiture of Hells Angels clubhouses in Nanaimo, Kelowna and east Vancouver to the provincial government in 2023 after a long-running lawsuit. Since then, the former east Vancouver clubhouse on East Georgia has been listed and sold and both the Nanaimo and Kelowna clubhouses have been demolished. kbolan@ @
Hamilton Spectator
07-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Hells Angel shot dead outside Mandarin receives online tributes from abroad
There is online love from outlaw bikers from Switzerland, Denmark and the Caribbean — but not from Canada — on the memorial site to Oakville Hells Angel Craig (Truck) McIlquham. McIlquham, 55, also known as Craig Brown, was ambushed and shot to death around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29 as he left the Mandarin family-style buffet restaurant at 1881 Fairview Street in Burlington, about a five minute-drive from the Queen Elizabeth Way. Police described the murder as targeted. Investigators are probing how McIlquham's killer knew he would be dining that evening at the restaurant. There are also security cameras outside the front entrance. McIlquham was president of the Niagara chapter of the Hells Angels, but spent much of his time recently in the Caribbean . Hells Angel, shot dead outside Mandarin restaurant, had ties to Caribbean, GTA and Quebec 'Brother you are going to be a great loss in this world,' a biker identified as 'John HAMC Caribbean' posted on McIlquham's memorial page. 'We had a lot of laughter and fun,' John wrote. 'Going to miss you terribly. Strength to family and friends.' 'HAMC' stand for 'Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.' Another tribute is posted by someone who identified himself as 'Buller81,' from Randers, Denmark. 'Truck was an amazing brother and friend, he will be truly missed,' Buller81 wrote. 'I send my love and condolences to his family. Big love and respect.' The number '81' is used by bikers to stand for 'HA,' the club's initials, as 'H' is the eighth letter of the alphabet and 'A' is the first. Most of the tributes posted online were personal, like one by a woman who described him as 'like a second dad.' 'He was always so kind and gentle towards me and took us tubing, surfing, water-skiing, whatever the day called for he provided us with that,' she wrote. 'I will never forget him taking us on all of those adventures, they were a huge part of my life. He always told me that if I ever had a problem to give him a call. He will be missed so much by all. Truly a pure soul.' 'He left behind three beautiful kids that are amazing human beings that are loved very much,' another woman wrote. 'He has taught me a lot and I will cherish every single memory I have with him and everyone I've met through him, will love you always Truck!!' 'Craig was Bestman at our wedding,' another poster wrote. 'He graciously let us use his home for the event. My aunt was adamant that she went for a ride on his bike and made him promise not to go fast, all you could hear above the bike was my aunt screaming as he took her down the country road at top speed. When they got back he was in hysterics laughing at her. He was such an amazing man, I am so sorry for your loss. Sending lots of love to you and your family.' Police appealed to the public for anyone with dashcam footage of Fairview Street and Brant Street between the hours of 4 and 10 p.m. on the night of the fatal shooting. They are particularly interested in a late model, dark Honda Civic with tinted windows and black alloy rims. McIlquham got his nickname, 'Truck,' because of his powerful build. A long-time Hells Angel, he once served as a bodyguard for former Hells Angels boss Walter (Nurget) Stadnick of Hamilton, when Stadnick was widely considered the most influential outlaw biker in Canada. Longtime Hells Angel gunned down outside Burlington Mandarin Stadnick was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he was convicted in Montreal in September 2004 of a variety of conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to traffic drugs and involvement in gang activities. His sentence was reduced to 14 years and seven months for pre-trial time served, and was released from prison in 2019. McIlquham was charged in 2019 by Canadian authorities during a multi-jurisdictional, wide-reaching probe into international gambling and loan sharking called Project Hobart. He was then described by police as one of the leaders of an international gambling ring, with at least 14 sports-betting websites, including five illegal offshore sites based in the Caribbean. The ring also operated an illegal gambling house in Mississauga, police said. Police said at the time the Hells Angels were working in the gambling ring with an established Mafia group from York Region. The Project Hobart charges were ultimately dropped because of court delays, blamed in part on the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Canada Revenue charged him with failing to report revenues totalling over $2,000,000 from 2014 to 2018.
Toronto Star
06-05-2025
- Toronto Star
Hells Angel shot dead outside Mandarin receives online tributes from abroad
There is online love from outlaw bikers from Switzerland, Denmark and the Caribbean — but not from Canada — on the memorial site to Oakville Hells Angel Craig (Truck) McIlquham. McIlquham, 55, also known as Craig Brown, was ambushed and shot to death around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29 as he left the Mandarin family-style buffet restaurant at 1881 Fairview Street in Burlington, about a five minute-drive from the Queen Elizabeth Way. Police described the murder as targeted. Investigators are probing how McIlquham's killer knew he would be dining that evening at the restaurant. There are also security cameras outside the front entrance. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW McIlquham was president of the Niagara chapter of the Hells Angels, but spent much of his time recently in the Caribbean. Gta Hells Angel, shot dead outside Mandarin restaurant, had ties to Caribbean, GTA and Quebec Investigators will have to look across the GTA, into Quebec and down to the Caribbean to 'Brother you are going to be a great loss in this world,' a biker identified as 'John HAMC Caribbean' posted on McIlquham's memorial page. 'We had a lot of laughter and fun,' John wrote. 'Going to miss you terribly. Strength to family and friends.' 'HAMC' stand for 'Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.' Another tribute is posted by someone who identified himself as 'Buller81,' from Randers, Denmark. 'Truck was an amazing brother and friend, he will be truly missed,' Buller81 wrote. 'I send my love and condolences to his family. Big love and respect.' The number '81' is used by bikers to stand for 'HA,' the club's initials, as 'H' is the eighth letter of the alphabet and 'A' is the first. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Most of the tributes posted online were personal, like one by a woman who described him as 'like a second dad.' 'He was always so kind and gentle towards me and took us tubing, surfing, water-skiing, whatever the day called for he provided us with that,' she wrote. 'I will never forget him taking us on all of those adventures, they were a huge part of my life. He always told me that if I ever had a problem to give him a call. He will be missed so much by all. Truly a pure soul.' 'He left behind three beautiful kids that are amazing human beings that are loved very much,' another woman wrote. 'He has taught me a lot and I will cherish every single memory I have with him and everyone I've met through him, will love you always Truck!!' 'Craig was Bestman at our wedding,' another poster wrote. 'He graciously let us use his home for the event. My aunt was adamant that she went for a ride on his bike and made him promise not to go fast, all you could hear above the bike was my aunt screaming as he took her down the country road at top speed. When they got back he was in hysterics laughing at her. He was such an amazing man, I am so sorry for your loss. Sending lots of love to you and your family.' Police appealed to the public for anyone with dashcam footage of Fairview Street and Brant Street between the hours of 4 and 10 p.m. on the night of the fatal shooting. They are particularly interested in a late model, dark Honda Civic with tinted windows and black alloy rims. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW McIlquham got his nickname, 'Truck,' because of his powerful build. A long-time Hells Angel, he once served as a bodyguard for former Hells Angels boss Walter (Nurget) Stadnick of Hamilton, when Stadnick was widely considered the most influential outlaw biker in Canada. Gta Longtime Hells Angel gunned down outside Burlington Mandarin Halton police responded to reports a man was shot outside at an address on Fairview Stadnick was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he was convicted in Montreal in September 2004 of a variety of conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to traffic drugs and involvement in gang activities. His sentence was reduced to 14 years and seven months for pre-trial time served, and was released from prison in 2019. McIlquham was charged in 2019 by Canadian authorities during a multi-jurisdictional, wide-reaching probe into international gambling and loan sharking called Project Hobart. He was then described by police as one of the leaders of an international gambling ring, with at least 14 sports-betting websites, including five illegal offshore sites based in the Caribbean. The ring also operated an illegal gambling house in Mississauga, police said. Police said at the time the Hells Angels were working in the gambling ring with an established Mafia group from York Region. The Project Hobart charges were ultimately dropped because of court delays, blamed in part on the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Canada Revenue charged him with failing to report revenues totalling over $2,000,000 from 2014 to 2018.
