Biker raids nab 'big catch'
December 16, 2009
John Burman
The Hamilton Spectator
(Dec 16, 2009)
The Ontario Provincial Police expect to announce charges later
today against five Hamilton men and two other alleged members
or hangers-on of the Hells Angels arrested in a major police
operation against the outlaw motorcycle club at dawn Tuesday.
Project Manchester, led by the Ontario Provincial Police joint
forces biker enforcement unit, which includes Hamilton police
officers, targeted nine homes and commercial properties.
Six of the nine raids were in Hamilton -- at 269 Lottridge
St. (the Hells Angels club house), 4426 Miles Rd., 174 Duncairn
Cres., 430 Waverly St., 180 Harmony Ave. and 774 Barton St.
E.
Police also raided two properties in Cambridge and one in Nanticoke.
They seized guns, $215,000 worth of street drugs plus vehicles,
a home and three commercial sites. The properties seized under
proceeds-of-crime legislation include the Lottridge Street clubhouse
and the Darkside Tattoos parlour on Barton East.
Value of the property seized is estimated at $875,000.
OPP communications Sergeant Pierre Chamberland said it is usual
practice for police to seek forfeiture of seized assets that
are deemed to be the proceeds of crime. Ontario's attorney general
will decide later on seeking forfeiture and selling them off,
he said.
A loud explosion heralded Project Manchester's opening in Hamilton.
The noise ripped neighbours from their sleep about 6:45 yesterday
morning as the biker enforcement unit, which includes members
of Hamilton police, raided a house at 174 Duncairn Cres. on
the west Mountain.
"I thought my truck had blown up," said Brian Parrish,
who lives next door to the one-storey bungalow where heavily-armed
tactical officers executed a warrant.
Parrish was met by officers after he went out into his backyard
to see what was going on."
"I put my hands up and they said 'Please, go back inside
your home,'" said Parrish, adding an officer told him they
were executing a warrant. "So I did."
"There is no concern for public safety," one officer
said of the blast, believed to have been a flash grenade that
creates a loud bang and is sometimes used in what is called
"a dynamic entry."
Those arrested in the various raids include John Cane, 44,
Joseph Cafagna, 35, David Behrens, 40, Luis Barberiz, 41, and
David LaChapelle, 45, all of Hamilton, Andre Watteel, 56, of
Cambridge and Brandon Goodfellow, 28, of Nanticoke.
Julian Sher, investigative journalist and biker expert, says
Watteel "is a big catch and a big name in the biker world
... one of the first big names that the Hells Angels were able
to sign up when they patched over the veterans of the (Ontario)
biker scene."
That the investigation took more than a year, Sher said, "almost
certainly means infiltration with an agent or wire taps. The
only successful investigations against Hells Angels have been
these kinds of long, drawn-out infiltrations."
Jerry Langton, an author who writes about bikers, says Watteel
is a "headliner name among bikers" But he is "considered
a pillar of the community in Cambridge. He owns a restaurant,
residential properties, (and) sponsors kids sports teams, charity
drives, turkeys for the needy."
Hamilton police tactical team members escorted the seven men
into court yesterday to appear before justice of the peace Hugh
Brown. Two other Emergency Response Unit officers were posted
at the courtroom door.
Cane, Cafagna, Behrens, Barberiz and Watteel were remanded
in custody until Friday. LaChapelle is scheduled to reappear
this morning for a bail hearing.
Federal prosecutor Bradley Reitz said the Crown will oppose
bail for all six men but he did consent to the release yesterday
on a $20,000 surety of Brandon Goodfellow of Nanticoke.
Reitz said Goodfellow is alleged to have sold crack cocaine
to undercover officers on Oct. 21.
His lawyer, Jaime Stephenson, arranged for Goodfellow to reside
with his mother while on bail. Other conditions of his release
include a midnight-to-6 a.m. curfew and no contact with members
of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.
Goodfellow is to return to court on Jan. 18 to set a date for
trial.
"The Hells Angels are criminals and as such they are not
welcome in our communities," OPP organized crime enforcement
bureau director Superintendent Dan Redmond said in a statement.
jburman@thespec.com
905-526-2469
-- With files from Barbara Brown and Mark McNeil, The Hamilton
Spectator
