Gang associate quickly returns to crime after release from prison

Gang associate quickly returns to crime after release from prison-- receives 99 month prison term

A Manitoba gang associate wasted no time jumping back into the criminal lifestyle after getting released from prison.

Benjamin Morris Zapata walked out of Stony Mountain penitentiary on July 21, 2009 after being released on parole with strict conditions. Less than 48 hours later, Zapata was attending a high-profile meeting in Winnipeg where he was granted full-patch status with the Zig Zag Crew, the so-called "puppet club" of the Hells Angels in Manitoba.

Zapata, 28, then spent the next few months carrying on sanctioned gang business and arranging a large cocaine dealer with another gangster who was secretly working as a police agent as part of a massive undercover sting operation.

All of this was occurring while he was on parole with orders to not to have any contact with gang members or associates. And with Zapata already having five prior drug-related convictions on his criminal record.

"I truly regret what’s happened here. Sorry to everyone I’ve disappointed," Zapata - who goes by tne nickname of "Little Mikey" - told a Winnipeg courtroom Thursday. He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and was convicted of participating in a criminal organization and conspiracy to launder proceeds of crime after a 15-minute "trial" which saw the Crown simply recite the allegations and his lawyer offer up no objections or rebuttal evidence.

In essence, Zapata was conceding he was guilty without having to be seen as pleading guilty, court was told. Zapata was then sentenced to 99 months in prison (8 years, 3 months), in addition to seven months of time already served. On paper, his sentence is just under nine years total.

Queen’s Bench Chief Justice Marc Monnin warned Zapata those numbers will only grow larger for future offences, given his horrible record which included a three-year prison sentence for his last drug crime. As well, Crown attorney Chris Mainella said Zapata is unlikely to get early release from prison given his history.

"Prison officials tends to keep gang members in prison as long as they can," he said.

Zapata was one of 33 people arrested last December as part of "Project Divide," in which police used their informant to secretly record drug and weapons deals going down. He is the 15th accused to plead guilty, and his sentence is the longest handed down so far.

Zapata was living in Brandon following his release from Stony and was essentially in charge of the region, court was told. He was caught on audio and video surveillance bragging about the lucrative drug market in the western Manitoba city and how he could inflate his prices as a result. Zapata eventually sold 10 ounces of highly-diluted cocaine to the police agent for $8,000.

Prisons are the schools of crime and longer prison sentences have been shown to increase chances of re-offending due to the negative prison subculture, environment, influences, gangs, drugs and pro-criminal attitudes, values and behaviours. This man likely became MORE involved in the gang lifestyle through prison. Often inmates are released with little assistance, support and guidance. They are often released with little rehabilitation, life skills, risk management skills, no housing, unemployed, little support from family/friends and financial difficulties. It's no wonder many return to a life of crime! What would you expect, under these circumstances?! Simply telling inmates not to have contact with specific people, is not a focused enough order. They need more supervision and more specific guidelines to follow. I believe that the criminal justice system needs to be reformed to place more emphasis and focus on rehabilitation, reform, restoration and crime prevention. We need less reliance on prisons and more on alternative community sanctions, as they can better address the root causes and contributing factors to crime. There needs to be more assistance and support given to released inmates to help them successfully reintegrate into society. There also needs to be more programming available to them to help them learn the skills they need to survive on the outside. 

If drugs were legalized and controlled and regulated by the government, we wouldn't be overcrowding our prisons with drug offenders. Legalization would remove drugs from violent gang members and dealers and put them into the control of governments. This sounds much safer to me! Drug abuse should be a health issue not a criminal justice issue. More money must be spent on crime prevention and addiction treatments as opposed to imprisoning more drug offenders for longer periods. That does not solve the long term drug problem. This man did not participate in any violent criminal activities and I do not believe that he is a danger to the public's safety. Non-violent drug offenders should NOT be imprisoned. It just causes further unnecessary overcrowding.     

Attack outside Winnipeg club nets gang member 4 years

Attack outside Winnipeg club nets gang member a nearly 5 year sentence

WINNIPEG - The first mistake the former treasurer of a city gang made was beating a man outside an Exchange District nightclub. His second error was working with Zig Zag crew members to get potential witnesses to lie about what happened – all while police had tape rolling.

Corey Lee Gingera, 33, was in court Friday on charges stemming from a beating outside the Alive in the District nightclub in January 2009.

He was sentenced to 59 months in prison on charges of assault causing bodily harm, conspiracy to participate in a criminal organization, conspiracy to launder proceeds of crime, and counselling others to obstruct justice. Gingera will do a total of 51 more months in prison due to credit for time he’s already served. He’ll also have a lifetime weapons prohibition and must provide DNA.

Police surveillance video nailed Gingera for conspiring with fellow Zig Zag crew members regarding ways to get club staff to give inaccurate statements to police about the assault, which left the victim with a broken eye socket and other injuries.

What Gingera didn’t know is that police recorded his meetings with Zig Zag crew members with the help of an undercover agent, and the club had video surveillance which captured him participating in the group attack.

Crown prosecutor Chris Mainella said Gingera’s attempt to conspire with others to obstruct justice was part of Project Divide, one of the largest undercover police operations in the province’s history.

Gingera was also sentenced for conspiring with the gang to launder proceeds of crime and for trying to recruit new members to the Zig Zags, a puppet club for the Hells Angels. Mainella said there was a "constant need" for the Zig Zags to recruit new members to keep up with their criminal enterprises.

"The work is dangerous," he said, adding a number of gang members are "maimed and killed" in the course of their gang lifestyle.

Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Colleen Suche said she hoped Gingera would use his time behind bars to improve himself.

Gingera is the fifteenth person to be sentenced in connection with Project Divide. Thirty-three suspects were arrested and charged in the operation.

I disagree with 4 years prison time for this man. Prisons are the schools of crime filled with negative influences, pro-criminal attitudes and behaviours, drugs, gangs and the prison subculture. This man will likely only become further entrenched in the gang lifestyle through prison. Rehab programs have long waiting lists and are not as well designed as community programs. Often, inmates are released with no rehabilitation, life skills, assistance or support. I believe that some prison time is warranted for this man, due to the nature of the attack, but not 4 years. I believe he should have received a sentence of 2 years less a day in provincial prison combined with a conditional sentence. 

Gang member convicted, sentenced and imprisoned in speedy criminal trial

Gang member convicted, sentenced, jailed in speedy criminal trial
Hells associate found guilty, given 51 month term

A Manitoba Hells Angels associate who didn’t want to be seen as pleading guilty to gang-related charges was instead found guilty Monday after what was likely the fastest trial in judicial history.
The unusual hearing lasted just a few minutes and included Crown and defence lawyers calling no witnesses and making no submissions. The only evidence was an agreed statement of facts which was provided to the judge for review days earlier.
Queen’s Bench Justice Glenn Joyal had no choice but to make the obvious ruling, paving the way for a sentencing hearing to begin almost immediately. Raymond Brown, 44, was then given 51 months in prison (4 years and 3 months), in addition to five months of time already served, under a joint-recommendation from Crown and defence lawyers. His offences include participating in a criminal organization, conspiracy to launder proceeds of crime and trafficking marijuana.
Prosecutor Chris Mainella said a lot of gang members – especially high-ranking ones such as Brown – don’t want to be seen as admitting responsibility and would rather put justice officials to the test of proving their case. He said Preston’s way of dealing with his case is similar to the “No Contest” plea that exists in the United States.
Brown was one of 33 people arrested last winter as part of “Project Divide,” in which police used a secret agent to infiltrate the gang by using a former Hells associate as a paid informant. He is the 13th to deal with his charges..
Brown has been a member of the Zig Zag Crew – the “support” club for the Hells Angels – since 2006 and has previously served as president, court was told. He was caught on audio and video surveillance in June 2009 arranging for a three-pound marijuana deal during a lunch meeting with the agent at McDonald’s. The drugs and $8,400 cash were then exchanged later that day in a parking lot near an outdoor inner-city swimming pool.
Brown was also overheard by police barking out orders to several other Zig Zag members, which includes collecting monthly individual dues of $150 and paying a monthly gang fee to the Hells Angels of $1000.
“Basically the Zig Zag Crew were buying a criminal licence from the Hells Angels,” said Mainella.
Brown has a minor, dated criminal record and has previously worked as a commercial trucker. He is the father of four children, aged four to 19.

Agreed facts are the only evidence as gang member found guilty
A Winnipeg gang member and drug dealer was sentenced to prison Tuesday after an unusual trial in which the only evidence was an agreed statement of facts.
Raymond Bruce Brown, a former president of the Zig-Zag Crew street gang, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in marijuana but not guilty to conspiracy to participate in a criminal organization and conspiracy to launder proceeds of crime.
Brown, 44, stood trial on the conspiracy charges. Justice Glenn Joyal heard no witnesses.
“The accused is accepting the facts as laid out by the Crown ... and is not calling any evidence,” defence lawyer Neil Kravetsky told Joyal. “I have been instructed not to make any submissions to you. (Brown) understands the consequences of his actions.”
Joyal said the evidence against Brown was overwhelming and found him guilty of conspiring to recruit new members to the Zig-Zag Crew and conspiring to launder drug money on behalf of the Hells Angels.
Joyal sentenced Brown to a total of 56 months in prison, minus credit for five months time served.
Brown was one of nearly three dozen people arrested late last year as part of a year-long investigation dubbed Project Divide. Nearly all of those arrested were members or associates of the Zig-Zag Crew street gang, the so-called “puppet club” of the Manitoba Hells Angels.
Police surveillance caught Brown making a deal to sell Zig-Zagger turned paid police agent Michael Satsatin three pounds of marijuana for $8,400.
Court heard Brown didn’t join the gang until 2006 or 2007, when he was already 40 years old. His only prior drug conviction was in the mid-1980s when he was arrested for selling one gram of marijuana at Oktoberfest.

I disagree with 4 years in prison. How will prison help this man? It will not serve any purpose. Based on the offences for which this man was convicted of, it does not appear that he is a major danger to society and should not be imprisoned for that length of time, especially since his minor, criminal record is dated and only consisted of one marijuana offence and the fact that he has a family. Prison is a negative environment filled with negative influences of gangs and drugs. It does not facilitate rehabilitation. Prisons also fail at addressing the root causes of crime and especially, of why individuals join gangs, as there are many underlying factors. Marijuana use should be legalized and regulated. It is no more harmful than alcohol and legalization would help free up the courts, reduce prison overcrowding and remove drugs from the hands of violent gang members. This man should have received a 2 year conditional sentence in the community, with community service, employment assistance, etc. 

Bail denied for ex-RCMP turned alleged Hells Angels associate

Bail denied for ex-RCMP turned alleged Hells Angels associate

A judge has denied bail to a former Manitoba RCMP officer who gave up the badge and allegedly became a high-ranking Hells Angels associate.

Wayne Shuttleworth learned Monday he will have to remain behind bars while pending on charges connected to a massive undercover police investigation dubbed "Project Divide." Shuttleworth has been in custody since December, when police executed a series of search warrants and arrested 31 targets in Manitoba and British Columbia.

A court-ordered ban prevents specific details of the bail hearing from being published.

Court documents obtained by the Free Press show Shuttleworth apparently hid his policing past from fellow Zig Zag Crew members, knowing it would be an automatic ticket to rejection from the gang that serves as a puppet club to the Hells. Shuttleworth, 39, has been charged with participating in a criminal organization, trafficking a firearm, possession of proceeds of crime and conspiracy to launder money. Police identified Shuttleworth in search warrant affidavits as a full-patch member of the Zig Zag Crew.

The documents say Shuttleworth was an RCMP officer between 1991 and 1994, who had extensive firearm training and "an ongoing interest in firearms." Shuttleworth allegedly had various conversations with secret police agent Michael Satsatin in which he discussed having a connection on the Sandy Bay Indian Reserve that would allow him to purchase firearms.

Investigators seized 165 ounces of cocaine, 12 ounces of methamphetamine, 12,000 ecstasy tablets, one ounce of heroin and seven pounds of marijuana during their investigation, along with cash, firearms and gang paraphernalia. More than 300 Mounties and police from Winnipeg, Brandon, Ste. Anne and B.C. were involved.

Hells Angel member refers to Winnipeg man as "the bank"

Car dealer alleged crime "bank"

If you wanted to buy a car, Nello Chiapetta was the man who ironed out your financing.

Court documents made public yesterday allege the former Eastwood Truck and Toy Centre finance manager was also the go-to guy for city gangsters looking to launder their ill-gotten gains.

Chiapetta, 39, was among more than two dozen people arrested in Project Divide, a December 2009 police sting targeting the Hells Angels “puppet club” known as the Zig-Zag Crew. Chiapetta, who is not a member of either gang, has been charged with two counts of laundering the proceeds of crime and one count of conspiracy to launder the proceeds of crime.

The charges against him have not been proven in court and he remains innocent until proven guilty.

According to court documents at least one city gangster, Hells Angels member Sean Wolfe, referred to Chiapetta as “the bank.” As in previous similar stings, police enlisted the aid of a paid criminal agent, Zig-Zagger Michael Satsatin, to ensnare Chiapetta and other targets.

Satsatin told police Wolfe — then responsible for overseeing Zig-Zag operations — and Chiapetta met on “numerous occasions” and that he believed Chiapetta “controls” Wolfe’s money.

“The agent is aware that suspicion is raised if a business receives an amount of $10,000 or more in a cash transaction,” says a RCMP affidavit. “He further believes that Chiapetta would be able to ‘take care of the paperwork’ to make the transaction not appear suspicious.”

According to Manitoba Public Insurance records, Wolfe and Chiapetta’s relationship, as of last year, included joint ownership of a 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Police say criminals involved in drug trafficking often use “nominees” to conceal ownership of property and hide assets.

“I believe that without sufficient evidence of any criminality on Chiapetta’s part, it would be difficult for the authorities to seize Wolfe’s motorcycle and have it forfeited as proceeds of crime,” a police officer wrote in an affidavit.

Court documents allege Chiapetta helped Satsatin launder $25,000 in American currency, money Satsatin said came through the sale of marijuana. The transaction included the sale of a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am for $9,700 cash. Chiapetta and Satsatin allegedly brokered another deal to launder an additional $22,000.

Hundreds of pages of Project Divide documents have now been unsealed by the court. The documents reveal a wealth of insider revelations, including infighting among gangsters, the Zig-Zag Crew’s plans for expansion to B.C., and plots to intimidate trial witnesses.