Last Project Drill drug dealer sentenced to 8.5 years

Last Project Drill drug dealer gets 8.5 years

Wayne Holmes didn’t want anything to do with the Hells Angels, but in the end his relationship with one of the outlaw biker gang’s long-time associates was his undoing.

Holmes, 52, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and was sentenced Wednesday to 81/2 years in prison.

Holmes was among 18 people arrested in December 2007 as part of Project Drill, a undercover police investigation targeting the Hells Angels and its associates.

As in similar investigations before and since, Operation Drill relied on the use of a paid agent — in this case, career criminal and biker associate Scott (Taz) Robertson — to ensnare the criminal targets.

Court heard Robertson put the word out he was unsatisfied with the poor quality cocaine he was buying from Hells Angels associate Allen Morrison and was looking for a new supplier.

Enter Al Lebras, a Hells Angels “prospect” and long-time drug dealer. Lebras negotiated three cocaine deals with Robertson worth $61,000.

Holmes — who had no gang ties himself but was Lebras’ drug-dealing partner — delivered the drugs while another man accepted the cash. The drug deals were all caught on police video and audio.

“It’s effectively Mr. Morrison’s doing that gets Mr. Lebras and Mr. Holmes caught in the net,” said Crown attorney Chris Mainella. “Mr. Holmes made it very clear on the intercepted communications he wanted nothing to do with the Hells Angels. He wouldn’t go to the clubhouse, he didn’t trust them. He simply dealt with Mr. Lebras.”

When police executed a search warrant at Holmes’ Waterford Avenue house, they found $150,000 and one kilogram of benzocaine, which is used to dilute cocaine, sometimes with fatal consequences. It has been linked to a potentially fatal blood condition called methemoglobinemia.

Unlike other cutting agents such as baking powder, benzocaine reduces the purity of the cocaine while still maintaining a “high,” Mainella said.

“The problem is you may be killing the person through their blood.”

Holmes is the last Project Drill accused to be sentenced. Robertson didn’t testify once as all 18 accused pleaded guilty to reduced charges and did not proceed to trial. They received sentences ranging from four years to 15 years.

According to court records, Robertson was to be paid $650,000 for his co-operation, plus expenses. He is now living in witness protection.

Sentence closes book on undercover sting operation 
ONCE a trusted friend of the Hells Angels who helped facilitate the flow of cocaine from British Columbia to Manitoba, Wayne Holmes has now become a footnote in local legal history.
Holmes, 52, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to traffic drugs and was given an eight-and-a-half year prison sentence under a joint agreement between Crown and defence lawyers. His case closes the book on a successful undercover police sting operation, dubbed Project DRILL, which saw 18 high-ranking bikers and associates taken down in 2007.
"He was the last man standing," Crown attorney Chris Mainella told court Wednesday. He noted that every single person who was arrested pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug network and was given a sentence ranging from four years to 15 years.
Holmes hasn't been convicted of any crimes since 1975 but got involved in the drug business through his association with longtime Hells hangaround Al Lebras, court was told. Holmes now admits he stored cash, cocaine and the cutting agent to dilute the drug in his home and allowed a B.C. drug courier to stay with him.
Queen's Bench Justice Brenda Keyser said it's no surprise Holmes found himself in legal hot water. She said when you "lie with dogs, you get fleas."
Holmes has spent 28 months in custody since his arrest. He must now serve another three years, 10 months.

I think 8 and a half years is WAYY too harsh! This man had no gang ties and when you think about it, his crime really wasn't that serious. Nobody was harmed or killed and he didn't want anything to do with the Hells Angels. Stats show that longer sentences are no more effective, actually cause more harm and recidivism, than shorter sentences. I would also like to know the mitigating circumstances in this case, and this man's background and family life, any previous record, etc. I would have sentenced this man to maybe 3 years prison, because it still is a relatively serious drug offence, with drug treatment and counseling, life skills, education, employment assistance, etc. 

Hells Angels associate sentenced to 8 and a half years prison

Hells Angels associate sentenced to 8.5 years prison

A Hells Angels associate has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to a string of charges from his arrest in an undercover police sting operation.

Allen Morrison, 38, was one of 18 people targeted during Project Drill, in which a secret agent was paid $625,000 plus expenses to conduct a series of drug deals which were captured by police audio and video surveillance.

Morrison was caught in 2007 arranging four major cocaine deals in which he sent a lower-level "courier" to meet with the agent at various city locations, including Polo Park Shopping Centre, Shoppers Drug Mart, Burger King and A&W in which cash and drugs changed hands.

Morrison was a longtime biker associate, officially deemed a "Hangaround", who was slowly climbing the criminal ladder at the time of his arrest, court was told.

Morrison also pleaded guilty Tuesday to obstruction of justice for his actions at a December 2007 sentencing hearing on drug offences from 2003. At the time, Morrison and his lawyer told court he had walked away from his gang affiliations, moved out of Winnipeg with his wife and children and was looking forward to living a life on the straight and narrow.

In fact, Morrison had just spent the past few months practically begging to be made a full-patch Hells member and deliberately misled the court in an attempt to get a more lenient sentence, court was told.

Morrison apologized for his actions Tuesday and spoke of a "new way of thinking" which including living crime-free once he is released from prison. A cynical Queen’s Bench Justice Brenda Keyser wasn’t buying it.

"I have great difficulty believing there’s any truth to that," she said. "It’s not the first time he has tried to con the court."

Morrison was given single-time credit for 28 months of pre-trial custody, meaning he has six years and two months left to serve. He was also ordered to pay back $50,000 he received in exchange for the drugs he supplied to the agent and will have to spent another year behind bars if he can’t come up with the cash.

Biker pleads guilty
Has longtime biker associate and drug dealer Allen Morrison changed his ways?
A judge who sentenced him to 8.5 years in prison doesn't think so.
Morrison pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession of cocaine for the purposes of trafficking, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and obstruction of justice. The last charge is in connection to Morrison's attempt to mislead the court into believing he was turning his back on a life of crime.
"I have grave doubts Mr. Morrison seriously wants to move in a positive direction," said Justice Brenda Keyser. "It's not the first time he has tried to con the court."
Morrison, 38, was one of 18 people arrested in December 2007 as part of a undercover police investigation targeting the Hells Angels and its associates.

Biker, drug dealer jailed 8.5 years
Has longtime biker associate and drug dealer Allen Morrison changed his ways?
A judge who sentenced him to 81/2 years in prison doesn’t think so.
Morrison pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession of cocaine for the purposes of trafficking, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and obstruction of justice. The last charge is in connection to Morrison’s attempt to mislead the court into believing he was turning his back on a life of crime.
“I have grave doubts Mr. Morrison seriously wants to move in a positive direction,” said Justice Brenda Keyser. “It’s not the first time he has tried to con the court.”
Morrison, 38, was one of 18 people arrested in December 2007 as part of Project Drill, a undercover police investigation targeting the Hells Angels and its associates.
Morrison was already in custody at the time of his arrest. That same month he was sentenced to one year in jail after being convicted at trial of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. At that sentencing hearing, Morrison told the court he had severed his ties with his criminal associates and had moved to the country with his girlfriend and young child.
What the court didn’t know was that Morrison was still dealing drugs with an eye to becoming a Hells Angels “prospect.” “There is no question Mr. Morrison lied to the court in order to receive a more lenient sentence,” Crown attorney Pat Flynn said Tuesday. “Were it not for Project Drill we would never have known about it.”
As in similar investigations before and since, Operation Drill relied on the use of a paid agent — in this case, career criminal and biker associate Scott “Taz” Robertson — to ensnare the criminal targets. Morrison negotiated four drug deals with Robertson worth $50,000. The money has not been recovered.
Morrison was sentenced to eight years on the drug charges and an additional six months for obstruction of justice. He received 28 months credit for time served but will serve another year in custody if he does not repay the $50,000.
Morrison claimed he was ashamed of his actions and again promised that his days as a criminal are in the past.
“I don’t ever want to create victims in my life again,” he told Keyser.
Keyser didn’t believe him.
“I think his prospects for rehabilitation, quite frankly, are slim.”

Drug trafficking nets man 8 year term
ALLEN Morrison had two major goals in life -- to join the ranks of the Hells Angels and to bring the purest cocaine to the streets of Winnipeg.
An undercover police sting operation made sure Morrison came up short on both fronts.
Morrison, 38, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to a string of trafficking charges from his December 2007 arrest. Morrison was one of 18 people targeted during "Project Drill", in which a secret agent was paid $625,000 plus expenses to conduct a series of drug deals which were captured by police audio and video surveillance.
Morrison was caught arranging four major cocaine deals in which he sent a lower-level "courier" to meet with the agent at various city locations, including the Polo Park Shopping Centre, Shoppers Drug Mart, Burger King and A&W in which cash and drugs changed hands.
Police also intercepted a phone call in which Morrison pledged to bring better quality cocaine to the city. The agent was complaining about the diluted product he'd been receiving.
"I want it to be very pure to get everyone hooked on crack again," said Morrison.
Morrison was a longtime biker associate, officially deemed a "Hangaround", who was slowly climbing the criminal ladder at the time of his arrest, court was told.
Morrison also pleaded guilty Tuesday to obstruction of justice for his actions at a December 2007 sentencing hearing on drug offences from 2003. At the time, Morrison and his lawyer told court he had walked away from his gang affiliations, moved out of Winnipeg with his wife and children and was looking forward to living a life on the straight and narrow.
In fact, Morrison had just spent the past few months practically begging to be made a full-patch Hells member and deliberately misled the court in an attempt to get a more lenient sentence.
"He made representations through his council he knew to be false," Crown attorney Pat Flynn told court.
Morrison apologized for his actions Tuesday and spoke of a "new way of thinking" which including living crime-free once he is released from prison. A cynical Queen's Bench Justice Brenda Keyser wasn't buying it.
"I have great difficulty believing there's any truth to that," she said. "It's not the first time he has tried to con the court."

I definitely agree that this man is manipulative and has lied to the court about his actions and behaviour. He participated in cocaine deals (which by the way, are not THAT serious of a crime) and pleaded guilty to it. 

I would like to know whether there were any mitigating factors in this case or the background history of this man and his lawyer's arguments. 

I feel that 6 years is too harsh of a sentence. Research has proven that longer sentences are no more effective in reducing and deterring crime, than shorter sentences. 

I feel that prison should only be meant for the most dangerous, high risk and violent offenders. From this article, I would not classify this man as any of those. Drugs are not that violent of an offence, as there are no victims. He did not harm anybody. If he has drug addiction problems and gang problems, I would suggest a gang desistance program, family counseling, counseling to uncover the root causes of his criminal behaviour, healthy living skills and addictions treatment. 

I don't know if a lengthy prison sentence is necessary for this man. I would suggest possibly a year in prison because it was a drug offence and to express denunciation combined with counseling and drug treatment.