Canada - ~Crown wants six years for Hells Angel convicted in beating, weapons offences~
The Crown is seeking a six-year jail term for a member of the Hells Angels who was convicted of extortion and weapons offences.
In July a B.C. Supreme Court jury found Jean Violette, a member of the notorious motorcycle club's East End chapter, guilty of helping to beat up a North Vancouver drug dealer named Glen Louie who was posing as a Hells Angel.
He was also found to be in possession of two illegal firearms which had been seized from his home.
Violette was found not guilty of the more serious charge of committing his crimes on behalf of a criminal organization.
Crown counsel Mark Levitz told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Selwyn Romilly that Violette should get four and a half years for the extortion and 18 months for the firearms charge to be served consecutively.
Levitz noted that while the accused was acquitted on the criminal- organization charge, he did commit the extortion for the club.
"His group did not like Mr. Louie going about selling drugs using the Hells Angels brand. Mr. Violette took his actions to show his disapproval on behalf of his group."
Levitz noted an aggravating factor was that Louie was injured, with a police wiretap having him say that he had been "pissing" blood from the beating.
"Toughest f-ing 12 days I went through,"Louie says on the January 2005 intercept.
John Punko and Randy Potts – two of Violette's three co-accused – were also convicted of weapons offences but were sentenced effectively to time served after getting double-time credit for pre-sentence custody.
But Violette has been out on bail since three weeks after his arrest.
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