Angus Reid conducted a national on-line poll on Canadians' attitudes to illegal narcotics.
Not surprisingly, a majority favoured the decriminialization of marijuana, with B.C. being the most willing to change the law.
But other information in the poll seemed contradictory.
Here is our report:
New Westminister police was called to an abandonned car left in a downtown parking lot last Friday. When they got there, they found a man dead inside.
Now homicide investigators have confirmed that the man, Patrick Alexander Leblanc, was murdered.
So in the last two months we have had people slain in Metro Vancouver ranging in age from 17 to 67.
Here is my story:
Former gangster Anton Hooites-Meursing who pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of first-degree murder admitted to readers of the Real Scoop two weeks ago that he is in fact cooperating with police in the Surrey Six investigations. And he said he wouldn't be able to contribute to the blog any more, hinting something may be up.
Of course, what was up were the negotiations leading to Tuesday's plea agreement. Hooites-Meursing got sentenced to life behind bars, hardly a break.
And now court documents confirm what Hooites-Meursing told you - that he is linked to the Surrey Six case as Person X.
The original indictments charging Jamie Bacon, Cody Haevischer, Matt Johnston, Mike Le and Dennis Karbovanec referred to Person X. Person X is no longer listed in the latest version of the indictment - but Anton's name is there as an un-indicted co-conspirator.
Here is my story and there will be more:
The Abby PD launched three anti-gang PSAs Tuesday as part of their Operation Veritas or truth project. One of them was the video myself and our photographer watched being produced. This department has done more than any other to keep youth away from gangs with its poster campaign, school presentations and now videos on Youtube.
Here is the story with the Youtube links:
The videos were taken to high schools Tuesday. Hammering home the anti-gang message is so important, particularly on the same day that a former Abbotsford gangster pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The investigation into the suspected murder on Charles Street of an infant in March continues.
But Vancouver police have decided there would be no point searching the Burns Bog dump for the missing infants' remains.
Here is the update:
Let's hope this child gets justice, but it may be hard to lay charges without important forensic evidence.
The former Red Scorpion uttered just two words during his suprise appearance in New Westminster Supreme Court Tuesday. "Guilty," he said when asked if he killed Randy McLeod back in 2001. "Guilty," he said again when asked if he participated in the murder of Bobby Rehal two years later.
Hooites-Meursing was sentenced to life behind bars with no chance of parole for 25 years.
It was a tense scene in the high-security courtroom. Many family members of the two dead men wailed and wept when details of the horrific crimes were read.
Here is my story so far:
I will have much more on-line later tonight and in tomorrow's newspaper. Check back about 11:30 pm PDT.
Vancouver Police Insp. Brad Desmarais says his gang squad has put the East End Hells Angels on notice about the violent behaviour of full-patchers like Juel Stanton.
Desmarais told reporters after Stanton was ordered out on bail Monday that Vancouver police visited EEHA president John Bryce two months ago about Stanton's constant intimidation on behalf of the biker gang.
He said the meeting with a Sergeant and two constables was cordial and that Bryce seemed receptive. But AFTER that meeting, Stanton got charged with weapons offences and assaults related to two alleged attacks at the Ivanhoe. So he says the Hells Angels might face some law enforcement action as a result
Stanton has been "terrifying citizens," Desmarais said. He said Stanton lifts up his shirt in bars to point out his HA tattoos.
While Stanton was allowed out on bail, as long as he can post a $75,000 surety, Desmarais said the 21 conditions are very strict and do protect the public.
Stanton can't go anywhere near the Ivanhoe bar. He can't wear colours, patches, support wear or put any HA logo on his vehicle or home.
Nor can he associate with any of his Hells Angels gang-mates or associates, except his own son Dillon.
Here is my story so far:
I wonder if the pickle jar will soon be back on the bar at the East End Clubhouse.
Last year, it came out at the trial of Jean Violette, Ronnie Lising, Randy Potts and John Punko that the jar was on the bar back in 2005 to collect funds for the succesful defence of Juel Ross Stanton on earlier assault, forcible confinement and extortion charges. Stanton was acquitted back in September 2006.
But he is facing a series of new charges, weapons, assault and driving while prohibited.
Few details were available Sunday, but he has a bail hearing Monday morning.
Here is my story so far:
And as if we needed even more news Friday, there were also two major police investigations going on.
Three drug labs linked to the same suspected crime group were raided Friday afternoon by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, with lots of support from the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team.
Anyone nearby would have seen heavily-armed police surrounding the buildings, then forensic specialists in protective jumpsuits move in and take over.
Here is my story (which I was still working on late Friday)
And the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team was on the scene of a suspicious death New Westminster where a body was found in a vehicle at an apartment complex.
Here is a story from the Sun's sister paper:
The breaking news about Kash Heed's resignation as Solicitor General caught all of us by surprise. I got the news with colleagues mid-afternoon and we all started working on the story.
By 3:45, Heed was calling a news conference and the RCMP scheduled their own hasty response.
It seems some campaign workers are under investigation for possible violations of the B.C. Elections Act.
The allegations - which are so far unproven - are believed to relate to a controversial mail-out just before the May 2009 election in which the NDP was viciously attacked as supporting gangsters, prostitutes and drug dealers, It was in Chinese and not officially linked to any party or campaign. The Sun and other media covered the controversy at the time. We linked the brochure to a bulk mail company called North American Mailing run by Dinesh Khanna. Khanna would not say who paid for the ad to be sent out. A complaint was filed at the time with Elections B.C. It is believed that the ad was not declared in the campaign financial records.
The question remains about who paid for brochure and the mailing. But what has come to light now is that Khanna's son was working on Heed's campaign at the time. Neither Dinish Khanna, his son Amit nor campaign manager Barinder Sall were returning calls and emails Friday.
Heed told reporters that he knew nothing about the allegations, but felt he had to step aside to protect the integrity of his office. He expects to be exonerated and hopes to return to the job of top cop.
Here is our story:
Newsrooms are crazy when stories like this break. We all work together at an amazing pace to piece together what we can and continue to file additions to the story until the final deadline. It is one reason why I am just blogging at midnight - I left the office after 10. And while there is a bit of an adrenaline rush, stories like this are inherently tough - Heed was a very well-respected Sol-Gen in the midst of making important changes to oversight of police in the province. He appeared devastated by the news today. Let's hope this investigation is thorough and brings a quick resolution for the parties directly involved, but also for the public.
Nanaimo RCMP are releasing few details of their investigation into a former guard at the Nanaimo Correctional Centre.
And they say the allegations do NOT related to anything that would have put the public in danger.
But it is still disturbing considering the other two recent convictions of jail guards at the North Fraser Pre-trial Jail.
Here is my story:
I have heard some disturbing stories from former inmates at both provincial and federal institutions about some of the things that go on inside. I have been told about cases where corrupt guards who ask for inmates' relatives to deposit money in a bank account for contraband. I am sure these cases involve a tiny minority of the prison staff, but they shouldn't be happening at all. And they are very difficult to investigate as the witnesses are likely not going to cooperate, nor do they have credibility because of their own criminal connections.
An associate of North Vancouver cross-border smuggler Krysta Edwards has also received a five-year sentence in a Seatlle courtroom.
Former Vancouver resident Nen Cruces got the same sentence Friday as Edwards received two weeks before.
He had been living in California at the time of his arrest last year, but was crossing the B.C.-Washington border often as he smuggled BZP and ecstasy across.
Here is my story:
Sum Peter Li, his wife Jennifer Pan and associate Xiao Chun Cheng survived weeks of torture and beatings back in 2006. They even paid their abductors more than $1 million ransom. They were finally rescued by police who were wiretapping conversations of the kidnappers.
Li was no angel. Already charged in a massive drug conspiracy at the time, police initially believed he had faked his kidnapping to flee the jurisdiction and avoid jail. But they soon saw what was really going on and launched a massive undercover operation.
The case had been in trial at the Vancouver Law Courts for YEARS.
Justice Barry Davies finally handed down his 226-page ruling Thursday. He found all six accused guilty of at least some of the charges they faced.
Here is my story:
Here is a piece I wrote on the case back at the time:
Here is the ruling:
Meena Jouhal was sentenced to seven years in jail after pleading guilty in a murder-for-hire plot in which her husband was the target. The plot was foiled by Surrey RCMP.
Jouhal got some credit for pre-trial time served and a firearms' prohibition.
Information from the sentencing hearing was banned from publication because her co-accused, Bal Buttar, is yet to go to trial.
When I can report more, I will.
Here is what I can say now:
It looks like another bleak search of the Burns Bog landfill may be on the horizon. In February, Richmond RCMP spent three days raking through tons of garbage searching for the body of a newborn boy after getting a tip he had been thrown out with the trash.
Now Vancouver Police says it has been at the dump over the last week deciding whether to embark on a search for the missing infant from Charles Street who is believed dead.The final decision has not yet been made. I imagine it is a mammoth task to undertake.
The young mom in the Richmond case faces several charges that are now before the courts.
No charges have been laid in the Vancouver case.
Here is my update: