Wanted Hells Angel turns himself in
A man police describe as the sergeant-at-arms of the Kelowna chapter of the Hells Angles and the subject of a Canada-wide arrest warrant following a weekend raid on the Hells Angels clubhouse here has turned himself in to police.
Brian Oldham, accompanied by his lawyer, walked into the RCMP detachment Tuesday afternoon.
Police in Burnaby said they feel Oldham realized there was nowhere to hide after his photograph was made public at a press conference the RCMP held on Monday in Vancouver to outline the raids and identify Oldham as well as several other men who have now been charged as a result of the raid.
At the press conference, the RCMP said in addition to the raid on the Kelowna clubhouse Saturday, raids were also conducted in Osoyoos and Coquitlam at the same time.
The raids resulted in the seizure of $4 million in alleged drug money, as well as several handguns and assault weapons.
Seven men were arrested in connection with the police action.
One of them, David Giles, the vice-president of the Kelowna Hells Angels chapter, was arrested at a Burnaby casino on the weekend.
Giles, who was acquitted of drug charges in 2008, was charged Monday, along with three other men, Kevin Van Kalkeran, Michael Redd and James Howard with conspiracy to import a controlled substance and conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance. Three other men, Organ Saydam, Murray Trekofski, Shawn Womacks were charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking a controlled substance.
Crown lawyers want to use a direct indictment for all seven, which would allow them to go directly to trial in B.C. Supreme Court.
At Monday's press conference, RCMP Supt. Brian Cantera said the raids in Kelowna, Osoyoos and Coquitlam resulted from an investigation dubbed E-Predicate that exposed what police say was an international plot to import 500 kilograms of cocaine into Canada using money from the production and sale of marijuana produced in the area covered by the south-east division of the RCMP in B.C. That area includes the Central Okanagan.
The investigation took 21 months and involved several international agencies from as far away as the U.S., Mexico and Panama
Olham was held in police custody Tuesday and was scheduled to appear in court in Vancouver Wednesday.
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