COCAINE RIP-OFF A BAD DEAL FOR SELLER, TOO

Sting Sends Hells Angel to Prison

A Manitoba Hells Angels member who tried to rip off his buddy by
selling him a kilogram of severely diluted cocaine ended up being the
victim of an even crueller joke.

The so-called "friend" was actually working for police and the drug
deal had just been caught on camera.

"It was a classic double-cross," federal Crown attorney Chris
Mainella told a Winnipeg court Tuesday.

Jeff Peck, 44, pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and was
sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison under an agreement
between Crown and defence lawyers.

He was also hit with a $35,000 fine that will be converted to an
additional year behind bars if not paid.

Peck was one of 13 suspects arrested last February after an extensive
undercover investigation by the RCMP and Winnipeg police.

He is the seventh person to plead guilty, and the first of the three
full-patch Hells Angels members. Hells Angel President has a trial
set for November, and another member will begin his hearing next
month. Both men remain in custody.

The bulk of the Crown's case was built on the work of
career-criminal-turned-police-agent Franco Atanasovic, who is being
paid US$525,000 plus expenses for tasks that included doing 18
separate drug deals.

The one involving Peck went down in the parking lot of a Portage
Avenue car wash in May 2005, court was told Tuesday.

Following earlier discussions outside a Winnipeg hockey arena and
hardware store, Peck agreed to meet Atanasovic and swap a kilo of
cocaine for $35,000 cash.

Atanasovic was given the money by police, who equipped him with a
listening device and were watching the deal and filming it from a
distance with video cameras.

Police were surprised at what they found once Atanasovic returned
with the drugs.

"It was only 25 per cent pure. In fact, you couldn't dilute it any
further. It was as low as you can go," Mainella told court Tuesday.

Peck has a lengthy criminal record that includes two drug-trafficking
convictions. He has been involved in the Manitoba biker scene for two
decades and joined the Hells Angels in 2002, court was told.

He was to stand trial later this month, but struck a last-minute deal
under which he got a reduced sentence in exchange for his guilty plea.

Mainella said the move saves taxpayers "tens of thousands of dollars"
and means Atanasovic won't have to be brought to court under high
security to testify against Peck.

Peck's prior involvement with the law means he will likely serve
every minute of his sentence and will not be eligible for early
parole, Mainella said.