WOMEN CHARGED WITH HARBOURING CRIME CASH

THE common-law wife and future mother-in-law of Hells Angels member
Ian Grant have been accused of harbouring thousands of dollars of
alleged proceeds of crime inside a safety deposit box, the Free Press
has learned.

Michelle Lee Baisinger and her mother, Lorraine Klassen, were
arrested earlier this month following a lengthy investigation that
began in February with the arrests of 13 Hells Angels members and
associates, according to court documents.

Grant, along with Hells Angels president Ernie Dew and full-patch
member Jeff Peck, were among those charged with a series of drug,
intimidation and organized crime-related offences stemming from a
year-long undercover investigation.

All three men remain in custody and are presumed innocent. Four
co-accused have pleaded guilty, including Dew's wife.

Baisinger and her mother were released on bail following their
arrest. Baisinger was back in court yesterday seeking to delete a
condition of her release that forbids her from having any contact
with Grant, who is being held at the Remand Centre.

She filed an affidavit last week saying she needs to communicate with
Grant because they run three businesses together, including a pizza
restaurant, an automotive shop and a mobile sign company. "I cannot
operate these businesses without consulting Mr. Grant and I fear
great financial loss if I have to attempt to run them on my own," she
said in the affidavit.

Baisinger said she has been living common law with Grant for nearly
eight years and they got engaged last June. She said they had planned
to marry this past April 29 but the wedding had to be canceled
because of Grant's arrest.

The Crown is opposed to Baisinger's attempt to have contact with Grant.

A court-ordered ban prevents specific details of yesterday's hearing
from being published.

Queen's Bench Associate Chief Justice Jeffrey Oliphant will continue
hearing arguments when the case continues this afternoon.

Meanwhile, one of the other accused in the high-profile case filed a
motion yesterday seeking to have the Crown's star witness --
undercover agent Franco Atanasovic -- brought to court next week for
his bail hearing.

Samuel Stephen Thorsteinson, 40, wants to subpoena Atanasovic so he
can be grilled by defence lawyer Jay Prober over his involvement with
the accused.

The Crown is expected to fight any attempts to produce Atanasovic.