THREE B.C. MEN SENT TO PRISON FOR DRUG SMUGGLING ROLES

Four Others Given Probation by Judge in Seattle Court for Their Part
in International 'Corporation' With Links to Hells Angels

Three B.C. men were sentenced to prison here Friday for their roles in
an international drug smuggling "corporation" with links to the Hells
Angels. And four others who played lesser roles in the multi-million
dollar marijuana and cocaine operation pleaded their cases to Chief
U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik, ending up with probation, fines and
community service.

Longtime Fraser Valley resident Jody York, who prosecutors described
as chairman of the board, got the stiffest term -- five years -- for
being one of the brains behind the smuggling ring. His partner in
crime, Edward (Skeeter) Russell, a high-level manager of the group,
got four-and-a-half years behind bars.

"This is organized criminal activity that has a terrible impact on the
community," Lasnik said.

Both York, 36, and Russell, 34, struck plea bargains and ended up with
much shorter sentences than the 20 years handed to their
co-conspirator and friend, Rob Shannon, two years ago.

Shannon and Devron Quast were arrested in June 2008, following a
three-year investigation that involved undercover officers and
resulted in the seizure of more than 1,700 pounds of cocaine, 7,000
pounds of B.C. bud and about $3.5 million.

It was a bizarre parade of Canadian smugglers -- almost one every hour
- -- at the Federal Courthouse here Friday.

They arrived with family and friends in tow to convince Lasnik that
they deserved a break for their respective roles the drug conspiracy.
Some greeted each other in the courthouse hallway. One lawyer asked a
defendant if he could give his client a lift back to Canada.

Asst. U.S. Attorney Sarah Vogel said the drug conspiracy was one of
the biggest operations agents in Washington state had ever seen.

"It isn't too far-fetched to look at this like a corporation," Vogel
said. "It took a lot of people to make an operation like this succeed
as long as it did."

Vancouver's Bryan Hanna was handed a year-long sentence for being a
mid-level ring manager, but was allowed to return to B.C. for a
medical appointment before surrendering to a U.S. jail.

All four men who got probation, Darren Hotner, Andrew Hall, Brian
Stone and Fred Davey, could have received up to 20 years in jail and
$1-million fines for their convictions.

Hotner, 42, rented part of his Abbotsford farm to the drug group, but
was not directly involved. Hall, 33, hid the pot inside the trucks and
campers the drug gang used. Stone, 48, and Davey, 63, drove some of
the loads across the border.

Lasnik took the opportunity to question each defendant about why they
would risk it all to get caught up in the violent world of drugs and
gangs.

"Your kids and other people's kids are the ones who suffer when a
community is riddled with violence the way Vancouver, B.C. is," Lasnik
told York.

He scolded Hotner, a family man and community volunteer, for turning a
blind eye to the illicit activity on his farm.

"These people up there don't really care what they do to you and your
family," Lasnik said.

"You see the gangs and the shootings. That is not what Canada is all
about."

York, who has been associated to both the Hells Angels and Independent
Soldiers gangs, told Lasnik his criminal connections have been
exaggerated by police and the media.

Lasnik said that even though York denies his smuggling group worked
for the Hells Angels, when there is a successful criminal organization
moving the volume of drugs they shipped, the gangs want a piece of the
action.

"They are going to get in on it," he said.

Lasnik also challenged Russell about why he couldn't have used the
ample skills his lawyer boasted about in court Friday in legitimate
ways.

"I was just too tempted," Russell said. "It was definitely a
money-driven thing."

For a while, he enjoyed living the high life with easy access to cash,
Russell said.

"It was a great feeling. They are great guys," he said of York and
Shannon.

"You just don't think of the hundreds of people you hurt along the
way."

Lasnik said Russell will learn in jail that the real riches in life
are family and friends.

"The money -- the gangster lifestyle -- is here today and gone
tomorrow," Lasnik said.