PAY DEBT FOR DRUGS OR LOSE SON, COURT HEARS

Woman Denies Owing Money But Says She Gave Up Custody

'I was scared but after I signed the note and they took my son I figured I
had nothing to lose' -- Marci Poitras

A 32-year-old woman says she was forced to pay a Hells Angels member
thousands of dollars for a drug debt that wasn't hers or risk losing
custody of her son.

Marci Poitras told a Court of Queen's Bench that she eventually signed a
note relinquishing custody of the child because she didn't have the money
and feared the accused would kill her boyfriend.

"I didn't want to sign the note. I didn't want to lose my son," Poitras
said. Poitras said once she signed the document she went to police.

"I was scared but after I signed the note and they took my son I figured I
had nothing to lose," Poitras said.

Mark Bohoychuk, 46, has pleaded not guilty to charges of extortion and assault.

Poitras testified yesterday that the accused told her she owed $8,000 for a
cocaine debt racked up by her ex-common-law Michael Bryson, the father of
the child.

Bryson is also facing extortion charges in connection with the alleged
incident. His trial is scheduled for a later date.

Poitras said she had known Bohoychuk since she was a teenager and met him
through her father. Both men used to be a members of the now-defunct Los
Brovos motorcycle gang. Court was told that Bryson was also friends with
Bohoychuk.

Poitras said she and Bryson split up in 1998 or 1999 and soon afterward she
began living with her boyfriend, Jordan Pede.

She said around Christmas 2000, two bikers came to her West Kildonan home
and told her she owed them $8,000 for Bryson's drug debt.

"They said I must have used some of it (the cocaine)," said Poitras.

She said she refused to pay.

Poitras said she was then visited by Bohoychuk. She said she owed him
$1,150 for some marijuana she was supposed to sell.

However, she said the biker added the $8,000 bill of her ex to that amount.

"I didn't know why they added it together," Poitras said.

Poitras said after that Bohoychuk and Bryson visited her daily, demanding
money. She testified in one instance Bohoychuk kicked Pede in the head and
took his car in lieu of money they said was owed.

Poitras said she gave the biker thousands of dollars but couldn't say how much.

Poitras's mother testified that she gave her daughter $800 and Pede's
mother told the court that she gave the couple $1,650 to help them out.
Both moms said they urged the two to go to police.

Poitras said she was told by Bryson that if she split up with Pede this
would "all go away."

Poitras said they did break up for a couple of months but nothing really
changed.

Court was told that in February 2001, Bohoychuk came over with the custody
document already filled out and ordered her to sign it, which Poitras did.

Poitras said she was served with custody papers that night and had to
appear in court the next day.

Court was told that although Poitras had custody of her son, now nine, he
was temporarily living with Bryson's parents at the time because she had
been sick with chicken pox and couldn't look after him.

A judge hearing the case in family court granted an interim order in which
the child would live with Bryson's parents and Poitras would see him on
weekends. Poitras said she never got a chance to tell the judge about being
forced to sign a custody document.

Court was told that the boy remains with Bryson's parents. Poitras said she
only sees him every couple of months.

The trial continues.