DRUG CASH GIVEN TO SON IN BATHROOM

But Teen Says He Didn't Know Police Involved

Franco Atanasovic didn't take his teenage son out to the ball game
when he wanted to spend some quality time together.

Instead, the career criminal turned police agent told his boy to drop
everything and meet him right away in the bathroom stall of a local
fast-food joint.

"Yes, I thought it was odd. But I didn't say anything. It was none of
my business," the young man testified Thursday during a brief, but
certainly memorable, court appearance.

"But I was unsure of the entire situation, unsure of what was going
on."

His name isn't being published because he is a youth who is in witness
protection along with his father and two other siblings.

He was called to testify at the trial of Hells Angels member Ian
Grant, who is facing nine charges including extortion, drug
trafficking, proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal
organization.

The teen described how Atanasovic called him up and told him to ditch
his night out with friends to head straight to the Burger Factory on
Portage Avenue.

He said the instructions were crystal clear -- stand in a bathroom
stall, be quiet and everything will make sense.

Moments later, the teen listened as someone walked into the washroom,
dropped a wad of cash on the floor and kicked it under the stall
before leaving without saying a word.

"I recognized it was my father because when he kicked it I recognized
his shoe," the teen told jurors.

"I then put it down my pants, waited a few minutes and then sat down
and ate a burger."

Atanasovic was paid $525,000 to infiltrate the Hells Angels during a
year-long undercover sting. He captured several drug deals and
negotiations on video and audio surveillance.

Yet jurors have heard Atanasovic also brokered a side deal in which he
skimmed $5,000 cash from a $38,000 bundle police had supplied him to
buy drugs during an alleged deal with Grant.

Atanasovic testified last month how he got the price down to $33,000,
then didn't tell police with hopes of pocketing the money. Only he
needed his son's help.

However, the plan backfired when Atanasovic left the bathroom stall
and the drug deal fell through. He needed to return the entire $38,000
to police, meaning a second frantic phone call to his son.

"He told me to meet him at the Tim Hortons," his son said
Thursday.

The teen quickly scarfed down his burger and returned the $5,000 to
his father -- less a $100 bill he was allowed to keep for a job well
done. Atanasovic covered that loss from his own pocket.

Defence lawyer Ian Garber suggested Thursday that the father-and-son
team seemed pretty polished for first-timers.

"I'm suggesting this was something you did on a regular basis," he
said.

"That's not correct, no," replied the teen.

"You didn't think it was odd that your father was kicking a pile of
money to you under the bathroom stall in the Burger Factory?" asked
Garber.

The teen said he did but claimed to have no knowledge at the time of
his dad's involvement in the police project and isn't particularly
interested in what's currently happening.

"I don't care what's going on right now. I have to live a life," he
said.

Garber attacked the credibility of Atanasovic during several days of
cross-examination last month. The Crown admits Atanasovic is no saint
but believes it can prove the case against Grant through independent
evidence they collected.

The trial began in early March and is now heading into the final
stretch. Experts on organized crime and outlaw motorcycle gangs will
be called during the next week and more exhibits will likely be shown
to jurors, including an inside look at the Hells clubhouse in north
Winnipeg.

Jurors are expected to begin deliberations by late April.