BLOGGER LEAKED ORDER TO RAID HELLS ANGELS

An Internet blogger leaked a confidential court document on a massive
police bust of the Hells Angels biker gang clubhouses 11 days before
tactical officers launched their dawn raids this week, the Star has
learned.

Leaked on the Internet was a judge's order allowing federal
authorities to seize the Hells Angels' fortified clubhouse on Eastern
Ave. in Toronto, which was home to the largest Hells Angels chapter in
Canada.

"It's very shocking," said Toronto-area organized crime expert Antonio
Nicaso, who has lectured police around the world. "That could have
jeopardized the whole operation. It can be dangerous for the informer.
It can be dangerous for everyone."

Despite police comments that they needed extreme secrecy to protect
officers, hints of the upcoming raids and a digital file of a court
order allowing authorities to secretly seize the Eastern Ave.
clubhouse were posted on at least five Internet sites, including one
for true crime aficionados, on March 25. The Web postings were still
available yesterday. "It could be a mistake or it could be something
that was done with malice," said Nicaso, adding it would be unfair to
conclude the bikers have a mole in policing or the courts. "I think
they have to investigate because things like that are not normal. I
think it deserves a full investigation."

Steve Skurka, a Toronto lawyer who defended two Woodbridge Hells
Angels in a previous trial, said he's never heard of anything like
this. "Certainly it's unprecedented. ... Search warrants are supposed
to be conducted by surprise."

Skurka said he expects the leak to be "highly significant" for both
the defence and the police.

Asked how the defence might view the leak, he said "it raises
questions about the order."

For a full day after the raids began at 6 a.m. Thursday across
southern Ontario, New Brunswick and Vancouver, police said they
couldn't release much information because they wanted to ensure
officers' safety.

The 18-month operation, called Project Develop, involved some 400
officers and relied on information from a Hells Angels' member who had
become a police agent. His identity has not been released and he's now
under police protection.

Secrecy is essential in organized crime investigations to protect
officers and informers, Nicaso said.

"That's bizarre," Nicaso said of the Internet leak. "The whole
operation depends on secrecy."

The Internet postings included a PDF file (a digital copy) of the
judge's secret order, which transferred control of the Eastern Ave.
clubhouse and a house in east Toronto and another in Barrie from the
Hells Angels to the federal government. The Eastern Ave. clubhouse was
home to the downtown Toronto chapter, which has three dozen full members.

The ruling stated the bikers would learn they'd lost their properties
only when served with search warrants. "A copy of this order shall be
served on the following parties but shall only be served upon the
execution of search warrants at the properties whenever that may be."

Det. Insp. Daniel Redmond, head of the Ontario Provincial Police Biker
Enforcement Unit, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Police insisted on Thursday the Hells Angels didn't know they had lost
control of their property until the early-morning raids, when police
used a battering ram to punch a hole in the clubhouse's front wall.

The blogger who posted the judge's confidential order on March 25
identified himself only as "drmm", "drmmfamm" and "a researcher from
Toronto, Canada." The order was issued on March 14 in London, Ont.

The Superior Court judge ruled the properties were proceeds of crime
under new anti-racketeering legislation, after studying affidavits of
two police officers, "Being satisfied that there are reasonable
grounds to believe that all the properties listed in ... are
properties in respect of which a forfeiture order may be made under s.
16 (1) or 17 (2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act."

The Eastern Ave. property was the property of Old Navy Property
Corporation, whose officers were listed as James Butler of Main St.,
John McMahon of Briarbluff Ave., and John Neal of 498 Eastern Ave.,
the club's address.

Neil, 57, was charged with committing an offence in association with a
criminal organization, committing an offence for a criminal
organization, and conspiracy to traffic in the date rape drug GHB.

The seized house at 103 Berard Court in Barrie is listed as the
property of Ian Watson and Valerie Fisher, charged with two counts of
conspiracy to traffic in hashish, trafficking cocaine, two counts of
possession of hashish for the purpose of trafficking, possession of
cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and three counts of possession
of property obtained by crime. Watson was also charged with committing
an offence in association with a criminal organization.

The seized house at 43 Sherwood Ave. in east Toronto is listed to
Mehrdad Bahman and Charlotte Bahman.

The clubhouse was transferred to Old Navy Property Corporation in
April 2006 from Ontario Corporation 2005631, also known as Red & White
Company Ltd. Red and white are the Hells Angels colours.

Pooler, 56, was charged in Project Develop with committing an offence
in association with a criminal organization, trafficking the pain
killer OxyContin and four counts of possession of property obtained by
crime.