Washington - U.S. drug-smuggling warrants issued for four B.C. men

OFF THE WIRE
Kim Bolan
 vancouversun.com

Another group of suspected B.C. drug smugglers -- who police believe worked on behalf of the Hells Angels -- has been indicted in Washington state.
U.S. warrants were issued Wednesday for Dustin Meehan, Justin Harris, Ronald Lochbaum and Gordy Dahms, alleging they transported major shipments of marijuana across the border for several years using various methods to conceal the illicit loads.
The four are alleged to have worked with Rob Shannon, Devron Quast, Jody York and others who have already pleaded guilty in Seattle. Shannon was earlier handed a 20-year sentence, while others got lesser terms. York and six others who were charged last October have pleaded guilty but are yet to be sentenced.
The latest indictment says the four "collaborated to operate a marijuana transportation and distribution organized based in British Columbia."
"This B.C. marijuana organization imported and attempted to import dozens of loads of marijuana from Canada to the United States on behalf of their clients, who primarily were independent marijuana supply/distribution cells operating within Canada," the indictment says.
"Those clients paid the B.C.marijuana organization a fee for successfully importing into the United States, transporting and delivering their marijuana."
The drug gang concealed their pot in truckloads of bark, PVC sewer pipes, inside false walls, floors and ceilings of refrigerated semi-trailers, cargo containers and campers.
"The members of the conspiracy agreed that whoever devised a specific smuggling method would be paid a royalty every time that method succeeded," the indictment says.
The new defendants' main role was to get clients for the drug distribution, the U.S. Attorney alleges in court documents. Specifically, the indictment says Harris came up with the scheme to hide pot shipments in the false walls of semis and Dahms modified the vehicles and loaded the marijuana in difference compartments.
Others in the gang negotiated the contracts and created fictitious companies and false paperwork. The gang is also alleged to have "regularly smuggled currency from Canada to the United States to pay the members of the organization who were based in the United States."
The gang used prepaid cellphones and encrypted BlackBerries to communicate, the indictment says.
Lochbaum was also charged on the indictment unsealed last October when York, Skeeter Russell and several others entered guilty pleas for their roles in the drug scheme. They are scheduled to be sentenced March 25.
The four new accused are known to police in B.C. Meehan was identified by the Gang Task Force in May 2009 as one of three targets in a murder-for-hire plot foiled by police. Dahms has a conviction for possession of stolen property. Police describe Lochbaum and Harris as HA associates.
Their charges flow from a massive U.S. investigation into a cross-border smuggling ring headed by Shannon. So far more than 20 B.C. men have been charged. Twelve have pleaded guilty. A number of Americans have also been prosecuted for their role in the drug ring.
kbolan@vancouversun.com
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