Lawyer urges probation or short jail sentence for Hell's Angels member

Off the Wire News - MCs in the News By Keith Fraser, The Province
A lawyer for Randy Potts, a member of the Hells Angels who pleaded guilty to drug-trafficking offences, says Potts should be sentenced to either a period of probation or a short jail term.

In December, Potts, a full-patch member of the East End chapter of the notorious motorcycle club, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce and traffic in methamphetamines and to trafficking in cocaine.

The Crown told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Peter Leask thats Potts, now out on bail, should receive a jail term of 12 years, minus a year for pre-sentence custody.

But on Wednesday, Bonnie Craig, a lawyer for Potts, argued that the judge should consider the accused’s sentencing last year for gun offences when sentencing for the drug crimes.

Potts was sentenced to seven years but due to credit for pre-trial custody, he received a sentence of effectively time served. He has been out on bail since.

Craig told the judge he should also consider Potts’ guilty plea and his “significant” efforts at rehabilitation while in jail awaiting trial.

“How much more time does he need? In my submission, he does not need more time,” Craig said.

She suggested a sentence range of between a period of probation with strict conditions to a period of two years in jail.

The Crown earlier argued that John Punko, Potts’ co-accused, should receive a sentence of 16 years, with the defence arguing that Punko should receive time served.

On Wednesday, the judge told the court he had mistakenly indicated that he could pass sentence on the two men on Friday. He said it might be February or March before he can sentence the two accused.

The pair were arrested in July of 2005 following the RCMP’s Project E-Pandora crackdown on the Hells Angels.

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