Canada - Niagara Hells Angel loses appea....l

OFF THE WIRE
Karena Walter
 stcatharinesstandard.ca/
By Karena Walter
A former Niagara Hells Angel convicted of trafficking cocaine for a criminal organization has lost his appeal.

The Ontario Court of Appeal found that evidence in Zavisa Drecic's case supported the trial judge's conclusion that he trafficked drugs in association with the Hells Angels.
Drecic, of Buchner Rd. in Welland, was sentenced to eight years in prison in October 2009.
He pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and gamma hydroxybutyrate acid, commonly known as the date-rape drug.
But Drecic pleaded not guilty to trafficking cocaine in association with a criminal organization.
His case went back to 2006 and 2007, when he acted as a middle man in the drug trade.
Drecic, a full-patch member of the Hells Angels, assisted a police agent — unbeknownst to him — to buy large quantities of drugs on several occasions.
The trial judge found the drugs were destined for distribution and profit.
"Membership in the Hells Angels was the catalyst that brought the parties together and it played an integral role in the ensuing drug transactions," the Court of Appeal said.
The decision was given earlier this month and released in writing Thursday.
"Finally, no issue can be taken with the trial judge's finding that the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a criminal organization. The evidence in that regard is overwhelming," the judges said.
Drecic was a former member of the Niagara Hells Angels who was transferred to the Woodbridge chapter and was arrested in April 2007.
He was one of 31 people swept up in pre-dawn raids through the OPP-led investigation dubbed Project Develop.
Drecic was the third Niagara resident to be found guilty of criminal organization charges for this role with the Hells Angels. Gerald Ward and Kenneth Wagner, both of the Niagara chapter of the Hells Angels, were arrested in 2006 as part of Project Tandem and are currently serving jail terms.

kwalter@stcatharinesstandard.ca