Court sketch of John Neal
For 18 months, David Atwell, an executive officer with the motorcycle club, worked secretly as an undercover paid police agent, Crown Attorney Tanit Gilliam said in her opening remarks in the drugs and guns trial against five downtown Toronto Hells Angels.
“On many of these occasions, he was wearing a body-pack,” Gilliam told the jury on the opening day of the trial, which is expected to last several months.
Atwell consumed cocaine himself at points in the undercover operation, Gilliam said.
“It is anticipated that the agent (Atwell) will testify that he even used cocaine on a handful of occasions throughout this project,” Gilliam said.
The operation was halted after Myles grilled Atwell in February 2007 about his involvement in a number of cocaine and GHB deals done bad, court heard.
On trial on an assortment of criminal conspiracy charges are John Neal, president of the downtown Toronto Hells Angels, vice-presidents Larry Pooler and Douglas Myles, and members Mehrdad Bahman and Lorne Campbell.
Bahman pleaded guilty to nine charges of trafficking drugs and possession of the proceeds of crime.
However, the heavy-set biker, dressed in a black business suit, plead not guilty to trafficking drugs or guns to benefit a criminal organization.