Hells Angels kicked out of Hamilton clubhouse
Fri., Jan 29, 2016
A visiting Hells Angels member from Europe was detained under a rarely used section of the Immigration Act after a landlord evicted the Hamilton chapter from its clubhouse for non-payment of rent.
A bailiff, aided by 10 officers from the Hamilton Police Service and OPP Biker Enforcement Unit (BEU) drilled through the front door of Hells Angels' rented and fortified bunker at the corner of Gage Avenue North and Beach Road Thursday morning. The clubhouse is used by the Hells Angels motorcycle club as well as their puppet club, the Red Devils, according to Det. Staff Sgt. Len Isnor, the OPP officer in charge of the joint-forces BEU.
(DH Note: The RD's are not a puppet club of the HA - the RD's are the oldest surviving MC in Ontario).
Halton Bailiff Services executed the eviction notice and "they didn't feel comfortable doing it without police presence," said Isnor.
"We know these (biker) guys well. We know how they work," he said.
Police were there "to ensure public safety and keep the peace during the proceeding," according to Const. Steve Welton, Hamilton police media officer.
He added that the eviction went smoothly and Hamilton police are "not conducting any criminal investigations there."
However, the only person inside the clubhouse when the bailiff and police arrived was arrested by the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA), Isnor said.
Lawyer Jaime Stephenson, speaking on behalf of the club said the man — whose name was not revealed to The Spectator — would be "returning to Germany on his scheduled flight" Thursday evening.
The man was visiting from Europe and is a "prospect member" of the Hells Angels, Isnor said. Under Section 37 of the Immigration and Refugee Act, any foreigner who comes into Canada and is part of a recognized criminal organization can be arrested — even if they do not have a criminal record, he said.
Typically, a detention review hearing must take place within 48 hours of someone being taken into custody, said a CBSA spokesperson, who added that specific charges under the act "are not in the public domain" until a hearing takes place.
When Isnor was asked why a Hells Angels member from another country might be visiting the Hamilton chapter, he said "communications work best when it's face to face. It's safer in person."
"Usually we don't have foreign (Hells Angels) in Canada," Isnor said, because most of the time, border agents nab organized crime members before they are able to enter the country. But in this case, the man is not yet a full-fledged Hells Angel and so may have slipped past them.
Neighbours near the clubhouse said there was no indication of any turmoil within the clubhouse.
The Hamilton motorcycle club will fight the eviction, said lawyer Stephenson.
"The organization disputes the eviction and the basis for the eviction," she said, calling the matter an owner-tenant disagreement and denying that the club failed to pay its rent. "There will be (civil) legal proceedings to come … hopefully, that will lead to an appropriate resolution."
The Spectator was not able to immediately reach Greg Tilley, who purchased the former Gage Tavern in 2009.
Property documents show a $45,000 mortgage charge in 2011 from a numbered company.
City tax director Larry Friday said the building owner owes the city more than three years worth of back taxes — $69,452 and counting — for the building, whose address is listed as 105 Beach Rd., which is a commercial building with some residential apartments.
If those payments remain outstanding, the city has the option of putting the building up for tax sale later this spring, Friday said.
Like many outlaw biker organizations, the Hells Angels rent, rather than own their clubhouses to avoid having their property seized under the Civil Remedies Act.
But there is nothing to stop them from renting another place for a new clubhouse, according to police.
The Hamilton Hells Angels chapter has a dozen or so members, making it a "medium sized" Canadian chapter, according to Isnor.
There are more than 500 chapters worldwide, in 56 countries for a total of 6,000 Hells Angels around the world.
AFFA
Hamilton, Ont., Canada, Jan. 29, 2016
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