Former Hells Angels boss appeals conviction, sentence

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This article was published 08/04/2009 (6023 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The longtime former president of the Manitoba Hells Angels says he’s been wrongfully convicted of drug trafficking and unfairly punished by the justice system.

Ernie Dew appeared before the Court of Appeal today, seeking a new trial based on alleged errors made by the judge last year. If he loses that argument, Dew wants his 13-year prison sentence reduced on the grounds it is harsh and excessive.

The province’s highest court has reserved its decision.

Dew, 49, was caught in an elaborate undercover sting operation doing four separate kilogram-level cocaine deals with his former friend turned police agent Franco Atanasovic. They were captured on audio and video surveillance.

Dew had asked for a sentence between seven and eight years. He also agreed to serve an additional year behind bars if he doesn’t pay a $31,000 fine and will forfeit his home in St. Andrews, where some of the drug deals went down.

Dew was arrested in February 2006 after being double-crossed by Atanasovic, who agreed to infiltrate the outlaw motorcycle gang and work undercover as a police agent. Police arrested a dozen other targets as part of "Project Defence."

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca.