Judge doesn’t buy tale of biker’s bounty

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This article was published 10/03/2015 (4100 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The federal government has won a major legal battle against the former president of the Manitoba Hells Angels over property seized under proceeds-of-crime legislation.

Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Rick Saull ruled Monday five items were legally taken from Dale Sweeney following his 2012 arrest in Winnipeg. They include a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a Corvette, a Silverado, a boat and a trailer.

One of Sweeney’s friends had stepped forward and claimed he was the rightful owner of that property and should have it returned immediately. He filed a motion stating he purchased the items, with cash, without any influence from Sweeney.

“That simply doesn’t hold any water,” Saull said Monday. Several days of trial were held, including evidence from the man and investigating officers, along with an examination of financial records.

Saull called the man nothing more than a “nominee” of Sweeney’s who tried to pull the wool over the court’s eyes.

“His purpose was to protect assets from the police,” the judge said. “The circumstantial evidence… if one were to apply logic and common sense, is absolutely overwhelming.”

More than $800,000 worth of Sweeney’s assets were frozen following his arrest in Project Flatlined, a Winnipeg police crackdown of a large dial-a-dealer operation. He is serving 11 years in prison.

In addition to the five items his friend claimed to own, the government also took possession of Sweeney’s house.

At least some, if not all, of the property has already been sold by the federal government at auction. The net proceeds then go into a federal fund that deals with these types of forfeiture matters.

Last year, the Free Press tracked down a couple who purchased the Harley and thought they had a steal of a deal, only to suffer from a case of buyer’s remorse when they learned where it came from.

“Oops,” the owners said when asked for their initial response.

The wife says her husband went to the auction expecting just to be a spectator. But a shiny 1999 Dyna Super GL Sport caught his eye, and when the bidding opened at $6,800 he couldn’t resist.

Moments later, he was the proud new owner for the low price of $6,802.

After making the purchase, the couple began doing research about the history of the motorcycle. Auction staff told them it had come from Manitoba and been part of an asset seizure. They figured perhaps it once belonged to someone who went bankrupt — not someone involved in the world’s most notorious biker gang.

Their jaws collectively dropped when they found out Sweeney was the previous owner — and that he was apparently trying to get it back.

www.mikeoncrime.com

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