Grisly details in Vernon Greeks trial

The Vancouver Province has been following the Vernon Greeks murder trial in Vancouver. Pretty bizarre details about one of the murders came out in court.



Ron Sparks, a former enforcer for the Greeks gang of Vernon, testified that gang members were angry and agitated when they couldn't reach one of their dial-a-dope lines. The gang tracked down Marnuik and took him to a building they called the office, said Sparks, 45, an enforcer for the gang from 2000 to 2003. (If he had stolen from them, he would have left town, but he didn't)



The office. I'm not sure where that was but we do remember that before the trial started the media reported Marniuk's death was linked to last year's extensive search of a Vernon warehouse that had links to the Hells Angels. The place on Fairweather Road is owned by Zenon Stepkowski whom police confirm is an associate of the Calgary chapter of the Hells Angels.



The media reported that warehouse was involved in the murder. I have no idea if that was the office they were referring to in the trial since I was not present and have heard nothing about the trial except what the newspapers have been reporting.



The court was told Sheldon O'Donnell, one of five members or associates of the Greeks standing trial for murder, taped Marnuik to a chair. O'Donnell - along with a second gang member who cannot be named because of a publication ban - and Sparks then started to punch Marnuik, Sparks said.



A second gang member who cannot be named due to a publication ban. What on earth is up with that. Why would one of the named suspects get a publication ban and not the others. That is very strange indeed. In fact, when I search the court registry for the other names of the accused, nothing shows up. Except for Zenon Stepkowski's 2011 assault charge when his co accused was charged with theft and a 2009 income tax case.



Anyways, Sparks claims they taped the guy to a chair and beat him with their fists, a pipe and a baseball bat. Sparks one of them seriously burned the guys hand with a blow torch. They then took the body into the bush near Enderby, set it on fire and ground it up. Enderby is the same town where Stepkowski had his income tax case.



The five originally charged are: Dale Sipes, Les Podolski, Sheldon O'Donnell, Peter Manolakos and Douglas Brownell. The trial is expected to hear from more than 100 witnesses and involve between 200 and 300 exhibits.



I think the main thing to remember when reading about the details of the Greek's trial is that they were affiliates of the Hells angels. They beat and murdered their own. Police claim one of the five victims was a Hells angels affiliate. Like I say, with friends like that, who needs enemies.







Andre Raymond has already plead guilty to being involved with four of the murders. In November 2004, Raymond helped lure 31-year-old Thomas Bryce, who had allegedly threatened to kill an associate of the Greeks, to a beach near Vernon.



As Raymond distracted the victim, an associate came up behind Bryce and struck him over the head with a baseball bat. Bryce was then repeatedly struck by the bat while lying on the ground. Wearing his Harley Davidson boots, Raymond then struck Bryce on the torso.



As they fled the scene, one of the Greeks used his vehicle to drive over Bryce's body. An unconscious Bryce was taken by ambulance to hospital where he died 17 days later, never having regained consciousness.



In April, Ken Beck pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the killing of Hewison and received a life term with no parole eligibility for 10 years.



William Mastop, a lawyer from Vernon, was charged by direct indictment, which alleges he took part in the activities of a criminal organization between August 2000 and December 2005.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

Witness testifies in Greeks trial

The Vancouver Province reports on a witness who recently testified at the Vernon Greeks trial in Vancouver. The level of violence is disturbing. Prosecutors say David Marnuik was beaten, tortured and then set on fire by the gang in July 2004. His body has never been found.

The witness claims Big Al said "You should see this f---ing guy. This is Internet stuff. Nine of them have been working on him for three days." This kind of violence is disturbing. I applaud the witnesses for having the courage to speak up. There is no L&R there. People don't respect that kind of violence, they fear it. There's a big difference.

The witness claims they would beat their own guys. How on earth do they think they are going to get people to love and respect them by beating their own people? If you treat your own people like garbage that is proof there is no love or respect.

We can sluff the murder off by saying he deserved it because he stole from the Hells Angels, or rather a Hells Angels affiliate group, but did he really? Isn't that excuse over used? They kill people who they claim are thieves or rats and no one gives it a second thought. Yet Geoff Meisner was not a thief and Britney Irving was not a rat. Often they lie. Usually that violence is used against rival drug dealers or people who have drug debts. In Geoff's case it could have been as simple as wanting to replace him on the Vegas money laundering run with someone who would do the same job for less money. Once they rip you off you become a liability so they do you in. No L&R there.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

The Vernon Greeks and the Hells Angels

Freddy asked me why I don't write about the Greeks who were selling drugs in Vernon and I simply was honest and said I don't know much about them. My gut feeling was that since Vernon is to Kelowna what Dawson Creek is to Prince George, I could not see how the Greeks in Vernon could function without the support of the Hells Angels. Three minutes on Google confirmed that premise.

Police say the “Greeks” have links to the Hells Angels. Marniuk's death is also linked to last year's extensive search of a Vernon warehouse that has links to the Hells Angels. The place on Fairweather Road is owned by Zenon Stepkowski whom police confirm is an associate of the Calgary chapter of the Hells Angels.

Police allege The Greeks were involved in smuggling cocaine and heroin, and have ties to biker gangs. "The Hells Angels out of Calgary and Kelowna have sanctioned The Greeks in Vernon to carry out their drug trafficking business," alleged Haslett.

Castanet posted two articles about the Greeks in Vernon with a photo of some support gear seized from the Greeks. One shirt said Be Silent or Be Silenced. The others were clearly Hells Angels support gear including one that said support your local big red machine Calgary. Which would not only confirm a Hells Angels affiliation but also specifically an affiliation with Calgary as was implied with Zenon Stepkowski's involvement.

Let's have a quick peek at the drug related violence that affiliation created in Vernon. Andre Raymond admitted to one count of first-degree murder in the death of Ron Thom and three counts of manslaughter in the deaths of David Marniuk, Thomas Bryce and Robert Hewison. Raymond was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 25 years.



RCMP said the four deaths were part of a case involving seven homicides in just over a year between April 2004 and May 2005. It's the largest case they've handled in the Okanagan city of about 36,000 residents.

RCMP said they believe the killings were part of an on-going gang war over control of street drugs. Sgt. Al Haslett, who led the police investigation, said Raymond was just one of the people involved in the gang killings. "Andre Raymond was a member of the Greek organization. They were involved in homicides, high-echelon level drug trafficking as well as controlling street-level trafficking," the undercover cop told CBC News. "They were involved in every type of criminal activity imaginable."

In April of 2007, Ken Beck pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the Hewison killing and was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 10 years.

Five other men — Sheldon O'Donnell, Leslie Podolski, Dale Sipes, Peter Manolakos and Douglas Brownell — are also charged with murder after a total of seven men were shot or beaten to death.

Andrew Yeo, manager of a local shelter called Upper Room Mission, said there's still drug-related violence on the streets. "People fear the Greeks. That's a name that absolutely struck fear in people's hearts," he said. "People walk into the Mission with a bruised eye or broken arm and you just know what [it is] about," Yeo said.

The Vernon Greeks are in the media now because their case is coming to trial in Vancouver. As we hear the gory details of the trial let's remember who is ultimately responsible for that drug related violence. The ones who supplied and empowered them to do their work, the Hells Angels. Moles and mules are a dime a dozen. Let's not forget who the Greeks were affiliated with.

The term silence or be silenced is very temporary. It's like trying to stop water from flowing down stream. It defies gravity. No lie can live forever. Truth crushed to the earth will rise again. What's done in the dark shall be brought to the light. That's a law of physics. Testifying against these kinds of criminals is not being a rat. Being a rat is profiting from that kind of depravity and turning the other way.

By kaniamazdar with No comments