Red Scorpions: Difference between revisions
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}}</ref> In May 2010, the court convicted Jamie Bacon of all 11 charges related to the April 2007 discovery of a gun cache but acquitted the older brother Jarrod of all charges.<ref>{{cite news |
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|url = http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/05/13/bc-jamie-jarrod-bacon-weapons-charges.html |
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|title = Bacon brother found guilty |
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|publisher = [[CBC News]] |
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|date = May 13, 2010 |
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|accessdate = 2011-08-17}}</ref> |
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===Matt Campbell=== |
===Matt Campbell=== |
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Revision as of 18:08, 23 September 2017
| Founded | Mid 2000s. Founders: Quang Vinh Thang (Michael) Le Konaam Shirzad Matthew Johnston Two other un-named young offenders |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Years active | mid 2000's - Present |
| Territory | Lower Mainland |
| Ethnicity | Various |
| Criminal activities | Arms trafficking, Drug trafficking, ,, illegal immigration, money laundering, murder, |
| Allies | Hells Angels, Independent Soldiers , Golden Triangle Triad , 856 gang , Unknown Soldiers gang |
| Rivals | United Nations gang , Dahk/Duhre Group , Empire gang |
The Red Scorpions is a gang based in British Columbia, Canada. It was originally formed in 2005 by Quang Vinh Thang Le (known as Michael Le), Konaam Shirzad, Matthew Johnston and two other un-named young offenders. Michael Le testified at the Surrey Six trial that he and Shirzad initially formed the Red Scorpions after meeting in a youth detention centre facility. Le said the name Scorpions was a tribute to his "older brother who was killed and his nickname used to be Scorpion". The gang "used the word Red to symbolize blood" he said.[1] Le said accused Surrey Six killer Jamie Bacon joined the gang a few years later.
Red Scorpions have been running “dial-a-dope lines” – (drug trafficking operations) in the suburbs of Vancouver since 2000. Gang members can be identified by “RS" tattoos on their arms and necks and come from multicultural backgrounds, as the Red Scorpions consider race secondary to loyalty and respect.[2][3]
They have been involved in an increasing number of well-publicized incidents of gang violence in the Vancouver area, in part due to their bitter rivalry with the United Nations gang. The Red Scorpions-United Nations relationship worsened after the infamous Bacon brothers left the UN to join forces with the Red Scorpions.[4]
Surrey Six murders
The Red Scorpions have also been linked to some of the bloodiest shootings in the region and were allegedly behind the killing of six people in a suite on 9800 East Whalley Ring Road, a condominium complex known as Balmoral Tower on October 19, 2007. The case is known as the Surrey Six murders.[5] The principal target was Corey Lal, a 22-year-old alleged drug dealer who was selling drugs on the Red Scorpion's turf. The trial heard that five other men were killed to eliminate potential witnesses, Michael Lal, 26 (Corey Lal's older brother), Ryan Bartolomeo, 19, and Eddie Narong, 22. Two innocent bystanders, the 55-years old gas fitter Ed Schellenberg and neighbour 22-years old student Christopher Mohan got caught in the slaughter and also died.[6] Cody Haevischer, Matthew Johnston and an associate who can only be identified as "Person X" were tried later.[7] Johnson and Haevischer were charged with six counts of first-degree murder in the same case. Jamie Bacon, 23, was charged with one count of first-degree murder in the death of Corey Lal. Michael Le was charged with conspiracy to commit murder against Corey Lal.
Founding members
Michael Le
Quang Vinh Thang Le (known as Michael Le), an immigrant from Vietnam grew up in Coquitlam and was a co-founder of the gang. He had earlier been convicted of manslaughter for being in a group of teens who fatally beat another boy in a Coquitlam karaoke club in 2000.[8] He founded the gang with some other youth delinquents in the juvenile centre. Le named the gang Red Scorpions, red denoting blood and Scorpion being the name of his brother known by the nickname Scorpion.[1] In March 2008, he fled to his native Vietnam fearing arrest on an ongoing investigation and a Vancouver police sting operation. Moving to Thailand, Hong Kong and China, he was intercepted as he arrived in Manila on June 17, 2009 and deported to Canada. He signed a plea agreement with the Crown in November 2013 in the Surrey Six case and was sentenced to three years for "conspiracy to commit murder" in exchange for his testimony against other culprits in the gang including Red Scorpions members Cody Haevischer and Matthew Johnston, who were both convicted of all six murders. Michael Le entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit murder against Corey Lal. A joint submission by Crown prosecutor Peter Juk and Le's lawyer for the 12-year term, minus almost nine years pre-trial credit for Le. The remaining sentence is just three years, one month.[8]
Matthew Johnston
Matthew "Matt" Johnson (born 1985) is a co-founder of the gang.
Konaam Shirzad
Konaam Shirzad (1983 - 22 September 2017) was a founding member when it started in mid 2000s although he was not as high-profile as other Red Scorpions. In 2005, Shirzad pleaded guilty to arranging a shooting he mistakenly linked to a man who had earlier testified against him. Accused of "mischief that endangered life", he was sentenced to 30 months in jail. In September 2009, Shirzad survived a shooting in West Vancouver. At an October 2010 court hearing, Shirzad claimed he had left the gang life.[9] In February 2017, he was charged in Richmond to possession of a firearm contrary to a court order. In July, he pleaded guilty and got a 90 day conditional sentence. Claiming he was no longer in the gang, he had opened the Heavy Metal Gym on Briar Avenue in Kamloops. The gym was raided by police in January 2017. Shirzad was shot and killed the evening of 22 September 2017 on Hudson's Bay Trail.[1]
Other principal members
Dennis Karbovanec
On April 3, 2009, Karbovanec (born 1982) pleaded guilty in his role of Surrey Six high-rise slayings of October 19, 2007, after turning himself in.[4] On April 9, 2009 he was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 15 years.[10] He had earlier been the target of a gangland hit on New Year's Eve 2008 but due to his body armour had survived the murder attempt.
Cody Haevischer and "Person X"
The alleged killers of the Surrey Six. Haevischer (born 1985) reportedly killed three of the victims and unidentified gang member "Person X" killed the other three. On the day of the murders, Michael Le attended a meeting at a Korean restaurant in Surrey with Johnston and Person X, who pled guilty in the Surrey Six case against a lighter sentence.
Jonathan, Jarrod and Jamie Bacon
Jonathan, Jarrod, and Jamie Bacon, known as the Bacon Brothers, were a trio of gangsters born in Abbotsford, British Columbia,[11] suspected of multiple firearms and drug trafficking charges and implicated in a rash of homicides that have occurred in the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver area. Jonathan the eldest brother was murdered in Kelowna on August 14, 2011.
In 2006, the brothers partnered with the Red Scorpions, another Vancouver gang. The aim of their association was to help the Bacons compete with the United Nations. The authorities believed that the brothers took leadership control of the Red Scorpions shortly thereafter.[12]
On April 3, 2009, Jamie Bacon was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Emergency response team for his alleged involvement in the October 19, 2007 slayings of the 'Surrey Six'[13] This development occurred after an associate of the Bacon brothers, Dennis Karbovanec, pleaded guilty to his participation in the slayings.
Jarrod Bacon, arrested in May 2009 on weapons charges, was found guilty on February 2, 2012 of several charges relating to cocaine trafficking. On May 4, 2012, Jarrod was sentenced to 12 years in prison for conspiracy to traffic cocaine. The sentence was then reduced to seven years and two months after time served was taken into consideration.[14][15]
In September 2009, the Integrated Gang Task Force reported that eight associates had been murdered since the public warning by police that those associated with Jon, Jarrod and Jamie Bacon avoid the trio or be potentially marked for death by rival criminals.[16] In May 2010, the court convicted Jamie Bacon of all 11 charges related to the April 2007 discovery of a gun cache but acquitted the older brother Jarrod of all charges.[17]
Matt Campbell
See also
References
- ^ a b c Kim Bolan (September 22, 2017). "Red Scorpion founder killed in Kamloops". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Bolan, Kim (2008-05-30). "Who are The Red Scorpions?". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
- ^ "Violent Red Scorpion gang busted in Victoria". CBC News. 2008-08-19. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
- ^ Kim Bolan (October 20, 2015). "Gang founder convicted in Surrey Six murders denied parole". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Kim Bolan (August 27, 2017). "Surrey Six lawyer critical of Crown deals with former gangsters". The Province / Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ^ "Cody Haevischer and Matthew Johnston found guilty of first-degree murder at 'Surrey Six' trial in B.C." National Post. October 2, 2014. Retrieved SEptember 23, 2017.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b Kim Bolan (December 18, 2013). "Founder of Red Scorpion gang gets 12 years for role in Surrey Six slayings". Vancouver Sun.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help); Text "cite news" ignored (help); Text "http://www.vancouversun.com/news/founder+scorpion+gang+gets+years+role+surrey+slayings/9297034/story.html" ignored (help) - ^ Parksville Qualicum Beach News: Red Scorpions co-founder killed in Kamloops shooting
- ^ Karbovanec sentenced to life in Surrey slayings CBC News, April 9, 2009.
- ^ Luk, Vivian (2011-08-15). "A history of the Bacon brothers". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- ^ Schwartz, Daniel (August 19, 2011). "Notorious gangs of British Columbia". CBC News. Retrieved 2011-08-19.
- ^ "Alleged gangster pleads guilty in Surrey high-rise slayings". CBC News. April 3, 2009. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
- ^ "Jarrod Bacon arrested".[dead link]
- ^ "B.C. gangster Jarrod Bacon gets 12 years on cocaine charge". Retrieved 2013-07-03.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Bolan, Kim (September 5, 2009). "8 Bacon associates dead since warning issued". The Vancouver Sun. CanWest. Archived from the original on 2012-11-10. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Bacon brother found guilty". CBC News. May 13, 2010. Retrieved 2011-08-17.