Steven Gault

Steven Gault (born 1973) is a Canadian criminal, outlaw biker and police informer who played a key role in the Ontario Provincial Police's (OPP) Project Tandem operation against the Hells Angels in 2005–2006.

Steven Gault
Born1973 (age 47–48)
North Bay, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
OccupationOutlaw biker
Years active1990–2009
Known forBeing a high-profile informer within the Hells Angels
AllegianceSatan's Choice MC (1999–2000)
Hells Angels MC (2000–2006)

Informer

Gault was born in North Bay and dropped out of high school in grade 10.[1] In 2008, Gault testified that he started working as a police informer in 1990 at the age of 17 as he became involved in various criminal activities while at the same time informing on his associates.[2] Gault stated: "I was just providing information to them [the police] for money about drug dealing operations in the area".[3] Gault became a member together several of his relatives of a nomadic band known variously as "the Travelers" or "the Wanderers" that operated in the rural areas of eastern Ontario that targeted elderly farmers by engaging in home renovation scams.[1][3] Gault testified in 2008 that he felt justified in targeting elderly farmers "because they have a lot of money".[1] At the same time, Gault informed on his associates in his band, sometimes being paid $1,000 dollars by the police for his information, but he testified that he informed on his brothers-in-law who were members of his band for free.[1] Gault testified that knew what barns and homes he and his associates had worked on because the work done "was horrible".[1] Besides for specializing in cheating senior citizens out of their life savings, Gault bit off the ear of a man in a bar fight in Campbellford.[4] About the ear-biting incident, Gault stated: "It was a consensual bar fight".[3] Over the years, Gault has been convicted of multipe counts of fraud, assault and uttering death threats.[5]

In 1996, Gault became involved with a 18-year-old woman named Linda Sebastiao, whom he started living with a month after they met and in 1997 he fathered a daughter by her.[6] Sebastiao described Gault as: “He was very charming and swept me off my feet.”[6] Sebastiao claims that he once cheated one elderly farmer by billing him for some $260,000 dollars in home renovation work that was never done.[6] Sebastiao stated she was well aware that Gault did not make his living honestly, but that: “He gave us everything we wanted. Everything that we needed. We bought a nice, cute little place.”[6] However, as the years went on, Sebastiao alleges that her relationship with Gault moved into a darker direction as she stated that he became jealous, dominating, possessive, and brutal.[6] Sebastiao alleges that Gault did not allow her to have a driver's license and that he frequently beat her, once because the toilet paper did not roll in a manner pleasing to him.[6]

Biker

In 1999, Gault was living in Northumberland County and stated he was working on a house in Warsaw, Ontario when he met a member of the Satan's Choice Motorcycle Club, William "Mr. Bill" Lavoie, by chance and ending up befriending him.[7] In the fall of 1999, Gault joined the Satan's Choice's Oshawa chapter.[8] The club's rules required that a new member be sponsored by a member who had known him for at least five years; Gault's sponsor Lavoie had only known him for five months and had been bribed in the form of $20,000 dollars by Gault to say otherwise.[8] Gault joined Satan's Choice solely with the aim of selling information about the club to the police.[9] Gault cultivated a bloodthirsty image, boasting about he how had bitten off a man's ear, and adopted as his biker name "Hannibal".[8] The nickname Hannibal was not a reference to the Carthaginian general, but rather to the fictional serial killer Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter. On 29 December 2000, Satan's Choice "patched over" to join the Hells Angels and in this way, Gault became a Hells Angel.

Gault testified that after joining the Hells Angels: "I contacted one of the officers I was providing information to...I told (the police) if I could make my way into the Hells Angels and make my way up to full patch, I would take down any drug dealers I could".[7] In early 2002, Gault became a "full patch" Hells Angel, making a member of the Hells Angel elite.[7] Sebastiao stated: “After he got his full patch he thought he was king of the world.”[6] As a Hell Angel, Gault promoted the image of himself being a "wild man", waving about his handgun, showing off the newspaper reports about his assault conviction for the ear-biting incident, and hinting very strongly that he had committed a murder.[7] The journalist Jeff Mitchell wrote: "His way of settling a beef was to throw the first punch and keep on throwing until he'd made his point: the new Angel once squared off against the Oshawa club's Sergeant At Arms, who serves as the charter enforcer."[7] Shortly there afterwards, Gault became the treasurer of the Hells Angels' Oshawa chapter, making him in charge of the finances.[2] Sebastiao states he became paranoid and had the windows of their house bricked in to reduce the chances of him being killed in a drive-by shooting.[6]

In 2002, Gault was given a speeding ticket by the Durham Region police constable Todd Dennis.[10] In response, Gault began a campaign of harassment against Dennis and his family, stalking them and making threats.[10] In October 2002, Gault was convicted of uttering death threats while Dennis secured a restraining order forbidding Gault from having contact with him and his family.[10] In 2003, Sebastiao ended her relationship with Gault and she publicly accused him of being a police informer.[7] Sebastiao alleges that Gault neglected his family in favor of partying and cocaine use, became more abusive and wanted to have an ex-girlfriend move in.[6]

Another member of the Hells Angels' Oshawa chapter, Remond Akleh, believed Sebastiao's allegations that Gault was an informer and pressed for Gault to be expelled.[7] Gault made aggressive use of the Angels' "arbitrations" (the internal tribunals to settle disputes between the club's members), denying the allegations and pressing for Akleh to be expelled instead.[7] Gault convinced the other Angels in the "arbitrations" that he was not an informer and that Akleh was lying.[7] In 2003, Sebastiao's family was awarded a restraining order against Gault after he was alleged to have threatened to kill them by blowing up their house with them in it.[6] Sebastiao stated: "“I was scared, scared of what he might do to me and my family; like what he had threatened."[6] She alleges that Gault once threatened to kill her by tying her to a tree in the forest, covering her with honey and letting the animals and insects eat her alive.[6]

Project Tandem and after

In April 2005, the OPP's Anti-Biker Enforcement Unit recruited Gault as a full time agent source informer, signing a contract with Gault giving him immunity while paying him $1,900 dollars per week and another $15,000 dollars per month in a trust fund while also paying his income taxes.[7] Gault was the key informer behind what the police called Project Tandem under which Gault was to wear a wire while conducting drug deals with various Hells Angels.[7] Project Tandem was supposed to last only six months, but instead went on for 18 months until September 2006 as Gault collected more information than the police had expected about the Hells Angels.[7]

In 2005, Gault bonded with Gerald "Skinny" Ward, the president of the Angels' Niagara chapter, during a motorcycle ride to Prince Edward Island, and having gained his trust, suggested he do business with him.[5] On 18 August 2005, Gault visited Wellland to meet Ward while wearing a wire and was recorded buying 1.1 kilograms of cocaine from Ward for $42,000 dollars in cash.[11] On 5 October 2005, Gault visited Ward at his Wellland home, where he was recorded buying one kilogram of cocaine for $38,000 dollars in cash.[11] During his visits, Ward talked frankly with Gault about his business, saying his chapter was supposed to have at least six members as required by the Angel rules, but in fact had only three members as it was difficult to recruit "good guys".[5]

As a result of Project Tandem, Gault ended up being paid about $1 million by the Ontario government.[6] Gault is believed to have been the first full patch Hells Angel in Canada to wear a wire for the police.[12] Gault later testified: "The whole idea of a patch and being a full patch member is that you can be 100-percent trusted. And you can do business with anybody and they're to trust you 100 percent and that's meaning business as in illegal business-drugs, stolen property, anything-robberies".[12] Shortly before his death in a motorcycle accident on 7 September 2006, Lavoie had been expressing regret at having sponsored Gault in 1999, accusing him of being an informer.[13] Gault attended Lavoie's funeral on 13 September 2006 and has repeatedly denied in court allegations that he said at the funeral: "He's never smelled better".[14]

When the Project Tandem raids were launched on 28 September 2006 the police arrested 27 people including 15 full patch Hells Angels.[15] As a result of Project Tandem, the police seized $417,100 Canadian dollars and another $6,914 American dollars from various Angel clubhouses in Ontario together with drugs worth 2.9 million Canadian dollars including 13 kilograms of cocaine, 50 pounds of marijuana, 50,000 tablets of ecstasy, and two kilograms of methamphetamine.[15] On September 28, 2006, two Hells Angels, Remond "Ray" Akleh of Ottawa and Mark Stephenson of Oshawa were charged with ordering Gault to kill Frank Lenti of the Bandidos.[16] Akleh had moved to Ottawa to get away from Gault, a man he greatly disliked and whom he had feuding with ever since he accused him of being an informer in 2003.[16] Stephenson was the president of the Hells Angels Oshawa chapter.[17]

Gault served as the star witness for the Crown in the various trials that resulted from Project Tandem in 2008–2009.[12] On 11 May 2008, Gault served as a witness for the Crown at the double murder trial of James Boudreau in Coburg.[18] On 26 May 2008, Boudreau was convicted of one count of first degree murder and another count of second degree murder.[19] At the trial of Akleh and Stephenson in 2008 in Whitby, Akleh testified it was Gault who approached him when he arrived unannounced at his Ottawa house about killing Lenti, stating he wanted nothing to do with the alleged murder plot or Gault.[20] On November 7, 2008, the Crown's case against Akleh and Stephenson collapsed when Akleh revealed to the court he had been a police informer since 2003 and there never was a murder plot against Lenti.[10] Gault appeared to be very surprised to learn that Akleh was also an informer, saying in the courtroom: "You've got to be kidding me".[21] Akleh testified he had became an informer out of fear of Gault, saying that Gault was harassing him and his family and making death threats.[17]

Akleh's lawyer, Glenn Orr, argued very forcefully that only "an imbecile or a moron" would try to recruit a man whom he already accused of being an informer to serve as a hitman.[17] Orr called Gault "the Wayne Gretzky of lying", saying in his closing comments to the jury that Gault was a deeply dishonest man whose word could not be trusted.[22] Akleh further testified that his long-standing feud with Gault made it very unlikely that he would try to recruit him as a hitman while Stephenson testified he had been feuding with Gault ever since he suggested he was not intelligent enough to serve as the treasurer of the Oshawa chapter.[17] The fact that Gault despite wearing a wire did not record either Akleh or Stephenson saying anything about wanting to kill Lenti was a further blow to his credibility; Gault maintained that Akleh and Stephenson had indicated via hand gestures that they wanted him to kill Lenti.[17] On January 18, 2009, Akleh and Stephenson were acquitted of conspiring to murder Lenti with the jury ruling that Crown's case rested entirely on the unreliable word of Gault.[23]

In February 2009, Terry Pink, the president of the Angels' Simcoe County chapter, was convicted of selling 8,340 ecstasy tablets to Gault.[24] On 25 March 2009, Ward was convicted of drug dealing and living off the proceeds of crime, becoming the most high-profile Hells Angel to be convicted as a result of Project Tandem.[25] Another Hells Angel turned informer, David Atwell, later testified that pictures of Gault were to be found in every Angel clubhouse with the words "liar" and "rat" written across them.[26] Ultimately, 21 Hells Angels were convicted of various drug, weapons, and membership of a criminal organization charges brought about in connection with Project Tandem.[6] On 12 April 2009, a television documentary about his life entitled Project Gault aired as part of the television series Outlaw Bikers.[27] Gault is living in witness protection under a pseudonym in an unknown location.[18]

In June 2010, the Ontario Criminal Injuries Compensation Board ordered Gault to pay Sebastiao some $35,000 dollars in compensation, ruling that she had suffered years of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of Gault.[6] Sebastiao has stated that Gault has refused to pay child support for their daughter and compensation and alleges he only offered her a one time payment of $200 dollars to support their daughter despite being paid $1 million by the Ontario government.[6] She stated about her ex-husband: "“He would rather spend $5,000 on a (motor)bike part than $50 for a good pair of shoes for his daughter."[6] Legal experts state that Sebastiao has a strong case against Gault, but because he is living in witness protection that it is very unlikely that she can force him to pay child support.[6]

Books
  • Edwards, Peter (2010), The Bandido Massacre; A True Story of Bikers, Brotherhood and Betrayal, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, ISBN 978-0307372765
  • Edwards, Peter (2013). Unrepentant The Strange and (Sometimes) Terrible Life of Lorne Campbell, Satan's Choice and Hells Angels Biker. Toronto: Vintage Canada. ISBN 9780307362575.
  • Edwards, Peter (2017), Hard Road: Bernie Guindon and the Reign of the Satan's Choice Motorcycle Club, HarperCollins, ISBN 144342725X
  • Langton, Jerry (2010), Showdown: How the Outlaws, Hells Angels and Cops Fought for Control of the Streets, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-0470678787

References
  1. Edwards, Peter (8 November 2008). "Biker snitch was paid $1M, but sold out in-laws for free". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  2. "Police informant infiltrated Hells Angels". Oshawa This Week. 13 November 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  3. Edwards, Peter (14 November 2008). "Bikers intent on killing rival". Toronto Star. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  4. Edwards 2010, p. 435-436.
  5. Walter, Karena; LeFleche, Grant (15 December 2008). "Empire on Wheels". The Welland Tribune. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  6. Edwards, Peter (5 September 2011). "Ex-wife chases Hells Angel biker for child support". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  7. Mitchell, Jeff (20 January 2009). "Opportunity arrived on a Harley for biker How a snitch infiltrated the Hells Angels". Oshawa This Week. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  8. Edwards 2017, p. 219.
  9. Edwards 2017, p. 219-220.
  10. Edwards 2010, p. 448-449.
  11. Walter, Karena; LeFleche, Grant. "Heart of a money-making operation Fortress Niagara: The cocaine trade proved to be big business for Niagara's Hells Angels, who conducted deals from a headquarters in rural Welland". Toronto.com. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  12. Langton 2010, p. 237.
  13. Edwards 2017, p. 296.
  14. Edwards 2017, p. 296-297.
  15. Langton 2010, p. 236.
  16. Edwards 2010, p. 434-435.
  17. "Hells Angels say thanks for acquittal". Hamilton Spectator. 19 January 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  18. "Police informant testifies at Boudreau trial Double-murder trial resumes after five-day break". Northumberland News. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  19. "Boudreau gets 25 years in prison James Boudreau found guilty of murder in first- and second-degree". Northumberland News. 27 May 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  20. "Angel 'stalled for time' with feared biker". Oshawa This Week. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  21. Edwards, Peter (26 November 2008). "Witness stunned to hear accused an informer". Toronto Star. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  22. Edwards, Peter (13 January 2009). "Hells Angel witness called the 'Wayne Gretzky of lying'". Toronto Star. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  23. Edwards 2010, p. 449.
  24. Edwards 2013, p. 304.
  25. Langton 2010, p. 238.
  26. Edwards 2013, p. 313.
  27. "Project Gault". TV Guide. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.