Pubdate: Thu, 31 Aug 2006
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Betsy Powell, Crime Reporter
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)

GANG BOSS GETS 8-YEAR SENTENCE

Pleads Guilty To Drug, Gun Offences

10th Malvern Member Sent To Prison

Another high-ranking associate of Scarborough street gang, the 
Malvern Crew, who admitted to being in a criminal organization -- in 
addition to drug trafficking and firearm possession -- is going to 
prison after the latest court ruling arising from a Toronto police 
gang takedown.

Wearing jeans, running shoes and T-shirt, Kwok Li, 33, who has been 
out on bail for the past two years, showed no emotion yesterday after 
Ontario Superior Court Justice David Watt sentenced him to a prison 
term equivalent to eight years. The sentence takes into account his 
pretrial custody.

Li pleaded guilty July 27 to eight charges including cocaine and 
ecstasy trafficking, possessing unauthorized firearms and being in a 
criminal organization, the relatively new law originally intended to 
deal with outlaw motorcycle gangs and now used to dismantle street 
gangs. He also admitted to conspiring to commit aggravated assault -- 
reduced from conspiracy to commit murder -- relating to the April 11, 
2004 non-fatal shooting of a rival drug dealer on a Highway 404 off-ramp.

In passing sentence, Watt said it was clear Li preferred the allure 
of gang life to the "drudgery" of a regular job but noted the single 
man has worked at an auto body shop since his release on bail.

Li is the 10th person connected to the Malvern Crew to plead guilty 
to participating in a criminal organization after being arrested by 
Toronto police during a May 2004 anti-gang investigation called Project Impact.

A synopsis read into the court record included excerpts of some of 
Li's intercepted conversations where he and gang leader Shaun Falls 
discuss "both the production of drugs, and the sale of drugs." Falls 
was sentenced to the equivalent of seven years (including custody 
time) in April 2005.

The synopsis refers to "coded conversations," deciphered by the 
Crown. When Li and Falls discuss "10 little girls," with "red hair, 
the pink hair," they're really talking about ecstasy pills, according 
to the document.

At the time of Li's arrest, the police seizure included 63,282 hits 
of ecstasy, 124 grams of cocaine, a loaded 40-calibre semi- automatic 
handgun and almost $27,000 in cash, which Watt ordered forfeited.

Also yesterday, in a tightly secured Scarborough courtroom, the 
year-long preliminary hearing into the mass arrests of the Galloway 
Boys, arch-rivals of the Malvern Crew, resumed briefly with 17 
co-accused and a phalanx of defence lawyers and Crown attorneys.

Justice Paul Robertson expects to indicate Oct. 24 when he'll decide 
if there's enough evidence to commit the accused to trial. A 
preliminary hearing related to the Rexdale street gang, the Ardwick 
Blood Crew, is scheduled to begin next month.
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