Pubdate: Sat, 24 Nov 2007 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Neal Hall Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture) PAYING UP FOR COMMITTING THE CRIME The Vancouver Sun created this list after examining court files and documents related to the assets seized so far under the province's Civil Forfeiture Act, which was passed last year Compiled by Neal Hall Vancouver Sun SEIZED: 4640 Woodburn Rd., West Vancouver. Why: It is alleged that the co-owner of the home, Dale Alexander Prentice, has been directly involved in large-scale trafficking of marijuana and cocaine between Canada and the U.S., and he has been implicated in laundering large sums of money from criminal enterprises. Defendants: Dale Prentice and Shannon Joanne Bennett. Case synopsis: The $1-million-plus home in Upper Caulfeild was purchased by the defendants in 2005 for $953,000. Prentice was investigated in the U.S. by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where he was arrested as a large-scale money smuggler. His alleged associates, Andrew Crookbain and Jason Scott Hunter, were accused of conspiracy to import marijuana, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and engaging in money laundering. A supporting affidavit filed by ICE agent Steve Cagen said Hunter was paid $4,000 to drive $220,000 US from New York to Los Angeles, then drove to Seattle with 20 kg of cocaine. The affidavit says Crookbain is a Canadian detained in Maui last Jan. 29 as a material witness and was escorted to Seattle, where he told police Prentice was growing marijuana in Canada. Prentice entered into a guilty plea agreement with U.S. authorities and was sentenced to a nine-year prison term. Hunter got four years. Crookbain wasn't charged in the U.S. but faces drug-related charges in Vancouver. Forfeiture proceedings are pending against the West Vancouver home. - - - - Seized: Condo at 4132 Halifax St., Burnaby, $17,000 cash, replica handgun, illegal drugs. Why: Allegedly the proceeds or instruments of unlawful activity. Defendant: Edison Tse, owner of the condo at the time. Case synopsis: Tse was arrested at the residence along with Genesis Sotana. Both were charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. Neither has gone to trial. Status: The condo was sold last summer for $545,000 and the proceeds frozen; the government is seeking forfeiture of the funds. - - - - Seized: $93,130 US cash and $1,240 Cdn cash. Where: 914 Third St., Nelson. Why: The money is allegedly related to money laundering, marijuana-growing operations and drug trafficking. Defendant: T'ai Me Love Lyon. Case synopsis: Police executed a search warrant at Lyon's residence on Nov. 2, 2004, as part of a multi-jurisdictional undercover investigation. Police set up a company to provide money laundering services and Lyon allegedly delivered $226,900 to an agent in Denver, Colo., on Sept. 8, 2003, to be laundered. The case has been resolved, with the money forfeited to the government. - - - - Seized: House and property. Where: 29445 Simpson Rd., Abbotsford. Why: The home was allegedly purchased with profits made from a marijuana-growing operation. Defendants: Ngoc Bich Doan and Chung Kim Diep. Case synopsis: Doan and her husband were arrested Feb. 26, 2003, by Abbotsford police after a search warrant was executed after a tip from BC Hydro. Police seized 235 marijuana plants from the basement. The next year, Doan pleaded guilty to marijuana production and was sentenced to six months of house arrest and fined $1,000. Doan stated she and her husband had earned money as labourers and profited from real estate deals before buying their home in Abbotsford. Divorce proceedings were initiated and the house, which was heavily mortgaged, was sold in 2006 for $560,000, with Doan and Diep each allowed to keep $48,300. About $129,000 was forfeited to the government. - - - - Seized: $240,820 found in the trunk of a Nissan Maxima, along with two kilograms of cocaine. Where: near Cambie and West 10th Avenue, Vancouver. Why: Money allegedly related to drug trafficking. Defendants: Troy Minh-Tri Tran, Emby Chan Tha Kim and Jesse Alan Reimer. Case synopsis: Vancouver police officers on patrol on Oct. 21. 2005, were advised over police radio about the theft of a Nissan sedan. The car was pulled over on West 10th. The officers found a large amount of cash in the trunk, as well as two plastic-wrapped "bricks" of cocaine. Tran and Reimer were both known to Calgary police. Reimer and Kim failed to file statements of defence, so default judgments were entered against them. Tran consented earlier this year to a forfeiture order. The money was paid to the B.C. minister of finance. - - - - Seized: Home at 3766 Cambridge St., Burnaby, and $126,000 in home furnishings. Why: The home was allegedly purchased with money from drug trafficking. Defendants: Robert (Robbie) Della Penna, Mario Della Penna, Guiseppe Della Penna, Michela Della Penna. Case synopsis: Robbie Della Penna, a 37-year-old former boxer, was arrested in October 2004 in a reverse-sting undercover police operation. Police had observed him travelling to a home in Mission, which was a suspected marijuana-growing operation. A police bust on March 5, 2004, found 1,448 live plants and another 1,427 dried plants were seized. Police later used a DEA informant to contact Robbie Della Penna to help broker a 50-kilogram cocaine deal. The accused was arrested as he delivered $575,920 Cdn cash to buy the first 25 kilograms of cocaine. The home was recently sold to new owners for $1.3 million. About $1.1 million was forfeited to the government. - - - - Seized: $200,500 Cdn cash. Why: Police allege the money is from drug trafficking. Defendant: Hamed Rahmani. Case synopsis: On Oct. 5, 2005, Vancouver police stoped a BMW driven by Rahmani when he was observed, during a police surveillance operation, leaving the residence of a suspected drug dealer. The seized money has been forfeited. - - - - Seized: 2003 Hummer and 2002 GMC Yukon Denali. Why: The vehicles were allegedly bought with drug-trafficking money and used for drug transactions. Defendants: David James Endicott and Kathleen Rose Dorward. Case synopsis: The vehicles were registered in the name of Dorward, whose occupation is listed as "sex trade worker." Endicott bragged to Victoria police officers that he was a mid-level drug dealer making about $60,000 a month, using family members to conduct his business. Sgt. Grant Hamilton states he talked to Endicott on Oct. 9, 2005, when Endicott said he was running a drug trafficking business for five years and was making $100,000 a month, paying up to $40,000 to "clean" the money. He told another officer that he and Dorward were selling cocaine and he also ran a paging business. Forfeiture proceedings are pending. - - - - Seized: House at 2940 Waterford Place, Coquitlam. Why: The house was bought with profits from drug-trafficking. Defendants: Tuan Anh Vu, Phiet Vu and Minh Thi Nguyen. Case synopsis: Police were called to the residence on Jan. 11 this year to investigate a home invasion. Officers were met at the door by Anh Vu, who appeared to be wounded. He advised police four or five men dressed in black had entered the residence but he managed to eject them. Police found a marijuana-growing operation in the basement of the home, which was purchased in 2002 for $395,000 by Phiet Vu and Nguyen. Forfeiture proceedings are pending. - - - - Seized: House at 4093 Braefoot, Victoria. Why: Part of the house was bought with funds gained from unlawful activity -- fraudulent investment schemes. Defendants: David Joseph Shannon, Evagelia Biros and John Biros. Case synopsis: David Joseph Shannon was a partner of Kevin J. Steele in a number of investment schemes that constituted fraud. His wife, Evagelia, is a school teacher. Her father John Biros is named because he advanced $200,000 to purchase the $700,000 home by way of a second mortgage and remains unpaid. The home was bought in 2004 for $551,000. Steele pleaded guilty to fraud in 2006 and was sentenced to six years in prison after admitting he defrauded more than 200 investors of $9 million. A Chicago court also ordered Steele, 34, who falsely portrayed himself as a hot-shot commodities trader, to pay $7.4 million US restitution to his victims. In 2006, Shannon transferred his interest in the property to his wife, which is alleged to be a fraudulent conveyance. Shannon and another Victoria man were paid more than $900,000 in commissions for soliciting investors, mainly in New Denver and other towns in the Slocan Valley. Forfeiture proceedings are pending against the home. - - - - Seized: $100,000 Cdn from a vehicle on Highway 1 in Abbotsford. Why: The money is allegedly from drug production and trafficking. Defendant: Mark William Wing Case Synopsis: Wing is the registered owner of a Lincoln Navigator that was stopped while heading westbound on Highway last Jan. 11. The driver was Wing's brother, Jonathan Mark Wing, and the passenger was Michael James Kiely. It is alleged that all three men are known members of the UN Gang, which is based in Abbotsford. Forfeiture proceedings began Nov. 9. - - - - Seized: $206,975 cash in Delta. Why: The money is allegedly related to drug-trafficking. Defendant: Jarrod Francis Nicol, who has a criminal record for production of marijuana, possession of drugs for trafficking and currently is in custody at the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre in Maple Ridge. Case synopsis: Last May 4, Nicol was driving a Dodge Ram truck pulling a trailer when he was stopped by Delta police. Nicol wasn't the registered owner of the truck and provided the officer with a copy of his parole release conditions. The officer searched the vehicle and found the cash and a bag containing 65 tablets believed to be the designer-drug ecstacy. Nicol was unable to explain how he obtained the money. Forfeiture is pending. - - - - Seized: $13,500 Cdn. cash Why: The money was alleged being transported from Terrace to Vancouver for drug trafficking. Defendant: William Robin Dudoward. Case synopsis: The money was seized from Dudoward on Aug. 1, 2005, and detained by the civil forfeiture office on Aug. 21, 2006. The money was forfeited to the government after the defendant's lawyer, Sid Simons, signed a consent order, dismissing the proceedings against the defendant without costs, on Oct. 26, 2006. - - - - Seized: $65,540 from a vehicle near Greenwood. Why: The source of the money is alleged to be cocaine trafficking. Defendant: Sandra Gray of Richmond. Case synopsis: A rented Dodge Durango was involved in an accident near Greenwood on Oct. 19, 2005, killing the driver of the other car. The driver of the Durango and the passenger, Gray, were taken to hospital for treatment. Found in the back of the vehicle was a black nylon bag containing bundles of cash. Gray initially claimed the money. The driver of the Dodge allegedly told police that Gray had delivered drugs to Grand Forks and was on her way back to Vancouver with the cash. Surrey RCMP Const. Danny Michaud said Reich and Gray were kilogram-level cocaine dealers. Last Sept. 6, $13,000 of the money was released to Gray. Another $30,473 was claimed by the Canada Revenue Agency and the rest was forfeited. - - - - Seized: $500,000. Why: The money was part of a restitution deal worked out with the B.C. Securities Commission to compensate B.C. investors, most of whom were Christian evangelicals, who lost $1.3 million in an illegal U.S.-based investment scheme. Defendants: John DeVries, the former leader of the New Life Church of Kelowna, who now lives in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean; and Ernest Reed Grafke, who had been a pastor at the Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. Case synopsis: DeVries was president and sole shareholder of Amber Enterprises, which encouraged B.C. investors to put $5.8 million of their money with a U.S. company, which would purportedly buy inexpensive goods in bulk from overseas suppliers and sell them to major retailers such as Home Depot and Costco. Investors were promised returns of 25 to 50 per cent within three to six months, which they could donate to charity. The investment turned out to be a fraudulent Ponzi scheme. The seized money is being distributed to investors who lost money. - - - - Seized: $137,770 cash. Where: Vancouver International Airport, Richmond. Why: The money is allegedly related to drug trafficking. Defendant: Sol Maya Trickey of Toronto. Case synopsis: Police dog Casey sniffed Trickey's baggage and detected the scent of illegal drugs on Jan. 29, 2004. The bags were checked and found to contain a significant amount of cash. Trickey also had cash in his pockets. Canada Customs filed a claim for $88,913, leaving $48,857 frozen pending forfeiture. - - - - Seized: $242,505 US seized July 29, 2003 from Van de Nguyen; $180,570 seized Sept. 10, 2003, from Thuy Ngoc Pham. Where: Vancouver. Defendants: Pham and de Nguyen, who at the time of the seizures were fugitives wanted in Washington State to face money-smuggling charges. Synopsis: The U.S. investigation into cross-border money smuggling involved an undercover agent who infiltrated the alleged smuggling ring that allegedly smuggled $3.4 million into Canada from the U.S. during a nine-month period ending Sept. 10, 2003. Forfeiture is pending. - - - - Seized: $482,005 Cdn cash, a diamond ring appraised at $73,800 were among the contents of a safety deposit box raided by police with a search warrant. The box also included a Piaget watch purchased for $13,500, two gold chains, a jade pendant and other jewelry. Also seized were $90,000 US cash and another $14,410 in Canadian currency. Where: Various locations in Vancouver, Richmond and Delta. Why: The police allege the items in the safety deposit box were the "instruments of unlawful activity" and the cash allegedly was related to marijuana-growing operations. Defendants: Tsz Wing Ching and Miu Wan (Vivian) Chan. Case synopsis: An investigation was conducted by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. Between May 16, 2002 and March 14, 2003, police executed search warrants at a number of homes leased or owned by Chan, which were found to contain marijuana operations with a plants estimated to be worth $2.8 million at the street level. In the search at Chan's home at 6480 Woodwards Rd. in Richmond, police seized $90,000 US from a canvas bag found in the back of a BMW. Another $14,410 Cdn cash was found in her purse. Chan was charged with cultivating marijuana and released on bail. On July 10, 2003 police executed a final search warrant on a safety deposit box jointly held by Ching and Chan, seizing the contents. The Canada Revenue Agency laid claim to $523,881 of the seized money for unpaid taxes and penalties, leaving $73,293 Cdn, plus the jewelry, which was forfeited. According to court documents, before the final seizure, Chan disposed of five or six properties she had bought for almost $2 million between 2001 and 2003. Her current whereabouts are listed as unknown. - - - - Seized: A house and a Commodore 2660 Regal boat. Where: 13475 57th Ave., Surrey Why: Part of the home was used for unlawful activity and the boat was allegedly bought with the proceeds of crime. Defendant: David Dennis Peterson. Case synopsis: The home was under police suspicion by late 2002. It wasn't until 2005 when police busted a marijuana operation in the garage. Police seized 300 pot plants and 46 pounds of "bud" in baggies. Peterson was charged with production of marijuana and pleaded guilty on Feb. 22 last year. He was sentenced to one year in jail. The property was bought for $323,000 in 2001 and now has an assessed value of $720,000. The boat was purchased for $60,000 by refinancing the house mortgage. The case went to court last April when the trial judge, in an interim ruling, allowed the house to be sold for not less than $720,000. The home was sold for $840,000 last June. The court ordered the proceeds to be placed in an interest-bearing trust account pending a final disposition. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman