John Adam Curwin admits he trafficked drugs, guns and dynamite.
But the 30-year-old’s lawyer says the criminal acts weren’t done to line his pockets.
Instead, they were committed for the brotherhood of Manitoba’s Rock Machine and to foster his own sense of belonging, the judge who sentenced him to 9 1/2 years in prison on Wednesday was told.
The resolution to Curwin’s case comes just three months after he and the others were collared in the latest high-profile RCMP biker-gang dragnet, dubbed Project Dilemma.
Curwin, 30, was the first of four reputed full-patch Rock Machine (RM) members arrested to resolve his charges. A handful of prospect members and others were also nabbed.
Curwin pleaded guilty to four crimes, including trafficking a shotgun and possessing dynamite in association with a criminal organization on various dates between October and January. He also admitted to trafficking 1,806 tablets of BZP, a synthetic drug analogous to ecstasy.
“It wasn’t about money. It wasn’t about violence. It was about brotherhood,” defence lawyer Eric Wach told Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Morris Kaufman. “He lived very modestly. Hand to mouth.”
The months-long covert probe saw RCMP employ a paid police agent — a high-ranking RM member — to snitch on the gang’s activities between last August and January.
According to a statement of facts tabled by the Crown, Curwin took an active role in the gang’s recent recruitment efforts, including being present at a Sept. 21 “meet and greet” with members of the “Crazy Indians” gang at an Osborne Village bar.
He also socialized with a potential prospect from Nanaimo who came to Winnipeg after he connected with Curwin over Facebook.
Curwin was lukewarm about his role in the gang’s drug activities, the court document said.
“Curwin frankly explained to the agent that he wasn’t very good at drug-trafficking and that really wasn’t what he was in the club for. He commented he that he was there to ‘do the dirt,’ meaning the dirty work. Curwin stipulated that as long as he didn’t have to show his face that the club could rely on him to commit violent acts on their behalf,” the document said.
Curwin made the comments as he arranged to sell the agent a stick of dynamite for $100. The purpose of the explosive wasn’t revealed, but Curwin told the agent “they (the RM club) could use the dynamite to blow up a car or basement.”
Curwin is a former member of the now-defunct La Familia gang, which was linked to the Bandidos. He was handed a six-year prison term in 2007 for kidnapping, extortion and aggravated assault.
After being granted parole, Curwin went straight for some time, diligently working a construction job and being a proud father to his child, Kaufman was told. “Slowly and surely,” he started to go downhill and got pulled back into gang life, Wach said.
Curwin continues to have the support of his parents and others, Wach said.
“I’ve seen Adam do the impossible,” a friend wrote in a letter read to the court. “He’s kind. He’s caring.”
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2013/04/03/prison-term-for-rock-machine-member-who-sold-trafficked-in-drugs-guns-and-dynamite
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Monday, April 29, 2013
Prison term for Rock Machine member who sold trafficked in drugs, guns and dynamite
Wednesday, April 03, 2013.........
John Adam Curwin admits he trafficked drugs, guns and dynamite.
But the 30-year-old’s lawyer says the criminal acts weren’t done to line his pockets.
Instead, they were committed for the brotherhood of Manitoba’s Rock Machine and to foster his own sense of belonging, the judge who sentenced him to 9 1/2 years in prison on Wednesday was told.
The resolution to Curwin’s case comes just three months after he and the others were collared in the latest high-profile RCMP biker-gang dragnet, dubbed Project Dilemma.
Curwin, 30, was the first of four reputed full-patch Rock Machine (RM) members arrested to resolve his charges. A handful of prospect members and others were also nabbed.
Curwin pleaded guilty to four crimes, including trafficking a shotgun and possessing dynamite in association with a criminal organization on various dates between October and January. He also admitted to trafficking 1,806 tablets of BZP, a synthetic drug analogous to ecstasy.
“It wasn’t about money. It wasn’t about violence. It was about brotherhood,” defence lawyer Eric Wach told Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Morris Kaufman. “He lived very modestly. Hand to mouth.”
The months-long covert probe saw RCMP employ a paid police agent — a high-ranking RM member — to snitch on the gang’s activities between last August and January.
According to a statement of facts tabled by the Crown, Curwin took an active role in the gang’s recent recruitment efforts, including being present at a Sept. 21 “meet and greet” with members of the “Crazy Indians” gang at an Osborne Village bar.
He also socialized with a potential prospect from Nanaimo who came to Winnipeg after he connected with Curwin over Facebook.
Curwin was lukewarm about his role in the gang’s drug activities, the court document said.
“Curwin frankly explained to the agent that he wasn’t very good at drug-trafficking and that really wasn’t what he was in the club for. He commented he that he was there to ‘do the dirt,’ meaning the dirty work. Curwin stipulated that as long as he didn’t have to show his face that the club could rely on him to commit violent acts on their behalf,” the document said.
Curwin made the comments as he arranged to sell the agent a stick of dynamite for $100. The purpose of the explosive wasn’t revealed, but Curwin told the agent “they (the RM club) could use the dynamite to blow up a car or basement.”
Curwin is a former member of the now-defunct La Familia gang, which was linked to the Bandidos. He was handed a six-year prison term in 2007 for kidnapping, extortion and aggravated assault.
After being granted parole, Curwin went straight for some time, diligently working a construction job and being a proud father to his child, Kaufman was told. “Slowly and surely,” he started to go downhill and got pulled back into gang life, Wach said.
Curwin continues to have the support of his parents and others, Wach said.
“I’ve seen Adam do the impossible,” a friend wrote in a letter read to the court. “He’s kind. He’s caring.”
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2013/04/03/prison-term-for-rock-machine-member-who-sold-trafficked-in-drugs-guns-and-dynamite
John Adam Curwin admits he trafficked drugs, guns and dynamite.
But the 30-year-old’s lawyer says the criminal acts weren’t done to line his pockets.
Instead, they were committed for the brotherhood of Manitoba’s Rock Machine and to foster his own sense of belonging, the judge who sentenced him to 9 1/2 years in prison on Wednesday was told.
The resolution to Curwin’s case comes just three months after he and the others were collared in the latest high-profile RCMP biker-gang dragnet, dubbed Project Dilemma.
Curwin, 30, was the first of four reputed full-patch Rock Machine (RM) members arrested to resolve his charges. A handful of prospect members and others were also nabbed.
Curwin pleaded guilty to four crimes, including trafficking a shotgun and possessing dynamite in association with a criminal organization on various dates between October and January. He also admitted to trafficking 1,806 tablets of BZP, a synthetic drug analogous to ecstasy.
“It wasn’t about money. It wasn’t about violence. It was about brotherhood,” defence lawyer Eric Wach told Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Morris Kaufman. “He lived very modestly. Hand to mouth.”
The months-long covert probe saw RCMP employ a paid police agent — a high-ranking RM member — to snitch on the gang’s activities between last August and January.
According to a statement of facts tabled by the Crown, Curwin took an active role in the gang’s recent recruitment efforts, including being present at a Sept. 21 “meet and greet” with members of the “Crazy Indians” gang at an Osborne Village bar.
He also socialized with a potential prospect from Nanaimo who came to Winnipeg after he connected with Curwin over Facebook.
Curwin was lukewarm about his role in the gang’s drug activities, the court document said.
“Curwin frankly explained to the agent that he wasn’t very good at drug-trafficking and that really wasn’t what he was in the club for. He commented he that he was there to ‘do the dirt,’ meaning the dirty work. Curwin stipulated that as long as he didn’t have to show his face that the club could rely on him to commit violent acts on their behalf,” the document said.
Curwin made the comments as he arranged to sell the agent a stick of dynamite for $100. The purpose of the explosive wasn’t revealed, but Curwin told the agent “they (the RM club) could use the dynamite to blow up a car or basement.”
Curwin is a former member of the now-defunct La Familia gang, which was linked to the Bandidos. He was handed a six-year prison term in 2007 for kidnapping, extortion and aggravated assault.
After being granted parole, Curwin went straight for some time, diligently working a construction job and being a proud father to his child, Kaufman was told. “Slowly and surely,” he started to go downhill and got pulled back into gang life, Wach said.
Curwin continues to have the support of his parents and others, Wach said.
“I’ve seen Adam do the impossible,” a friend wrote in a letter read to the court. “He’s kind. He’s caring.”
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2013/04/03/prison-term-for-rock-machine-member-who-sold-trafficked-in-drugs-guns-and-dynamite
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