Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Accused in Kelowna fentanyl bust was Hells Angels 'middleman'


Leslie John McCulloch and Rebekka Rae White are both charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking fentanyl
A Kelowna man charged in connection with a massive fentanyl bust was a former 'middleman' for the Hells Angels. Leslie John McCulloch was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking this summer following a raid in which RCMP seized two industrial pill presses and hundreds of fake OxyContin and Percocet pills made out of fentanyl.

The 38-year-old was on parole from a four-and-a-half year sentence for possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine at the time.
His conditions of release included an order not to have any contact with members of the gang. Members of the Kelowna RCMP's drug section put McCulloch under covert surveillance in September 2015.

Later that month, police saw him meet at his business with a senior full-patch member of the Hells Angels from Calgary. As a result, McCulloch's parole was suspended.
McCulloch was released again, but his parole was revoked in May after the police raids. In addition to the fentanyl pills and the presses, RCMP seized score sheets, gold bars, four bundles of cash totaling $35,600 and miscellaneous Hells Angels '81 Support' clothing.

McCulloch was importing fentanyl from China and then making fake Percocet and Oxycontin pills.

The B.C. death toll is up to 488 for the year through September. By comparison, there were 505 people killed by illegal drugs in all of 2015, and 368 the year before. Over 62 per cent of all deaths were linked to fentanyl.