Latest news with #ProjectHobart
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Judge sides with man facing possible deportation to Italy over alleged organized crime ties in Ontario
A Canada Border Services Agency uniform is seen at the CBSA Lansdowne port of entry in Lansdowne, Ont., on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby A hearing to determine whether a man arrested in an OPP organized crime probe should be sent back to Italy will not proceed after a federal court judge ruled that the reasons for the decision were 'unreasonable.' In his written findings released last month, Justice John Norris set aside a decision made back in 2023 by a delegate for the Minister of Public Safety, referring 62-year-old Giorgio Campagna for an admissibility hearing with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. According to court documents, Campagna, who has been a permanent resident of Canada since the age 5 but never obtained citizenship, was one of 28 people arrested back in 2019 in connection with Project Hobart, an OPP probe that investigators previously said targeted 'a lucrative online and traditional gaming enterprise involving members of known organized crime groups,' including the Hells Angels. At the time, police said the project had specifically targeted four known or prospective members of the Hells Angels, including Robert Barletta, Eugenio 'Gino' Reda, Raffaele Simonelli, and Craig McIlquham, who was killed last month in a deadly shooting outside a Burlington restaurant. An illegal gaming house operating in a cafe in Mississauga, located at 680 Silver Creek Blvd., had been part of the Project Hobart investigation and seven gaming machines were seized during a search of the cafe back in December 2019. According to an agreed statement of facts referenced in the court documents, between March and October 2019, Campagna was responsible for collecting cash from those machines, and on some occasions, counting proceeds from the machines with others. The facts also state that investigators believed he collected about 20 per cent of the proceeds for himself. Police initially charged Campagna with three counts of bookmaking and one count of commission of an offence for a criminal organization. The court documents indicated that Campagna subsequently pleaded guilty in 2021 to the summary charge of knowingly permitting a place to be used for the purpose of a common gaming house. The other charges previously filed by the Crown were withdrawn. Campagna received a conditional discharge and was placed on probation for one year, a period he completed without incident in March 2022, Norris wrote in his findings. Less than a year after he completed his probation, the court documents stated that Campagna was notified by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that a report had been prepared under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that stated there were 'reasonable grounds to believe that he is inadmissible' on the basis of 'organized criminality,' specifically for engaging in an illegal gaming enterprise. According to the court documents, Campagna subsequently hired legal counsel who provided 'comprehensive submissions and supporting evidence' as to why 'an order for his removal from Canada should not be sought.' The submissions explained that Campagna has lived in Canada for nearly his entire life and cares for his elderly mother, who has been diagnosed with dementia. They noted that his entire immediate family resides in Canada, including his common law partner of 40 years, his brother and sister, his two sons, and his three grandchildren. It added that he is currently being treated for serious medical conditions, including diabetes, and has suffered two heart attacks and a stroke. Campagna has no friends or family in Italy, according to the submissions, and cannot speak or read the language. The submissions go on to note that Campagna was found guilty of a 'relatively minor offence' and is 'deeply remorseful for his involvement in the activities that led to the criminal charges.' Despite the reasons provided, a delegate for the Minister of Public Safety referred the matter for an admissibility hearing. 'The seriousness of the allegations against him and the interests of the Canadian public far outweigh the potential difficulties which may arise should Mr. Campagna be removed from Canada,' the delegate wrote in 2023. 'Guilt by association' But Norris said that he believes the delegate's decision was 'unreasonable in two key respects,' including the 'assessment of the applicant's criminality' and 'the assessment of the applicant's personal circumstances.' 'The delegate unreasonably elevated the applicant's role in the organization of which he is alleged to be a member in determining that, in all the circumstances, a referral for an admissibility hearing was warranted,' the judge wrote. He noted that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) decision makers 'went well beyond anything set out expressly or impliedly in the applicant's guilty plea or the agreed statement of facts.' 'While the CBSA decision makers are not precluded from doing so, to be reasonable, any such findings must be supported by transparent, intelligible, and justified reasons grounded in the information before the decision maker,' Norris wrote. 'Instead, the reasoning process appears to be nothing but guilt by association, where the seriousness of the applicant's conduct is determined with reference to any and all of the harms caused by illegal gaming and organized crime, and without any meaningful consideration of the applicant's actual involvement.' Norris added that the delegate's decision was 'flawed in two respects' when it came to apprehending Campagna's 'personal circumstances.' 'The delegate states that there is nothing before him to indicate that the applicant would be unable to communicate in Italy. However, the applicant said exactly this in his submissions and in his supporting evidence. The issue of the applicant's language abilities has a direct bearing on the hardship he would face if removed to Italy,' Norris wrote. He added that the impact to Campagna's health was also not properly addressed, calling the 'reasonableness of the decision into question.' 'The Minister's delegate concluded that the applicant had not established that he would be unable to receive treatment, care and support for his medical conditions if he were to be removed to Italy,' Norris wrote. 'In so concluding, the delegate failed to engage with a critical point advanced by the applicant: that disrupting the continuity of his care in Canada would materially affect the quality of care he would receive for several serious medical conditions.' Norris ruled that the Campagna's application for judicial review will be allowed and the decision of the Minister's delegate 'will be set aside' so the matter can be dealt with by a different decision maker.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
‘Unreasonable': Judge sides with man facing possible deportation to Italy over alleged organized crime ties in Ontario
A Canada Border Services Agency uniform is seen at the CBSA Lansdowne port of entry in Lansdowne, Ont., on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby A hearing to determine whether a man arrested in an OPP organized crime probe should be sent back to Italy will not proceed after a federal court judge ruled that the reasons for the decision were 'unreasonable.' In his written findings released last month, Justice John Norris set aside a decision made back in 2023 by a delegate for the Minister of Public Safety, referring 62-year-old Giorgio Campagna for an admissibility hearing with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. According to court documents, Campagna, who has been a permanent resident of Canada since the age 5 but never obtained citizenship, was one of 28 people arrested back in 2019 in connection with Project Hobart, an OPP probe that investigators previously said targeted 'a lucrative online and traditional gaming enterprise involving members of known organized crime groups,' including the Hells Angels. At the time, police said the project had specifically targeted four known or prospective members of the Hells Angels, including Robert Barletta, Eugenio 'Gino' Reda, Raffaele Simonelli, and Craig McIlquham, who was killed last month in a deadly shooting outside a Burlington restaurant. An illegal gaming house operating in a cafe in Mississauga, located at 680 Silver Creek Blvd., had been part of the Project Hobart investigation and seven gaming machines were seized during a search of the cafe back in December 2019. According to an agreed statement of facts referenced in the court documents, between March and October 2019, Campagna was responsible for collecting cash from those machines, and on some occasions, counting proceeds from the machines with others. The facts also state that investigators believed he collected about 20 per cent of the proceeds for himself. Police initially charged Campagna with three counts of bookmaking and one count of commission of an offence for a criminal organization. The court documents indicated that Campagna subsequently pleaded guilty in 2021 to the summary charge of knowingly permitting a place to be used for the purpose of a common gaming house. The other charges previously filed by the Crown were withdrawn. Campagna received a conditional discharge and was placed on probation for one year, a period he completed without incident in March 2022, Norris wrote in his findings. Less than a year after he completed his probation, the court documents stated that Campagna was notified by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that a report had been prepared under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that stated there were 'reasonable grounds to believe that he is inadmissible' on the basis of 'organized criminality,' specifically for engaging in an illegal gaming enterprise. According to the court documents, Campagna subsequently hired legal counsel who provided 'comprehensive submissions and supporting evidence' as to why 'an order for his removal from Canada should not be sought.' The submissions explained that Campagna has lived in Canada for nearly his entire life and cares for his elderly mother, who has been diagnosed with dementia. They noted that his entire immediate family resides in Canada, including his common law partner of 40 years, his brother and sister, his two sons, and his three grandchildren. It added that he is currently being treated for serious medical conditions, including diabetes, and has suffered two heart attacks and a stroke. Campagna has no friends or family in Italy, according to the submissions, and cannot speak or read the language. The submissions go on to note that Campagna was found guilty of a 'relatively minor offence' and is 'deeply remorseful for his involvement in the activities that led to the criminal charges.' Despite the reasons provided, a delegate for the Minister of Public Safety referred the matter for an admissibility hearing. 'The seriousness of the allegations against him and the interests of the Canadian public far outweigh the potential difficulties which may arise should Mr. Campagna be removed from Canada,' the delegate wrote in 2023. 'Guilt by association' But Norris said that he believes the delegate's decision was 'unreasonable in two key respects,' including the 'assessment of the applicant's criminality' and 'the assessment of the applicant's personal circumstances.' 'The delegate unreasonably elevated the applicant's role in the organization of which he is alleged to be a member in determining that, in all the circumstances, a referral for an admissibility hearing was warranted,' the judge wrote. He noted that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) decision makers 'went well beyond anything set out expressly or impliedly in the applicant's guilty plea or the agreed statement of facts.' 'While the CBSA decision makers are not precluded from doing so, to be reasonable, any such findings must be supported by transparent, intelligible, and justified reasons grounded in the information before the decision maker,' Norris wrote. 'Instead, the reasoning process appears to be nothing but guilt by association, where the seriousness of the applicant's conduct is determined with reference to any and all of the harms caused by illegal gaming and organized crime, and without any meaningful consideration of the applicant's actual involvement.' Norris added that the delegate's decision was 'flawed in two respects' when it came to apprehending Campagna's 'personal circumstances.' 'The delegate states that there is nothing before him to indicate that the applicant would be unable to communicate in Italy. However, the applicant said exactly this in his submissions and in his supporting evidence. The issue of the applicant's language abilities has a direct bearing on the hardship he would face if removed to Italy,' Norris wrote. He added that the impact to Campagna's health was also not properly addressed, calling the 'reasonableness of the decision into question.' 'The Minister's delegate concluded that the applicant had not established that he would be unable to receive treatment, care and support for his medical conditions if he were to be removed to Italy,' Norris wrote. 'In so concluding, the delegate failed to engage with a critical point advanced by the applicant: that disrupting the continuity of his care in Canada would materially affect the quality of care he would receive for several serious medical conditions.' Norris ruled that the Campagna's application for judicial review will be allowed and the decision of the Minister's delegate 'will be set aside' so the matter can be dealt with by a different decision maker.
Hamilton Spectator
26-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Guilt by association': Attempts to send Hells Angels gambling probe player back to Italy, halted
A man sentenced as part of a Hells Angels' gambling den investigation, which uncovered alleged ties to the Figliomeni crime family, has been granted a judicial review as the government attempts to send him back to Italy. The decision comes more than a year after the Minister of Public Safety decided Giorgio Campagna, 62, a permanent resident in Canada, should be referred for an admissibility hearing with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. '(It was) found that the severity of the applicant's actions and their impact on public safety outweighed the concerns the applicant had raised about the adverse consequences of his removal from Canada,' read court documents, referring to the 2023 decision. Now though, federal court Justice John Norris ruled a judge needs to look into the matter after discovering some potential flaws. 'This application for judicial review will be allowed, (the former) decision will be set aside and the matter will be remitted for redetermination by a different decision-maker,' he wrote in his findings. Campagna pleaded guilty to keeping a common gaming house in March 2021 after he was arrested in December 2019. The arrest came as part of an OPP probe, dubbed Project Hobart, into the Hells Angels alleged online sports gambling ring and gambling den at 680 Silver Creek Blvd., in Mississauga. The investigation has been in the news lately after Craig 'Truck' McIIquham, a Hells Angel charged in the operation, was gunned down in a targeted shooting outside a Burlington Mandarin at the end of April. As part of Campagna's plea, three counts of bookmaking and the commission of a crime of an offence for a criminal organization charge were withdrawn. For his crimes he received a conditional discharge, which essentially equates to probation. Project Hobart resulted in 28 arrests and alleged the group made $131 million over five years in the illegal gambling space. The probe used intercepted private communications and surveillance to allege the Mississauga unit was owned and operated by Raffaele Simonelli, Serafino Barone, Ralph Elammar and Dimitris Kellsis. All charges against the four, including firearm, betting house and bookmaking allegations, were stayed. When police searched the café in December 2019, seven video gaming machines were seized. For months Campagna went to collect cash from the machines and discussed their maintenance, the investigation showed. One conversation indicated that one week the proceeds amounted to $7,440, of which he retained about 20 per cent, court documents allege. When search warrants were executed at Campagna's home and car, investigators found $79,020 of which Campagna agreed, of this amount all but $3,235 was obtained by crime. Court documents pointed to a 2023 report prepared by the CBSA suggesting there were reasonable grounds to believe that Campagna is inadmissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which refers to 'organized criminality' and 'engaging in an illegal gaming enterprise.' The inland enforcement officer alleged Campagna was a member of an illegal gaming enterprise with ties to both the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and the Figliomeni crime group. 'The officer found that the applicant was a 'midtier' and trusted member of the criminal organization …(and) had direct contact with senior members of the illegal gaming operation,' court documents read. 'The officer also found that (Campagna) had … jeopardized the safety and security of Canadian society.' However Norris ruled the CBSA went 'well beyond' anything mentioned in Campagna's guilty plea or agreed statement of facts. 'I agree with the applicant that the delegate's decision is unreasonable in two key respects: the assessment of the applicant's criminality and the assessment of the applicant's personal circumstances,' it reads. 'The reasoning process appears to be nothing but guilt by association.' The court heard how a delegate of the Minister of Public Safety used the weapons seized from a separate mafia probe into the Figliomeni crime group, called Project Sindicato, to conclude Campagna's actions warranted a referral for an admissibility hearing, despite him never being charged as a part of Sindicato, Norris also found Campagna's ability to communicate in Italy and receive treatment were not properly considered. For his part, Campagna said he's been in Canada since age five, but has never sought full citizenship. The court also heard his claims that he's remorseful and called his involvement in the crimes a 'relatively minor offence.' His family, including his mother, who is suffering from dementia, his common-law partner, siblings, children and grandchildren all live in Canada. The court also heard from Campagna that he has a litany of illnesses, no friends in Italy and does not speak the language.
Hamilton Spectator
10-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Memorial service Sunday for Hells Angels member gunned down in Burlington
Police will be watching the funeral of a full-patch Hells Angels Motorcycle Club member in Oakville on Sunday, after the 55-year-old was gunned down in a targeted hit outside a Burlington restaurant late last month. Craig (Truck) McIlquham, who police said also went by Craig Brown, was shot to death around 8:30 p.m. April 29 as he left the Mandarin restaurant on Fairview Street, near Brant Street. The shooting has all the hallmarks of a targeted hit, with the killer or killers seemingly waiting for the well-known biker to leave the restaurant where he had been dining. His death is being investigated as a homicide by Halton Regional Police. Investigators have declined several interview requests and have not answered numerous questions posed by The Spectator. Police probing deadly attack outside Mandarin restaurant; no arrests made and no suspects named Police have said they are looking for a late model, dark Honda Civic with tinted windows and black alloy rims. McIlquham, from Oakville, was well-known to police as the reputed president of the Niagara chapter of the notorious Hells Angels. His history with the Hells Angels includes connections with other clubs, including Windsor, and once acting as bodyguard for former boss Walter Stadnick of Hamilton. Most recently, McIlquham was charged in 2019 in Project Hobart, a multi-jurisdictional case targeting an international gambling ring. At the time, police described him as one of the leaders, with more than a dozen sports betting sites and an illegal gambling house in Mississauga. Police alleged the Hells Angels were working with a Mafia group in York Region. However, the charges were later dropped due to delays in court. Investigators will have to look across the GTA, into Quebec and down to the Caribbean to According to his obituary , McIlquham's visitation and memorial service is scheduled for Sunday at Glen Oaks Funeral Home on Ninth Line. 'The Halton Regional Police Service is aware of the service taking place in Oakville and remains prepared to respond to any emergencies, should they arise,' spokesperson Const. Ryan Anderson said in an email to The Spectator. There are no further updates on the ongoing investigation, he added. It is common practice for police, including the OPP-led biker enforcement unit, to closely watch funerals of high-profile figures — not just for safety, but also to gather intelligence, including documenting who shows. McIlquham's obituary describes him as a devoted and loving father of three, beloved husband, cherished son and dear brother. 'He also leaves behind a wide circle of lifelong friends and his brothers in the club,' it says. There is online love from Switzerland, Denmark and the Caribbean on a memorial site — but so far He is described as deeply loyal, and a larger-than-life presence. McIlquham had a 'true passion' for motorcycles and cars, it says. Condolence messages posted on the funeral home memorial page have poured in from across the globe.
Hamilton Spectator
04-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Hells Angel, shot dead outside Mandarin restaurant, had ties to Caribbean, GTA and Quebec
Investigators will have to look across the GTA, into Quebec and down to the Caribbean to catalogue the deadly enemies of a long-time Hells Angel who was shot dead in front of a Mandarin restaurant in Burlington, where he had just dined with his family. Craig (Truck) McIlquham, 55, was shot to death around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday after eating at the family-style buffet restaurant at 1881 Fairview Street, about a five minute-drive from the Queen Elizabeth Way. Police described the murder as targeted. McIlquham, who was president of the Niagara chapter of the Hells Angels, spent much of his time recently in the Caribbean. Police appealed to the public for anyone with dash cam footage of Fairview Street and Brant Street between the hours of 4 and 10 p.m. Tuesday. They are particularly interested in a late model, dark Honda Civic with tinted windows. McIlquham was also known as Craig Brown, Halton Regional Police said. He got his nickname, 'Truck,' because of his massive size. His hefty build helped him become a bodyguard for former Hells Angels boss Walter (Nurget) Stadnick of Hamilton, once widely considered the most influential outlaw biker in Canada. Stadnick was convicted in Montreal in September 2004 of a variety of organized crime offences, including conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to traffic drugs and involvement in gang activities. Stadnick was then sentenced to 20 years in prison, which was reduced for pre-trial time served to 14 years, seven months. McIlquham was known to Canadian police for decades in connection with big-money crimes, including Project Hobart, an alleged multimillion-dollar international gambling ring in 2019. He appeared to thrive financially in the 2000s, even as the Hells Angels lowered their profile across Canada. Project Hobart investigators said that McIlquham was one of the leaders of an international gambling ring, with at least 14 sports-betting websites, including five illegal offshore sites based in the Caribbean. The ring also operated an illegal gambling house in Mississauga, police said. The gambling investigation was spurred by an escalation of violent crimes across Ontario, including attempted murders, arson, extortion and threats, police said. Police said at the time the Hells Angels were working in the gambling ring with a York Region-based 'ndrangheta Mafia group. Police said the gambling ring also had access to provincial Ministry of Transportation computer databases. Gamblers were allowed credit limits as high as $20,000, but they were also expected to settle debts within a week, police said. McIlquham was charged with a dozen offences, including possession of a restricted weapon, book-making and commission of an offence for a criminal organization. The gambling operation pulled in $131 million in illegal revenues over five years, police said. In making the Project Hobart arrests, the OPP announced they had seized more than $12 million in assets, including sports cars, two golf carts, seven residences, nine illegal handguns, jewelry valued at approximately $300,000, $330,000 in precious metals, $1.2 million in financial accounts and approximately $1.7 million in cash. In total, police announced 228 related charges against 28 people from across the province and in Oka, Que. The Project Hobart case was ultimately dropped because of court delays. The Crown said that the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the delays in the complex case, as well as 'voluminous' amounts of disclosure documents, prosecutors said, praising the Ontario Provincial Police for conducting a 'thorough and effective investigation.' McIlquham's legal difficulties continued after the criminal charges were dropped, as Canada Revenue demanded he explain the source of his wealth. McIlquham was charged with failing to report revenues totalling over $2,000,000 dollars for the tax years 2014 to 2018. Investigators alleged he kept some of his cash in secret compartments and used trap doors in a Toronto home to squirrel away gold, silver and jewelry. The Crown also alleged he hid $11,000, a gun and a cellphone in a trap in one of his vehicles. The Crown further charged he also had a Brazilian visa with his photo but someone else's name.
