Vikings Motorcycle Club members receive prison sentences for drug convictions

From left, Wayne Johnson, James Curran and Vince Leonard were convicted in May, after a lengthy and often diverted process through the court system. (CBC)

After being arrested seven years ago, three recently convicted members of the Vikings Motorcycle Club were given their sentences this week, and all of them will be spending time in prison.

Vince Leonard, Wayne Johnson and James Curran were first arrested in 2016, with the criminal case trickling through the courts since then.

In 2019, their lawyers submitted an application to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, arguing the accused hadn’t gotten a speedy trial, but it was dismissed.

In a St. John’s courtroom in May, the trio were found guilty on several charges, including selling drugs to undercover cops — even handing over the drugs in Tim Hortons cups and boxes.

All three were convicted of charges related to drug trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime, with Leonard and Johnson also found guilty of organized crime offences.

Prison time for all 3 men

The judgment was released Thursday by Supreme Court Justice Daniel M. Boone, who revealed all three would be going to prison.

Leonard was sentenced to five-and-a-half years imprisonment, whereas Johnson was allotted five years. Curran was given the shortest prison sentence — three and a half years.

All three got credit for time already spent in jail before the trial, though in each case it amounted to less than a month.

Justice Boone explained his reasoning behind the sentencing, including the types of drugs that were being trafficked.

“The consequences of oxycodone abuse in this community, and particularly on some of its most vulnerable members, have been the subject of extensive reporting in the media and the subject of investigation and commentary by public health officials,” he wrote.

He also noted the court’s approach to fentanyl is “still evolving” and that the province’s medical examiner recently highlighted the “alarming” number of fentanyl overdoses and that some had resulted in deaths.

Fines and bans

Boone also wrote that the Crown had established the men received proceeds from a crime, but the Crown didn’t seize money from them. As a result, Boone determined that Leonard, Johnson and Curran will have to pay fines imposed by the court.

Leonard will have to pay $33,500, whereas Johnson has to pay $49,800 and Curran will pay $48,100.

In addition, all three won’t be allowed to own firearms for 10 years.

The men’s lawyers have previously said they were going to apply for a stay of charges, arguing entrapment, which would have seen the court case end.

The Crown’s case centred around testimony and audio recordings from undercover police officers and agents.

During an investigation, the three men sold drugs to undercover officers several times, but a successful entrapment case would need to establish that police induced the three men to commit crimes.

As part of the investigation, in 2014 the RCMP hired an agent to go get close to the Viking Motorcycle Club. When it came to trial, he didn’t take the stand.

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