Proud Boys - Far-right street brawlers in New York

The brawl between the 'Proud Boys' and protesters started outside the Metropolitical Republican Club, where the group’s founder, Gavin McInnes, was reenacting the assassination of Inejiro Asanuma, the leader of the Japanese Socialist Party. Proud Boys are a bizarre far-right group behind growing violence in New York.

Created by McInnes, the Proud Boys are a strange brew of a men’s rights organization, a fight club and a hate group — one that loves Donald Trump, hates Muslims, Jews and trans people.

McInnes commonly spews anti-Muslim sentiments (“the Muslim world is filled with shoeless, toothless, inbred, hill-dwelling, rifle-toting, sodomy-prone men.”) He made a video called “10 Things I Hate about Jews” and argued that Jews “were ostracized for a good reason.” He earned fans such as white supremacist David Duke. McInnes made a video praising the use of violence in June, saying, “What’s the matter with fighting? Fighting solves everything. The war on fighting is the same as the war on masculinity.”

Meth gaining strength, costing less

Using just cold medicine, toxic chemicals, and an empty two-liter bottle, the technique is simple.

In the early 2010s a "shake and bake" method was devised for making meth. The rudimentary way of making meth required ingredients like drain cleaner, lithium batteries and pseudoephedrine — a decongestant in cold medications such as Sudafed.

Addicts can cook their own meth, but with one misstep, the chemical reaction that occurs causes deadly explosions. When new laws were enacted to limit access to pseudoephedrine -- an allergy drug used in making meth -- the proliferation of small mobile labs waned. That didn't end the meth problem.

Today cops are seizing meth that is purer, cheaper and in greater quantities than ever before, with most of it coming from south of the border. As it became more difficult and dangerous to produce meth in the United States, cartels recognized an opportunity to fill the void. In 2012, the DEA was buying meth undercover off the streets for $1,100 an ounce. Today, agents are regularly getting ounces for just $250 to $450. The reason for the drop in prices is the industrial scale of production that the Mexican cartels have achieved.

Joseph 'Skinny Joey' Merlino sentenced to two years in prison

Joseph 'Skinny Joey' Merlino quipped outside court Wednesday that President Donald Trump was right to suggest cooperators or 'flippers' should be outlawed. He chuckled despite needing to surrender himself in 45 days. Merlino was arrested in 2016 with four others in a crackdown on an East Coast syndicate that prosecutors say committed crimes including extortion, loan-sharking, casino-style gambling, sports gambling, credit card fraud and health care fraud.

See ----->Mob Boss 'Skinny Joey' Merlino pleads guilty
See ----->Judge declares mistrial in the racketeering case of Joseph 'Skinny Joey' Merlino

Massive German container leasing Ponzi scheme Busted - $4b

The Munich-based container lessor filed for bankruptcy two months ago after drawing on €3.5bn ($4.06bn) from 54,000 investors.

Investors are facing losses of more than $4bn after it emerged that one million shipping containers belonging to German box lessor P&R Group can't be found. The company sold new and used containers, rented them back, and offered to repurchase them in 5 years for 65% of the original value.

While the firm claimed to have acquired 1.6m containers on behalf of German investors, it appears only 600,000 actually exist.

150 kilos of cocaine found on ship in Halifax - Update II

Matthew Ross Lambert and his wife, Nyet Cheng Siow, were to be arraigned on an allegation of concealing or converting $25,000 in Canadian currency that was the proceeds of crime. That charge has been dropped. Lambert is still facing two other sets of charges, including conspiracy to commit robbery and counselling someone to commit robbery. Nelson Ricardo Alvarado-Calles, 30, of Vaughan, Ont., was picked up by police in August. Their trafficking trial is expected next May.

_______________________________

Matthew Ross Lambert

Two men from B.C. charged with conspiracy to import cocaine were released from custody after posting cash bail and agreeing to strict conditions. Matthew Ross Lambert, 34, of Richmond and Darcy Peter Bailey, 46, of Fort St. John were arrested June 9, when a diver found cocaine hidden on the bottom of a container ship in the Port of Halifax. Their bail is $ 50,000 and $ 10,000 respectively. Lambert must live with his surety — his wife — at their house in Richmond. Bailey was ordered to reside at his mother’s home in Abbotsford. The third man charged with conspiracy, Dangis Seinauskas, 46, of Ajax is still in custody pending receipt of his Canadian and Lithuanian passports.

Darcy Bailey, Dangis Seinauskas

Three men have been charged with conspiracy to import cocaine after a drug seizure in the Port of Halifax. Divers inspected a ship docked at the Halterm Container Terminal on June 9 and found 150 kilograms of cocaine hidden on the bottom of the vessel. The 3 had diving equipment with them when they were arrested near the container terminal.

HA Robin Moulton and Marie Antonette Bugay sentenced

New Brunswick HA Robin Moulton, 49, was sentenced to 54 months for possession of cocaine with the intention of trafficking and possessing a drug press intended for trafficking. Marie Antonette Bugay, 41 was sentenced to 30 months in jail for possession of a loaded firearm without a licence, possession of property obtained by crime and possession of cocaine. She will forfeit the $77,000 seized by police.

The Crown withdrew 10 charges, including illegal weapons possession and storage.

Moulton, a 12 year HA veteran, was previously sentenced to five years and four months in federal prison in 2008 for trafficking cocaine and for possessing a prohibited or restricted weapon with ammunition. He was was released on February 17, 2012, with conditions.
See ----->HA Robin Moulton and girlfriend Marie Bugay stay jailed
See ----->Hells Angels MC Nomads N.B. Robin Moulton charged

Francesco Del Balso charged with threatening reporter - Update

A clip from CBC's The Fifth Estate - Crime Pays (Montreal's Rizzuto Clan)

If there's one thing Francesco Del Balso is 'good' at, it's threats. Project Colisée, a lengthy police investigation into the Montreal Mafia, provided recorded conversations involving Del Balso issuing threats. Last week Del Balso is said to have issued a threat toward reporter Felix Séguin. Del Balso made a request at the Drummondville courthouse to have a peace bond imposed on the reporter. The mobster ran his mouth after his request was rejected.

He told a prosecutor at the courthouse that: “I can take care of (Séguin) myself. I will put him in a container.” Del Balso was charged with making a threat and with intimidating a journalist to prevent him from reporting on a criminal organization, a Criminal Code offence that carries a maximum sentence of 14 years. Last month Séguin did a story on Del Balso, who was shaking down Italian restaurants for protection money.

Del Balso is technically still serving the 11-year sentence he received from Project Colisée, including conspiracy to commit extortion, gangsterism, tax evasion and cocaine trafficking. He was out on statutory release. Del Balso now faces the possibility of being returned to a federal penitentiary to serve out his time for having violated terms of his release.

See ----->Montreal mobster Francesco 'chit' Del Balso targets Quebec pizzérias
See ----->Francesco Del Balso a walking target, release revoked