An Okanagan man has voluntarily surrendered items seized in police search warrant operations to the BC Civil Forfeiture Office as proceeds of crime.
In August 2012, RCMP raided the West Kelowna business and Peachland home of John Edward Newcome.
Stolen vehicles, including boats and ATVs were seized, as well as evidence of vehicle identification number tampering from Cycle Logic.
The business closed afterwards.
RCMP estimated the value of the items at $750,000.
In a news release, the provincial government says Newcome has relinquished more than two dozen complete or partial motorcycles.
He also signed over various garage tools including welders and a drill press.
Some of the items are currently for sale on www.bcauction.ca and other are yet to be posted.
Newcome pleaded guilty three years ago to 19 offenses and was handed an 18 month conditional jail sentence, meaning it was served in the community.
The judge called the scope of Newcome’s crimes “absolutely appalling”, likening it the Taliban’s systematic plundering of the community.
Newcome was also fined $1200 for cocaine possession and breach of bail conditions. He was also ordered to pay $7500 restitution to an insurance company.
The release states Cycle Logic had connections to the Nanaimo and Calgary Hells Angels chapters and to two Kelowna motorcycle gangs, the Throttle Lockers and Kingpin Crew.
“Sophisticated, large-scale, organized theft rings don’t just cost their victims time and money,” said Solicitor General Mike Morris. “Often, they provide capital to organizations that are also behind a lot of the drug crime and related violence in our communities.”
Police returned some of the stolen vehicles to the owners.
The government says in almost 11 years of operation, the civil forfeiture program has yielded about $70 million in criminal proceeds.
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