B.C. man wanted after skipping court, charged in connection to organized crime

An arrest warrant has been issued for a B.C. man charged in connection with an alleged drug trafficking operation with ties to Hells Angels members on Vancouver Island.

Jonathan Erin Clifford of Courtenay failed to appear in court on Feb. 1. He was arrested in January 2022 and charged in November last year with one count of participating in the activities of a criminal organization and one count of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

The province’s anti-gang agency, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) is asking the public to be on the lookout for Clifford, who is known to live in the Comox Valley area.

1:49 Police identify suspect in Delta hit-and-run that injured RCMP officer

He is one of six charged in connection with the alleged operation. Jeff Scott Pasanen, Randall James King, Shawna Lynne Leblanc, Peter Bruce Billie, and Rhys Tyler Vernon Bolton were also arrested after multiple property searches on homes in the Comox Valley and Campbell River areas on Jan. 13, 2022.

Police seized 3.5 kilograms of cocaine, about $160,000 in cash, one vehicle, Hells Angels paraphernalia, and several firearms — some restricted or modified — during the bust.

“We know small communities and areas outside the Lower Mainland are not immune to the negative effects of gangs and organized crime,” said Supt. Duncan Pound of the CFSEU-BC in a news release at the time.

“These groups prey upon the most vulnerable through the sale of often deadly drugs and using fear and intimidation in order to advance their illicit enterprises.”

Anyone with information on Clifford’s whereabouts is asked to call their local police service or Crime Stoppers.