Zale Coty, 54, a former member of the Throttle Lockers Motorcycle Club, is the last of three defendants convicted for his involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking operation.
A multi-year drug trafficking investigation leading to the arrest of members of a Hells Angels puppet club in Kamloops has finally been concluded.
Zale Coty, 54, a former full member of the Throttle Lockers Motorcycle Club, is the last of three people convicted for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking operation that expanded into the Kamloops region.
Display 2
Article content
In April of this year, Coty pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic fentanyl and was ultimately sentenced last week to 12 years in prison and a 10-year ban on possessing and using firearms.
According to British Columbia’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of Kamloops launched an investigation in 2017 after receiving information that led them to believe that a Kamloops-based criminal organization was acting as a support group for the Kelowna branch of the Hells Angels.
Gang investigators believed the support group was trying to expand its drug trafficking to the Kamloops area.
The CFSEU was tasked with leading the investigation in 2018 and identified several possible members of the Throttle Lockers who were actively trafficking drugs in the Kamloops area.
In November 2019, the execution of three search warrants resulted in the arrest of three individuals and charges related to human trafficking.
Shawn William Carlisle, 49, a former member of the Throttle Lockers, pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking and marijuana trafficking in late 2022. He was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in early 2023.
Display 3
Article content
At the end of 2023, Jacob Andrew Cavanagh was convicted of possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking. He was sentenced to four years in prison.
In April of this year, Coty also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic fentanyl.
“We are pleased that this investigation, which began in 2017, has been brought to a conclusion at a time when drug trafficking was leading to violence, including a murder, and other serious crimes,” said Superintendent Jeff Pelley, Kamloops RCMP’s senior officer.
“Today, years later, we find ourselves once again in the midst of a drug trafficking conflict. We want to assure the public that outcomes like this, which began as a proactive project by the Kamloops RCMP Targeted Enforcement Unit, remain a priority for our department because of their direct impact on public safety.”
Editor’s recommendations
Charges filed against members of a British Columbia biker gang with ties to the Hells Angels
Member of the Hells Angels fan club in Kamloops pleads guilty to drug trafficking
Article content
