Fallen Saints member back behind bars for role in 2014 assault on man
Just two months after Ryan William Hillman finished serving a three-and-a-half year sentence for conspiring to traffic marijuana, the secretary of the Fallen Saints Motorcycle Club will begin serving another jail term.
Hillman, 30, was sentenced on Thursday in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench for participating in an assault for the purpose of enhancing a criminal organization and for the unlawful transfer of a 12-gauge shotgun. He received a one-year sentence on each charge after Justice Mona Dovell accepted a joint sentencing submission from the Crown and defence.
The Criminal Code states that organized crime offences must be served consecutively to any other sentence. The participation offence is the “least culpable” of the organized crime offences, with most sentences in the range of one to three years, Hintz said in arguing for the joint submission.
The charges were laid as a result of Project Forseti, an investigation targeting the Fallen Saints and Hells Angels that involved intercepted conversations and a drug dealer turned police agent. Hillman, who has been in custody since the Project Forseti “take down” in January 2015, was the only Fallen Saints member who did not receive bail, court heard.
On Dec. 30, 2014, Hillman helped assault Travis Miles, an affiliate member of the Fallen Saints. Miles was being disciplined for lying and was given two choices: leave the club or take a minute-long beating, according to an agreed statement of facts.
Court heard the assault did not last the full minute because Miles was unconscious sooner. The beating sent a message that there would be consequences for people who did not abide by the organization’s rules, and was meant to intimidate members, federal Crown prosecutor Lynn Hintz told court.
She said the Fallen Saints is a criminal organization because its main activity was committing crimes.
Hillman initially thought he was joining a motorcycle club, but “things changed,” according to his lawyer, George Combe, who said his client is remorseful for what happened to Miles.
Hillman told Justice Dovell that he wanted to own up to his mistakes from Day 1.
“I’m getting too old for this. You will never see me again,” Combe said, quoting Hillman, who court heard plans to go back to painting houses once he is released.
Dovell said she will recommend that Hillman serve his sentence at either the Saskatoon Correctional Centre’s Urban Camp Program or at a community training residence as soon as he’s allowed.