Ex-gangster testifies he gave gun to hitman

VANCOUVER — A former United Nations gangster says he provided a handgun to accused killer Cory Vallee, who he described as a “hitman” hired by the gang.

The man, who can only be identified as D, said he was surprised when Vallee seemed excited about the Colt semi-automatic gun, given Vallee’s purported line of work.

Vallee is charged with conspiracy to kill the notorious Bacon brothers over several months in 2008 and 2009, as well as the first-degree murder of Bacon associate Kevin LeClair in Langley in February 2009.

D testified Friday he gave the gun to Vallee at an apartment that UN gang leader Clay Roueche had arranged for Vallee while the gang was at war with the Bacon brothers, a conflict that raged across the Lower Mainland for several years.

“He took it and was admiring it. He was very happy about it. He had a big smile. He thought it was very cool,” D told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Janice Dillon. “I thought it was a little bit strange that he was so excited by it.”

Asked to explain why he thought Vallee’s reaction was unusual, D said: “My understanding was that this was an individual that had done these kinds of jobs — that of being a hitman — before, for the biker gangs in Eastern Canada somewhere.”

In his fourth day on the stand at Vallee’s trial, D described the increasingly violent conflict with the Bacons and the UN. He said he provided information about the Bacons to Vallee, including details of a Langley restaurant and gym they frequented. D testified that Roueche wanted an outside hitman because he would not be recognized by law enforcement or known to the Bacons.

Before the UN could strike, one of their own was gunned down on the steps of an Abbotsford home on May 8, 2008. Duane Meyer had been a popular member of the UN and close to Roueche at the time of his death, D testified.

He said the UN’s hunt intensified, leading to the mistaken murder of stereo installer Jonathan Barber, who was driving one of the Bacon brothers’ vehicles when he was fatally shot in Burnaby.

D said he was with UN gangster Elliott (Taco) Castaneda at an Abbotsford bar when Castaneda got a BlackBerry message about the Burnaby murder.

The message indicated that Jamie Bacon, who the UN referred to as “#3,” had been killed. “We were both quite excited about it. However, I told Elliott to take it easy. There was talk of us buying champagne — popping a champagne bottle — but I didn’t want to count the chicken before it hatched,” D said.