Charlie and the Angels author predicts biker war in B.C.

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      The shadowy author of a new book on bikers predicts a looming showdown in B.C. between two of the world’s most feared international motorcycle gangs: the Hells Angels and the Outlaws.

      Alex Caine (not his real name) purports to have worked in the field for 30 years with Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, infiltrating bike gangs, including the Bandidos. He chronicles his experiences in his new book, Charlie and the Angels: the Outlaws, the Hells Angels and the Sixty Years War (Random House Canada), and describes how these two organizations are in a global battle for supremacy.

      In an interview at the Georgia Straight office as part of his book tour, the diminutive Caine insisted there is a “100 percent” chance of a major biker conflict in B.C. by the end of this summer. He said that’s because the Outlaws, who are based in the U.S. Midwest, plan to descend on this province.

      “Why do you think the Hells Angels are entrenching themselves as deep as they can?” Caine said. “They know what’s coming. The cops know it’s coming. Everybody knows except the people—and it’s really none of their business, as far as all of these other groups are concerned.”

      In his book, he claims that there’s already an Outlaws chapter in Langley. And he forecast that the bloodshed could rival what’s happened in other cities, such as Montreal and London, Ontario, where biker wars have been fought.

      Caine maintained the Outlaws are often allied with the Bandidos, who have a chapter in Bellingham, and the Black Pistons, whom he characterized as “storm troopers”.

      “When they start moving into your areas and your country and your counties and your provinces, you know something’s coming,” he said.

      Alex Caine says he wrote the book to raise awareness.

      He characterized the Outlaws as “old-school bikers”, less sophisticated and less businesslike than the Hells Angels. He also claimed the Outlaws are the largest motorcycle gang in the world, especially after factoring in their support clubs.

      “You’ll see groups you haven’t heard names of yet,” he declared. “You’ll see street gangs, all of the sudden, wearing sweatshirts with a skull behind them. That’s Charlie [the Outlaws’ symbol, which includes a skull between pistons]. If people were aware and noticed, they would see the colours—anything that’s black and white, they’re Outlaws.”

      In his book, he claims that the Outlaws had a brief flirtation with the B.C.–based United Nations gang.

      “They’ve also been seen wearing a version of Charlie on their black hoodies, which was unprecedented,” he claimed. “Not even the Black Pistons get to do that.”

      Caine alleged that a couple of years ago, a “wolf pack” of different gangs was about to be formed in response. But he provided no documentation in his book, apart from citing unnamed sources.

      He claimed that this was the backdrop to the gangland slaying of Jonathan Bacon in Kelowna in August 2011, while he was in a vehicle with a Hells Angels member and the leader of the Independent Soldiers, an Indo-Canadian gang.

      However, he also notes in his book that the Outlaws "have given up on the lower mainland for the time being", mainly because younger gangsters are "too unreliable" and "too difficult to control". 

      "The Angels are back in control," he writes.

      Caine, who’s French-Canadian, told the Straight he lived in B.C. for several years. But it's impossible to prove this, and his book misspells “Davie Street” as “Davies Street” and claims in the 1970s it had “rows of tenement houses and small shops sprawled along the river and ran all the way to English Bay”.

      Most Vancouver residents know that Davie Street runs parallel to False Creek, not the Fraser River.

      Why do people infiltrate motorcycle gangs?

      Caine explained that his primary contact over the years was Jean-Pierre Levesque, who was a top-ranking biker expert at Criminal Intelligence Service Canada. Normally, they would meet in Montreal, and Caine would examine various files and pick which one interested him.

      "Then he would make contact with the handling agents in that police force and say, 'Okay, set up a meeting in a neutral place, like a city somewhere'," Caine recalled. "We would meet and they would basically sell their project to me. And I would say 'yes' or 'no'. I'll do it or I won't."

      He said that when he was "younger and prettier", he was a competitive kickboxer. In this sport, he got to know members of Chinese triads.

      They needed someone who could speak French to sell heroin in Eastern Canada, and thought Caine would be a good candidate. But he turned them down because he already had a job.

      He claimed that his girlfriend at the time convinced him to contact the RCMP. They later asked him to infiltrate the gang. He alleged that he eventually insinuated himself into biker gangs, which led to him getting shot in Australia.

      Caine reveals in his book that he was saved by a laptop computer, which was in a knapsack he was wearing.

      "When they say hard drives, it ain't that hard," he quipped. "Trust me, I was more pissed off for losing the laptop."

      Caine said that people have different reasons for doing this type of work.

      "Some of them are criminals that have turned against their friends for either money or to get off lighter on a sentence," he stated.

      In this category, he included those who testified against notorious Quebec biker Maurice "Mom" Boucher, former president of the Montreal chapter of the Hells Angels. But Caine claimed that he was motivated by a desire to improve society.

      "A rule of thumb: you never work where you live," he said.

      Comments

      11 Comments

      someone who knows

      Jan 31, 2013 at 12:52pm

      caine is a moron. there is zero chance of the outlaws starting a war in BC zero !!

      MarkFornataro

      Feb 1, 2013 at 9:56am

      Re: that last line "'A rule of thumb: you never work where you live,' he said." that sounds very much like a line from a major movie called the Score(on Netflix), about criminals in Montreal.

      Sonny

      Feb 1, 2013 at 11:06am

      This guy did his research on the internet. I would think he knows as much about the Outlaws / HA war as I do.
      His explanation for the start of the war is pretty weak.
      And the way he discounts the killing of 2, thats right it was 2, not 3 members of the HA, as the real start of the war is crazy.
      I'm only 25 pages into it, and i'm sure it will be interesting, but it isnt going to be a factual retelling. Merely conjecture and a lot of assumptions.

      alex caine

      Feb 1, 2013 at 12:38pm

      The Davies street was for general reference. We use to leave the Retinal and walk to deman (sp) street then turn and walk to english bay. Sorry if people don.t understand what it is I am saying. Funny thing I got the same reaction from Winnipeg about the Rock Machine being there as an Outlaw support club. Yesterday the RCMP did a take down of most of the RM in Winnipeg. Aside from the drugs found and pipe bombs, guns etc.. They found a large number of outlaw support gear. So if what I say doesn.t appeal to you then you have nothing to worry about. If you think I say things to sell books, your so wrong. I am published to eleven countries in six languages. I do OK. To me the Straight (paper) was on Pender i think, it is not there today, doesn.t mean I.m wrong. I wish people.s indulgence for not having a perfect memory. Enjoy the book for what it is.

      Nora Legault

      Feb 27, 2013 at 3:18pm

      So that's the name for "rats"...contracted agent..WTF!!!

      true canadian

      Jul 4, 2013 at 7:50am

      I'm reading ur book Charlie and the Angels and I don't know how u can say " dispite being in country one-thenth the size. The choice was a major gang." Canada is bigger then the US we have more land and space for our people and as a Canadian I find this offensive.

      logical thinker

      Aug 27, 2013 at 9:45pm

      "I'm reading ur book Charlie and the Angels and I don't know how u can say " dispite being in country one-thenth the size. The choice was a major gang." Canada is bigger then the US we have more land and space for our people and as a Canadian I find this offensive."

      canada aprox population 35 million. the states is around three sixty. he meant population duh

      Tits

      Jan 18, 2014 at 1:45pm

      Nobody can spell!

      Dragon

      Feb 2, 2014 at 11:26am

      This guy is so full of shit!

      Trevor Philips

      Jul 7, 2014 at 3:21am

      100% chance summer 2013 eh?

      just a shill trying to sell a book