Rob Allen became paranoid of police, informant testifies in Hells Angel’s trial

Rob Allen (Facebook)

A police informant in the Project Forseti raids says a Saskatoon Hells Angel was becoming increasingly paranoid while the two were planning to move cocaine from Ontario to Saskatoon.

Noel Harder, an informant in Project Forseti and at least one other investigation, continued his testimony Tuesday in the trial of 36-year-old Rob Allen.

Allen is charged with one count of drug trafficking. The trial began Monday with Harder taking the stand.

In day two of the trial, Crown prosecutor Douglas Curliss wrapped up his questioning of Harder. Court heard more about text messages and audio recordings between Harder and Allen when Harder was working as a police informant. Much of the recordings were unintelligible due to poor audio quality and because the pair would use hand gestures, talk in code or write notes when talking about illegal activity.

Harder testified Allen was becoming increasingly paranoid about police knowing about illegal operations — although he wasn’t sure what had “spooked” Allen.

Harder said police instructed him to continue working on a plan for a drug transaction, which would see Allen organize the movement of cocaine from Ontario to Saskatoon, after the first attempt failed. Although Allen would never be in direct contact with the cocaine, he would receive a $5,000 cut for every kilogram that Harder would sell.

Harder told court Allen wasn’t able to travel to meet the suppliers — two Hells Angels in Ontario — but police told him to tell Allen he had other ideas to make the transaction work and to leave it up to him.

Allen is a full-patch member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, according to an agreed statement of facts in the case.

Curliss said while the transaction didn't end up going through, an offer to traffic drugs is still considered illegal.

Defence lawyer Morris Bodnar began a brief cross-examination of Harder Tuesday afternoon because he wanted to ensure Curliss didn’t speak with Harder outside of questioning. He argued Curliss spoke with Harder during breaks in proceedings, which is inappropriate.

During cross-examination Harder told court he began dealing drugs in the early 2000s when he took over his brother’s operation after he died.

He met Allen in the summer of 2013 and officially became a police informant in December 2014, six months after he was arrested for possession of guns. He acted as an official police agent in Project Forseti until the day of the raids on Jan. 6, 2015, but still reviewed transcripts and audio recordings afterward, he testified.

He said he was instructed to target about 30 people in Project Forseti, but more people became involved throughout the investigation.

Allen was arrested alongside 13 others after Saskatoon police and RCMP raided nearly 20 properties across Saskatchewan and Alberta in January 2015 as part of Project Forseti. Officers seized 200 guns and $8 million worth of drugs in the raids.

The trial is scheduled to wrap up Wednesday with more cross-examination of Harder.