Two B.C. Hells Angels already serving lengthy jail terms on drug-trafficking convictions have been ordered to face a new trial on gangsterism charges.
John Punko and Richard Potts were arrested after a two-year undercover RCMP investigation, and were convicted of drug-trafficking, conspiracy and proceeds of crime charges in 2009.
But defence lawyers managed to block charges that Punko and Potts committed those crimes on behalf of a criminal organization, the East End Hells Angels. A conviction on a criminal organization charge carries a maximum prison term of 14 years.
In a decision handed down Thursday, a three-judge panel at the B.C. Court of Appeal threw out those acquittals, ruling that Punko and Potts should stand trial again.
The decision marks the third time that the high court has overturned a B.C. Supreme Court ruling in the Punko and Potts cases.
In January, the appeal court quadrupled Potts' sentence to five years in prison, saying the judge failed to impose a sentence that properly reflected the seriousness of the crimes.
And last year, Punko's sentence was bumped up from 14 months in jail to five years and two months after the appeal court panel called his crimes a "despicable endeavour" causing substantial harm to society.
