Court records shed light on alleged biker charged in sweeping drug probe

An alleged Outlaws motorcycle club member charged last week after police dismantled a drug-trafficking ring in the London region was previously charged in another crackdown on the biker gang nearly six years earlier.

Four alleged members of the Outlaws and their support club were among a group of 12 people charged last week as part of Project Derailleur, a seven-month investigation into drug trafficking in Southwestern Ontario that led to the seizure of guns, drugs and cash.

One of the alleged bikers, Jeffrey Acal, 38, of Mount Brydges, was charged with cocaine possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Acal was charged with the same offense in October 2017 as part of a cocaine trafficking investigation by the OPP-led biker enforcement unit.

Court records show the charge against Acal, then 32, was stayed in May 2018. A stayed charge means no finding of guilt or innocence has been made. Instead, the charge has essentially been set aside and the Crown has the option of reviving the case within a one-year period.

The other defendant in the 2017 case, alleged Outlaws member Marco Dos Reis, 32 at the time, was given a 21-month sentence for convictions on drug and weapons charges, according to court records.

In the most recent case, police on June 27 searched eight locations in Aylmer, St. Thomas and Melbourne, where they seized four guns, four prohibited weapons, biker gear, 550 suspected opioid pills, cocaine and $11,000 cash, police said.

Alleged Outlaws members Kenneth Groves, 64, of Aylmer, John Burwell, 57, of Fergus, and Filthy 15 member Chris Donahue, 40, of Wardsville, are charged with drug possession for the purpose of trafficking. Groves additionally is charged with weapons-related offences. The Filthy 15 is a support club for the Outlaws.

The Outlaws have a long history in Southwestern Ontario, where they’ve traditionally had a smaller presence than their longtime rivals, the Hells Angels, the largest outlaw motorcycle club in the world.

But the head of the OPP-led biker enforcement unit warns that the Outlaws have been growing their ranks in the London region in recent years.

“Definitely in the last several years there has been an expansion with the Outlaws, and again not just with their full patch members. . . but with their support clubs,” Insp.-Det. Scott Wade said. “So there has been a growth and Southwestern Ontario has always been a stronghold of the Outlaws.”

Wade’s unit, made up of more than 50 officers from nearly two dozen police forces and agencies from across the province, has responded by launching multiple operations targeting the club.

In 2021, police charged eight people, including the former Outlaws London chapter president, as part of Project Weaver, a probe into gun and drug trafficking in Southwestern Ontario. Investigators seized a weapons cache, including 31 guns, 81 grenades, two grenade launchers, along with other weapons, large quantities of drugs, cars and cash, police said at the time.

The five police forces involved in Project Derailleur – London, St. Thomas, Aylmer, Strathroy-Caradoc and the OPP – held a press conference last week to announce the results of the investigation and showcase the items seized, including two military-style sniper rifles .

Police brass warned that as more criminals arm themselves, others follow suit, putting money in the hands of gun traffickers and putting communities at an increased risk of violence.

Wade said the possibility of violence between rival biker gangs and other criminal groups is always a concern for police.

“We’re vigilant to that,” he said. “And with our partners, and monitoring intelligence trends, we’re on top of the challenge.”

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