By Grant Warkentin
A multi-year investigation involving the Nanaimo chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, and police raids in Campbell River in early 2022, has resulted in one man pleading guilty to cocaine trafficking.
The plea is linked to events early in the morning on January 13, 2022, when police acted on warrants to search four residences in Campbell River and the Comox Valley. Police seized approximately 3.5 kg of suspected cocaine; approximately $160,000 in Canadian currency; firearms including a handgun, semi-automatic, sawed-off shotguns, long guns, and ammunition; Hells Angels paraphernalia; and one vehicle.
The RCMP’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of BC (CFSEU-BC) announced today (Sepbember 22, 2026) that Randall “Randy” James Morley King is pleading guilty to several offences, including “trafficking cocaine for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal organization.”
The unit says the plea comes after “a significant, multi-year investigation” into an organized drug trafficking network operating on Vancouver Island “involving members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Nanaimo Chapter.”
The investigation has been ongoing since January 2021 by CFSEU-BC’s Island District.
“Over the course of approximately one year, investigators gathered significant evidence related to the activities of individuals associated with the Hells Angels Nanaimo Chapter,” says the CFSEU-BC, describing the investigation leading up to the warrants being served on January 13, 2022.
Six charged: three sentenced, one pending, one dead, one still before the courts
Charges were laid against a number of individuals and the matter proceeded through the courts. The investigation culminated in the arrests and charges against six individuals: Jeffery Scott Pasanen; Randall James Morley King; Johnathan Erin Clifford; Rhys Tyler Vernon Bolton; Shawna Lynne Leblanc; and Peter Bruce Billie.
Bolton, Leblanc, and Billie have since entered guilty pleas and been sentenced for offences related to drug trafficking and conspiracy to traffic, says the CFSEU-BC.
On August 10, 2026, Pasenen died while court proceedings were ongoing.
On September 14, 2026, King pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking cocaine for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal organization; conspiracy to traffic cocaine; and two counts of trafficking cocaine. He will be sentenced at a later date.
Clifford’s case remains before the courts.
“This is a significant result for CFSEU-BC and reflects the relentless work and determination of our Island District investigators,” said Superintendent Ryan Element, acting chief of the CFSEU-BC, in today’s statement. “This team spent years pursuing this investigation, from gathering evidence and making arrests to supporting a lengthy and complex court process. Their commitment never wavered.
“Organized crime investigations of this magnitude are complex, resource-intensive and can take years to move through the justice system. This guilty plea to trafficking cocaine for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal organization is an important outcome and demonstrates our commitment to targeting individuals operating at the highest levels of organized crime and holding them accountable.”
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