Nearly eight years ago, a Burnaby man was gunned down while behind the wheel of a car connected to one of the Bacon brothers – and last month Mounties announced three suspects were facing charges for their role in the murder.
Jonathan Barber installed electronics for extra cash on the side, and on May 9, 2008 around 10 p.m., he and his girlfriend had just *picked up a Porsche for an installation job when someone in another car shot at them.
Barber, who was driving the Porsche, died at the scene. His girlfriend, who’d been following behind in an SUV, was hit in the arm and required extensive surgery.
“Jonathan Barber is not in any way connected to organized crime,” said Cpl. Dale Carr, spokesperson for the homicide investigation team, at a press conference in 2009. “One of the strongest messages that we want to get out was that Jonathan's association with organized crime was very simple.”
The Porsche that Barber had been driving was, however, connected to organized crime – the notorious Bacon brothers.
According to police, the brothers and their associates, the Red Scorpions, were embroiled in a gang war between 2008 and 2009 with members of the UN gang, and Barber had been a victim of bad luck.
Investigators with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced late last month that they had arrested three people believed to be connected to Barber’s murder and attempted murder of his girlfriend; the murder of Kevin LeClair in Langley; and the attempted murder of two others.
Charged are 32-year-old Troy Tran of Vancouver and an unnamed 31-year-old man. Both are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and are believed to be part of the UN gang.
“It is important for both the public and those who wish to spread violence through gang activity, to know that we along with all our law enforcement partners are united and are committed in our fight against gang violence,” Chief Supt. Kevin Hackett of B.C.’s gang police said in a press release. “Many years may pass from when crimes were committed, but we will continue to be persistent and determined to remove the most prolific and violent gangsters from our streets.”
Tran is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 9.
- With files from Mia Thomas
