Hells Angel in ‘Ndrangheta Mafia-Linked Gambling Racket Shot Dead in Canada

Posted on: May 7, 2025, 06:34h. 

Last updated on: May 8, 2025, 10:00h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.
  • Craig “Truck” McIlquham was killed in a targeted Burlington shooting
  • He was central to 2019’s Project Hobart bust
  • Tied to Hells Angels, ‘Ndrangheta, and illegal gambling

A Hells Angel gang member who was at the center of a high-profile illegal gambling bust in 2019 was shot and killed outside a restaurant in Burlington, Ontario, on the evening of April 29, according to police.

Craig McIlquham, Hells Angels Ontario, Project Hobart, ‘Ndrangheta Mafia, Illegal gambling Canada
Craig McIlquham, above, was fatally shot in a Toronto-area restaurant last week. He was allegedly a lynchpin in an illegal gambling operation that involved the ‘Ndrangheta, a powerful Mafia group. (Image: Obituary Photo)

At around 8:30 pm that day, Halton Regional Police responded to a call about gunfire outside a Chinese restaurant in the city. There they found 55-year-old Craig McIlquham suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

McIlquham, known by the nickname “Truck,” was one of over 30 individuals arrested in 2019 as part of “Project Hobart,” a joint investigation led by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

The probe targeted a sophisticated illegal sports betting network allegedly operated by members of the Hells Angels and the ‘Ndrangheta, a powerful Mafia group with roots in southern Italy.

The shooting appears to have been targeted, according to police.

$131M Gambling Bust Falls Apart

McIlquham and fellow Hells Angels member Robert Barletta, the founder of the London, Ontario chapter, were the ringleaders of the gambling operation, prosecutors said at the time.

Together, they controlled a network of illegal websites, including Ultimate SB, Titan SB, and PlaytoWin SB. Authorities alleged the operation generated more than CA$131 million (US$95.6 million) in revenue between 2014 and 2019.

The network used these platforms to manage bets and launder proceeds, while collecting debts through intimidation and violence, according to court documents. Police seized approximately CA$40 million (US$29 million) in assets, including luxury real estate, vehicles, cash, precious metals, and jewelry

Both men were charged with multiple offenses, including bookmaking, firearms violations, and committing crimes for the benefit of a criminal organization. Barletta also faced charges related to tax evasion.

The case collapsed in 2022 because it was estimated the trial would have taken nearly 42 months to complete – exceeding the 30-month limit that is a strict threshold unique to Canadian criminal law.

Despite this, Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General is continuing efforts to seize the groups’ assets under the province’s Civil Remedies Act, which allows forfeiture in cases where criminal convictions aren’t secured.

Hells Angels, ‘Ndrangheta Ties

In Italy, the ‘Ndrangheta was for many years the poor cousin of the Cosa Nostra and the Camorra. But in the past two decades, the syndicate has risen to become the country’s most powerful criminal organization – and possibly the most powerful in the world.

The ‘Ndrangheta is believed to run 80% of the cocaine in Europe and to control much of the illegal arms trade around the world, selling weapons to both sides in the Syrian civil war

It has a presence in over 100 countries and estimated revenues of $50 billion to $100 billion annually.

Canadian authorities have long reported operational ties between the Hells Angels and the ’Ndrangheta, particularly in Ontario and Quebec. While the two organizations operate independently, it’s believed they collaborate in areas of mutual interest, including illegal gambling, drug trafficking, and money laundering.