Real Honorio makes plea deal in FOB vs. FK gang war murders
Meghan Grant | CBC News | Posted: November 30, 2015 6:05 PM | Last Updated: December 1, 2015
Deals have been made or are in the works with 6 of 8 FOB members charged with murder
One of Calgary's most violent gangsters has accepted a plea deal and will not face a trial.
Real Honorio was charged with multiple murders stemming from a gang war that ended six years ago.
He's pleaded guilty to a lesser offence after his lawyers, Tonii Roulston and Andrea Urquhart, negotiated the deal with prosecutors Steven Johnston and Adam May.
"This is a very favourable outcome for our client, it's something we've been working on for the last few months," said Raulston.
Honorio faced three charges of first-degree murder for his role in the Bolsa Restaurant triple murder on New Years Day, 2009.
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Today, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing innocent bystander, Keni Su'a, who ran from the restaurant when gunfire erupted.
"He is relieved to finally move on. This occurred in 2009," said Raulston. "He just wants to move on with his life and actually have a life."
A sentencing hearing is expected to be booked for January or February 2016.
Bolsa murders
The FOB vs. FK gang war culminated in Jan. 2009 when Sanjeev Mann, Aaron Bendle and Keni Su'a were gunned down in a gang revenge plot at Bolsa Vietnamese Restaurant in Calgary's southeast.
Mann, 22, was a known gangster and Bendle, 21, was an associate and had been kidnapped and used as bait to lure Mann to the restaurant. Su'a, an innocent bystander, was killed when he ran from the restaurant.
At his trial, court heard a videotaped confession Honorio made to undercover police.
In 2011 and 2012, Nathan Zuccherato, Michael Roberto and Honorio were all convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the Bolsa shootings but new trials were ordered by the Alberta Court of Appeal after the credibility of a key Crown witness was called into question.
FOB vs. FK
Thirteen years ago members of two Calgary gangs began a bloody feud that's kept police and prosecutors busy to this day.
Between 2002 and 2009, at least 25 deaths were connected to the gang war in Calgary between the FOB (Fresh Off the Boat or Forever our Brothers) and FK (FOB Killers) gangs.
A five-year major police operation called Desino followed and resulted in 21 charges against five gang members in connection with the deaths of six people.
Police were able to make plea deals with two other FOB members, in exchange for their testimony.
Michael Roberto was granted a partial immunity deal for his role in several murders. He was given a 16-year sentence.
AB — who can't be named because of a publication ban — was granted full immunity despite killing three people during the gang war.
Other pleas
In March, Nathan Zuccherato and Thoai Van Luc made arrangements with Crown prosecutors to settle the charges against them.
Zuccherato pleaded guilty to two of the six first-degree murder charges he faced, as well as one count of second-degree murder.
Those charges are in connection with the Bolsa killings and the Food in the East restaurant shooting in 2008 that killed nursing student Tina Kong and her boyfriend Kevin Ses.
Luc pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter for his role in the deaths of Kong and Ses.
8 key players
Nick Chan - TRIAL PENDING
- Charges: Two counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and instructing a criminal organization
- Identified by police as the leader of the FOB gang
Tim Chan - WANTED ON WARRANTS
- Charges: First-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder
Dustin Darby - PLEA DEAL
- Charges: Two counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory after the fact and participation in a criminal organization
- Expected to make a plea deal with the prosecution as early as Thursday.
Real Honorio - PLEA DEAL
- Original charges: Three counts of first-degree murder
- Pleaded to: Second-degree murder
Nathan Zuccherato - PLEA DEAL
- Original Charges: Six counts of first-degree murder, two of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder
- Pleaded to: Two counts of first-degree murder, one of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder
- Sentence: Life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 25 years
Van Luc - PLEA DEAL
- Original charges: Two counts of first-degree murder and two of attempted murder
- Pleaded to: Manslaughter
- Sentence: Eight years in prison
Michael Roberto - PARTIAL IMMUNITY
- Original charges: Three counts of first-degree murder
- Pleaded to: Committing offences of murder for the benefit of or in association with a criminal organization, conspiring to commit murder and discharging a firearm
- Sentence: Sixteen years with double credit for time served
AB (name protected by publication ban) - FULL IMMUNITY
- Admitted his role in three murders. Will not spend any time behind bars.