Charges have been stayed against two Abbotsford men accused of robbery, extortion and uttering threats.
One of them, Chad Weber, 35, has previously been identified by police as a known gangster.
His co-accused, Curtis Daniel Foerderer, 20, is still appearing before the courts in a separate incident that took place on April 18 in which he was charged with two counts of assault and one count of breaching his bail.
The stayed charges relate to an incident on Feb. 7 of this year when police received a call from a home in the 33900 block of Old Yale Road.
When they arrived, they allegedly found Weber, Foerderer and three other men in the area. The accused had apparently demanded car keys from one of the other men and threatened the group.
Weber and Foerderer were arrested and each charged with five counts.
Neil McKenzie, communications counsel with the Criminal Justice Branch, said the charges were stayed during the preliminary inquiry.
“It became apparent to Crown that, due to significant changes in the available evidence, there was no longer a substantial likelihood of conviction … Not all necessary witnesses attended for the preliminary inquiry, and the evidence of those who did attend was not sufficient to establish that any offences had been committed,” he said.
Weber was charged in this matter only a month after being sentenced to one day in prison on an assault charge from July 2012. On that day, a 28-year-old man was robbed of cash, electronics and jewelry by a group of men in the 1900 block of Catalina Crescent.
Police in 2011 indicated that Weber was connected to the UN Gang, after he was arrested following a bust that turned up powdered cocaine, cash and two bulletproof vests. He was sentenced to 60 days in prison after pleading guilty to possession for the purpose of trafficking.
In April 2012, police warned the public that Weber’s life was in danger and that anyone associating with him was a risk.
