Accused hired hitman to kill rival at Toronto cafe, Crown tells trial
TORONTO — Three men involved in cross-border cocaine trafficking hired a costumed hitman to carry out a brazen daylight shooting at a Toronto cafe in order to eliminate an acquaintance also involved in the drug trade, a jury heard Wednesday.
On the first day of the four men’s murder trial, prosecutors alleged the group orchestrated the hit on John Raposo partly for financial reasons and partly because he had harmed two of them in some way.
In his opening statement, Crown lawyer Maurice Gillezeau alleged Nicola Nero, Martino Caputo and Rabih Alkhalil plotted to steal a 200-kilogram shipment of cocaine from Raposo, split the money three ways and kill him.
Gillezeau told jurors evidence will show the fourth accused, Dean Wiwchar, was a contract killer who went to great lengths to avoid police surveillance and donned an elaborate disguise to fulfil the job set out by the others.