Dennis Karbovanec pleaded guilty during a B.C. Supreme Court appearance

Dennis Karbovanec pleaded guilty during a B.C. Supreme Court appearance that lasted just minutes to three counts of second-degree murder, including the death of one of two innocent bystanders.Six men were found dead in an apartment on the 15th floor of a Surrey high-rise on Oct. 19, 2007. Four were linked to the criminal underworld by police. Ed Schellenberg, a fireplace repairman servicing units in the tower, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. So was 22-year-old Chris Mohan, who lived across the hall from the apartment where the bodies were found.
Yesterday's unexpected developments were a victory for the region's embattled police forces, who have been struggling to make gains against what Vancouver's police chief has described as a "brutal" gang war. A spokesman for the regional police team investigating the case said all will be explained today at a news conference.
"There will be additional arrests throughout the weekend in connection to this file," said Corporal Dale Carr of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. "We've got people being arrested and I can't get into a lot of detail."Cpl. Carr declined to take questions from reporters. There was no explanation for why Mr. Karbovanec pleaded guilty."Due to the nature of the developments that have happened very, very quickly and the nature of the guilty plea and what's taking place now, I simply cannot entertain questions at this time."Cpl. Carr made it clear that a number of arrests were being made in the case, but declined to be specific pending today's news conference.Mr. Karbovanec pleaded guilty in connection with the death of Mr. Mohan, and two of the men who had criminal links.During the proceedings before Associate Chief Justice Patrick Dohm and family members of some victims, he also entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit murder.
There was no reference to Mr. Schellenberg, but Steve Brown, his brother-in-law, said it's only a matter of time before police hold someone accountable for his death."This is obviously a huge break in the case and I think it's unfolding as we speak. I think it's a dynamic thing right now," Mr. Brown said outside the regional headquarters of the RCMP following a news conference to announce the developments."The whole case has been broken and it's just a matter of it unfolding."Mr. Brown, a fireplace repairman who has become a forceful advocate for criminal-justice reform along with Mr. Mohan's mother, Eileen, said: "If someone has pled guilty to second-degree murder, you assume it's a plea bargain and so there's always a trade-off in something like this."Mr. Karbovanec's lawyer, Len Doust, declined to comment when asked if Mr. Karbovanec negotiated a deal in exchange for a guilty plea on the charges. Details of Mr. Karbovanec's involvement in the murders will be disclosed at his sentencing next Thursday, Mr. Doust also said.
Mr. Karbovanec was charged on Wednesday.During the court hearing, Mr. Karbovanec pleaded guilty to the murder of Mr. Mohan, 19-year-old Ryan Bartolomeo of Surrey and Michael Lai, 26.He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit the first-degree murder of Michael's brother, Corey.Mr. Karbovanec, police said, has also been accused of conspiracy to commit the first-degree murder of Corey Lal along with James Bacon of Abbotsford, 24-year-old Matthew Johnston of New Westminster and Cory Haevischer of Nanaimo.In addition to Mr. Bacon, Mr. Johnston, and Mr. Haevischer, the indictment of Mr. Karbovanec listed someone identified only as "Person X."
Mr. Bacon was apparently arrested yesterday at his Abbotsford home.
Police have said Mr. Karbovanec and Mr. Bacon are linked to the so-called Red Scorpions' gang, which has been at odds with the UN gang over the region's drug trade and is thought to be linked to almost 50 shootings in the region since mid-January, 18 of them fatal.
In March, Jonathan Bacon and Mr. Karbovanec were arrested on fraud charges. While on bail, both men were the focus of 24-hour surveillance.