A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced a gangland hitman to 20 years in prison for the brazen, daytime execution of a rival gangster in the crowded lobby of a prestigious Vancouver hotel more than a decade ago.
A "Shockingly Casual" Public Execution
Justice Kathleen Ker delivered the sentence to Dean Wiwchar on Friday, December 5, 2025. She condemned the hitman's actions at the Sheraton Wall Centre on January 17, 2012, as demonstrating an "outrageous and shockingly casual disregard for the sanctity of life."
The judge emphasized the extreme public danger of the crime, noting it was a miracle no innocent bystanders were killed when Wiwchar walked into the busy hotel restaurant and shot Sandip Duhre in the head.
Guilty Plea in Long-Running Gang War
Wiwchar, a member of the Wolfpack gang, entered a surprise guilty plea on October 30 to two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. The first count was for the Duhre slaying. The second was for conspiring to kill Sukhveer Dhak later in 2012.
Justice Ker explained the violent motives were rooted in an ongoing gang conflict. The Wolfpack targeted Duhre and Dhak due to their perceived links to the United Nations gang. This was retaliation for the 2011 Kelowna shooting that killed Jonathan Bacon and injured Hells Angel Larry Amero, a Wolfpack associate.
Dhak was ultimately shot dead by an unknown gunman in November 2012. Wiwchar had been hired for that hit but was arrested for a Toronto murder before he could carry it out.
Concurrent Sentences and Ongoing Fallout
The court sentenced Wiwchar to 18 years for the Dhak conspiracy, to be served concurrently with the 20-year term for the Duhre plot. While Wiwchar initially faced a first-degree murder charge for Duhre's death, that count was stayed as part of the plea arrangement.
Wiwchar is already serving a life sentence for the 2012 Toronto murder of John Raposo, a conviction he is currently appealing.
Other Wolfpack members, including Rabih Alkhalil and Larry Amero, were previously convicted for their roles in the conspiracies against Duhre and Dhak. The sentencing hearing was attended by police, prosecutors, and relatives of both victims, marking a somber close to a long-running case.
Justice Ker lamented the continuing cycle of gang violence in the Lower Mainland, linking the Duhre murder to the devastating 2007 Surrey Six murders. She described Wiwchar's crimes as "another sad chapter in this sordid, ongoing cycle of bravado, violence and mayhem."
