Who Is Barzan Tilli-Choli? Inside the Mind of a UN Gang Leader
- Cindy Peterson
- Aug 8
- 5 min read
On a May evening in 2008, gunfire tore through a Porsche Cayenne on Vancouver’s Kingsway. The driver, Jonathan Barber, was killed instantly. His girlfriend, Vicky King, was wounded in the attack.
Investigators linked the plot to members of the United Nations gang, including Barzan Tilli-Choli.
Police later said the shooters mistook Barber for Red Scorpions leader Jonathan Bacon.
At the time, he was part of an enforcement crew the Crown called the Iraqi group – a unit used for surveillance, live targeting, and planned strikes against the Bacon brothers and their allies.
After Clayton Roueche’s arrest in 2008, Tilli-Choli’s role in these operations expanded. In 2013 he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and received a 14-year sentence.
Canada deported him in 2017 under a standing removal order, returning him to Iraq.
Key Incidents Timeline – Barzan Tilli-Choli
Before we unpack in great detail Tilli-Choli's role in the UN gang, here is an overview of key events.
1999 – Arrives in Canada from Zakho, Iraq, as a permanent resident.
Mid-2000s – Identified by police as part of the UN gang’s “Iraqi group” alongside Duane Meyer, Ion Croitoru, and Trevor Gilbert, tasked with enforcement and direct action.
May 9, 2008 – Jonathan Barber is shot dead in Vancouver in a case of mistaken identity. His girlfriend, Vicky King, is wounded. Police link the attack to UN members, including associates of Tilli-Choli.
January 2009 – Surveillance outside GM Place during a Lil Wayne concert records Calgary’s Billy Ly discussing opening fire on the Bacon brothers if they appear. Linked to Tilli-Choli’s network.
February 2009 – Shooting in Surrey targets Tyler Willock, a Red Scorpion associate. Passenger Fraser Sunderland is killed. Police tie the incident to UN members.
March 2009 – Arrested in an investigation into a targeted Surrey shooting.
May 2009 – Charged with conspiracy to commit murder against the Bacon brothers.
July 2013 – Pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit murder; sentenced to 14 years with credit for time served.
January 2017 – Deported to Iraq under a standing removal order.
Background and Gang Entry
Barzan Tilli-Choli was born in 1982 in Zakho, a city in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. He arrived in Canada in 1999 as a permanent resident. At the time, the United Nations gang was already active in the Lower Mainland under founder Clayton Roueche.
Police files and court testimony place Tilli-Choli inside a tight faction later called the Iraqi group. The crew included Duane Meyer, Ion Croitoru, and Trevor Gilbert, and was used for direct enforcement work — tracking targets, moving on instructions, and carrying out violent tasks when required.
By the mid-2000s, the UN gang was in open conflict with the Red Scorpions and the Bacon brothers. Roueche relied on enforcement teams to put pressure on rivals, and the Iraqi group’s role became more active.
Surveillance operations and planned shootings brought Tilli-Choli deeper into the network’s inner operations.
Rise in the UN Gang
May 2008 set the stage. Founder Clayton Roueche was arrested on a diverted flight and later pleaded guilty in the U.S., leaving a gap in daily operations.
Police and Crown testimony from later trials describe two enforcement lanes inside the UN. One was the so-called Iraqi group that included Barzan Tilli-Choli, used for direct action.
A second lane drew on Calgary’s FOB Killers for higher planning jobs.
Spring 2008 put Tilli-Choli’s circle on the radar. On May 9, 2008, Jonathan Barber was shot dead on Kingsway in a mistaken hit tied by investigators to UN members targeting Jonathan Bacon.
Barber’s girlfriend, Vicky King, was wounded. Subsequent RCMP releases and court coverage connect the case to UN figures, including charges laid later against associates.
Through late 2008 and early 2009, surveillance captured UN teams running live targeting on the Bacon brothers and Red Scorpion associates.
One police surveillance point was outside a Lil Wayne concert at GM Place in January 2009, where investigators documented planning language and intercepted the attempt before it happened.
In March 2009, Tilli-Choli was arrested in an investigation into a targeted Surrey shooting. In May 2009, he and several UN members were charged with conspiracy to murder the Bacon brothers.
The conspiracy case moved through the courts until 2013, when Tilli-Choli pleaded guilty and received a 14-year sentence. Credit for time served reduced the remaining time in custody.
Operations and Tactics
Court testimony from former UN member “D.” in 2017 described two enforcement categories inside the gang. The Iraqi group, which included Barzan Tilli-Choli, was used for violent acts that required a direct approach — surveillance, intimidation, and shootings.
The FOB Killers from Calgary were used for more complex or “precision” jobs. Police linked Tilli-Choli to “human safari” runs — crews driving through areas where rivals were expected to be, ready to engage. One of these operations was the May 2008 shooting that killed Jonathan Barber, later confirmed as a case of mistaken identity.
Intercepted communications captured planning for other high-risk moves. In January 2009, surveillance teams watched Tilli-Choli’s associates outside GM Place during a Lil Wayne concert.
A wiretap recorded Calgary’s Billy Ly discussing opening fire on the Bacon brothers if they appeared.
The group also carried out moving vehicle attacks. In February 2009, Tyler Willock, a Red Scorpion associate, was targeted while riding in a Range Rover in Surrey.
His passenger, Fraser Sunderland, was killed. Police tied the shooting to UN members, with Tilli-Choli named in related investigations.
These tactics relied on constant movement, shared vehicles, and layered surveillance to reduce exposure.
Court records show that the Iraqi group’s work blurred between planned assassinations and rapid retaliation, depending on intelligence at the time.
Arrest, conviction, and deportation
Arrests and charges - 2009: In spring 2009, police arrested Barzan Tilli-Choli in investigations tied to targeted shootings and a plot against the Bacon brothers. By May 2009 he and several United Nations associates were charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Related homicide files - 2011: IHIT publicly listed charges against several UN members in the Jonathan Barber murder and the attempted murder of Vicky King, confirming the case linkage and the investigative focus from 2008 onward.
Guilty plea and sentence - 2013: In July 2013, Tilli-Choli pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to 14 years. Court reporting noted substantial credit for time served, which reduced the remaining custodial time.
Removal from Canada - 2017: After completing his sentence, Canada executed a standing deportation order. In January 2017, Tilli-Choli was removed to Iraq from custody in BC.
Barzan Tilli-Choli’s time in Canada ended in January 2017 when he was deported to Iraq after serving a sentence for conspiracy to commit murder.
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