Selected Articles from Brothers Behind Bars News Letter

Mike Davis Editor  To subscribe or comment contact  MGDavisSFFS1@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: Articles contained with in the Brothers Behind Bars Newsletter are gathered from independent news sources. Online news letter is only a selection due to space. The full newsletters and all its issues, in its entirety can be downloaded from the archive sections.

Selections from June  09  Issue #2

 

Seat Belts VS Helmets Interview – June 10, 2009 – Minnesota – By Jason DeRusha; WCCO - Now that police can pull anyone over for not wearing a seat belt in Minnesota, attention is turning to motorcycles & helmets.  If the Gov’t can make drivers buckle up, why isn’t there a law mandating helmets?   There was until the late-1970s, when Minnesota’s mandatory helmet law was repealed.  Since that time, new laws have been proposed, but they’ve never succeeded.   “We lobby all the time,” said Todd Riba, legislative director for the Minnesota chapter of American Bikers for Awareness, Training & Education.   Riba said he & his group lobbied against the mandatory seat belt law when Minnesota put that into effect in 1986.   “It’s the same principle, freedom of choice,” he said.   But when motorcyclists were fighting that law, he said that motorists were not there fighting.  “I think, like most people, they’re not involved. They say my voice & my vote doesn’t count. But they’re wrong,” said Riba.   There are other factors at play.  As Riba points out, seat belts in cars are part of a crash restraint system including a collapsible steering wheel, air bags & other safety features inside a car.   “Motorcyclists don’t have that crash system,” he said.   A helmet is not an exact parallel to a seat belt.   Also, the sheer number of drivers makes it easier for seat belt advocates to make their case.   The National Safety Council estimates that 60% of all motor vehicle crash deaths are people who were not wearing seat belts.  They estimate that in Minnesota, 200 lives will be saved annually because of increased seat belt use because of the primary seat belt law.   In a typical Minnesota year, around 50 people die in motorcycle crashes.   In total.   No one can say for certain how many would be saved with helmets.   According to the National Transportation Safety Board, helmets “are 29-35% effective at preventing motorcycling deaths & substantially more effective against deaths from brain injury.”   “If everybody wants motorcyclists to wear helmets, perhaps we all should,” said Riba.   According to Riba, motorcycles make up 6% of the national traumatic brain injuries while bicycles are 7%, pedestrians are 13%, occupants of enclosed motor vehicles are 62%.    Money is also a motivator to legislators who passed the primary seat belt law.  The federal Gov’t is giving Minnesota $3.4 million of new money for highways, as a condition of passing the primary belt law.   But the largest factor may be the organization, passion & strength of the motorcyclists themselves.   “I want to make a choice, I don’t want to wear a helmet,” said Riba. “One of the things Gov. Pawlenty told us: you gotta keep showing up. If you don’t, the goofballs will.”

 

Iowa State Patrol Launches Special Enforcement Effort during the Month of June – Jun 4, 2009 - Des Moines, Iowa - Statistics indicate the month of June is one of the deadlier months for traffic fatalities in Iowa, & that a larger number of these fatal accidents occur on Saturday nights. Therefore, the Iowa State Patrol will launch a special enforcement effort during the month of June dubbed “Safe Saturdays.” Each Sat during June, the Patrol will activate entire Districts to work between the hours of 5:30 pm & 2:00 am, increasing their normal staffing levels by 38% to 49%.   Troopers will focus their efforts on excessive speed, seat belt usage, & impaired drivers. All uniformed members of the patrol, regardless of rank, will participate in these “Safe Saturday” projects. District Commanders have been reviewing available data to determine areas within their respective districts where there are increased speed infractions, impaired drivers & incidence of motor vehicle crashes. On each “Safe Saturday,” Troopers will use saturation patrols to work the identified areas & address these concerns. The following factors were considered in planning & implementing each “Safe Saturday” project: Excessive speed remains a critical factor in many serious injury & fatal collisions. In 2008, although 93% of drivers & passengers on Iowa roadways were using seatbelts, 139 (43%) of those motorists suffering fatal injuries were not using their seat belt at the time of their collision. In 2008, 79 persons were killed in crashes involving drunk or drinking drivers.   65% of those deaths occurred between the hours of 9:00 pm & 3:00 am.   Per mile driven, an Iowa citizen is at least three times more likely to be killed when driving at night. “When you look critically at the data, it’s obvious that there’s a need for more night time enforcement. That’s where our high risk drivers are,” commented Iowa State Patrol Colonel Patrick J. Hoye. “We intend to fill that need for more night time enforcement. The Iowa State Patrol will do everything we can to prevent death on Iowa roadways.”

 

Plea deal filed in gang case after AP challenge – June 5, 2009 - Los Angeles, California - A plea deal in the Mongols motorcycle gang case has been filed, one week after The Associated Press challenged a federal judge’s decision to seal the previous agreements.   The U.S. attorney’s office has declined to say how many other people have pleaded guilty & to what charges, but a document filed Friday says Abram Wedig admitted to one charge of racketeering.   An indictment filed in October against 79 Mongol members says the gang engaged in murder, torture & drug trafficking.   A judge granted prosecutors’ request that the initial plea agreements be sealed to protect defendants from retaliation.   The AP had argued the public deserves to know the cases’ outcomes, & supporting evidence should be presented in open court if there’s reason to seal them.

 

Gang colours form of intimidation – June 10, 2009 - Canada - By Betty Ann Adam - Hells Angels patch about expression, defence lawyer says A provincial law against wearing gang colours in bars is like a dress code that does not prevent Hells Angels from wearing their insignia in places not licensed to sell alcohol, a Crown lawyer said Tuesday.   Jesse Bitz, a full-patch member of the Saskatoon chapter of the Hells Angels, is fighting the law on the grounds it infringes his charter right to freedom of expression & is overly broad.   The patches, worn exclusively by Hells Angels members or those going through the multi-year process of becoming full-patch members, constitute a form of expression, which could even be considered political expression, defence lawyer Mark Brayford argued before provincial court Judge Albert Lavoie.   The “power of the patch” is in its intimidating effect on people who see it, said Leonard Isnor, an expert in outlaw biker gangs, who testified Tuesday.   Intimidation is not a form of expression, said Crown prosecutor Graeme Mitchell.   If the court finds the patches constitute expression, the value of that expression is over-ridden by the government’s objective of limiting intimidation, said Mitchell.   Mitchell referred to a previous case involving a former Saskatoon stripper bar in which the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal found the exotic dancing was a form of expression but upheld a provincial prohibition of nude dancing in bars.   The gang colours prohibition falls under the heavily regulated area of liquor licensing in Saskatchewan & does not apply to other, non-licensed businesses such as coffee shops, Mitchell said.   The challenge is being brought as the Crown attempts to prosecute the first gang colours case under Saskatchewan’s 2005 Safer Communities & Neighbourhoods Act.   The law was created to help police deal with gangs, drug trafficking, prostitution & child exploitation, but Brayford said its wording is so broad it could include striking workers, wearing union logos on their clothes, who meet after refusing to follow a court order to return to work.   Mitchell called that suggestion “an extravagant interpretation of the legislation.”   “We’re dealing here with the Hells Angels patch. You can’t divorce the facts of this case from the analysis,” Mitchell said.   Five other Hells Angels who received the same provincial citation await the outcome of the case. They are Allen J. Farago, Daro James Hunt, Rodger C. Nelson, Kevin W. Pattison & Robert A. Wick.   Lavoie will hand down a written decision in Oct.

 

Fla. man charged with 2003 Bad Water Bill’s blaze – June 11, 2009 – Virginia - By Sally Voth -- Nearly 6 years since Bad Water Bill’s Barbecue Barn was burnt to the ground, Fed prosecutors have charged a man with torching the local biker hangout.   Willliam “Cosmo” Webelir, 56, of Port Richey, Fla., has been charged with arson, according to a news release from the U.S. Atty’s Office for the Western District of Virginia.  The fire came just several months after numerous members of the Warlocks MC & their associates were rounded up following a multi-jurisdictional investigation into drug & gun crimes in the Northern Shenandoah Valley.   A couple of Bad Water Bill’s workers were among those busted, and, drug use was common there, according to trial testimony.  The arson was related to rivalry among biker gangs, according to the news release.   Local Pagan MC Members were upset that the Titan MC, which is “a support club or ‘duck’ for the Hell’s Angels MC,” planned to have a bike show at the barbecue joint on Oct. 25, 2003, the release says.  That prompted Webelir & perhaps at least 1 other person, according to the release, to set the fire early that morning.  Webelir was indicted by a Fed grand jury sitting in Roanoke on May 7, but the indictment was sealed until today.  He faces up to 20 years behind bars, the release says.

 

Class Teaches Cops About Biker Gangs – June 11, 2009 – Arkansas - Fayetteville’s Bikes Blues & BQ motorcycle rally attracts bikers from all over the country, but local law enforce-ment wants to make sure it doesn’t attract any crime.  Officers from around the state met Wed at the Washington County Sheriff’s office for a special class on identifying motorcycle gangs & preventing criminal activity.  One local area they specifically focused on was Dickson St in Fayetteville, where Bikes, Blues, & Barbecue is held.  Washington County deputies said the past few festivals have gone on without any major problems, but they just want to be extra sure criminal activity stays low in future festivals. Deputies said the event has a reputation for being relatively safe, as opposed to other rallies in places like Sturgis, S.D. & Daytona, Fla., which have been known to get somewhat rough.  Sgt. John Wood of the Washington County Sheriff’s office said Wed’s class primarily focused on identifying gangs.  Class instructors taught officers to look for certain styles of clothing & specific colors that gangs often wear. Officers also shared their personal experiences of dealing with biker gangs in criminal situations, & then discussed how similar instances could be avoided in the future.  Biker Coy Stevens is not a part of a gang, but he said he is aware of their existence locally. Still, he said he has never had any problems with them.  “You see Outlaws & MCs around but you never see any problems with them on Dickson Street for the most part,” he said.  The Washington Cty Sheriff’s Office said they plan on having both uniformed & undercover officers patrolling this year’s Bikes, Blues, & BQ event.   Wed’s class was free of charge for law enforcement & was put on by the Criminal Justice Institute from Little Rock.

 

Finks bikie control orders on hold – June 12, 2009 – Australia – By Gavin Lower - Control orders against 8 members of the notorious Finks MC, imposed under South Australia’s controversial anti-bikie laws, were put on hold by an Adelaide court today.  Lawyers for the 8 successfully applied in the Adelaide Magistrates Court for a stay on the control orders pending a hearing in the state’s Supreme Court to determine the validity of the Serious & Organized Crime (Control) Act.   Magistrate Kym Millard said he was satisfied there were “important issues” to be tried in the Supreme Court action.   “The orders that have been made clearly severely restrict the activities of the individuals ... that may be the intent of the legislation but until there has been a determination the legislation is valid it is appropriate the orders should be stayed,” he said.   Police began applying for control orders against members of the Finks last month after Atty-General Michael Atkinson declared the club a criminal organization.   Eight orders were made against members, which restricted who they could associate with, until earlier this week when a magistrate refused to grant applications for 2 more control orders because of the pending Supreme Court hearing.   Further control order applications, which are listed for next month, are now likely to be adjourned following today’s decision to stay the existing orders.   Outside court, the lawyer representing 7 Finks members, Craig Caldicott, said the validity of the legislation would now be heard in the Supreme Court.   He said the staying of the control orders meant his clients “can go about their ordinary lives”.   “They can associate with whoever they like, like any other Australian,” he said.   The Supreme Court hearing is likely to be heard by the Full Court in either July or Aug when the Finks will argue the legislation is invalid on constitutional grounds.

 

Arrests in Italy, Germany, France – June 12, 2009 - Italy - AGI - State Police in Verona have taken 20 “Hells Angels” members into custody for criminal association with the objective of committing robbery, extortion, violence, resisting public officials, & aggravated damages.   The investigations, conducted by the Flying Squad of Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Treviso, Rome, Milan, Turin, Trieste, Cuneo, La Spezia, Pordenone, Lucca, Pavia, & Massa Carrara, were coordinated by the Central Operations Service of the State Police, while the Police-Europol International Cooperation Service have started to try to locate & capture residents of Germany & France who are under investigation.   Logistically, their headquarters were located at a hotel where 140 Hells Angels were located who were continually guarding the location.   When travelling, they always moved in groups, using 2 buses & 6 vans.   The group carried mouth guards, cups, protective vests, as well as brass knuckles, chains, sprays, tire irons, barriers, bottles, all used as weapons.    Various firearms were also found & confiscated including the notorious 22 calibre “pen gun”, axes, swords, scimitars, & irritating chemicals.   During the operation, various “club houses” in several Italian cities were seized.   These headquarters were when the group’s illegal activities were planned & discussed.

 

Jails considering RFID implants for prisoners – Jan 14, 2008 – United Kingdom – By Joshua Topolsky - Ah -- dead, eerily-prescient, 20^th century authors... they just can’t stop proving you right, can they?  In a decidedly Orwellian turn, British authorities are considering a proposal to implant “machine-readable” RFID tags under the skin of some prison inmates as part of a plan to free up space in the country’s overcrowded prisons.  Just like the nightmare world described in your favorite cautionary tales, the chips would enable authorities to track the location of implantees using satellite & radio-wave technology.  The program would build off of the current ankle-tagging currently in place, & according to a official from the Ministry of Justice who finds the plan double-plus good, “All the options are on the table, & this is one we would like to pursue.”  Of course, the controversial concept does have its detractors, Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, says that, “If the Home Office doesn’t understand why implanting a chip in someone is worse than an ankle bracelet, they don’t need a human-rights lawyer; they need a common-sense bypass.”  Shortly following this statement, however, Shami was taken to an interrogation room & outfitted with a rat-hood, & all record of her existence was erased from state records.

 

RFID Implants the Human Form – Mar 29, 2008 – USA - By David W. Boles - The implantation of RFID chips is a scary thought.   We can be tracked & mapped by the greater powers as if we’re a proximity card used for building access or a ride on the PATH train.  Is it appropriate that our privacy no longer belongs to us?  How have we been changed by this manipulation of personal freedom in the name of security & convenience?  Does it bother you that RFID implantation in animals leads to cancer?   When the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved implanting microchips in humans, the manufacturer said it would save lives, letting doctors scan the tiny transponders to access patients’ medical records almost instantly.  The FDA found “reasonable assurance” the device was safe, & a sub-agency even called it one of 2005’s top “innovative technologies.”  But neither the company nor the regulators publicly mentioned this: A series of veterinary & toxicology studies, dating to the mid-1990s, stated that chip implants had “induced” malignant tumors in some lab mice & rats.  “The transponders were the cause of the tumors,” said Keith Johnson, a retired toxicologic pathologist, explaining in a phone interview the findings of a 1996 study he led at the Dow Chemical Co. in Midland, Mich.   With RFID chips in our passports, our travel cards, our pets & our brains -- will there be anything left of us untracked?

 

Anti-bikie laws unnecessary – June 14, 2009 – Australia - The ACT Gov’t has dismissed criticism from the Liberal Party over its refusal to follow other jurisdictions & introduce anti-bikie laws.  Opposition police spokesman Jeremy Hanson says the ACT should follow the Northern Territory Gov’t & introduce tougher laws against gang violence.  Hanson says the ACT Government has adopted a weak position & the Territory is at risk of becoming a safe haven for organised crime.   Atty-General Simon Corbell says such laws are unnecessary & will not happen in the ACT.   “The ACT will continue to adopt the approach like large states like Victoria which is to make sure police have the full range of powers necessary to tackle gang related activity,” he said.   “But in ways which are proportionate, in ways which tackle the offence rather than the organisation.”   Corbell says the types of laws in place in New South Wales, South Australia & the Northern Territory are excessive.   “The Liberal Party knows there’s no evidence to back up their claims that there’s a need for these laws in the ACT,” he said.   “The level of outlaw motorcycle gang related activity in the ACT is extremely low.   “There is no evidence to suggest that outlaw motorcycle gang activity will move as a consequence of these laws to a place like the ACT.”

 

Response From William Webb in relation to an article published in the Cowra Community News: Titled = Assault Charge Dismissed Against Former Boss of Cowra Rebels Bikie Gang – June 16, 2009 – Australia - A copy of the article was given to my wife by a concerned friend after reading it & finding it herself inappropriate. When I read the article I became quite upset, the reference of me being a former Rebel & the utter rubbish in the last paragraph had nothing at all to do with the court case. This court case has been going on since Sept last year & was never bikie related & in three court appearances I attended never was there a mention of whether or not I was a bikie because it simply was not relevant.   I understand a good title can make a story seem more exciting, but failure to have relevant content can cause hurt for the person in the story & there family. The case was dismissed that should have been the end, but now I find myself having to explain who I was & why I am not now. I know the editor believed his source to be a reliable one, but what better source than the horse itself.   I was never asked to leave the club & in the 7 years in the club there was never any dispute brought to the Cowra Chapter by anybody.   The reason I left the club was because of Gov’t legislation targeting club members in specific industries, as I work in one of those industries the financial stability of my family became priority.   I hope in the future that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.   To the unknown source who told lies & upset my family I guess u know what I would say to you & it wouldn’t be Thank you.   I would however like to thank my friends for being there for the person I am not the title that someone puts me under.   Thank you, William Webb…

 

Restaurant’s ties to gangs led to arson – June 16, 2009 – Strasburg, Virginia - By Sally Voth - Bad Water Bill’s Bar-B-Q Barn’s links to motorcycle gangs led to it being torched in the fall of 2003, according to a news release from the U.S. atty’s office for the Western District of Virginia.   A favorite hangout for area members of the Warlocks MC, the restaurant was destroyed by arson on Oct. 25, 2003.  On Thu, it was announced that William Wardell “Cosmo” Webelir, 56, of Port Richey, Fla., has been indicted for arson. The release says he may have had help in committing the crime.  The barbecue joint was featured heavily in court documents related to the investigation into the Warlocks earlier this decade.  Drugs were used & dealt there, & the restaurant was frequented by club members & their associates, two of whom worked there.  Two undercover ATF agents who infiltrated the club & became full-patch members bought drugs from gang members there, the investigation revealed.  The 6-state raid targeted mostly drug & gun crimes.  The day of the fire, a bike show was scheduled to be held at Bad Water Bill’s, the news release says. It was being hosted by the Titan MC, a support club, or “duck,” for the Hell’s Angels, it says.  “The presence of Hell’s Angels in the Strasburg, Virginia area was a matter of concern & anger for the local Pagan MC,” the release says. “In the early morning hours of Oct 25, 2003, Webelir & perhaps an associate or associates of the Pagan MC, allegedly intentionally set fire to the restaurant.”    Webelir isn’t a member of the Pagans, according to ATF spokesman Mike Campbell.  “It’s my understanding he wanted to be, but he wasn’t at the time,” Campbell said.  “Information from different sources was that he was a wannabe.    One of the working theories is he did do this because he wanted to impress them so he could start trying to join the club.”  Webelir was arrested Thursday in South Carolina, & is in U.S. Marshals Service custody, Campbell said.  Arson cases are tough to crack, he said.  “The agents & investigators have to have a lot of patience as well as a lot of tenacity,” Campbell said. “These are very difficult investigations to work.”  Pagans are “very active” in this region of the country, he said.  Shenandoah County Sheriff Timothy C. Carter said Thursday that his office assisted ATF with the arson investigation.  “I’m glad the guy has finally gotten indicted,” he said.   “We, too, believe that there are additional people involved in this case.   Maybe with this indictment, more information will come out.”   A Fed grand jury sitting in Roanoke indicted Webelir on May 7, but the indictment wasn’t unsealed until Thu after his arrest, the news release says. It says that he faces a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison & a $250,000 fine.  The fire caused nearly $300,000 worth of damage, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.  Nearly five years ago, Bad Water Bill’s owner Mary Fisher wasn’t optimistic that anyone would be caught for the arson.  “I’m counting on it like   I’m counting on the plague,” she said in a July 2004 interview.  “If I make bank on that, I would be a poor lady. I’m poor anyway.”   The business wasn’t insured, & Fisher estimated she’d lost $80,000 to $90,000 in equipment, furniture, alcohol & cash.  She distanced herself from the Warlocks.  “I don’t associate my business with the Warlocks,” she said at the time.  “My business had nothing to do with the Warlocks.”  There is no current public phone listing for Fisher.

 

Proner & Proner File Suit Against N.Y.S. Police for Illegally Stopping Bikers – June 16, 2009 - New York, New York - Proner & Proner, Attorneys at law, have filed a Federal class action lawsuit in the Federal Court for the Northern District of New York against the New York State Police as well as New York State & county authorities to stop them from conducting motorcycle-only roadblocks near popular motorcycle events.   Last year the New York State Police & county sheriffs stopped every motorcycle en route to twelve different events for “safety checks.” With the riding season starting, the New York State Police expect to conduct up to fifteen motorcycle-only roadblocks throughout the state this year. The events targeted include Americade in Lake George, the largest motorcycle event in the Northeast.   Mitchell Proner, an active motorcyclist & personal injury attorney, is initiating the lawsuit on behalf of all motorcyclists.  Mr. Proner said that the New York State Police “uses the pretense of safety inspections to delay & harass motorcyclists without any reasonable belief that any laws are being broken.” Although courts have upheld DWI checkpoints as generally permissible, “These motorcycle roadblock stops are lengthy & do not address any legitimate safety concerns,” according to Mr. Proner.

 

New Pocket Knife Laws Coming- June 16, 2009 – USA – By Bob Unruh - The U.S. Customs & Border Protection Agency is proposing a new definition that could be used to eliminate 8 of 10 legal pocketknives in the USA right now, according to activists who are gearing up to fight the plan.   The Fed bureaucracy is accepting comments – written only – that must be received by June 21 before its planned changes could become final, but Doug Ritter of KnifeRights.org, said the implications of the decision would be far-reaching, since many state & federal agencies depend on the agency’s definitions to determine what is legal in the United States.   For a long time, those switchblades that have long stiletto blades that are spring-ejected powerfully from the side or end of the handle have been illegal in the United States, but now a review by the agency of its own approval in 2008 of a particular type of knife for import is raising serious alarms.   Ritter said the effect of the proposed change would be that the new design in knives, many of which contain a tiny spring to help the user pull open the blade & lock it into position, would be classified alongside those true weapons where the user just presses a button & the blade is ejected.  “They are saying that any knife that you can open quickly or any knife that you can open with one hand is therefore a switchblade,” Ritter told WND.   Ritter suggested that up to 80% of the pocketknives sold in America today either are one-handed opening knives or so-called assisted opening knives – & they all suddenly would be classified as illegal switchblades.  He said the proposal, which puts pocketknives in the classification of switchblades – described by a Senate committee as “almost exclusively the weapon of the thug & the delinquent” – isn’t fair.  “There are 40 million people in America walking around with pocketknives in their pocket,” he said.   Further, the majority of crimes committed with knives are done with the “lowly kitchen knife,” he said.   According to Ritter’s website, the proposed revocation of the approval for “assisted opening knives,” would impact “most other pocketknives, even simple old-fashioned slip-joints.”

 

Judge accepts Billy Lane’s no-contest plea – June 16, 2009 – Florida - Ex-celebrity bike builder faces Aug. 14 sentencing - A Brevard judge today accepted motorcycle builder Billy Lane’s plea of no contest to a single felony count of vehicular homicide. He faces a cap of about nine years in prison when he is sentenced at 9 a.m. Aug. 14 by Circuit Judge Robert Burger. Prosecutors dropped a DUI manslaughter charge under the terms of the plea bargain.   The deal also mandates a lifetime license suspension, though defense lawyer Greg Eisenmenger said Lane might be able to retain use of it for specific purposes, such as work. Probation, house arrest or alcohol & drug provisions will be up to the discretion of the judge. Police said Lane’s blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when he crossed a double yellow line to pass slow traffic on State Road A1A south of Melbourne Beach on Labor Day 2006.

 

Pedestrian Detection Technology - June 16, 2009 – USA – by Jeff Hennie; MRF Vice Pres of Gov’t Relations - Sensors, cameras, radar, lasers, detection technology, motion sensors . . . no this isn’t about spaceflight.  This is all new technology that will be more & more prevalent in newer autos each year.  The whopper for this year is the new Volvo S60.   The S60 is over the top, even for the Swedes.  The car will be the first to employ what is being called “Full Autobrake & Pedestrian Detection.”  Through a complex mixture of radar, cameras & software the car will “see” people in the crosswalk or to the rear of the vehicle even if the driver does not & bring itself to an immediate stop.   According to a spokesperson at Volvo in response to some questions asked by the MRF the S60 will detect motorcycles moving or stationary.   Volvo said, “The system is being designed for vehicles including motorcycles, stationary or moving in the same direction.  This means that the system will apply the brakes if a motorcycle is detected & it is determined that the driver of the car is not acting to avoid the accident.”   While that may be true in the lab, one cannot help being skeptical in a real world application.   This technology may work, but what happens when an entire generation learns to drive with this technology?   We know humans can be lazy naturally.   Encouraging it could prove to be a slippery slope.

 

Motorcycle Gang Member Pleads Not Guilty – June 16, 2009 – Virginia - The Florida man who allegedly set fire to a restaurant six years ago in a motorcycle gang clash, made his first court appearance Tue.   William Webelir is charged with arson for an Oct 2003 fire at Bad Water Bill’s Barbeque Barn in Strasburg.   He was arraigned in Harrisonburg’s federal court & pleaded not guilty to the charge.   U.S. Attorney Julia Dudley says the fire did close to $300,000 of damage.   Dudley says Webelir is a member of the Pagan MC & torched the restaurant because a rival motorcycle gang was planning a bike show there.

 

Battle in Chosen Few case paints contrast about ex-leader – June 16, 2009 – New York – By Dan Herbeck - His friends call Clyde “Butch” Utz a lovable, harmless guy who can hardly walk because of circulation problems with his legs & the fact that he weighs 370 pounds.   Fed prosecutors call him a dangerous biker gang member who needs to be locked up.   A legal battle has developed at federal court over whether Utz, 50, of Alden, should be kept in jail while awaiting trial in the Chosen Few motorcycle gang case.   Last Tue, prosecutors filed an appeal of a ruling made last week by U. S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. Mc- Carthy, who said Utz could be confined to his home under electronic monitoring while he waits to go to trial.   That is not acceptable, said Assistant U. S. Attys Anthony M. Bruce & John E. Rogowski.   They said Utz is the former sergeant- at-arms of the Chosen Few, a “warlike” biker gang whose members made firebombs & kept illegal guns in a walk-in vault inside their Depew clubhouse.  Utz was one of 20 alleged Chosen Few members arrested on federal racketeering charges last month.   “There is no condition, or set of conditions that could guarantee the safety of the community” if Utz is not kept in jail, Bruce said in court papers. Appeals of bail rulings are rarely filed at Buffalo’s federal court.   Because of the government appeal, Utz’s release has been delayed until a new bail hearing can be held before District Judge William M. Skretny.   Utz was involved in a 2004 firebombing incident, several discussions about planned violence, & an attempt earlier this year to crash a pickup truck into a Hummer driven by a rival biker, the prosecutor said.   Utz is “harmless” & he didn’t hurt anyone in any of those incidents, said his court-appointed attorney, Patrick J. Brown.   “He’s like a big guy who hangs out at the local fire hall, because he wants to belong to something,” Brown said.  “He’s 50 years old, has been in the club for 20 years, & there’s no proof that he ever hurt anyone.”   Utz, an auto mechanic, could not be reached to comment.   Forty-nine people, including 2 Buffalo Common Council members & several business owners, wrote character letters to McCarthy in support of Utz’s efforts to be released on bail.   The letters from Council President David A. Franczyk & Council Majority Leader Richard A. Fontana were written on official city stationery.  Law enforcement officials involved in the Chosen Few case were miffed by the letters written by the two government officials.   “Do these letters mean that it’s the city’s official position that a Chosen Few member should be released on bail?” said one police official.   Franczyk & Fontana said they wrote the letters at the request of a close friend of Utz who came to their offices.  They said they wrote the letters on behalf of Utz’s character, & not to pronounce judgment on the charges against him.   “I’ve known him since I was a teenager. He’s always been the sweetest, nicest guy, & a gentleman,” Franczyk said.   “I don’t know anything about the charges against him. I didn’t even know Butch was in a biker gang.”   Similar comments came from Fontana. He & Franczyk said they had no regrets about sending their letters to the court on city stationery.   “I’m an elected official, & I have the right to express my opinion on something,” Fontana said.   Utz was described as “a happy-go-lucky jolly man, like Santa,” by Marlene Engle, who lives with him.   “He has always been the peacemaker, not looking for a fight,” Engle said.   Fed agents said they secretly made audiotapes & videotapes of Chosen Few bikers in their clubhouse, discussing plans for violence against their rivals.   Before his arrest in the Chosen Few case, Utz’s only criminal record was a driving-while-intoxicated conviction about eight years ago, Brown said.   Most of those arrested last month have been released on bail while they await felony trials.

 

Mike Sarno says he’s innocent in bombing case – June 17, 2009 – Chicago, Illinois – By Chuck Goudie - A Chicago mobster known as “The Large Guy” had to post a large sum of money Tue to go free on bond after pleading not guilty to a Fed racketeering charge.   Mike Sarno, 51, of Westchester, put up $1 million Tuesday in federal court in Chicago. Sarno, whose heft & girth once earned him the nickname “Fat Boy” when he was a budding mobster, was arraigned by District Court Judge Ronald Guzman. Still a sizable presence, Sarno’s million-dollar bond is secured by 4 pieces of real estate owned by relatives.   Sarno is charged with six other men in the racketeering case, including a suburban police officer & members & associates of the notorious Outlaws motorcycle gang.  The sweeping conspiracy indictment tracks eight years of armed robberies, burglaries, jewel thefts & arson-all based in Chicago’s western suburbs.   The FBI investigation began in Feb of 2003 when a pipe bomb blew up at the Berwyn headquarters of a video gaming equipment company.  The firm was believed to be cutting into the Outfit’s illegal video gambling profits, & investigators say the bomb attack was intended to be a warning from hoodlums. The mob’s video gambling take was estimated to be at least $13 million a year.

 

Security heightened for shooting trial - June 16, 2009 - New Mexico - Security has been heightened at the Valencia County Courthouse for the trial of Jimmy Garcia, which started Tue.  Garcia is accused of shooting & killing Charles Diaz, a member of the Bandidos.  Family members said the 2 had an ongoing conflict, & that in Dec 2007 Garcia shot Diaz twice in the chest in the front yard of Garcia’s home.   Diaz was engaged to Garcia’s sister-in-law.  Garcia is being tried on charges of voluntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm by a felon & aggravated assault.

 

Brakes put on Key Largo biker injury case – June 17, 2009 – Florida – By Kevin Wadlow - All criminal charges have been dropped against a Key Largo man accused of driving into 2 motorcyclists in July 2008.  Citing a lack of cooperation from the victims, prosecutors with the Monroe County State Atty’s Office dismissed counts of leaving the scene of an accident involving injury & property damage that were pending against Antonio Albanes, 50.  “They were less than cooperative,” Assistant State Attorney Mark Turbessi said of the victims. “Our office put a lot of effort into contacting them, but we did not get a lot of support from them.”   Albanes was accused of driving a 2007 Chevrolet van that struck 2 H-Ds from behind in a 1:50 am July 12 crash near mile marker 103 of U.S. 1.  The motorcycle riders -- Steven Christianson, 29, of West Palm Beach & James Roti, 32, of Hollywood -- both were flown to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami.   Roti was hospitalized for about 3 weeks; information on how long Christianson remained in treatment was not available.  At a pretrial conference scheduled May 5, the State Atty’s Office filed a motion to halt prosecution.  The motion says, “Victims are not cooperating. Victims are avoiding our attempts at contact & are refusing [subpoena] service.”  A process server reported to the State Atty’s Office that he visited the address listed by Christianson 3 times in March.  The server, John Smith, wrote that he “failed to find the witness ... unable to make contact with anyone at this address.  There is a dog tied up at the front door.  I blew my horn but no one comes out of the house.”  Roti apparently was served March 11 with a subpoena to appear at a deposition, but further attempts to reach him failed.  Albanes could not be reached for comment at press time.   Bonds on Albanes originally totaled $55,000 after Florida HP Cpl. Gary Dunick charged him with driving under the influence & leaving the scene of an accident involving injury.  Albanes stopped at a convenience store about a 1/2-mile from the crash scene & called his wife.  The State Atty’s Office did not file on the DUI case, citing lack of evidence.  The crash followed a fracas at the Caribbean Club bar.   Witnesses there said the 3 motorcyclists “exchanged words,” according to a Sheriff’s Office report.   There was some pushing & Albanes reportedly grabbed a pool cue, witnesses told officers. The fight continued outside. “One the bikers pulled out a gun,” a deputy quoted a witness.  There was no indication what started the argument. Albanes said he was “beat up” but did not know why.  Albanes told the Keynoter in Aug 2008 that he left the bar but the motorcyclists -- be believed them to be associated with a Motorcycle Club -- followed him.  “They were trying to kill me,” said Albanes.  “I ran for my life.”

 

Accused calm at border, trial told – June 17, 2009 – Canada – By Jane Sims - The alert went out to all U.S. border crossings to be on the lookout for Michael Sandham, “Pres of the Bandidos motorcycle gang in Winnipeg.”   At the remote border crossing at Neche, S.D., Tim Vetter, a U.S. border guard, found out there was “a possible situation” when he punched Sandham’s name into his computer on May 30, 2006.   Sandham, one of six men who have pleaded not guilty to 8 counts of 1^st-degree murder, had rolled up to the crossing an hour & a half from Winnipeg on his black H-D motorcycle.   He said he was going to Sturgis, S.D.   Yesterday, at the Bandido trial in London, Vetter described his hour with Sandham waiting for clearance to allow him into the U.S.  Sandham, 39, is on trial with Wayne Kellestine.

 

Arbitrary ‘no-fly’ list may soon become a ‘no-guns’ list - May 2009 - U.S.A. - The Fed Govt’s “no-fly” list of people forbidden to board commercial airliners has been the target of much-deserved criticism. Court documents reveal that the grounds for placing people on the list are “not hard & fast rules” but “necessarily subjective” judgments exercised by squabbling agencies.   Getting off the list requires navigating an opaque & reluctantly implemented appeals process or a lawsuit. Even the size of the no-fly list is uncertain, with the Transportation Security Administration insisting that high estimates result from people being denied boarding because they’ve been confused with names on the list (a distinction without a difference).  And now enrollment on that bureaucratic nightmare is poised to become grounds for denying Americans the ability to purchase firearms.  What could possibly go wrong with that scheme?   Would-be gun-owners may be introduced to the arbitrary justice of the no-fly list courtesy of H.R. 2401, the “No Fly, No Buy Act of 2009.”  Introduced last week by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, the announced intention of the legislation is “[t]o increase public safety & reduce the threat to domestic security by including persons who may be prevented from boarding an aircraft in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, & for other purposes.”   The No Fly, No Buy Act uses existing TSA data to update the NICS system with the names of known or suspected terrorists to disqualify them from passing the Brady Background Check.   Rep. McCarthy was elected to Congress on a wave of sympathy over the murder of her husband & injury of her son during a mass murder on the Long Island Railroad. She has dedicated her career to a seemingly obsessive effort to restrict legal access to firearms by civilians (but not by Gov’t officials).  Her sponsorship of H.R. 2401 adds fuel to charges that McCarthy’s hostility to private firearms ownership overrides any concerns she might have about due process or simple justice.   To illustrate just how arbitrary & dangerous inclusion on the no-fly list can be, it’s worth looking at revelations from just last fall that Maryland state troopers monitored antiwar protesters & other political activists & included their names on terrorist watch lists. That means people exercising fundamental 1^st Amendment rights were listed as potential terrorists & put in the position of being denied the right to travel by air, among other serious consequences.  With regards to the creation of the list, former FBI agent Jack Cloonan told 60 Minutes: “I know in our particular case they basically did a massive data dump & said ‘Ok anybody that’s got a nexus to terrorism, let’s make sure they get on the list.  And once that train left the station, or once that bullet went down range. There was no calling it back.  And that is where we are.”   The poor quality of the no-fly list, the arbitrary nature of the inclusion of names on the list & its impact on innocent people is no secret, having been covered by mainstream media & litigated in the courts for the past half decade plus.   Rep. Carolyn McCarthy & co-sponsor Rep. Steve Israel, both of New York, can’t claim that they don’t know that the no-fly list is a civil liberties nightmare that serves only to seriously inconvenience people, violate rights & generate headline-grabbing news stories.  So it’s fair to conclude that Rep. McCarthy has no problem with the arbitrary denial of individual rights, so long as such denial furthers her crusade against gun ownership.

 

Jury finds Garcia not guilty of manslaughter charge – June 20, 2009 – New Mexico – By Clara Garcia - A jury acquitted a Tomé man on Thu in the Dec 2007 shooting death of 42-year-old Charles “Chucky” Diaz, a high-ranking Bandido gang member.   After deliberating for nearly four hours on Thu, the jury of 5 women & 7 men found 46-year-old Jimmy Garcia not guilty of voluntary manslaughter. Garcia shot & killed Diaz in what he said was an act of self-defense.   The trial, which was presided over by District Judge John Pope, lasted for four days as jurors heard from many witnesses including a motorcycle gang expert, a crime scene reconstructionist, a forensic pathologist, an eyewitness & from Garcia himself. Pope directed a count of aggravated assault be dropped after the prosecution presented its case on Wed.   Prosecutors contended that the shooting was not in self-defense. Assistant District Attorney Steve Scott argued that Diaz was walking away from Garcia when he was shot twice, once in the chest & the fatal blow to his left side. Garcia’s attorney, Lelia Hood, maintained that her client was the victim & that Diaz was the aggressor that day.   Garcia testified that he had met Diaz a couple of times before the incident. He said that his sister-in-law, Rose Garcia, had been dating Diaz for a couple of months. He told the jury that Diaz introduced himself as Chucky Bandido.   The defendant said that, on the day of the incident, he was raking leaves when he saw an unfamiliar car drive onto his property. Garcia said it wasn’t until he approached the car that he realized that it was Diaz.   “I asked him, ‘What are you doing here? Where’s Rose?’“ Diaz said. “He said, ‘I could do whatever the (expletive) I want.’“   Garcia testified that, when he told him to leave, Diaz threatened that he was going to run him over. Garcia said that Diaz drove his car at him several times before he finally left the property.   “He said, ‘I’ll be back,’“ said Garcia about the last thing Diaz told him before leaving. “I was scared. I was hoping that he wouldn’t come back.”   Garcia said a few minutes later, his son, daughter & his grandchild arrived & they all went into his home. He said he was inside for about five minutes before hearing a woman outside yelling. When he looked outside, he recognized the woman to be his sister-in-law, Rose Garcia.   “I saw her, & I was scared because of the earlier incident,” Garcia said. “I just thought that she came with the Bandidos. I went back in & grabbed my gun & put in my back.  “I went outside & Rose was there. She was yelling & cussing & asking why I chased Chucky out of there,” Garcia said.   Garcia said it was at that time that he saw Diaz walking toward them at a fast pace with something in his hand. Garcia testified that he didn’t know what the object was & believed it was either a hammer or a gun.   “He was coming straight at me,” Garcia said of the incident. “Rose got out of the way, & he went straight at my head. I blocked myself with my left arm. It happened in a matter of seconds — it happened so fast. I fell back & that’s when I grabbed the gun.   “I was so scared — I just shot,” he said. “I don’t even know how many times I shot. I was scared ... I just wanted it to stop. I was totally convinced that this guy was going to kill me.”   Garcia told the jury that he saw Diaz fall to the ground & Rose came out of the trees. He said he then went inside, gave the gun to his son, & left with his family. He testified that when he returned about 15 or 20 minutes later he saw many Bandidos on the road near his house.   When asked by Hood why he didn’t call the police after Diaz left the first time, Garcia said he had considered it, but that he was afraid to call the police on a Bandido.   The only eyewitness to the shooting testified earlier in the week & told the jurors that Diaz was walking away from Garcia when he was shot. Rose Garcia, the defendant’s sister-in-law, told the jury that she was planning on marrying Diaz in April of the following year.   When asked by Scott what happened that day, Rose Garcia said she was at work when Diaz called her & told her that Jimmy Garcia had pulled a knife on him. She told him to leave & that she’d be right there.   Rose Garcia testified that, while driving home, she called her sister & mother & asked them what was going on. She also said she saw Diaz on the side of the road a few blocks north of her brother-in-law’s home.   “When I got there, he was standing outside,” Rose said of Garcia. “I confronted him & all he said was that he didn’t know it was (Diaz).”   Rose said as she was arguing with Garcia, Diaz walked up & hit Garcia with a flashlight. She said she told Diaz, “let’s go” & when he walked away, Garcia pulled out his gun.   “I screamed, ‘No’, & that’s when he shoots him,” Rose said.  “I saw Chucky grab his side & he bent over. I said, ‘Oh my God, you (expletive) shot him’ & that’s when he shot him again.”   Rose Garcia testified that after Diaz fell to the ground, she walked toward her brother-in-law, yelling at him. She said it was at that time that he pointed the gun to her chest before he went back inside & left.   She told the jury that she went to Diaz & performed CPR on him until paramedics arrived on the scene.

 

Colours banned at ride for Daniel – June 21, 2009 – Australia - By Amy Remeikis - The newly formed United Motorcycle Council of Queensland slammed police yesterday after members of outlaw motorcycle clubs were told they could not wear their club’s colours & participate in the Ride for Daniel.  UMC spokesman Terry Walker said plans to join the ride were scuttled after “an unlawful edict” from police banned motorcyclists from taking part in the event if they wore clothing which identified them as belonging to an OMC.  The Ride for Daniel website had listed the provision in their guidelines, but Walker claimed it was police playing politics.  “It should be a matter of serious concern for all Queenslanders that the police in this state now believe they have the right to dictate the clothes that private citizens can wear while riding down the highway,” Walker said.  “Queensland is a democratic society. It’s not illegal – yet – to be a member of a motorcycle club & to wear your club’s colours.”  Walker’s club, the Tribe of Judah, was not one of the clubs listed as being unable to wear its colours but he said the UMC had wanted to ride together to show “support for the event stretched right throughout Queensland’s motorcycle community”.  The council, represented by 200 members, donated $10,000 to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation after the ride.  Bruce Morcombe said the foundation board understood why police asked for OMC members not to ride in their club’s colours, but had encouraged the riders to come along without their identifying colours & badges.  “Out of respect for the foundation, they did not ride with the event & turned up at the end at the Ettamogah Pub to acknowledge the other riders & to donate to the foundation,” Morcombe said.  “They didn’t ride because they didn’t want to upset plans for future rides.”  Many of the council members arrived at the event’s finale with their children.  They donated their cheque, applauded the other riders & left.

 

U.S. Defenders:

      - If we all do a little bit, Then no one has to do a lot…   

      - There can be no “I”, there has to be “We”...

      - One heart, One Voice…

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Coalition of Motorcyclists…

An Idea Whose Time Has Come…