Selected Articles from Brothers Behind Bars News Letter

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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 March  Issue #2

 

Freedom is always only one generation from extinction!!!

 

 

Outlaws Motorcycle clubhouse raided – Feb 26, 2010 – Tennessee - By Monica Mercer & Todd South - Fifteen members of a local motorcycle group face up to life in Fed prison after most were arrested Thu on charges of conspiring to sell cocaine & crack cocaine & illegally possessing firearms.  Fed authorities also have charged one of the defendants, all of whom belong to the Outlaw MC, with possessing & receiving child pornography images.   Assistant U.S. Atty Chris Poole said the arrests came as the result of a 2 1/2 year undercover investigation into the club, located at 3014 Campbell St. in Chattanooga, but he declined to say anything else about the case.  Agents with the ATF led the investigation with other local law enforcement agencies, including Chattanooga police & the sheriffs’ offices in Hamilton & Bradley counties.   According to the U.S. Dept of Justice, the Outlaw MC is supported by a well-known international biker gang called the Black Pistons MC.  A black door & wooden fence surrounds the local compound on Campbell Street. Visible from the street is a black sign on the house with the words “Black Piston MC United States.”   Members of the Black Pistons are known to engage in assault, extortion, fraud, intimidation & theft, according to the justice Dept. The group has expanded rapidly throughout the United States, Canada & Europe over the last several years, according to a description of the organization on the Dept’s Web site.   David McDaniel said he has lived near the group’s Campbell St clubhouse for almost a year & never had a problem with its occupants.  “They’re nice people,” he said. “They stick to themselves.”   Other neighbors declined to comment about the location.  Fed investigators raided the club’s compound early Thursday morning, arresting 13 of the 15 people charged. Mr. Poole said late Thu that they still are seeking to arrest the last 2 people named on the indictments.  Those charged include one woman.  All range in age from early 30s to late 50s & are known by their nicknames such as Sawgrass, Cracker, Snake, Buddha & Doodah.  Supporters of the club members, many with long hair & multiple tattoos, packed a federal courtroom in Chattanooga Thu afternoon.  They looked on as the 13 who were arrested pleaded not guilty to all charges during their arraignments.  Several family members & friends declined comment when asked questions about the motorcycle club culture.  Hearings scheduled for Monday & Tuesday will determine if the defendants will be allowed to make bond. For now they are being held in the Bradley County Jail.

 

Bikie crackdown laws lie dormant – Feb 25, 2010 - Australia - The New South Wales Opposition is calling on police to finally use tough laws to outlaw bikie gangs, nearly a year since a fatal brawl at Sydney Airport caused the State Gov’t to rush the legislation through Parliament.   The NSW Atty-General & Police Commissioner have blamed the delay on the need for the Fed Gov’t to pass legislation to support the anti-bikie laws.   The Commonwealth bill has now become law & NSW shadow atty-general Greg Smith says there can be no further delay.   “We supported the legislation & we do support strong action against criminal gangs,” he said.   “We are just wondering, have the gangs stopped acting criminally or what is it? They were looked upon like an invasion in the past, they were the worst possible criminal groups...   “What has happened? Has the police action using normal powers been enough or has the Gov’t lost its nerve?”   A spokesman for the Police Commissioner says the Gangs Squad is looking at ways to successfully implement the laws.

 

Judge reverses ruling, lets 2 Pagan’s out on bond – Feb 26, 2010 – Charleston, West Virginia - Two indicted members of the Pagan’s MC have been freed after months in jail.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Stanley ordered the release of 43-year-old St. Albans resident Eric Wolfe & 48-year-old New Jersey resident Rocco Boyd on $10,000 unsecured bond Friday.   Wolfe & Boyd have been held since Oct, when authorities rounded up more than 50 Pagan’s members & associates charged in a federal racketeering indictment. Trial is set for May.  Stanley ruled last fall that there were no conditions of release that would protect the public & make sure Boyd & Wolfe wouldn’t flee. She reversed that ruling Friday.  Charges against Wolfe & Boyd include obstruction of justice & assault stemming from the alleged beating of a suspected informant at a New Jersey motel in 2009.

 

Raid on Outlaws MC on Fed Charges – Feb 26, 2010 – Chattanooga, Tennessee - Fed agents & police have raided the Outlaws MC in Chattanooga while making arrests on narcotics, weapons & child porn charges.   A statement by the U.S. atty’s office says 13 defendants from southeast Tennessee & northwest Georgia appeared before a federal magistrate & pleaded not guilty.  During a hearing Thu, U.S Magistrate Susan Lee set trial dates in late April & early May.   The statement said the federal indictments stem from a long-term undercover investigation.

 

Outlaw Members Defend Arrested Bikers – Feb 26, 2010 - Tennessee - Friends & members of the Outlaw biker clubs defend those arrested in a 2 year undercover sting. One of the starting points of the string of arrests started at the Cleveland chapter.  This afternoon, smoke was coming out of the chimney, indicating someone was there. After a knock on the door, a bearded man, holding a pit bull in his left hand & the door in his right, opened the door. When asked if he had any comment on the arrests, he responded, “We have no comment.  No, it’s just a bunch of bull---.  Just a bunch of bull---. That’s all it is. That’s all we have to say.”     Both that biker clubhouse & Chattanooga’s branch were infiltrated by undercover officers. Indictments show 2 separate cocaine distribution conspiracies.  Others have been charged with gun crimes as past convicted felons.  Off camera, people close to the bikers say they have never known or seen any drug or gun crimes committed.   But the accusations within the indictments show a much different picture, including a network of drug trade spread across several southeast Tennessee counties. Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble said the 2 clubs were “most certainly criminal enterprises.” The tipping point to the string of arrests started at the Cleveland club.   Sheriff Gobble & A-T-F agents consider this a major victory. “It has ultimately culminated in a payoff for the citizens of Bradley County. We have sent the message that outlaw motorcycle gangs don’t have free operation, free reign to operate outside the law in Bradley county or southeast Tennessee,” Sheriff Gobble said.   Those accused have been divided into 2 trials. The first happens on April 27th. The second is on May 3^rd. All the accusations are Fed felony charges. The trials will happen in the Chattanooga Fed courthouse.

 

Motorcycle Gang Leader & Former Deputy Headed to Prison – Feb 26, 2010 – Texas - A motorcycle gang leader & a former Hockley County Deputy are headed for Fed prison for their part in meth trafficking ring.   54-year-old Bobby Duwayne Froman, the gang leader, got 20 years in exchange for pleading guilty.   39-year old Jose Jesus Quintanilla received a 3 year sentence.   These are just 2 of more than 2 dozen suspects indicted in a major meth trafficking operation from the south plains of Texas to California.

 

The Finks bikies exposed – Feb 26, 2010 - Australia - By Sean Cowan & Gary Adshead - Blackmail is a principal source of revenue for WA’s fledgling Finks bikie gang, which has a long history of involvement in pack rape, drug trafficking, bashings & shootings in S.A.  Investigations by The West Australian have revealed 42 of the gang’s 46 members in SA have serious criminal records & the 3 WA men who have been associated with the gang, including jailed former Coffin Cheater Troy Mercanti, also have serious records.   Over the past fortnight, 2 Finks associates in WA have been arrested at a Swan Valley concert or the gang’s Balga clubhouse with unlicensed guns.   In the past 4 years, there have been 111 allegations of blackmail made against the Finks in SA, of which 40 were formally investigated & involved 24 members of the gang. But only a handful of cases resulted in charges because the victims were too scared to give evidence.   According to SA police, the Finks pose the greatest threat to public safety of any Australian bikie gang. One senior gang member has a business connection to Mercanti in WA & is currently in custody in SA on abduction charges.

 

Below the quiet surface, a bikie war simmers – Feb 26, 2010 – Australia – By Paul Kent – They came together like threads in a hangman’s rope.   Small whispers.  The Nomads were over him, went one. He wasn’t doing this, they said. They don’t like that. He was letting down the club.  They were no longer prepared to work under him any more . . .   The resentment continued until, finally, the threads came together, the order was given . . . he was going to get knocked.   The order was significant, as he was no average bikie.   He was Scott Orrock, Nat’l Pres of The Nomads. And the order came from inside. There had not been a move by a club against its national president this dramatic since Mick Hawi told Jock Ross his time as president of the Comanchero was over and, when Ross resisted, Hawi told him it was going to happen & they could formalise it in one of 2 ways.   Ross, who completely understood what was not said, walked away.   So, like Ross did, Orrock walked away from the Nomads last Dec & met with Hells Angels leaders shortly after at a steakhouse in Strathfield.   There, their business done, he & 4 other Nomads loyal to Orrock “patched over”. Swapped their Nomad patches for the death’s head of the Angels.   The following day, Dec 3, 2009, Orrock’s car was fire-bombed. A day after that his tattoo shop was broken into & trashed. Orrock went into hiding & he has not come up since.   The unnatural quiet that has descended on Sydney this past 6 months has many of us believing that the bikie war, which flared so violently for 3 months beginning last Feb, has ended.   But it is a false quiet.

 

Clubs billed as brotherhoods – Feb 27, 2010 - Tennessee - By Todd South - The Outlaw MC bills itself as “75 years of biking & brotherhood,” but some members of law enforcement say such clubs can be criminal organizations.   Fifteen members of the Outlaws club in Chattanooga & Cleveland, Tenn., face the possibility of life in federal prison after being arrested on charges of conspiring to sell cocaine, crack cocaine & illegally possessing firearms.  Most were arrested at the club’s houses in Chattanooga on Wednesday night & Thu morning.   “Suffice it to say the Outlaws are a subculture that does not conform to mainstream culture. That’s a nice way to say they are a criminal organization,” said Special Agent Darryl Hill with the ATF.   Agent Hill said the Outlaws rank among the top motorcycle gangs in the United States along with the Hell’s Angels, Pagan’s & Banditos.   Based on the club’s own Web site & U.S. Dept of Justice data, the Outlaws range across the East Coast & South with an estimated 500 or more members among more than 90 clubs.   It was not clear whether attorneys had been hired or assigned to the members arrested Thursday. Attempts to reach members of the club were unsuccessful, & there are no numbers or e-mail addresses on the Outlaws’ Web site.   The Web site maintains the group’s veil of secrecy, saying, “Do not write us asking how to join!   Find an Outlaw & ask him!”   Mike Hall, director of the Tennessee 10th Judicial Drug Task Force, encounters a variety of criminal organizations in the Bradley, Polk & McMinn counties covered by his group. Along with other local law enforcement, including Chattanooga police & sheriff’s offices in Hamilton & Bradley counties, the task force assisted in the recent arrests of Outlaw members.  “Motorcycle gangs are like any type of gang. It’s organized crime,” Mr. Hall said.   Russ Dedrick, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, said overall criminal activity among motorcycle gangs is down in the district.   “The Outlaws is just one organization,” he said, & many motorcycle clubs operate within the law.   But motorcycle gangs involved in crime are not to be compared with small-time street-level drug dealers, authorities said.   With their wide distribution & hierarchy, they operate “on a national level.”   The secretive nature of these types of groups - which often have probationary periods & strict rules for membership - make it more difficult for police to infiltrate, he said.   “It’s a strong-knit community; they consider each other family,” Mr. Hall said. “They would die for each other, & they would kill for each other.”   Sixteen Outlaws club members in the Detroit area were indicted in federal court last August on charges including violent crime in the aid of racketeering, illegal drug distribution & gun violations, according to the Justice Dept.   Following those indictments, the Justice Dept announced that “the Outlaws MC has been identified as an international criminal organization whose members & associates engage in acts of violence including murder, attempted murder, assault, narcotics distribution & firearms & gambling offenses.”   “The Outlaws have a long-standing violent history with the Hells Angels MC, including assaults/batteries, shootings & fatalities,” according to the Justice Dept.   That long-standing history of violence with the Hells Angels hit locally when, in August 2007, James Wayne Brock Jr. was hospitalized & later lost his hand in a car bomb blast in Whitfield County, Ga., according Chattanooga to Times Free Press archives.   Authorities believe the bomb was retaliation for a shooting in which Mr. Brock’s father, James Wayne Brock Sr., shot a member of the Outlaws at a strip club in Forest Park, Ga., the archives state. Both the senior & junior Brock were members of the Renegades, a motorcycle club that aligns with & supports the Outlaws.    Following that shooting, more local agencies began assisting federal agents with investigations on the Outlaws, said Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble.   The evening prior to the raid at the Cleveland clubhouse, 2 undercover police were threatened by Outlaws member Danny Decker, & the officers had to draw their weapons, Sheriff Gobble said. Mr. Decker was arrested on state charges related to the threats, the sheriff said.   Sheriff’s deputies raided an Outlaws club in Knox County on New Year’s Eve 2009, arresting 2 members for allegedly threatening an undercover officer & charging them with aggravated robbery & aggravated kidnapping

 

Biker Gangs in Abilene, Not a Problem – Feb 27, 2010 - Abilene, Texas - By Tim Johnston - Bobby Froman, a leader of a biker gang that supports the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, was convicted, today in Lubbock, for methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. While the Bandidos are worldwide, they do have a local chapter, but the Abilene Police say those problems are a far cry from what happens here. “There’s a motorcycle club in town by the name, Bandidos, they’re probably tied to the Bandidos worldwide,” says Lt. Gary Bone, “but here locally we haven’t seen any issues with them.”   As Kendall Green, a former Rebel Rider, with ties to the Abilene Bandidos, says those drug issues in other places will never be seen here. “The meth & stuff, it’s not coming from the Bandidos in Abilene, & it never will.”   Instead, Green says this club works in a different way, taking part in toy drives & helping at churches.   While Green has seen the bad side of biker gangs in his past, he gave that up for his daughter, who he says is his sole focus, now. Green says that many others are also changing their lives for the better, “Just because they ride together in a club, doesn’t mean they’re out to do rotten on you.”   Although, there may be a local biker club supporting the red & gold, this club carries a message of hope & help to the Abilene community.

 

Ex-SFO boss on debt shame site – Feb 27, 2010 – Australia - By Jonathan Marshall - Former Serious Fraud Office boss Charles Sturt has been named on a website that seeks to embarrass debtors into paying back outstanding debts.   The “Dirty Debtors” site, run by a Hells Angels member, alleges Sturt owes more than $50,000 to Auckland company director William Mulholland.   Sturt – who left the SFO in 2007 having forged a reputation as a fearless prosecutor of dodgy white-collar criminals & now works as a barrister – told the Star-Times his loans with Mulholland were “in dispute” & Dirty Debtors was not a credible website. “They are a real scummy lot.”

 

Gang leader climbs out of police lock-up – Feb 28, 2010 - Sweden - The leader of a criminal gang arrested in Nörrköping in eastern Sweden on drug charges walked free on Sat when police left him unattended in an exercise yard.   “This is serious,” Anja Neumayer, the station commander told news agency TT.   The 22-year-old man, who heads up the Red & White Crew, a criminal wing of the Hells Angels biker gang in Sweden, was left unattended in a 5 metres squared exercise yard with only light netting overhead.   “He somehow managed to get himself up & through the netting. It isn’t that strong so if you’re able to climb & jump it’s not impossible,” said Neumayer.   “This is an old building, built with older security features than those used now.”   According to police, the Red & White Crew, a so called biker gang “supporters group” which runs a number of criminal rackets in Sweden, has grown rapidly in numbers in recent years.   Police in Nörrköping searched for the gang’s leader on Sat night but suspect that he may already have escaped overseas.

 

Dozen arrested in biker gang drug sting – Mar 1, 2010 – Pennsylvania - By Bob Kalinowski - A Mountain Top man is among 12 people charged in a second wave of arrests related to an investigation into drug dealing by the Outlaws MC.  “This wide-ranging organization distributed & sold more than $3.6 million worth of cocaine, serving as a major drug pipeline into northeastern Pennsylvania,” state Attorney General Tom Corbett said in announcing the latest arrests in “Operation Avalanche.”   “We believe that today’s arrests, combined with the 22 drug dealers arrested last March during the first phase of the investigation, have completely dismantled this well-organized drug network.”   All 12 suspects were charged with solicitation to deliver cocaine, criminal use of a communications device & possession of cocaine.   They include John Kindler, 54, of South Main Road, Mountain Top.  The others live in Nanticoke, Wilkes-Barre, Old Forge, Harveys Lake & Kingston.   They were arraigned Thursday morning by Magisterial District Judge Paul Roberts in Kingston. They all were released on $20,000 unsecured bail. The Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute the defendants.   The 22 people arrested in the sweeping March 2009 drug raid were mainly upper-level cocaine dealers of the network, while those arrested Thursday “fueled this organization as the upper-level dealers’ regular customers,” the attorney general’s office said.   Authorities cracked the drug ring & made the latest string of arrests through a series of wiretapped phone conversations, video surveillance & undercover drug purchases by the Bureau of Narcotics Investigations.   The local affiliate of the Outlaws MC was based out of a run-down home at 128 N. Main St. in Ashley until agents raided the property March 6.  The initial set of charges were filed March 18.  At the time, Corbett called the biker gang an “illegal fraternity” used to foster criminal activity.    Authorities have said the biker gang takedown began when investigators were told Luzerne County corrections officer John “G Unit” Gonda, 38, of White Haven, “was selling large quantities of cocaine in the Wilkes-Barre area.”   Investigators said the probe originated after Sam Hyder, then deputy warden of the Luzerne County Correctional Facility, passed along information from a source that Gonda was dealing drugs in the area. Investigators said they then met with informants who linked Gonda to cocaine, marijuana & heroin sales, & that led them to additional defendants.   Gonda pleaded guilty to the charges in Dec.

 

Many Biker Club Members Get Bond – Mar 1, 2010 – Tennessee - By Judy Frank - A number of biker club members arrested in a federal roundup last week are being released after signing $20,000 bond documents.   Bond hearings were held throughout the day Mon in U.S. District Court for members of the Chattanooga Outlaws Club facing charges ranging from conspiracy to sell cocaine to unlawful transport of firearms to possession of child pornography.    The bikers who were released immediately after appearances before Fed Magistrate Court Judge Bill Carter face stringent restrictions on their activities until the scheduled trials late this spring.  Prohibitions against out-of-state travel were eased for defendants who live in North Georgia so that they will be able to go to & from their homes.   Trial has been set for April 27 for 4 men accused of 4 counts of conspiring to sell and/or distributing cocaine. They include: Gary “Doodah” Raines, 58; Marion County; Hershell Raines, 26, Marion County; Roger “Buddha” Roof, 46, Chattanooga; & James “Smiley” Westbrook, 44, Rossville, Ga.    Ten more defendants – facing a complicated array of gun, drug & other charges – are scheduled to go on trial a week later, on May 3.   They include: Marcus Smith, 41, Chattanooga; Ryan “Lil R” Birt, 44, Chattanooga; Kelly Adams, 32, Chattanooga; James “Dozer” Miller, 40, Chattanooga; Jeramy “Cracker” Rittenhouse, 36, Chattanooga; Robert “BB” Boone, 49, Chattanooga; David Woodward, 40, Cleveland, Tn.; Ronald “Snake” Howard, 58, Benton, Tn.; Charles “Robbie” Kinsey, 41, Ringgold, Ga; & Steven “Steve-O” Tucker, 38, Rossville, Ga.    One of those defendants, Ryan Birt, is charged with 2 child pornography counts as well as one count of unlawful transport.   Legal action also is pending against other defendants.  For example, James “JP” Parker, 45, of Whitwell, has been charged with 6 counts of intent to sell cocaine, 3 counts of unlawful transport of firearms & 3 counts of violent crime involving drugs & a machine gun.   Prosecutors have said that charges against the defendants grew out of a 30-month investigation into drug trafficking in Hamilton & Bradley Counties & other parts of Southeast Tennessee.   During the probe, investigators were able to infiltrate both the Chattanooga branch of the Outlaws MC – headquartered at 3014 Campbell St. in East Chattanooga – & its affiliate, located at 1350 Strawberry Ln in Cleveland, Georgia.  Lauren Coppick, ATF special agent, said the probe began after a Dalton, Ga., man with a “known affiliation” to the Renegades MC was the victim of a car bomb on Aug. 16, 2007.   It was noted that the victim, 27-year-old James Wayne Brock Jr., had taken part in a shootout with a rival motorcycle gang, the Outlaws, in the parking lot of a Clayton County, Ga., strip club.  Agt. Coppick said an informant got inside the club & it was learned that members were buying & selling cocaine.  He said Miller was buying cocaine from Smith.  He said agents were watching when Smith & his girlfriend, Ms. Adams, showed up with an ounce of powder cocaine & 2 ounces of crack cocaine. Smith was given marked money for the drugs.  The agent said Smith & Ms. Adams were arrested later, & Ms. Adams had 23 grams of cocaine on her.  He said the couple had a 7-year-old boy and, on one occasion, Smith remarked during a drug deal that “he had to hurry back because he had a kid in the car.”   The agent said Smith & Ms. Adams lived in various locations, including a hotel at one time.  They were arrested last week at an apartment.  Ms. Adams asked to also be placed on bond, though the Gov’t initially opposed it. It was agreed that the probation office will carry out an investigation to see if arrangements can be made for Ms. Adams to have a residence & treatment.  Her atty, Rich Heinsman, said she went to a Nashville prep school & had a fairly clean record except for the recent arrest.   Her 7-year-old son is now with her sister.  The atty said Ms. Adams also has a child who lives with his father in North Carolina.

 

Detective Says Underwear-Clad Biker Threatened To Kill Officers, Families – Mar 1, 2010 - Tennessee - A Bradley County detective testified Monday that a motorcycle gang member, clad only in his underwear in 23-degree weather, threatened to kill one officer & his family.   Det. Carl Maskew testified at a detention hearing for 40-year-old Daniel Decker.   Fed Magistrate Court Judge Bill Carter, noting that Decker has a long history of assaults, ordered that he remain in custody pending his trial.   Det. Maskew said he & other officers had been carrying out a probe of the biker headquarters on Strawberry Lane & had driven by when someone in a light-colored Hyundai SVU came racing up behind them, while flashing the lights & honking the horn.   He said they were able to get the tag number & traced it to White Road. He said the officers went there last Tuesday night & spotted the same SUV.  They also learned that Decker was staying at that address.   The witness said they had left that location when the SUV again roared up behind them.   He said they pulled over at a church parking lot.   He said Decker, clad only in briefs, jumped out of the vehicle & began cursing them.   The detective said, “It was a fit of rage like I’ve never seen out of an individual.”   He said Decker demanded to know if they were law enforcement & he told him, “Do the blue lights give you any kind of hint?”   He said Decker continued to berate them, telling one officer he would kill him & his family.   He said Decker finally calmed down & he was allowed to go free - mainly because the officers did not want to tip off their upcoming raid at the motorcycle clubhouse.   Decker’s girlfriend, Angie Anderson, said they had just gotten into bed when they heard someone in the driveway & saw lights.  He said they had some tools stolen recently & Decker believed it was the burglars returning. She said he hollered for the car to stop, and, when it didn’t, he jumped into his SUV without bothering to get dressed.  Decker was at the clubhouse at the time of the raid.   Agt. Maskew said 2 guns were found in a different room than where Decker was situation, but he said while in the patrol car Decker was heard saying that he had handled one of the weapons.   The witness said Decker served time in Florida for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery by a felon & felony assault.

 

Biker Investigation Began After Retaliatory Bombing – Mar 1, 2010 – Tennessee / Georgia - By Kristen Johnson - Members of a local motorcycle gang faced a federal judge today. All face a slew of drug & weapons charges in the wake of raids last week on Chattanooga & Cleveland Outlaw clubhouses.. The investigation into the gang began after a 2007 bombing between rival gangs the Outlaws & Renegades. Most received a 20-thousand dollar bond & were released. One man...picked up in Cleveland remains in prison deemed too dangerous to be released. The members will face trial in late April & early May. 

 

Rebels banned from Glenelg pubs & clubs – Mar 1, 2010 – Australia – 13 members of the Rebels MC have been banned from Glenelg pubs & clubs after years of violent incidents.   Police allege gang members were behind a series of attacks on hotel staff & patrons over the past 2 years & had been caught carrying - & firing - guns.  Officers from the Crime Gangs Task Force obtained barring orders for 10 licensed venues following an investigation into their behaviour late last year.   They found the Rebels created a “reasonable apprehension of danger to patrons & staff” when they were allowed in to the popular strip’s pubs & clubs.   Since Nov 2007, the task force has seized a large amount of drugs & firearms from Rebels members & associates.

 

Authorities used insider to take down biker club – Mar 2, 2010 - Tennessee - By Monica Mercer - Fed authorities recruited a person to become a member of the local Outlaw MC with the express intent of infiltrating the bikers’ world & taking them down on drug charges.   Lead investigator Lorin Coppock, an agent with the ATF, testified at a court hearing Mon that their “C-I” was indeed a club member. But he declined to answer questions about the person’s identity or how the person managed to gain admittance to the tight-knit, secretive club.  The raid & ensuing litigation against the Outlaws has thrust the club into a spotlight, whereas normally they are known to keep to themselves & be very wary of outsiders.  Federal agents conceded that many local bikers are law-abiding citizens, but that fact did not keep them from describing the local Outlaws as “a subculture that does not conform to mainstream culture.”   “That’s a nice way to say they are a criminal organization,” said Special ATF Agent Darryl Hill.

 

Comanchero bikie expected to testify – Mar 2, 2010 – Australia - One of the 12 Comanchero charged over a fatal brawl at Sydney Airport has signaled that he will plead guilty & may have to testify against his gang mates, a court has heard.   Comanchero nominee Arnold Loto, through his lawyer, yesterday indicated he would plead to his role in the violence that went on to claim the life of Hells Angels affiliate Anthony Zervas. The 41-year-old from Heckenberg was the last of 12 Comanchero to be charged with murder, riot & affray following the incident at the Qantas terminal last year.   Violence allegedly broke out between members of the Comanchero & Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gangs following tensions between the clubs on a Qantas flight from Melbourne on Mar 22, 2009.   Loto’s barrister Dina Yehia SC told Central Local Court yesterday that her client’s case would now be “a short matter”.  “I anticipate there will be pleas of guilty in respect of 1 count of affray & one count of riot,” she said.

 

Denied parole because of her boyfriend – Mar 2, 2010 – Canada - By Paul Cherry - A Kanesatake woman serving time for her role in a drug trafficking & money laundering scheme has been denied parole for a second time because she refuses to dump her boyfriend, a Hells Angel.  Annie Arbic, 24, is serving a 38-month sentence she received in 2008 after being convicted in Project Cleopatra. The investigation, led by the RCMP, was dubbed Cleopatra because it centred on Arbic’s mother, Sharon Simon, 53, a wealthy & powerful woman in Kanesatake. Simon received the equivalent of a 6-year, 9-month sentence in Project Cleopatra.   Arbic was turned down for day parole last year & the National Parole Board did not see things differently on her second attempt, last month.   Arbic has a spotless record as an inmate. She participated in rehabilitation programs while behind bars & is pursuing the equivalent of a high school diploma.   It is her relationship with Martin Robert, 35, a full-patch member of the Hells Angels, that leaves the parole board leery about her chances at rehabilitation.  Robert & Arbic were a couple before she was arrested in 2006, & she acknowledges she plans to continue the relationship when she is released even though he faces several murder charges as part of Operation SharQc, a police investigation into the biker gang.   Robert, a member of the gang’s Montreal chapter, was arrested in January in Mexico, as Quebec police worked to track down several Hells Angels who were still on the lam in the investigation that produced criminal charges against almost all of the gang’s membership in Quebec last April.  The 1^st-degree murder charges he faces are part of the Crown’s theory that the gang’s entire membership voted in 1994 in favor of the conflict that came to be known as the biker gang war in Quebec.

 

Gun, drug charges are thrown out – Mar 3, 2010 - California - By Joseph Serna - Judge doubts credibility of evidence used against man who allegedly fought in 2008 biker brawl. Prosecutors may re-file charges.   Citing a mishandling of evidence by police, an Orange County Superior Court judge this week threw out all gun & drug charges against a man whose home was searched after a Newport Beach bar melee in August 2008.   Brian Heslington, 37, of Costa Mesa, was cleared Monday by Judge Richard King after prosecutors declined to give the defense a sealed portion of the affidavit used to obtain a search warrant of Heslington’s home in Aug 2008.    Newport Beach police searched Heslington’s home on Aug 6, 2008, more than a week after police alleged that he & Hells Angels members brawled with members of rival biker gang the Set Free Soldiers at Blackie’s by the Sea, a bar on the Balboa Peninsula.   After the search, Heslington was charged with being in possession of a controlled substance & a firearm.   Newport Beach Police Det. Christine O’Donnell’s testimony to a judge granting the search warrant in 2008 & testimony to King over the last few months appear to have led to the case’s dismissal.   O’Donnell could not be reached for comment Tue.  However, she maintained in previous testimony that there was a misunderstanding about the evidence between her & the prosecuting atty.   When the judge granting the warrant asked for a certified copy of the sealed affidavit - the document giving police probable cause for a search & possibly containing information of an undercover officer - O’Donnell provided prosecutors both certified & noncertified documents.   The certified copy remained at the Newport Beach PD instead of being on file with the Harbor Justice Center, attorneys said during a hearing last year.    O’Donnell also photocopied a court seal prosecutors presented as authentic, according to court papers.   In at least 2 hearings, O’Donnell failed to clarify her misstep to the court, King concluded in his ruling Monday in Santa Ana.   Heslington’s defense attorney, Scott B. Well, pointed to the misstep & cast doubt about probable cause for the search.   In his 10-page opinion, King ruled that O’Donnell’s testimony about the sealed document & photocopying the seal represented “false or reckless testimony.”   The judge also wrote that “there is a reasonable possibility that either a false statement material to probable cause or one made with reckless disregard for the truth was presented to the magistrate who issued the search warrant.”   King had ordered prosecutors to turn over parts of the affidavit to the defense. When they declined, King threw out the case.   The district atty’s office can re-file charges, officials said.   During the fight at Blackie’s, two men were stabbed & one was struck in the head with a billiard ball.   Others involved in the brawl have been sentenced to prison or probation.

 

Lexington held secret meeting on biker party – Mar 3, 2010 – South Carolina - By Tim Flach - Lexington Town Council proceeded with a session Monday on police plans to watch a biker group gathering after a warning from the town’s top aide that it violated open meeting requirements.  Town attorney Brad Cunningham agreed the unannounced discussion didn’t comply with state standards for a day’s notice of topics to be discussed or acted upon.  “Once warned, I don’t know what you can do,” he said of the 7 council members’ decision to hold the meeting anyway.   Town administrator Jim Duckett confirmed warning council members the session was improper after he & Cunningham reviewed what is permissible under the “Sunshine Law.”   “I told them they shouldn’t, they couldn’t do it,” he said. “It was not announced in advance to the public & didn’t meet the requirements allowing it to be done that way.”   Police Chief Terrence Greene said during the meeting he outlined plans on how officers will handle a fundraiser for Hells Angels at a local bar Sat.   Mayor Randy Halfacre said he arranged the briefing “to give us an update” as council members gathered for a meal prior to their public meeting.   Since it was informational, “I don’t see that as a violation” of open-meeting requirements, Halfacre said.  Halfacre didn’t remember being told the session was improper.  Some council members said any violation was inadvertent.   “I wouldn’t call it a meeting; it was more of a briefing,” Councilman Todd Shevchik said.  “I don’t know what all the guidelines are,” said Shevchik, a magazine publisher.  “There was some mumbling & discussion as to whether it was appropriate.”

 

Motors running for Hinterland bikie run – Mar 3, 2010 - Australia - Gold Coasters have been warned to brace for traffic chaos on Saturday as the annual Hells Angels bikie poker run winds through the Hinterland.   The run attracts hundreds of motorcyclists & bikies from all clubs.   The event will leave from the Hells Angels clubhouse in Tradelink Drive, Browns Plains, & is expected to wind through Canungra, Advancetown & Mount Tamborine.

 

Coffin Cheaters charged with kidnapping & extortion – Mar 3, 2010 – Australia - Warren Douglas Goedhart, 34, was arrested after simultaneous dawn raids on the Strang Court compound & a nearby house in Moran Place, Beaconsfield at 5am, in which an unlicensed pump action shotgun was allegedly uncovered.  Police will allege that Goedhart was involved in the extortion of property & kidnapping of a man back in Oct 2009 in which a 58-year-old man was taken from his home by 2 men & forced to sign over a property, which was later sold.  Police say Goedhart is is a patched member of the Coffin Cheaters MC.  He has been charged with kidnapping, Extortion, possessing a firearm & unlicensed ammunition.

 

Inquiry Widens To Officers In Federal Probe – Mar 4, 2010 - Tennessee - NewsChannel 9 has discovered new details about the Chattanooga police officer off the job in connection with the undercover federal sting into the Outlaws biker club.  We first broke this story about Officer Derrick Pendergrass on NewsChannel 9 at 6 Wed & on this website.   Our investigative team first learned yesterday the A-T-F had also been to Chattanooga State.  This afternoon, that was confirmed. The reason: Pendergrass’ father-in-law, Fred Layne, works here & is also under question.   Layne is the 3^rd shift supervisor over Chattanooga State’s security force is also off the job.  You may remember Layne as a long-time officer with the Chattanooga police department. Chattanooga State says it learned Wednesday the A-T-F was also investigating Layne.   Chattanooga State’s administration released this statement, “We were notified by law enforcement of this investigation. Mr. Layne was then placed on administrative leave, pending the results of that investigation & our own internal review of the matter.”   Our investigative team asked if a computer was seized. Chattanooga State’s V.P. of Finance & Budget, Tammy Swenson, responded lawyers out of Nashville told them to say nothing more than what was on the statement.   Meanwhile, it should be pointed out, Layne is on leave with pay.  That is also true for his son-in-law.  Our investigative team confirmed, Pendergrass was taken off the job last Thursday.That is relevant because it is the same day the A-T-F raided the Outlaws Clubhouse. Sources tell us Pendergrass wasn’t affiliated with them but rides with Steel Brothers MC, which didn’t fall into this sting.  We spoke with Captain Ken Neblette who is over Internal Affairs. He said, “This is in the preliminary stage of the investigation & it is too soon to talk about it.” When asked if Officer Penderegrass’ gun, badge or Computer had been confiscated, Captain Neblette said he could not comment.   Our investigative team spent the afternoon in the federal courthouse looking for a search warrant return related to Pendergrass and/or Layne. We have been unable to locate such a document.   We checked into Officer Derrick Pendergrass’ background & found Only a 3-day suspension for personnel reasons. Internal Affairs says the only sustained mark against the 7 1/2-year veteran was rudeness back in 2005.

 

Two out-of-state Pagan’s released pending trial – Mar 4, 2010 – Charleston, West Virginia - By Andrew Clevenger - After almost 5 months in custody, 2 members of the Pagan’s MC are headed home after a Fed judge released them to home confinement Thu.   Sergio Velez Cuevas, 70, of Linden, N.J., & Joseph Robert Fareri, 49, of Philadelphia, were among 55 members & associates of the Pagan’s named in a 44-count indictment unsealed in Oct.  Since then, they have been held in West Virginia while they awaited trial, which has been set for May 4.   Both men are named in 1 count only, which accuses them of transporting proceeds of an illegal motorcycle raffle to West Virginia in April 2008.  According to prosecutors, Pagan’s from multiple states traveled to St. Albans to deliver raffle proceeds, which funded the motorcycle gang, to Floyd “Jesse” Moore, Nat’l V.P. of the Pagan’s & member of the governing mother club.   Moore, 64, pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in Dec, admitting in part that he helped oversee the Pagan’s, who used violence & intimidation to control their territory, which stretched from New Jersey to Florida.  At a hearing on Thu, U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston said that Cuevas & Fareri -- known as “Cano” & “Goat,” respectively, in biker circles -- might spend longer in custody awaiting trial than their potential sentences, if convicted, particularly if the case is delayed.   “That’s a real concern to me,” he said.    If the 2 defendants have already spent significant time in jail, it could remove his ability to give them short sentences, should he choose to do so, he said.   Johnston’s concerns echo those raised by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary E. Stanley, who earlier this week called a hearing to review Cuevas & Fareri’s detention status. While Johnston presides over the trial & plea deals, it is Stanley’s job to make preliminary rulings about who may post bond & who should be kept in custody.   Stanley concluded that even if convicted, Cuevas & Fareri would probably face relatively short sentences.   Johnston declined to rule whether Cuevas & Fareri knew that the raffles were illegal, which defense attorneys maintain is a key element to proving that they were involved in an interstate gambling enterprise.   The judge said he will take up that issue, along with others raised by defense attorneys, during a motions hearing in the coming weeks.   Because both Fareri & Cuevas have extensive criminal histories that include violence, Johnston ordered both to remain on home confinement with electronic monitoring.   “My intent is that they stay home & stay out of trouble,” he said, warning that he was likely to have “a short fuse” if either Cuevas or Fareri violate the conditions of their release.   “In all likelihood, I am going to put you back in custody, & then it’s going to be your own fault if you end up serving too much time,” he said.   To date, 18 defendants have pleaded guilty. One defendant died in custody, & prosecutors added another in a superseding indictment returned last month, leaving 37 with charges pending, including the national Pagan’s Pres, David K. “Bart” Barbeito, 49, of Myersville, Md.

 

Investigation finds no fault in fatal Brother Speed motorcycle crash – Mar 4, 2010 – Oregon - State Police have decided against issuing any citations in connection with a bloody Sept. 18 multi-motorcycle pileup on Interstate 5 south of Wilsonville.   Sgt. Fred Testa, who supervised the investigation, said police uncovered insufficient evidence to accuse anyone of fault in the crash, which killed 1 member of the Brother Speed MC & critically injured 2 others.   Police said the crash occurred around 2:45 p.m., when 26 Idaho motorcyclists were northbound on I-5, riding in a two-column formation behind a Toyota 4Runner SUV that slowed down quickly. The first 2 motorcycles in the columns maneuvered to avoid the 4Runner, but others following were unable to react in time.   Then, a second SUV, a Nissan Pathfinder, was struck by one of the motorcycles swerving to avoid the ensuing pileup.  Several motorcycles came to rest in the median & shoulders, tangled together.  Testa said a young woman driving the 4Runner saw traffic ahead of her slowing quickly & tapped on her brakes a couple of times to alert the motorcyclists before applying steady pressure on the pedal to stop.   “But there was no way she was doing it to cause a crash,” Testa said. “She was not at fault.”   Testa also said there was no indication that the Brother Speed members were following too closely or were riding in an illegal formation.   He said northbound traffic apparently slowed because of the “normal” bottleneck that occurs at the Boone Bridge, which crosses the Willamette River at Wilsonville.   “It was the normal slowing we see there all the time,” Testa said.  “The bridge is very narrow & it doesn’t have any shoulders.”   Killed in the crash was David Bowyer, 44, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, known in the biker community as “Detroit Dave.”  Others who were critically injured eventually recovered.   Eight other motorcyclists needed medical attention.   Motorcyclists in the crash were members of Brother Speed’s Idaho chapters, making a “run” to Portland to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the club’s founding.

 

Hells Angels member arrested in Carlton takes plea deal – Mar 4, 2010 – Minnesota – By Lisa Baumann - The Hells Angels MC member arrested in Carlton last summer pleaded guilty to a felony as part of a plea agreement last week.   Jeffrey Amato, 43, of Larchmont, N.Y., pleaded guilty to felony 5^th-degree possession of a controlled substance & had charges of receiving stolen property, refusing to submit to a chemical test & driving under the influence dismissed in court last Wed.   Under the agreement, Amato is to receive a 2-year suspended sentence, court documents showed.   However, Amato may not qualify for a suspended sentence – he has numerous felony convictions in New York – so if he does not, he will have to return to Carlton for an amended sentence.  Although hundreds of citations were given, Amato was the only member of the motorcycle club arrested during the club’s 5-day annual gathering, which took place in Carlton last July.  The group reportedly plans to visit Gunnison, Colo., this summer for their 2010 annual run before heading to Sturgis, S.D., in August.

 

Comancheros motorcycle gang finds new home - Mar 4, 2010 - Australia - One of the nation’s most feared motorcycle gangs has found a new home in the heart of Melbourne.   The Comancheros have moved into a clubhouse in Thistlethwaite St, South Melbourne.   Tradesman were this week putting the finishing touches on the property, next door to an automotive business.   It is equipped with security cameras outside.   There is nothing to indicate the group has moved in. But police are aware of the move.   The Herald Sun revealed in November last year the Comancheros & another notorious gang, the Finks, were setting up in Melbourne.   The Comancheros are well established in New South Wales but a confidential police report showed they had moved south & were looking for new members & a base. The Comancheros were involved in the 1984 Milperra shootout in Sydney in which 6 bikies & a 14-year-old girl died.

 

Supreme Court of Canada refuses to hear appeal from former Hells Angels – Mar 4, 2010 – Canada - The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear a constitutional challenge from 2 former Hells Angels.  Steven Lindsay & Raymond Bonner were the first people convicted under Parliament’s 2002 anti-gang law. The Ontario Court of Appeal last year dismissed the challenge, upholding the convictions for committing extortion “in association with” a criminal organization.   The former bikers had sought leave to appeal that decision to the Supreme Court, but the country’s top court today dismissed that application.   At the pair’s trial in Barrie, Ont., in 2005 the Superior Court judge declared the Hells Angels a criminal organization for the first time in Canada.   The anti-gang legislation the men were challenging allows courts to impose up to 14 additional years in prison to anyone who commits a serious crime “for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal organization.”

 

Neighbors pan cops’ Outlaws stakeout – Mar 5, 2010 – Daytona Beach, Florida – By Lyda Longa - How’s this for a buzz kill: Right smack in the middle of Bike Week, the most notorious bikers in town are dealing with uninvited guests that may stifle their party.   The local Outlaws MC, welcoming dozens & dozens of its far-flung members to the club’s new digs are now joined by the Daytona Beach Police Department’s giant mobile command post, parked across the street.   The crowd in blue swells 4 times a day, too, as police officers meet for their pre-shift briefings within a stone’s throw of the motorcycle club’s house on Tanglewood Street.  Thursday morning, just before the crack of dawn, Daytona Beach police parked the RV-style vehicle on North Street, facing the Outlaws house at 605 Tanglewood.   The Outlaws responded by sending the early morning shift inside the command post a dozen doughnuts.  Their atty, Dave Robinson, delivered the hot treats.  That didn’t help.   In the afternoon, the parking tickets began to fly as club members were told to move some motorcycles obstructing the sidewalk or jutting out into the street.   “We just want to send them a message,” Police Chief Mike Chitwood said.  “We’ll be holding our briefings there for Districts 1 & 2, & the command post will be there for an indefinite period of time.”   The briefings brought an onslaught of police officers & their marked cars into the neighborhood as they held their meetings outside the command post across from the Outlaws’ front-yard gathering.   Chitwood said the command post is set up in various neighborhoods where there are concerns about crime.  He said residents have been outraged since the Outlaws moved in last year.   But, longtime residents along Tanglewood, a narrow thoroughfare of Craftsman-style homes & newer residences, were disgusted -- with the cops.   Late Thursday morning, at least 6 residents said the lawmen were just trying to intimidate the Outlaws.   “That (the command post) is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of,” said 74-year-old Ray Millard. “They (the Outlaws) have been very congenial neighbors to all of us.  They’re quiet & they have cleaned up the street.”   Other neighbors sang club members’ praises as well, saying many Outlaws had helped them make repairs, watched out for their children & grandchildren & invited most of the people on Tanglewood to their new house for parties & barbecues.   But police were having none of the neighborly feelings being espoused by the people along Tanglewood, and, by Thursday afternoon, a cadre of cops handed out a few parking tickets to anyone whose bike fender hung over the street or sidewalk.   The enforcement infuriated Sandee Maroney, who oversees a property at Tanglewood & North, just across from the Outlaws’ house where she would allow them to park.   Maroney said she has asked city officials countless times to allow the bikers to park in a lot that is owned by a close friend of hers from Orlando.   “I’m tired of this,” Maroney said.  “They won’t let the Outlaws park on that lot for a few days during Bike Week, but this morning there were 5 police cars parked on that lot & I told them to get off the property.”   Maroney said the Outlaws moved into Tanglewood last year & bought a house that was once an eyesore.   “That was the nastiest place I had ever seen,” she said. “The Outlaws brought members from all over & they painted the house & cleaned it up.  They’ve invited all of us to come over & partake in their parties.”   Maroney was planning to bake 8 pineapple-upside-down cakes for the club members for the weekend. Thursday morning she made them coleslaw.  Resident Suzy Whitford, a 54-year resident of Tanglewood, said the show of force by police was unwarranted. Whitford, a retired part-time policewoman with Daytona Beach police, said people need to get their minds out of the 1970s & 1980s when the Outlaws were considered to be a murderous criminal organization.   “It’s 2010,” Whitford said with an annoyed look on her face. “These people are great neighbors. They’re just like regular people.  If you don’t mess with them, they won’t mess with you.”

 

Fears after 3 attacks on Melbourne women – Mar 5, 2010 – Australia - By Wayne Flower - A Dangerous thief who held a knife to the throat of a three-year-old girl created a wave of terror last night when he carjacked & robbed 2 more females.

Wearing the same black balaclava & armed with the same knife he used to monster a young mum & her toddler 24 hours earlier, the man robbed a woman in Melton before carjacking another woman in Burnside.  Police warned the attacker was “extremely desperate” & had become more dangerous.   The thief struck within 2 hours last night -- robbing a 23-year-old woman at a Melton ATM before carjacking a 28-year-old woman in Burnside & dumping her 10km away.   “He’s quite possibly drug or alcohol-affected,” Det-Sgt Mark Guthrie said.   He said the man should not be approached under any circumstances.   The 2^nd terrifying robbery happened at 5pm when the 23-year-old woman went to make a withdrawal from an ATM on Bakery Square & was told to hand over cash.   Witnesses said the thief fled in the 1994 aqua-colored Ford Falcon sedan he stole in the carjacking at a Melton shopping centre a day earlier.  A short time later the man struck again, climbing into the front passenger seat of a woman’s car outside a Burnside supermarket & menacing her with a knife.  He demanded the woman drive 10km before stopping at a service station on the corner of Little Boundary & Boundary roads in Brooklyn.  The distressed woman was ordered to go inside & get cash -- but she told staff what was happening.   Service station attendant Daryl Price hid her inside the servo’s secure area & immediately called police.   The impatient bandit drove up to the door of the servo, but quick-thinking Price enlisted the help of 3 bikies, members of the Rebels MC, who were in the forecourt.   They surrounded the bandit’s car as he was about to get out.  On seeing the menacing bikies, the bandit sped off.   Another attendant comforted the victim until her husband & police arrived.   Price said the woman was stressed & distraught.  “It was nasty.   I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” he said.   Det-Sgt Guthrie urged the man to give up before something more drastic happened.   “That’s what I’m trying to stress to him, to hand himself in,” he said last night.   He said there was a strong possibility the man was from the Melton area. It was also likely someone knew him & had information that could lead to his arrest.   The fugitive is described as Caucasian, aged about 50 & unshaven.

 

Biker Club Members Keep Salem Home From Going Up in Smoke – Mar 6, 2010 – Salem, Oregon – By Tim King - Bikers Alert Family, Battle Flames Until Firefighters Arrived…  Local motorcyclists from the Free Soul & Gypsy Joker motorcycle clubs gathering for pizza in Salem Friday night, didn’t know that they would end up saving a family from a house fire.  And they definitely didn’t expect to be the ones who would actually man the fire hose & evacuate the family. Even with small explosions taking place, these biker firefighters held their ground.   Mike Kondash recorded incredible video, as the vehicle fire spread to the home itself.  But the constant flow of water was making a difference.  Another small explosion, soon a police officer arrived on the scene.  The resident didn’t know what started the fire.  He explained that he had just arrived home, & had no idea the vehicle had somehow started to burn.  The resident thanked the bikers for being there to help his family at such a critical time.   The fire kept burning for several minutes, but by this point, the house fire itself was out.  Mike Murdoch, one of the bikers directing water on the fire, said it had definitely gotten to the house & roof, but it appeared to mostly be out before fire crews arrived on the scene.  Salem is known for having a lightning fast fire Dept, but these bikers, located close to the fire, were responsible for keeping the fire from spreading rapidly to the wooden structure.   The Gypsy Joker & Free Soul Club members are also responsible for alerting the family to the fact that their home was on fire in the first place.   Then Salem Fire rolled up with multiple units, & prepared to put a final end to this blaze.  The house was charred; firefighters used axes to open the structure up in an effort to find hot spots.   The club members were 2 houses away when, according to Mike Kondash, they smelled smoke that at first made him think of a bonfire, then suddenly they were all running to the house, where the SUV was burning, so they could help a family avoid tragedy.   Both police & media typically brand motorcycle clubs as rivals.  These club members from both the Free Souls & the Gypsy Joker clubs demonstrated that biker unity is present.  This builds political solidarity, & it can even help put out fires.  Jerry Smith & Mark Kondash were among the bikers who helped evacuate the residents & battle the fire that happened at a residence in the 3500 block of Hawthorne Ave NE around 10:30 p.m. Friday.

 

Convictions overturned in 2004 fatal stabbing case – Mar 6, 2010 – Stockton, California – by Scott Smith - An appeals court on Friday tossed out the convictions of 2 Jus Brother C members found guilty in connection with the 2004 fatal stabbing of a 22-year-old man outside a Stockton bar.   Among errors, the judge allowed the prosecution to characterize Frankie Joe Prater & Robert Kenneth Memory as Jus Brothers with ties to the notorious Hells Angels MC, the state’s 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled.   The pair were convicted in what amounted to “guilt by association,” the 61-page decision says.  The prosecutor called them members of a criminal gang, but never proved it, the ruling says.   The mistake led jurors to find Prater, 45, guilty of 2^nd-degree murder for stabbing Mark Donahue in front of Shakers.  Prater is at San Quentin State Prison serving a sentence of 16 years to life.   Robert Kenneth Memory, 39, was sentenced to prison for more than 9 years on 2 counts of attempted voluntary manslaughter & 2 counts of assault with a deadly weapon.   The “irrelevant, inflammatory evidence harmed the defendants’ credibility,” the appellate ruling says.   It adds that “absent the error, it is reasonably probable they would have received a better result.”   The 2 men will likely be sent back to the Stockton courthouse for a new trial.   San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus - who is now shepherding the high-profile death penalty trial of Tracy’s Melissa Huckaby - oversaw the trial.   San Joaquin County Deputy District Atty Kevin Mayo prosecuted Memory & Prater.    “While we’re disappointed with this setback, we believe that Judge Lofthus’ ruling & the convictions will ultimately be affirmed,” Chief Deputy District Atty Ron Freitas said. “Clearly the gang evidence was an integral part of the case in identifying his killers & a motive for his senseless slaying.”   The case stems from a fight that broke out in the bar’s parking lot the night of Nov. 5, 2004.   A group of 5 young men - not including Donahue - were drinking at the bar & they were drunk, court papers say.   Memory & Prater arrived with Prater’s wife, Teresa.  The 2 men wore their Jus Brothers’ vests bearing the club’s patch.  They had a beer or 2 & went to the parking lot, where the young men began to badger the bikers, court papers say.   A crowd of 15 to 20 people gathered around, where the confrontation escalated into a fight. Donahue arrived with his girlfriend & became embroiled, court papers say.    Two of the 5 young men survived stab injuries but Donahue died.  His front teeth were broken & 1 hand was cut as if he grabbed the knife’s blade, among defensive wounds. He bled from the pulmonary artery, court papers say.   “The fight happened quickly,” court papers say.   “It was only a few minutes from when Donahue arrived until he was lying in the street.”  The 2 defendants argued in trial & in their appeal that they were defending themselves from an angry mob at the bar.   Sacramento attorney Charles Bonneau, who represented Prater on appeal, said that it is a strong self-defense case for his client. The next trial will look a lot different based on the appellate court’s ruling, he said.   “When you have irrelevant evidence of group membership, it’s very hard to have a fair trial,” Bonneau said. “Instead, you have guilt by association.”

 

Hells Angels ride through Midlands: Are they here to stay? – Mar 6, 2010 – Columbia, South Carolina – By Jillian Capobianco - A Lexington bar owner organized a poker run for the Hells Angels & said there was no need for community members to be concerned.   “There’s always going to be someone who likes it & someone that don’t like it & that’s anything in life,” said Joe Biedrycki, who invited our cameras to the poker run.   The Hells Angels rolled into Lexington Sat for a poker run.  The ride funds the Hells Angels’ Sin City Defense Fund, a fund to cover atty fees & court costs after Las Vegas police raided 6 Angels’ houses last fall.  “They’re not looked at for the good things they’ve done, they’re looked at for the bad things that’s happened in the past,” said organizer Lisa Meyers, who is friends with the Hells Angels.  She spoke for the Angels Sat because none of them wanted to go on camera.  Also not appearing on camera was Lexington Police Chief Terrance Green, but Green did say Lexington would be protected from what he calls a biker gang.   “I don’t see it as gang activity,” said Jerry Oliver with the American Legion Riders.   Oliver was just 1 of many other motorcycle groups, including veterans & a Christian group, taking part in the poker run.   “We don’t want to start any trouble with anybody, we’re just here to join together & help each other out,” said a biker & bar owner who went by the name “Animal.”  Police were out in full force, taking pictures of the activity all day. Some curious community members came out as well, & had mixed feelings.  “You hear things about the Hells Angels, I don’t know if they’re true or not, but you see documentaries on TV & you think they’re killers & their initiation is horrible,” said a woman named Rhonda.  Sharon Ledford was in Columbia for her daughter’s cheerleading tournament, & said authorities should have warned parents.  “If you don’t have that knowledge & you are unaware, how are you to protect yourself & your children?” she asked.   Another thing is unclear, whether the Hells Angels are here to stay.  We were told there is a Hells Angels Chapter in Lexington now, but Myers said she was “not allowed to say” if that is true or not.   The poker run starts in & ends in Lexington…

 

 

 

 

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…