Sunday, December 21, 2008
One of the jurors who acquitted two Hells Angels bikers of attempted murder says factors that influenced the verdict
One of the jurors who acquitted two Hells Angels bikers of attempted murder says factors that influenced the verdict included people being led by emotion and a conflict in the state's evidence.After deliberating over three days, the Sioux Falls jury found Chad Wilson of San Diego and John Midmore of Valparaiso, Ind., not guilty of sparking a 2006 gunfight at Custer State Park.Three Outlaws Motorcycle Club members and two women with them were injured. Midmore is out on bail, but Wilson is charged in federal court with a gun crime.The state still wants to try the men on a conspiracy charge but the judge hasn't ruled on that.
Rival gangs the Rebels and Bandidos have been targeting each other
Rival gangs the Rebels and Bandidos have been targeting each other in 13 drive-by shootings since October.Another shooting occured at a house on Hewinson Avenue in Green Valley last night.Police have tried to get the two sides talking, but those attempts have failed and there are now concerns the violence will escalate.NSW Detective Chief Superintendent Ken McKay told News Ltd the gang’s attacks had simply been “cowardly”.“It’s just the lowest level of cowardly acts to drive past a place in the middle of the night and spray it with bullets,” Superintendent McKay said.“Don’t forget a lot of these places contain children and women.”
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Two of the three Road Dog Cycle defendants who remain in custody will be home for Christmas
Two of the three Road Dog Cycle defendants who remain in custody will be home for Christmas, if defense attorneys have their way.They appeared in a federal courtroom in Fresno on Monday morning, with their attorneys and many co-defendants who were released earlier this year, to ask for a hearing to present evidence about why they should be freed.But, with Christmas fast approaching, prosecutors told the court they didn't know if their witnesses would be available in time. U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger said attorneys should try to schedule the hearing for Dec. 23.
"As with any pretrial detainees, they certainly would like to be with their families at Christmas," said Jai Gohel of San Francisco, who represents Ray M. Heffington.
Heffington, 40, of Chowchilla, was identified by federal prosecutors as the Merced chapter president of the Hells Angels motorcycle club. He has been in custody since July, when he was indicted with about a dozen others on charges relating to suspected illegal operations going back to 1997 at a Denair motorcycle shop.Ex-deputy still in custodyProsecutors say Robert C. Holloway III, a retired sheriff's deputy, and his son, Brent F. Holloway, 35, of Modesto, ran a racketeering enterprise at the shop. Prosecutors say Robert Holloway encouraged threats and violence against customers who didn't pay bills, operated a chop shop and extended credit to customers illegally.Holloway, 61, of Turlock remains in custody; his son was released on bond in August. The business has been closed since their arrest.
Another defendant still in custody who hopes to be released is a Manteca man prosecutors have identified as Alky Haulers motorcycle club chapter vice president Michael J. Orozco, 51. Orozco faces charges of making extortionate extensions of credit; collecting credit by extortionate means; and criminal forfeiture.Pretrial Services, an agency that makes recommendations regarding whether defendants should be released, said last summer that Orozco should be released, said his attorney, Mac McGinnis of Fresno."But somebody scared the judge into saying, 'I'm not going for it,' " McGinnis said Monday. "You're supposed to go on the evidence. I think they went on something else."McGinnis said his client is only "peripherally involved" in the case. He said Orozco verbally vouched for a "snitch" who bought a motorcycle from Robert Holloway.Many of the men were arraigned Monday on a revised indictment, filed in late November, that added several defendants and charges to the case. All who entered pleas -- including both Holloways, Orozco and Heffington; Reynaldo W. Sotelo, 52, of Gilroy; Alfredo F. Rincon, 37, of Manteca; Stephen J. Johnson, 60, of Linden; and David A. Swanson, 52, Modesto -- said they were not guilty.Swanson was charged in July with making false statements to investigators; in November, prosecutors added a count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.Swanson is a former deputy who was a court bailiff with the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department during the investigation.
Modesto attorney Robert L. Forkner, who represents Swanson, said he expects his client to be acquitted of all charges."Once again, the government is piling on charges for somebody who won't cooperate or enter a plea to a lesser offense," Forkner said. "It's a vindictive prosecution."
"As with any pretrial detainees, they certainly would like to be with their families at Christmas," said Jai Gohel of San Francisco, who represents Ray M. Heffington.
Heffington, 40, of Chowchilla, was identified by federal prosecutors as the Merced chapter president of the Hells Angels motorcycle club. He has been in custody since July, when he was indicted with about a dozen others on charges relating to suspected illegal operations going back to 1997 at a Denair motorcycle shop.Ex-deputy still in custodyProsecutors say Robert C. Holloway III, a retired sheriff's deputy, and his son, Brent F. Holloway, 35, of Modesto, ran a racketeering enterprise at the shop. Prosecutors say Robert Holloway encouraged threats and violence against customers who didn't pay bills, operated a chop shop and extended credit to customers illegally.Holloway, 61, of Turlock remains in custody; his son was released on bond in August. The business has been closed since their arrest.
Another defendant still in custody who hopes to be released is a Manteca man prosecutors have identified as Alky Haulers motorcycle club chapter vice president Michael J. Orozco, 51. Orozco faces charges of making extortionate extensions of credit; collecting credit by extortionate means; and criminal forfeiture.Pretrial Services, an agency that makes recommendations regarding whether defendants should be released, said last summer that Orozco should be released, said his attorney, Mac McGinnis of Fresno."But somebody scared the judge into saying, 'I'm not going for it,' " McGinnis said Monday. "You're supposed to go on the evidence. I think they went on something else."McGinnis said his client is only "peripherally involved" in the case. He said Orozco verbally vouched for a "snitch" who bought a motorcycle from Robert Holloway.Many of the men were arraigned Monday on a revised indictment, filed in late November, that added several defendants and charges to the case. All who entered pleas -- including both Holloways, Orozco and Heffington; Reynaldo W. Sotelo, 52, of Gilroy; Alfredo F. Rincon, 37, of Manteca; Stephen J. Johnson, 60, of Linden; and David A. Swanson, 52, Modesto -- said they were not guilty.Swanson was charged in July with making false statements to investigators; in November, prosecutors added a count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.Swanson is a former deputy who was a court bailiff with the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department during the investigation.
Modesto attorney Robert L. Forkner, who represents Swanson, said he expects his client to be acquitted of all charges."Once again, the government is piling on charges for somebody who won't cooperate or enter a plea to a lesser offense," Forkner said. "It's a vindictive prosecution."
The tattoo can only be worn if the member has committed violent acts against Hells Angels members.
Expert on outlaw motorcycle gangs testified in court Tuesday, explaining that three of four men implicated in the non-fatal shooting of a suspected Hells Angels member appear to be patch-wearing Mongols gang members. Chris Cervantes, a Montebello police detective and ATF investigator, was brought from the Los Angeles area to provide expert testimony at a preliminary hearing for the men suspected of shooting 43-year-old Robert Thompson. Authorities have seized the men's property, including clothing reportedly emblazoned with the gang's logo and an application to join the Mongols Motorcycle Club -- an outlaw motorcycle gang the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has labeled as the most “violent and dangerous” in the nation.
On Nov. 8, authorities responded to shots fired on Third Street in downtown Eureka. There, police found Thompson lying in an intersection, bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds. Later that night, authorities located a dark-colored van, similar to one witnesses saw at the scene, and arrested Eric Gunner Lundin, 28, Dustin Christopher Liebes, 36, Brad Lee Miller, 26, and Redding resident Eric Dean Garcia, 28. Upon searching the van, investigators reportedly located a disassembled semi-automatic hand gun. The four have pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, assault with a firearm and participating in a criminal street gang. Three of the suspects bear tattoos, which Cervantes said linked them to the gang. Lundin, Liebes and Garcia all have diamond-shaped “1%” tattoos inked on their necks. Called the “one-percenter” tattoo, Cervantes said, it has been adopted by the Mongols and refers to the traditional concept that 99 percent of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens. Lundin has the letters “MFFM” -- or Mongols Forever Forever Mongols -- tattooed on his knuckles, and has the traditional Mongol head on his chest and right arm. The Mongol head, a Genghis Khan look-alike wearing sunglasses, is also tattooed on Garcia's forearm. The letters “RFFN” -- Respect Fear Fear Nothing -- are displayed across Liebes' chest. Cervantes said that tattoo can only be worn if the member has committed violent acts against Hells Angels members. As the story goes, the Mongols were formed in the 1970s by a small group of Latinos who were denied entry to the Hells Angels due to their ethnicity, he testified. There are now between 500 and 600 members in chapters throughout the United States, including California, Oregon, Nevada and Florida. The Mongols Web site declares the organization's support of a new chapter that has opened in Italy. Although the Mongols' regional presence is not strong enough to warrant a Humboldt chapter, Cervantes testified there is a Northern California chapter. No matter where the chapters are, they are governed by the “Mother Chapter” which hands down orders, many of which are based on the gang's constitution. The long-standing rivalry between the Hells Angels and the Mongols began early on, emanating from similarities between patches worn by the two gangs, he said. The violence escalated over time into a bloody gang war, with the Mongols perpetrating the majority of the attacks.
”This is a war. These guys are trying to kill each other, and the Mongols are winning,” Cervantes said. “There are a lot of (Hells Angels) dying at the hands of (Mongols') knives and guns.” On Oct. 22, a U.S. District Court judge granted an injunction banning gang members, family and any associate from wearing, licensing or distributing the Mongols' logo. With the banning of the Mongols' trademark, officers have ordered members to stop wearing the logo, Cervantes testified. However, during a search of a storage unit rented by one of the suspects, authorities located Mongols paraphernalia, including a T-shirt with “prospect,” which is worn by someone intending to be initiated into the gang, and a gang application, he said.
The application had been mailed to “The Mayor,” which Cervantes said is Lundin's moniker, leading him to believe “Lundin is the president of this Northern California chapter.” During recorded interviews taken at the jail, Lundin reportedly told officials he would be willing to give up his patch as a “bargaining chip,” Cervantes said. ”I have a really hard time believing he would be giving up his patch if he didn't have a patch,” he said. All the suspects were returned to the Humboldt County jail, where they remain on $500,000 bail. Their preliminary hearing is expected to end today.
On Nov. 8, authorities responded to shots fired on Third Street in downtown Eureka. There, police found Thompson lying in an intersection, bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds. Later that night, authorities located a dark-colored van, similar to one witnesses saw at the scene, and arrested Eric Gunner Lundin, 28, Dustin Christopher Liebes, 36, Brad Lee Miller, 26, and Redding resident Eric Dean Garcia, 28. Upon searching the van, investigators reportedly located a disassembled semi-automatic hand gun. The four have pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, assault with a firearm and participating in a criminal street gang. Three of the suspects bear tattoos, which Cervantes said linked them to the gang. Lundin, Liebes and Garcia all have diamond-shaped “1%” tattoos inked on their necks. Called the “one-percenter” tattoo, Cervantes said, it has been adopted by the Mongols and refers to the traditional concept that 99 percent of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens. Lundin has the letters “MFFM” -- or Mongols Forever Forever Mongols -- tattooed on his knuckles, and has the traditional Mongol head on his chest and right arm. The Mongol head, a Genghis Khan look-alike wearing sunglasses, is also tattooed on Garcia's forearm. The letters “RFFN” -- Respect Fear Fear Nothing -- are displayed across Liebes' chest. Cervantes said that tattoo can only be worn if the member has committed violent acts against Hells Angels members. As the story goes, the Mongols were formed in the 1970s by a small group of Latinos who were denied entry to the Hells Angels due to their ethnicity, he testified. There are now between 500 and 600 members in chapters throughout the United States, including California, Oregon, Nevada and Florida. The Mongols Web site declares the organization's support of a new chapter that has opened in Italy. Although the Mongols' regional presence is not strong enough to warrant a Humboldt chapter, Cervantes testified there is a Northern California chapter. No matter where the chapters are, they are governed by the “Mother Chapter” which hands down orders, many of which are based on the gang's constitution. The long-standing rivalry between the Hells Angels and the Mongols began early on, emanating from similarities between patches worn by the two gangs, he said. The violence escalated over time into a bloody gang war, with the Mongols perpetrating the majority of the attacks.
”This is a war. These guys are trying to kill each other, and the Mongols are winning,” Cervantes said. “There are a lot of (Hells Angels) dying at the hands of (Mongols') knives and guns.” On Oct. 22, a U.S. District Court judge granted an injunction banning gang members, family and any associate from wearing, licensing or distributing the Mongols' logo. With the banning of the Mongols' trademark, officers have ordered members to stop wearing the logo, Cervantes testified. However, during a search of a storage unit rented by one of the suspects, authorities located Mongols paraphernalia, including a T-shirt with “prospect,” which is worn by someone intending to be initiated into the gang, and a gang application, he said.
The application had been mailed to “The Mayor,” which Cervantes said is Lundin's moniker, leading him to believe “Lundin is the president of this Northern California chapter.” During recorded interviews taken at the jail, Lundin reportedly told officials he would be willing to give up his patch as a “bargaining chip,” Cervantes said. ”I have a really hard time believing he would be giving up his patch if he didn't have a patch,” he said. All the suspects were returned to the Humboldt County jail, where they remain on $500,000 bail. Their preliminary hearing is expected to end today.
Three German members of a Hells Angels biker gang were jailed and 11 more received suspended sentences
Three German members of a Hells Angels biker gang were jailed and 11 more received suspended sentences on Tuesday in what was billed as the country's largest trial of its kind.The sentences were handed down on the second day of a trial of the 14 Hells Angels members after the defendants reached a plea bargain deal with prosecutors on charges of assaulting and robbing members of a rival gang.The Hells Angels, wearing spiked helmets and wielding axe handles, raided the headquarters of a rival gang, the Bandidos, in the town of Stuhr in March 2006, brutally beating five rival gang members and stealing money and a laptop, the court found.Insignia were taken as trophies to decorate their own headquarters.The trial was held amid tight security. Police with sniffer dogs combed the courthouse and squad cars patrolled the highways leading into town to prevent renewed clashes between the rival gangs.Three of the accused received respectively 34, 32, and 30 month prison sentences, while 11 others were handed two year suspended prison sentences.Biker gangs including the Bandidos and the Hells Angels, both of which have members all over the world, have been involved in bloody feuds in recent years and are suspected by authorities of heavy
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Gary Young, aged 36, said he was merely a probationary member of the Hells Angel chapter
Gary Young, aged 36, said he was merely a probationary member of the Hells Angel chapter, even though it was his fingerprints police found on a box containing cartridges. Young, of Blossom Farm, gave evidence on his own behalf at Swansea crown court and told the jury about the Hell's Angels. He said the west Wales chapter had its own president, vice president and sergeant at arms. He named Paul Willis as the president but said he had no idea who held the other two positions. He said they met regularly at Bethany House on the Old Hakin Road in Haverfordwest, a property owned by the group of motorcycle enthusiasts. He said the house was protected with barred windows and CCTV cameras. The jury has heard how police raided the house on September 6th, 2007. Among the rafters of a detached garage they found a loaded handgun fitted with a silencer and with the safety catch already switched off.
They also discovered ammunition for the weapon and another type for a Berretta style pistol. Young, who denies charges of possessing the gun, silencer and the two lots of ammunition, said he had been invited to visit Bethany House and eventually became a probationary member, or "prospect." He paid £20 a week for membership and attended about four times a week. He explained that meetings of those with full membership took place "upstairs" and he was not allowed to attend. Young said he was regularly asked to clear up the house and, two days before the police raid, had noticed the gun and ammunition while working in the garage. He said he left them where they were but contacted Paul Willis. Mr Willis, he said, assured him he would "sort it out."
On the day of the police raid he was contacted by another member who called an emergency meeting of the chapter at his flat. About a month later, said Young, that member was "kicked out" of the Hell's Angels. Questioned by Geraint Walters, prosecuting, Young denied that he was the sergeant at arms. Young agreed that police had found an air rifle at his farm which also had a silencer fitted, but explained that without such a device "the first shot at a rabbit makes the others run away."
They also discovered ammunition for the weapon and another type for a Berretta style pistol. Young, who denies charges of possessing the gun, silencer and the two lots of ammunition, said he had been invited to visit Bethany House and eventually became a probationary member, or "prospect." He paid £20 a week for membership and attended about four times a week. He explained that meetings of those with full membership took place "upstairs" and he was not allowed to attend. Young said he was regularly asked to clear up the house and, two days before the police raid, had noticed the gun and ammunition while working in the garage. He said he left them where they were but contacted Paul Willis. Mr Willis, he said, assured him he would "sort it out."
On the day of the police raid he was contacted by another member who called an emergency meeting of the chapter at his flat. About a month later, said Young, that member was "kicked out" of the Hell's Angels. Questioned by Geraint Walters, prosecuting, Young denied that he was the sergeant at arms. Young agreed that police had found an air rifle at his farm which also had a silencer fitted, but explained that without such a device "the first shot at a rabbit makes the others run away."
Hell's Angel has been cleared of possessing a lethal handgun found at the motor cycling enthusiasts' base
Hell's Angel has been cleared of possessing a lethal handgun found at the motor cycling enthusiasts' base in Haverfordwest. But Gary Young, aged 36, was warned he still faced a prison sentence for offences he had already pleaded guilty to.
A jury at Swansea crown court took more than six hours to find Young not guilty of possessing the 8 millimetre gun, a silencer and two batches of cartridges.
They were all found at Bethany House on the Old Hakin Road, a property owned by the west Wales chapter of the Hell's Angels and used as a clubhouse. Police raided the house in May, 2007, and found the gun hidden in the rafters of a detached garage. The silencer was fitted, a bullet was in the chamber and the safety catch was turned off. Young's fingerprints were found on a plastic box containing some of the cartridges. He told the court he had touched the box while tidying the garage but had never owned or used the weapon. After the verdicts it was revealed that Young, now of North Court, Haverfordwest, had admitted possessing an over-powerful air rifle, an offensive weapon (a knuckleduster) and a small quantity of cannabis. Judge Huw Davies granted Young bail but warned him that the starting point at the sentencing hearing in January was jail.
A jury at Swansea crown court took more than six hours to find Young not guilty of possessing the 8 millimetre gun, a silencer and two batches of cartridges.
They were all found at Bethany House on the Old Hakin Road, a property owned by the west Wales chapter of the Hell's Angels and used as a clubhouse. Police raided the house in May, 2007, and found the gun hidden in the rafters of a detached garage. The silencer was fitted, a bullet was in the chamber and the safety catch was turned off. Young's fingerprints were found on a plastic box containing some of the cartridges. He told the court he had touched the box while tidying the garage but had never owned or used the weapon. After the verdicts it was revealed that Young, now of North Court, Haverfordwest, had admitted possessing an over-powerful air rifle, an offensive weapon (a knuckleduster) and a small quantity of cannabis. Judge Huw Davies granted Young bail but warned him that the starting point at the sentencing hearing in January was jail.
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