Accused Hells Angels members Scott Guinn, 23, Brian Heslington, 35, and John Lloyd, 41, were arrested, police said. They were booked on suspicion

Accused Hells Angels members Scott Guinn, 23, Brian Heslington, 35, and John Lloyd, 41, were arrested, police said. They were booked on suspicion of multiple drug and weapons violations but have yet to be formerly charged, prosecutors said. A fourth Hells Angels member, Rodrigo Requejo, 34, of Rancho Santa Margarita, also awaits charges, police said.
According to police, four members of the Hells Angels were inside Blackie’s By The Sea to meet members of the Set Free Soldiers, a group that considers itself a Christian ministry but police regard as an outlaw biker gang. Security cameras inside the bar show at first five Set Free Soldiers approaching the Hells Angels and talking, Capt. John Desmond said.Moments later, 10 more Set Free Soldiers walked into the bar and surrounded the Hells Angels, Desmond said. A Hells Angels member threw the first punch, he said. The fight ended within a minute, police said, but not before two Hells Angels were stabbed in the gut by Set Free Soldiers and Lloyd, a Hells Angels member, had smashed a billiards ball on a Set Free Soldiers member’s head.Police who were called to the scene pulled over a car with three Set Free Soldiers inside, Sailor said. There, authorities found two knives with blood on the blade, he said.Of the dozen arrested last week, three men from Anaheim were released without being charged. They were: Mark Beavers, 52, David Bermeo, 33 and Jeremy Gaither, 28.The men accused of being Set Free Soldiers face charges ranging from possession of a deadly weapon with gang enhancements to street terrorism are: Phillip Aguilar, 60, the reported leader and pastor of the group; his son, Matthew Aguilar, 29; Michael Timanus, 29; Jose Quinones, 42, accused of stabbing the Hells Angels and Glenn Schoeman, 56, accused as an accessory after the fact for allegedly helping Quinones hide, authorities said.Police seized more than 20 handguns, eight to 10 shotguns, several rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition and several knives from Hells Angels members’ homes, police said.Set Free Soldiers’ homes were equally stocked, with the addition of several Tasers, police said. Newport Beach police are concerned that the Set Free Soldiers may be looking to expand into Newport-Mesa, Sailor said. At least one of the group’s jackets seized during last week’s raid had Costa Mesa and Newport Beach emblazoned on the back. Those charged will be arraigned later this month or in mid-September.

Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle gang has been ordered by the Supreme Court to tear down the fortifications around the Maddington Clubhouse by next Wednesday

Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle gang has been ordered by the Supreme Court to tear down the fortifications around the Maddington Clubhouse by next Wednesday.
It is the first successful case of its kind. Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan says the case sets a precedent for other club houses. "What it does is that it tells us that the legislation is good legislation, and that we can use it to pull down fortification," he said."He said that now that the law is clearer police will look at premises where illegal activity is suspected with a view to removing security measures there.

Bowden, once a full-patch member of the local Hells Angels chapter, was apparently asked to leave the gang last year

William (Billy) Bowden former member of the Manitoba Hells Angels was sentenced to time served and fined $350 yesterday for carrying a handgun and skipping a court date. William (Billy) Bowden, 33, pleaded guilty in a Winnipeg courtroom yesterday to carrying a firearm in a careless manner in January 2007 and skipping out on his preliminary hearing about a year later. Other drug and weapons charges related to the 2007 incident were stayed as part of a plea bargain securing the two convictions. Bowden remains in custody, though, charged with manslaughter in relation to the November 2007 killing of Jeff Engen, who was fatally stabbed at the Empire Cabaret, prompting the club to close. That charge remains before the courts.
Bowden has been in custody since he was arrested Feb. 14 in Whistler, B.C., and returned to Manitoba.
The Crown and defence jointly recommended time be noted in his sentence for carrying the firearm. That crime occurred around 2:30 a.m., on Jan. 20, 2007, as Bowden was leaving the NV lounge in a truck with friend Ken Houston, court heard.
Police discovered a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with 18 bullets in a pile of garbage close to where they arrested Bowden and Houston in a back lane off Corydon Avenue.
Bowden admitted yesterday to having carried the gun, which his lawyer Sheldon Pinx told court was "for his own protection." Bowden had also been charged with ecstasy possession and other weapons offences in relation to the same arrest, but those five charges were stayed. Pinx told court the plea bargain was partly a result of "exigencies with evidenciary issues" related to the case and a potential Charter challenge related to the way Bowden was arrested that night. Bowden was fined $350 for failing to attend court last January -- something Pinx attributed to "safety concerns." Bowden, once a full-patch member of the local Hells Angels chapter, was apparently asked to leave the gang last year, according to a source.

Hells Angels members Chad Wilson, 32, of Lynnwood, Wash., a suburb of Seattle, and John Midmore, 34, of Valparaiso, Ind., were arrested,

Authorities identified the man injured in an Aug. 9 shooting in Sturgis as Joseph Patrick McGuire, 33, of Imperial Beach, Calif., and the shooter as Ronald Smith, 43, of Seattle, Wash.The Seattle Police Department confirmed Sunday that one of its officers, who was vacationing at the rally with four fellow officers, was involved in the shooting at the Loud American Roadhouse bar shortly after 1 a.m. on Aug. 9.
According to The Associated Press, all five officers were relieved of duty pending an investigation by South Dakota authorities. The SPD sent a team of investigators to Sturgis to gather more information on the shooting. The vacationing officers have since returned to Washington, according to Seattle area media.
Twenty-five witnesses spent seven hours Sunday testifying before a Meade County grand jury about what they saw during the shooting at the crowded Main Street bar. Sondreal said the investigation may continue until the grand jury convenes again on Aug. 27.A grand jury investigation was the best way to handle any charges that may result from the shooting, he said.“Given the magnitude, complexity and number of out-of-state witnesses in this case, this was the only logical venue for the next step in the process,” he said.Smith is a detective who works for the Seattle police Pawn Shop Squad and is a police guild board member. The officer also is known throughout the department as an avid motorcycle rider.Seattle police declined to comment Monday on whether it was legal for Smith to have a gun on him in the Loud American Roadhouse, because he was off duty at the time.The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 would technically allow Smith to have a concealed weapon at any time and would supersede any laws regarding concealed weapons in South Dakota.
However, that act would not apply if Smith was intoxicated, which is information that authorities have not released.There also is a clause in the act that mentions disciplinary action disqualifying an officer from carrying a gun, but Seattle Police declined to comment on whether Smith’s past disciplinary record would disqualify him. The Seattle Post Intelligencer has reported that the police department disciplined for taunting fans at a football game and another time for allegedly threatening to shoot a restaurant manager who had asked him to leave.
South Dakota Attorney General’s Office spokeswoman Sara Rabern said state authorities do not know yet if Smith would meet the requirements of the safety act.
The Post Intelligencer has reported that Seattle police union leaders believe a videotape taken at the scene will exonerate Smith of any wrongdoing in the altercation."I think it’s going to be pretty evident that the officer was fearful of his safety and life and that’s why he had to fire," Sgt. Rich O'Neill, president of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild told the newspaper.
Time line from From Reporter scanners after the shooting:At 1:32 a.m., a request was made for an airlift to Regional Hospital. Rapid City and Pennington County officers were directed to the Regional Hospital emergency room for "security issues." At 1:52 a.m., Black Hills LifeFlight advised that four people were on board coming from Sturgis and would be at Regional Hospital in eight minutes.At 1:58 a.m., Sturgis police advised Rapid City dispatch that there were "two or three Angels going to be with their buddy" at the hospital. If more than four arrived, they were to be directed to park at the hospital's rehabilitation unit parking lot, where police were waiting.Later in the night, police were tracking bikers on Interstate 90, checking for their gang "colors."At 3:10 a.m., three more bikers arrived at the emergency room, and an officer said: "They are aware of the rules in the E.R. We're not expecting more, but you never know." Some officers were released from their security posts, and others were told to adjust their positions so they could see into the waiting room.The Sturgis Police Department is investigating the shooting, along with federal, state and county law enforcement agencies.Chief Bush said the last shooting that occurred in Sturgis during a rally was in 1990 inside Gunner's Lounge, also involving two motorcycle clubs.Kinney said the fight and shooting were unusual for his bar.
"In the years we have been doing this, we have almost no trouble during the rally," Kinney said. "It was surreal, that's for sure."
Bush said the incident is not related to the biker-gang shooting in Custer State Park during the 2006 Sturgis motorcycle rally.
As a result of that incident, Hells Angels members Chad Wilson, 32, of Lynnwood, Wash., a suburb of Seattle, and John Midmore, 34, of Valparaiso, Ind., were arrested, accused of shooting at members of the Outlaws biker gang and others Aug. 8, 2006, at Legion Lake Resort in Custer State Park. Five people were wounded in that shooting, but all lived.

William (Billy) Bowden former member of the Manitoba Hells Angels was sentenced to time served and fined $350

William (Billy) Bowden former member of the Manitoba Hells Angels was sentenced to time served and fined $350 today for carrying a handgun and skipping a court date.
William (Billy) Bowden, 33, pleaded guilty in a Winnipeg courtroom today to carrying a firearm in a careless manner in January 2007 and skipping out on his preliminary hearing about a year later. Other drug and weapons charges related to the 2007 incident were stayed as part of a plea bargain securing the two convictions.
Bowden remains in custody though, charged with manslaughter in relation to the November 2007 killing of Jeff Engen, who was fatally stabbed at the Empire Cabaret, prompting the club to close. That charge remains before the courts. Bowden has been in custody since he was arrested Feb. 14 in Whistler, B.C., and returned to Manitoba. The Crown and defence jointly recommended that time be noted in his sentence for carrying the firearm. That crime occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 20, 2007, as Bowden was leaving the NV lounge in a truck with friend Ken Houston, court heard. Police discovered a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with 18 bullets in a pile of garbage close to where they arrested Bowden and Houston in a back lane off Corydon Avenue. Bowden admitted today to having carried the gun, which his lawyer Sheldon Pinx told court was "for his own protection." Bowden had also been charged with ecstasy possession and other weapons offences in relation to the same arrest, but those five charges were stayed. Pinx told court the plea bargain was partly a result of "exigencies with evidenciary issues" related to the case and a potential Charter challenge related to the way Bowden was arrested that night. Bowden, once a full-patch member of the local Hells Angels chapter, was apparently asked to leave the gang last year, according to a source.

Hella Angel motorcycle gangs have set up an intricate network to smuggle marijuana, counterfeit goods and guns into the US.

Hella Angel motorcycle gangs have set up an intricate network to smuggle marijuana, counterfeit goods and guns into the US. But according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), there are fears that criminals could use their network to smuggle terrorists across. Sergeant Brian Brasnett is a senior RCMP border investigator. He believes it would be naive to think the gangs would draw a moral line as to what they transport.
RCMP's Brian Brasnett says aircraft can make illicit drops in minutes "We would hope they don't stoop to the level of dealing in terrorism," he says.
"But it's all about making money and moving a product so that's where we have to concentrate our enforcement efforts." He showed me an example of the real danger. Three years ago, US and Canadian investigators discovered a tunnel dug 8ft (2.4m) beneath the ground and stretching more than 330ft (100m). It ran from a large garden hut on the Canadian side under the road and ditch that divides the two countries into the basement of a private house on the US side. "It was 4ft by 4ft ...with a cart to transport contraband", says Sgt Brasnett. "There would have been a fee for prospective customers who wanted to use it." The US-Canada border runs for more than 5,000 miles (8,000km) through some of the remotest areas in the world. It's often marked simply by a line cut in scrubland or a small obelisk. One of the busiest border crossings is one the main highway between the west coast cities of Vancouver and Seattle. A motto on an arch there proclaims that the two countries are "Children of a common mother" and "May these gates never close."
Even so, since 9/11, the US has been building what it describes as a "virtual fence" with an array of gadgetry that ranges from radiation detectors for nuclear weapons, to seismic sensors to catch people illegally sneaking across and number plate recognition so that immigration officers know pretty much who you are before you pull up at the booth. "We ask ourselves, is this person truly who they are," explains Tom Schreiber of the US Immigration and Customs Service. Does this person match a recent intelligence look-at that I need to be aware of?" Billions of dollars of contraband cross the border from Canada every year. It's been found in container trucks, ships and in canvas bags strapped to the skids of helicopters. "They can fly as low as 500ft through the valleys straight down into the United States undetected," says Brian Brasnett. "Sometimes on a flight that only lasts 10 minutes and vehicles are waiting there ready to pick it up."

Double stabbing in a brawl with the Hells Angels at a Newport Beach bar

Arrests, which followed a double stabbing in a brawl with the Hells Angels at a Newport Beach bar July 27, was the latest brush with the law for the group of black-leather-clad bikers, which has straddled the line between Christian outreach group and outlaw motorcycle gang.By late Wednesday, authorities had arrested 10 members of the Set Free Soldiers and the Hells Angels during raids in Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Rancho Santa Margarita that started at 5 a.m., said Sgt. Evan Sailor of the Newport Beach Police Department.The operation involved more than 150 officers, including SWAT teams and federal drug enforcement agents.Seven members of the Set Free Soldiers, including leader Phil Aguilar, 60, have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and are each being held on $1-million bail, police said.
Three members of the Hells Angels are also in custody, including John Phillip Lloyd, a 41-year-old Costa Mesa man charged with assault with a deadly weapon. The other two were arrested on drug charges.Others are still being sought on arrest warrants.
The arrests stemmed from a 15-person brawl at the Newport Beach bar Blackie's by the Sea, where Set Free members allegedly stabbed two Hells Angels members.
During the brawl, the Hells Angels also allegedly struck one of the Set Free members in the head with a pool ball.On its website, which appeared to have been taken down Wednesday evening, Set Free Soldiers call themselves "a group of men who love Jesus and love to ride hard.""We are not your normal motorcycle club," the statement reads. "Some say we are too good for the bad guys, and too bad for the good guys."
Aguilar, a Harley-riding ex-convict and former drug addict who served time for child abuse in the 1970s, converted to Christianity in prison. He became the founding pastor of Set Free Worldwide Ministries in 1982. But he and his ministry have been highly controversial.His MySpace.com page describes Aguilar as pastor or "the Chief" of the group. Next to his photo is the statement: "Sinner or Saint you be the judge!"
Police said that through its ministry, the gang recruited people discharged from parole, state prison and county jails and has an outreach program for convicted felons.Although Set Free has been praised for its streetwise approach, its detractors say it is an autocratic organization that exerts too much control over its members by confiscating their belongings and forcing them to break off relationships with friends and families.Law enforcement officials and former members say that the group has devolved into a motorcycle gang like any other, and that it has ties to the Mongols, an outlaw biker gang that has engaged in warfare with the Hells Angels.
Set Free chapters in the Midwest have provided security at Mongol funerals, said Steve Cook, an Independence, Mo., police officer and president of the Midwest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Assn.
"It is an outlaw club," Cook said. "Their supposed Christian affiliation doesn't change my opinion."A former Set Free member said Aguilar has performed Mongol weddings and officiated at their funerals. The man, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, said he left the group about five years ago when Aguilar began taking the church in a new direction and started recruiting tattooed bikers. Some members carry guns, he said.
"Phil always wanted to be somebody in the outlaw biker world, and he's been hiding behind the cross for a long time," the former member said. "When he began recruiting members, he figured the badder they were the better."

Hells Angels linked to a biker brawl with a Christian motorcycle gang that ended in two stabbings last month.

Prosecutors in California have filed charges against three Hells Angels linked to a biker brawl with a Christian motorcycle gang that ended in two stabbings last month.
Last week, prosecutors charged five members of a Christian motorcycle club called Set Free Soldiers with a variety of felony weapons and gang crimes. One member was charged with attempted murder.
Charges also were filed then against one alleged Hells Angel member.
Authorities say they found firearms, ammunition, knives and daggers in five homes that belong to the Anaheim-based Set Free Soldiers and at three Hells Angels locations.
Set Free Soldiers say they’re a Christian ministry that helps rehabilitate former convicts and recovering drug addicts. Authorities, however, say they’re a gang involved in criminal activity.