The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is suing MTV

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is suing MTV and producers of the reality show Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory for infringing and diluting their skull-with-wings insignia. The design, known as the "Death Head," has been trademarked by the motorcycle club and been used for more than 50 years. But the group claims the MTV show, which stars skateboarder-actor Rob Dyrdek and his business, has  damaged the design by featuring it on T-shirts that were sold to the public. HBO Drama Incurs Wrath of Hell's Angels Founder Death Head is a collective membership mark often seen on jackets and tattoos worn by Hells Angels associates. The group says it has "acquired very widespread public recognition; consequently they evoke strong and immediate reactions whenever used. The impact of these marks is virtually incomparable, and as a result they have great commercial value." Here are the trademarked designs: Hells Angels have been quite protective of the marks, previously suing fashion designer Alexander McQueen, Saks Fifth Avenue and online retailer Zappos.com for trademark infringement over a women's handbag with a winged death motif. The latest lawsuit filed Wednesday in California federal court against Dyrdek's companies over T-shirts (pictured below) is similar, except the Hells Angels dragged a TV network into the case for depicting and displaying the allegedly infringing items. The plaintiff wants an injunction and further damages.

First-degree murder trial under way for East Mountain man

 Leslie Douglas Greenwood was one of two gunmen involved in a double homicide in September 2000, Crown attorney Peter Craig said in opening statements of a jury trial on Monday. Greenwood, 41, of East Mountain is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the Sept. 9, 2000 shooting deaths of Barry Kirk Mersereau, 48, and his common-law wife, Nancy Paula Christensen, 47. The pair were found shot to death in the living room of their Centre Burlington home and the Crown has alleged the murders are connected to Hells Angels activities. Greenwood was surrounded by sheriff's deputies and led into the courtroom in handcuffs prior to the start of the seven-woman, five-man jury trial. Everyone else who entered the courtroom was also subjected to heavy security by passing through a metal detector and having their personal belongings searched. As part of his opening comments, Craig told the judge and jurors that evidence to be presented over the next two weeks will show the two murders were conducted under orders by former Hells Angel Jeffrey Lynds, a North River native who died earlier this year in an apparent suicide in his Montreal jail cell. Describing the case as an "execution," Craig said Mersereau and Christensen died in cold blood at the hands of Greenwood and Michael Lawrence. Lawrence, who is expected to be a key Crown witness, pled guilty to his part in the killings last January. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole after also pleading guilty to killing Portapique resident Charles Maddison, an innocent motorist who had picked him up while hitchhiking. Lawrence, who reportedly owed Lynds money, is expected to testify that he and Greenwood both shot the couple, one with a .357 Magnum the other with a 32-calibre hand gun. The couple's 18-month old baby was found unharmed in the house by a neighbour following the shootings. A preliminary inquiry is set to begin July 16 for Lynds' nephew Curtis Blair Lynds, 36, who is also charged with first-degree murder in the case. He is currently serving federal time on drug trafficking convictions.

Shooting a 'warning' from rival bikie gang

SIMMERING tension between rival bikie gangs exploded on the Gold Coast yesterday with the drive-by shooting of a tattoo parlour in the heart of Bandidos territory. Police fear the attack could be a push for territory by the Hells Angels as the outlaw gang seeks a toehold on the lucrative Glitter Strip. Less than 24 hours after police commissioner Bob Atkinson told the Bulletin that bikie gangs were "one of the greatest challenges to face law enforcement", the Bandido-protected Mermaid Beach tattoo shop was hit by at least four shots in the early hours of yesterday morning.  High-ranking police yesterday said it was "inevitable" that the violence that has plagued Sydney would eventually spill across the border. "We do not believe it is directly connected to the war between the Hells Angels and the Nomads that has been unfolding in New South Wales," said police. "But it is a similar style of attack. "We know the Hells Angels have been pushing to establish a chapter on the Gold Coast -- that push is coming from Sydney. "Tradelink Drive is not their most profitable chapter." While detectives have attempted to play down the shooting, police say there is "no doubt" it was intended as a warning. The Bandidos are the largest and one of the most secretive bikie gangs on the Gold Coast. The club has gained strength as its main rival -- the Finks -- have been severely weakened with so many senior members behind bars and Bandido territory stretches south from Broadbeach. Police said last month's Hells Angels National Run was intended as a direct message to all gangs on the Gold Coast. More than 200 patched gang members descended on Surfers Paradise for the run. "These clubs are so well organised, they do nothing without a reason," police said. "You can bet they had some purpose in coming to the Gold Coast. "They taunted the Finks and nothing happened, now the Bandidos tattoo shop is shot up in the same way the gym controlled by the Hells Angels was hit a few months ago. "You join the dots." The shop is owned by a senior member of the outlaw gang who has been a patched member of the Bandidos "for years", police say. In an exclusive interview with the Bulletin, Mr Atkinson said the danger of bikie gangs was "under-rated" by the community. "The outlaw motorcycle gangs nationally present one of the greatest challenges to police. "I think the degree of that challenge and the risk they present to our society is underrated." The Gold Coast has one of the highest populations of bikie gangs in the country. Mr Atkinson said he would not be surprised if the Hells Angels were not considering a move closer to the Glitter Strip. "They are businesses, they look for opportunity so that wouldn't be a surprise," he said. "They market themselves as a group of mature men who have a love and interest in motorbikes and they do that very cleverly. The reality is they are highly sophisticated, well organised criminal enterprises that pose a genuine risk to the community and many are well represented by the finest and best lawyers who they retain to represent them." South East Region Assistant Commissioner Graham Rynders said the gangs were constantly looking to expand. "One of things about OMCGs is they look for opportunity for criminal enterprise," Mr Rynders said. "Throughout Queensland, throughout the country, probably throughout the world they are looking to expand. It is obviously dictated to by territory, depending on who or what other groups exist in what areas."

Jury hears grisly details about murder scene

Police discovered a grisly scene on Sept. 10, 2000, when they entered a Cogmagun Road home in Hants County. “It was a very brutal scene,” Cpl. Shawn Sweeney, who was a constable with the Windsor rural RCMP detachment that day, testified Tuesday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Kentville. It was the second day of trial for Leslie Douglas Greenwood, 42, who is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Barry Kirk Mersereau, 48, and his wife, Nancy Paula Christensen, 47. Sweeney, a Crown witness, testified that he and four other police officers who responded to a 911 call found Christensen sitting upright in a chair in the living room of her Centre Burlington home with a bullet wound in her left cheek, under her glasses. She had a cup of tea in her hand and a small dog was sitting in her lap. There were several bullet casings and lead fragments scattered on the floor. Mersereau was lying face down, with pools of blood around his head and body. Another dog, believed to be a German shepherd-Rottweiler mix, was hiding under covers on the bed in the master bedroom. A third dog was tied to the front porch and another had run off into the woods. Sweeney told Chief Justice Joseph Kennedy and the seven-woman, five-man jury hearing the case that the house appeared to be neat and orderly, with no signs of struggle. “It didn’t appear to be a house that was rifled through or things thrown around,” Sweeney testified. Const. Glenn Bonvie told the court it was immediately obvious that Mersereau and Christensen were dead. “There was no movement. There was no doubt that they were deceased.” Crown witness Ronald Connors owned a hunting cabin in the woods about half a kilometre away from the couple’s house. He testifed that he heard several shots at about 8:15 p.m. on Sept. 9. Connors said he heard six shots fired in quick succession, followed by a pause and a couple more shots. Moments later, there were more shots. He said he thought at first someone might be jacking deer, but Connors concluded that the shots didn’t sound like those from a high-powered hunting rifle. The jury was shown a video of the two bodies as they were found. Former RCMP officer David Clace, then in charge of the RCMP’s forensics identification unit in New Minas, said a large amount of money was found in plastic bags in a gym bag in one of the bedroom closets. The bag was later determined to contain about $65,000 in cash. Crown attorney Peter Craig has told the court that the victims were shot to death in their home in an execution-style killing as part of a Hells Angels-ordered killing. “They were killed in their home in a quiet community, with a teapot on the stove, with no signs of struggle and their baby in the next room,” Craig told the jury. He said evidence presented by as many as 40 Crown witnesses will show that Michael Lawrence and Greenwood murdered the couple on the orders of Jeffrey Lynds, a former Hells Angels operative who died recently in a Montreal jail of an apparent suicide. Lawrence, who owed Lynds money, pleaded guilty last January to three charges of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years. Also killed that day, by Lawrence, was Charles Maddison, an innocent man who picked Lawrence up hitchhiking. Lawrence shot him to take his truck to commit a planned robbery. Craig said Lawrence, expected to be a crucial Crown witness, will testify that he and Greenwood shot the couple, one with a .357 Magnum, the other with a 32-calibre handgun, in what he called “planned and deliberate” killings. The couple’s 18-month-old baby boy was safely recovered from the house by neighbour Ruby McKenzie, who went to the victim’s home the day after the shootings. McKenzie said she brought the baby back to her mobile home and called police. Greenwood sat quietly during the proceedings, occasionally exchanging comments with his lawyer, Alain Begin. Begin is expected to argue that Greenwood went to the Mersereau house the day of the shootings to buy drugs, and that Lawrence shot the couple while Greenwood was waiting outside. Also charged with first-degree murder in the killings is Curtis Blair Lynds, 36, who is serving time in a federal prison for drug trafficking. A preliminary inquiry in his case is scheduled to begin July 16.

Wanted man arrested, warrants in effect for 2 others in project aimed at Hells Angels

Officers said 34-year-old Adam Matthew Wood was arrested on April 23.(photo provided by Winnipeg police)

View larger image Winnipeg police said 30-year-old Shawn Justin Colbert turned himself in and was arrested on April 22, 2012.   View larger image Winnipeg police have issued an arrest warrant for 26-year-old Jared James Irving. (photo provided by Winnipeg police)   View larger image Winnipeg police have issued an arrest warrant for 27-year-old Jesse Richard Thomas. (photo provided by Winnipeg police)

 

A second suspect has been arrested after police issued a call for the public's help finding four wanted men on the weekend. 

Adam Matthew Wood, 34, was located and arrested in the Crestview area of Winnipeg on April 23. He faces multiple charges, including participating in a criminal organization and trafficking cocaine, said police. 

Winnipeg police previously said another wanted man turned himself in on April 22. 

Shawn Justin Colbert, 30, has been charged for a number of crimes, including trafficking cocaine, possessing proceeds of crime and commission of offence for a criminal organization, said police.

On the weekend, Winnipeg police issued a call for assistance from the public in finding four wanted men, including Colbert and Wood, following up on Project Flatlined. It March, officers raided numerous Hells Angels homes and businesses, along with those of the Redlined puppet club as part of the project. 

 

 

 

More than 150 officers took part in a series of takedowns across Winnipeg.

Police are asking for the public's help in locating two other Winnipeg men wanted on outstanding arrest warrants.

 

 

 

Jesse Richard Thomas, 27, and Jared James Irving, 26, are facing charges of participating in a criminal organization.

100 extra police officers will join strike forces across Sydney this weekend in anticipation of what is believed to be an imminent showdown between rival bikie gangs.

 

 Nightly shootings have seen the conflict between members of the Nomads and Hells Angels outlaw clubs escalate. However, Thursday night's events, which saw the home rented by high-ranking Nomads member Sam Ibrahim showered with bullets, were tipped to have fuelled tempers in both camps. The brother of King's Cross nightclub icon John Ibrahim did not come out of the home to address the media on Friday. On the same night a police paddy wagon was torched outside a tattoo shop in Newtown. At a Rouse Hill address, an innocent woman and her son were home when bullets were fired through their windows. The house is believed to have been previously occupied by a gang associate. Detectives attached to Strike Force Kinnarra, which was formed in response to the recent targeted shootings, will investigate all three incidents. They will be joined by the extra officers this weekend to patrol the city and, in particular, the western suburbs. The state's Assistant Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas told the media yesterday officers were preparing for reprisal attacks. He said additional police would be out in force as part of a "focussed effort" to minimise the fallout from what was now being widely labelled a "gangland war". Police have been targeting bikie associates individually in an attempt to keep as many off the streets as possible. On Wednesday, April 11, officers executed six simultaneous search warrants at the homes of Hells Angels members and associates in Wentworthville, Emu Plains, Macquarie Fields, Ryde, Smithfield and the Sydney CBD. Firearms, fireworks, prohibited drugs, steroids and chemicals used in drug manufacture were seized during the warrants and several people were investigated. On Thursday, a 26-year-old Emu Plains man was arrested and charged with possession of a handgun. The charge relates to the seizure during the raids of a .32 calibre pistol which police believe was used during a brawl involving 50 Hells Angels members in Kings Cross earlier this year. The man was granted bail in the Parramatta Local Court on Thursday afternoon and will appear again on May 31.

Bikies' colours banned from Kings Cross

 The New South Wales Government will ban bikie colours in licensed premises in Sydney's Kings Cross as part of a range of measures targeting outlaw bikie gangs. Bikies will also be banned from working in tattoo parlours, with legislative changes set to give the police commissioner the final say on whether a particular person can own the business. The proposed changes to the Criminal Organisations Act will see police given the power to use drug and ballistics dogs to search tattoo parlours without warrant. The measures are aimed at stifling the growing feud between rival bikie gangs the Hells Angels and the Nomads, who are believed to be behind a spate of Sydney shootings. Police believe the Hells Angels were behind two drive-by shootings in Sydney's north-west on Thursday night, and authorities are bracing for a further escalation in the gang war. Authorities say the overnight shootings are related to five others over the past week. Premier Barry O'Farrell says the director-general of the Department of Trade and Industry has agreed to pass regulations that will see 23 bikie gangs banned from wearing colours at 58 Kings Cross venues. He says the new laws will give police the tools they need to tackle the "shooting spree" that is affecting Sydney. "This is about sending a clear message that if you're wearing bikie colours, it doesn't make you beyond the reach of the law," he said. "Wearing bikie colours doesn't make you a super hero that protects you from the long arm of the law." Greater presence Commissioner Andrew Scipione says police will be making good use of the laws banning colours as soon as they become available next Friday. Mr Scipione says police are also looking forward to the changes in the Criminal Organisations Act which will give them a greater presence in tattoo parlours. The parlours will be listed a prescribed organisation, which will prevent gang members working in them. Bikie members are also banned from working in the tow truck industry, in security and in casinos. "This will allow us to get out there and do our job particularly in certain locations," he said. "This is also about assisting licensees when it comes to outlaw motorcycle gang members harassing or intimidating people - not only staff - patrons as well. "It gives the police the authority to go down there when these people have been told to leave and they refuse to quit, arrest them and if need be charge them." Mr O'Farrell says the legislation regarding tattoo parlours will be taken to cabinet on Monday. But state opposition leader John Robertson says the new measures have not been thought out properly. He says if the Premier is serious about cracking down on outlaw bikie gangs he should put more police on the streets. "This Premier needs to be sitting down with senior law enforcement officers and drawing up a plan and a strategy to bring this gun crime to an end," he said. "Yesterday we saw two shootings occur and we saw these gangs set fire to a police vehicle. "Law and order is now being run by the bikies instead of the Government in New South Wales."

POLICE have arrested and charged another man following investigations into an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang's operations on the Coffs Coast.

 

Strike Force Oriental - comprising officers attached to Coffs/Clarence Local Area Command - was established in January 2011 to investigate the alleged criminal activity involving members and associates of the Lone Wolf OMCG. The Strike Force was established following a series of violent offences, including home invasions, in the region. On Thursday, a 47-year-old man attended Coffs Harbour Police Station where he was arrested. The man was subsequently charged with break, enter and commit serious indictable offence in circumstances of special aggravation and participate in criminal group. He was refused bail to appear in Coffs Harbour Local Court. Strike Force Oriental officers have now arrested fourteen people and laid 65 charges following dawn raids in Coffs Harbour, Coramba, Middle Boambee, Sawtell and Toormina last Wednesday. Further arrests are expected.