Funeral of murdered Bandidos member "Rosco" Brand.

Hundreds of mourners are expected to farewell Brand at a service at the Tuckers Funeral Home, followed by a burial service at Geelong Eastern Cemetery. funeral of murdered Bandidos member "Rosco" Brand.
Brand, a senior Bandidos member with a long criminal record, died in hospital after being gunned down while leaving the bikie gang's Geelong clubhouse with three other men last week. A volley of shots was fired from a white twin-cab ute parked outside the clubhouse in an industrial area of the Geelong suburb of Breakwater.
The Bandidos have been involved in a long-running bloody feud with rival bikie gang the Rebels; however, the Rebels have denied having anything to do with Brand's murder. A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers would be attending the funeral and procession and were prepared to "assist or intervene to deal with any circumstances that might arise''. The funeral procession begins at midday at the Bandidos clubhouse in Leather St and will travel to the funeral home. After the service, the procession will then travel back towards the clubhouse to the nearby Geelong Eastern Cemetery. "Motorists may wish to organise alternative routes to avoid any inconvenience; however, we are confident any disruptions will be minimal,'' police said. Brand, 51, had prior convictions for violence, firearms and weapons. Homicide Squad detective inspector Steve Clark has said police were keeping an open mind on the shooting and were not necessarily assuming it was carried out by a rival gang.

Mark Stephenson and Remond Akleh, conspired to kill rival Frank Lenti and counselled another biker, Stephen Gault, to do the deed.

Mark Stephenson and Remond Akleh, conspired to kill rival Frank Lenti and counselled another biker, Stephen Gault, to do the deed.Mr. Akleh and Mr. Stephenson have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit murder and counselling to commit murder.Mr. Scott told jurors they'll hear testimony from Mr. Gault, a man who has worked as an agent for police since 2005, that he had discussions with both men about a plot to murder Mr. Lenti.In his opening address to jurors, Mr. Scott said evidence will show Mr. Gault, a full-patch member of the Oshawa chapter of the Hells Angels, appeared to the accused men to be "the perfect, trusted guy" based on his lengthy criminal resume of violent offences."The one piece they didn't know? He'd (Mr. Gault) signed on in April of 2005 as a police agent," Mr. Scott said, telling jurors they'll hear recorded conversations of Mr. Gault meeting with Mr. Stephenson, president of the Oshawa chapter, and Mr. Akleh, a member of the Angels' elite Nomads organization.Those conversations occurred at Mr. Stephenson's home near Sunderland and at Mr. Akleh's Cobourg-area home, jurors heard.The Crown alleges that Mr. Akleh and Mr. Stephenson approached Mr. Gault in June of 2006 with a plan to kill Mr. Lenti, a man with a lengthy history of involvement in outlaw biker gangs. The Angels had failed in attempts to recruit Mr. Lenti and feared his association with the Bandidos -- bitter enemies of the Hells Angels -- could tip the balance of power, Mr. Scott said."Frank Lenti was seen as a threat," Mr. Scott said. "Frank Lenti . . . was someone who could bring people together."The murder plot was never acted on and Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Akleh were arrested in September of 2006 along with several other bikers in a provincewide strike against the Hells Angels. The majority of those arrested as a result of Project Tandem were busted on drug charges, many of them on the strength of evidence provided by Mr. Gault, Mr. Scott said. In fact, the alleged murder plot arose while Mr. Gault was acting as a police agent, buying cocaine from bikers, he said."This (alleged murder plot) just came along, out of the blue," Mr. Scott told jurors.The first witness called to the stand was Sergeant Kenneth Davis of Thunder Bay police, a member of the provincial Biker Enforcement Unit and an acknowledged expert on biker gangs.
The trial, presided over by Superior Court Justice Bruce Glass in Whitby, was interrupted Tuesday when a juror fell ill.

Harold Reynolds, known as "Face," 40, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO)

-- Harold Reynolds, known as "Face," 40, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- David Padilla, also known as "Lazy Dave," 36, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
-- Ismael Padilla, also known as "Milo," 33, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- William Ramirez, also known as "Moreno," 38, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- Jason Hull, also known as "Big Jay," 33, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- John Babcock, also known as "Sinister," 43, of Las Vegas, charged in a state warrant with unlawful transfer of a firearm.
-- Gary Lawson, also known as "T.C.," 49, of Las Vegas was taken into custody in California as part of the operation.
"This has effectively dismantled both chapters in Southern Nevada," said Lt. David Logue, head of Metro's intelligence unit. Mongol chapters operated in Las Vegas and Henderson, he said.ro Police said at least nine motorcycles were confiscated, along with five revolvers, a chrome-plated pistol, three shotguns, numerous rifles and semi-automatic weapons. Some weapons and money were on display at a Tuesday news conference, said Bill Cassel, public information officer for Metro Police.
The federal racketeering indictment unsealed in Los Angeles also alleges the name "Mongols," which was trademarked by the gang, is subject to forfeiture.
The massive law enforcement crackdown against the Mongols, dubbed "Operation Black Rain," began three and a half years ago by various agencies, including local police, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Lt. David Logue, Metro Police intelligence chief.
Four agents outside of Nevada went undercover and earned a patch, becoming Mongol members, Logue said.Former national Mongol president Ruben Cavazos was arrested at his home near South Hills Country Club in West Covina, authorities said.
Law enforcement officers served a total of 110 federal arrest warrants and 160 search warrants in Southern California, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington state and Ohio. Seven of those warrants were served in Las Vegas by members of Metro Police, Henderson and North Las Vegas SWAT teams. No one resisted arrest and there were no injuries, Logue said.Mongol members have been involved in previous criminal activity in Las Vegas.Nine men, two of them Mongol members, were named in a federal grand jury indictment unsealed in April 2004 in Las Vegas on 73 counts of murder in connection with a shootout at Harrah's Laughlin casino at a 2002 gathering known as the River Run that left three people dead. Others involved were from the rival Hell's Angels motorcycle gang, authorities said. The shootout killed Salvador Barrera, Robert Tumelty and Jeremy Bell.About a half dozen people formed the gang in the 1970s because they were banned from joining the notorious Hell's Angels motorcycle group due to their Hispanic heritage. The Mongol gang began attracting members with criminal tendencies as it grew and was then labeled "outlaw" by law enforcement officials.The Mongols tend to recruit younger, more violent people from street gangs, said Thomas L. Chittum III, resident agent in charge in the Las Vegas branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Steven Gonzales named in an indictment against dozens of members of the Mongols motorcycle gang has turned himself in.

Steven Gonzales of Denver named in an indictment against dozens of members of the Mongols motorcycle gang has turned himself in.
U.S. Attorney Troy Eid says 40-year-old Steven Gonzales of Denver surrendered at a bail bonds facility Thursday.Eid says that means all 14 people indicted in the Denver case against the Mongols are now in custody.Gonzales was among 79 people named in an indictment released this week against Mongols members. The indictment describes a tightly organized group that routinely engaged in crimes including murder, torture and drug trafficking.It is unknown whether Gonzales has an attorney.

Six Mongols are charged with a shooting at a 2005 Toys for Tots charity drive in Norco that injured three people

Six Mongols are charged with a shooting at a 2005 Toys for Tots charity drive in Norco that injured three people, including a Norco firefighter. The Mongols opened fire after a fistfight with rival Hells Angels members attending the event at the Maverick Steakhouse. Alex Lozano, president of the Mongols' San Bernardino chapter, and members Manuel Armandarez, Rafael Lozano, Ricardo Gutierrez, Andres Rodriguez and Mario Angulo all are charged with attempted murder in connection with the shooting, the document states. Other gang members are charged with causing a riot at a 2002 Ultimate Fighting Match at the Morongo Casino in Cabazon, where people were attacked with knives and chairs as Mongols members began kicking victims with steel-toed boots. Among those arrested Tuesday was Mongols President Ruben Cavazos. In June this year, he claimed that police were infringing on the Mongols' social organization by arresting several members after they nearly shut down Interstate 15 by performing stunts en route to a rally in San Diego. O'Brien said the evidence compiled in the indictment is proof that the gang is not a social club. "Any social organization willing to use violence poses a significant threat," O'Brien said. "These charges of drug trafficking, murder and mayhem clearly show this is not a recreational club." ATF agents served search warrants at several Inland locations beginning at 5 a.m. Tuesday. At Rafael Lozano's Orange Street home in Redlands, ATF agents broke down a deadbolted door. Agents ransacked the house and said they recovered a gun, ammunition, Mongols clothing and paraphernalia. Lozano had a "Say No to Drugs" sticker on his front door and a sticker of a Redlands police badge. A security camera monitored his front porch as a new Mercedes and a Ford Shelby Cobra sat in the driveway. Lozano had no prior criminal charges in Riverside or San Bernardino counties, other than driving violations. He is charged in the Norco shooting and with methamphetamine sales as part of the Mongols gang. The raids also hit Los Angeles, Washington, Colorado, Florida and Nevada. In the Los Angeles and Inland areas, authorities seized seven pounds of methamphetamine, about 70 motorcycles and about 71 weapons. The Mongols organization was created in Montebello during the 1970s after Hispanics were excluded from the Hells Angels gang, the indictment states. The club now boasts chapters in Canada, Mexico and Italy on its Web site. Mongols members sell methamphetamine and cocaine to raise money to pay dues to the gang leadership, the indictment states. In exchange, they receive protection from a violent feud with the Mexican Mafia and other criminal street gangs, the indictment states. Mongols award a special skull-and-bones patch to members who commit murders or shootings to increase their status in the club, according to an ATF affidavit. All 71 men arrested were expected to be arraigned in Los Angeles Federal Court and will proceed to a jury trial in their next court proceedings, U.S. Attorney's office spokesman Thom Mrozek said

Indictment alleges the Mongols organization was involved in a wide range of criminal activity, including murder, hate crimes against Black people, ass

Indictment alleges the Mongols organization was involved in a wide range of criminal activity, including murder, hate crimes against Black people, assaults, firearm violations and drug trafficking.The organization of the Mongols gang “from top to bottom has been charged and targeted,” said Michael Sullivan, acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.“We believe it puts a stake in the heart of the Mongols,” Sullivan told reporters at a downtown Los Angeles news briefing.Among those taken into custody were former Mongols National President Ruben “Doc” Cavazos, along with several chapter presidents and various officials of local chapters in conjunction with 162 search warrants executed in California, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Florida and Ohio.
Ten other defendants were arrested previously as part of “Operation Black Rain.”The investigation involved four male ATF agents — supported by four female ATF agents — who infiltrated the gang and were involved in “some of the most harrowing undercover work” that U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien said he had seen.
The male agents went through the Mongols’ recruitment process and submitted to lie detector tests, according to O’Brien, who said their lives were in danger “virtually every day.”The four female agents accompanied the undercover agents to a number of functions, the U.S. attorney said.Investigators seized more than 70 motorcycles, 86 firearms, one explosive device and a quantity of drugs, including more than six pounds of methamphetamine.The U.S. attorney, who stood in front of about 20 of the seized bikes, said the evidence shows clearly the Mongols are “not a recreational motorcycle club,” and noted the indictment seeks the forfeiture of the trademarked Mongols name.Authorities have filed papers seeking a court order to prevent Mongols gang members from using or displaying the gang’s name and to allow law enforcement officers to stop anyone wearing a Mongols vest and to remove it, O’Brien said.He said the Mongols logo has been used as a source of “intimidation.”
“Our message today is that’s going to stop,” O’Brien said.Some of the defendants are facing life in federal prison if convicted of murder, and most of those arrested are potentially “facing decades” behind bars, the U.S. attorney said, adding that investigators had “dealt a massive blow to the Mongols motorcycle gang.”ATF Special Agent in Charge John Torres said the vision of the undercover investigation was to “literally stop the violence” involving Mongols gang members, which he said has been accomplished.Authorities said the nationwide organization’s membership includes former members of several street gangs.The multi-agency investigation included personnel from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Montebello Police Department, Las Vegas Metro Police Department and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Bandido Boss Ross Brand died in hospital after being gunned down while leaving the bikie gang's Geelong clubhouse

Bandido Boss Ross Brand died in hospital on Thursday after being gunned down while leaving the bikie gang's Geelong clubhouse on Wednesday night with three other men.
A second man was undergoing surgery on Thursday to remove shotgun pellets in his buttocks, thigh and arms while the other two escaped injury and later gave their accounts of the ambush to police.A volley of shots was fired from a white twin-cab ute parked outside the clubhouse as the men left it just after 6pm (AEDT), near the corner of Bayldon Court and Leather Street in an industrial area of the Geelong suburb of Breakwater.Bandidos throughout Australia and around the world have sent condolences to the Geelong chapter of the global gang.Among the messages on the gang's website are several stating "God forgives, Bandidos don't."Police said they were keeping an open mind on the motive for the shooting, although it was well known the Bandidos had been in a bloody feud with rival Geelong gang the Rebels for at least two years.Detective Inspector Steve Clark said police were not assuming it was carried out by a rival gang."It's too early at this stage to determine whether the shooting was linked to any outlaw motorcycle groups," Det Insp Clark told reporters."Certainly we don't have a closed mind and have views that the shooting was necessarily done by another outlaw motorcycle gang."We need to review all the evidence we have got and see where it takes us."He said Mr Brand appeared to the victim of a "targeted shooting".Det Insp Clark said Mr Brand, 51, was a "fully-patched" member of the Bandidos and had prior convictions for violence, firearms and weapons offences.His Torquay home had been shot at earlier this year.Det Insp Clark said police were hopeful gang members would help the investigation and not hide behind a wall of silence."We're pleased with the cooperation so far and have no reason to suspect that people won't talk to us," he said.The shooting is the second on the Bandidos' clubhouse in the past 18 months and bullet holes from the previous attack are still visible in its roller door.In April, the Rebels' Geelong headquarters was firebombed and, in June, two gunmen shot four Rebels gang members at a nightclub in Adelaide.

Adrian Sisneros, 26; Michael Hee, 44; and Thomas Hernandez, 33,Mongol members arrested

Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metro Gang Task Force carried out sweeps this week in the metro area, searching for 14 Mongol gang members and their associates, along with evidence, after they were named in federal indictments. With two additional arrests Wednesday, 13 are now in custody. They face numerous criminal counts on allegations of drug trafficking, illegal firearms possession and witness tampering. Similar operations took place in six other states, with the biggest occurring in California. Dozens have been arrested.
Agents continued to search for Steven Gonzales, 40, whose last known address was in Denver. Maestas was arrested on numerous federal counts, including trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and Ecstasy, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
A neighbor who befriended Maestas when he and his family moved into the Harvey Park neighborhood recalled federal agents carrying out a raid at the Maestas home about two years ago. But neighbors rarely saw Denver police at the house despite a lot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.Maestas, 34, is married with two young sons and owns a towing service."He seemed, to me, that he very much separated his time in the club from his home life and maybe even tried intentionally to do that," said the neighbor who asked not to be identified. "But there was a lot of activity at his house. Nobody would be home, and a lot of people I had never seen before would be going into his house, you know. "I think there was always suspicious activity around there, but no indication to me, or just from watching, that anything would be going on."In Fort Lupton, where federal authorities executed a warrant at a home belonging to Ruben Bravo, the police chief said his officers noticed a large Mongols presence in the summer. The indictment does not indicate whether Bravo, one of the two arrested on Wednesday, was a Mongols member or a gang associate. "We had a few daily contacts - but just (because) there were a bunch of them on the weekends when it was warm and they would be riding their bikes with their colors on," Police Chief Ron Grannis said.After checking records, the chief found just one call about six months ago on a domestic violence complaint at the home where Bravo lived. "They did have a few parties . . . during the summer that didn't get out of hand to the point that neighbors had to call us," Grannis said.Grannis plans to meet with federal agents on Friday to learn more about the criminal activities in which the Mongols were allegedly involved.In addition to Maestas and Bravo, the 11 other Mongol members and associates taken into custody on Tuesday and Wednesday were Anthony Shippley, 41; Ernest Salas, 40; Edward Montano, 42; Adrian Sisneros, 26; Michael Hee, 44; and Thomas Hernandez, 33, all of Denver. Also, John Bertolucci, 48, of Lakewood; Cary Weinman, 64, of Centennial; and Wayne Ordakowski, 48, of Parker.Victor Muniz, 27, and Leonard Martinez, 41, no hometowns given, already were in custody.

Anthony Shippley, 41; Ernest Salas, 40; Edward Montano, 42; Adrian Sisneros, 26; Michael Hee, 44; and Thomas Hernandez, 33, Mongol members arrested

Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metro Gang Task Force carried out sweeps this week in the metro area, searching for 14 Mongol gang members and their associates, along with evidence, after they were named in federal indictments. With two additional arrests Wednesday, 13 are now in custody. They face numerous criminal counts on allegations of drug trafficking, illegal firearms possession and witness tampering. Similar operations took place in six other states, with the biggest occurring in California. Dozens have been arrested.
Agents continued to search for Steven Gonzales, 40, whose last known address was in Denver. Maestas was arrested on numerous federal counts, including trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and Ecstasy, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
A neighbor who befriended Maestas when he and his family moved into the Harvey Park neighborhood recalled federal agents carrying out a raid at the Maestas home about two years ago. But neighbors rarely saw Denver police at the house despite a lot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.Maestas, 34, is married with two young sons and owns a towing service."He seemed, to me, that he very much separated his time in the club from his home life and maybe even tried intentionally to do that," said the neighbor who asked not to be identified. "But there was a lot of activity at his house. Nobody would be home, and a lot of people I had never seen before would be going into his house, you know. "I think there was always suspicious activity around there, but no indication to me, or just from watching, that anything would be going on."In Fort Lupton, where federal authorities executed a warrant at a home belonging to Ruben Bravo, the police chief said his officers noticed a large Mongols presence in the summer. The indictment does not indicate whether Bravo, one of the two arrested on Wednesday, was a Mongols member or a gang associate. "We had a few daily contacts - but just (because) there were a bunch of them on the weekends when it was warm and they would be riding their bikes with their colors on," Police Chief Ron Grannis said.After checking records, the chief found just one call about six months ago on a domestic violence complaint at the home where Bravo lived. "They did have a few parties . . . during the summer that didn't get out of hand to the point that neighbors had to call us," Grannis said.Grannis plans to meet with federal agents on Friday to learn more about the criminal activities in which the Mongols were allegedly involved.In addition to Maestas and Bravo, the 11 other Mongol members and associates taken into custody on Tuesday and Wednesday were Anthony Shippley, 41; Ernest Salas, 40; Edward Montano, 42; Adrian Sisneros, 26; Michael Hee, 44; and Thomas Hernandez, 33, all of Denver. Also, John Bertolucci, 48, of Lakewood; Cary Weinman, 64, of Centennial; and Wayne Ordakowski, 48, of Parker.Victor Muniz, 27, and Leonard Martinez, 41, no hometowns given, already were in custody.

Mongols member got permission to get the insignia tattooed on his head -- after he shot two rival gang members.

injunction to seize the Mongols' trademarked name, a first for federal authorities. If the order is approved, no member would be able to wear a jacket or ride a bike bearing the gang's name.The Mongols have trademarked their name, which is usually accompanied by their revered emblem of a guy who looks like Genghis Khan, wearing a ponytail and astride a chopper. It's such a big deal to the Mongols that they control their emblem more rigidly than Chanel. The indictment says that one member got permission to get the insignia tattooed on his head -- after he shot two rival gang members.the feds want the United States government to own that trademark. That means anyone caught wearing a Mongols patch without the feds' permission could get busted for it right then and there, evidently for trademark infringement!

Washington Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels and the Bandidos Motorcycle Club motorcycle gang members were arrested for breaking racketeering laws

Dozens of motorcycle gang members were arrested today by federal agents in six states, including Washington, on warrants ranging from drug sales to murder after a three-year undercover investigation in which four agents successfully infiltrated the group.At least 38 members of the Southern California-based Mongol motorcycle gang were arrested under a federal racketeering indictment that included charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, as well as gun and drug violations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesman Mike Hoffman said.During some arrests, sharpshooters stood guard on surrounding rooftops and motorcycles were lined up and confiscated."It's going to be a large hit to their organization, we are arresting many of their top members," Hoffman said.Among those arrested were the gang's former national president Ruben Cavazos.Federal and local agents had 110 federal arrest warrants and 160 search warrants that were being served across Southern California and in Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington and Ohio. The sweep, dubbed Operation Black Rain, was to continue throughout the day, agents said.Hoffman said the Mongols had been recruiting members of Los Angeles street gangs to assist in their operations.Four ATF agents infiltrated the gang and were accepted as full members, a difficult process that requires winning the trust of the gang's top leaders over a period of months, Hoffman said.In recent years, federal prosecutors in Washington have used racketeering laws to prosecute dozens of members of the Washington Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels and the Bandidos Motorcycle Club.

Hells Angels biker gang bunker burned down following an explosion

Bunker belonging to the Hells Angels biker gang in southwestern Quebec burned down following explosion Saturday night, in what police said was one of three suspicious fires a few blocks apart.Quebec police spokesman Sgt. Ronald McInnis confirmed Sunday the fire, which sent thick, black smoke billowing into the air, started after a truck slammed into the gang's meeting house at about 9:30 p.m. in Sorel-Tracy, Que."We don't know what kind of truck because it was completely gone in the fire," he said, adding police believe there was no one in the truck at the time it crashed.Police believe the suspect or suspects may have loaded the truck with gasoline, he said.Sgt. McInnis said the building was also destroyed but no one was injured. According to witnesses an explosion went off inside the Hells Angels Quebec headquarters. Residents in the immediate area were forced to leave their homes for a few hours.About two hours earlier, a three-storey commercial and residential building near a hotel caught fire. Police said the blaze started on the third floor but all residents managed to escape before it burned to the ground.Diane Dufour, who works at Mike's restaurant on the same street as the apartment fire said Hydro Quebec cut the power to the entire area for about 15 minutes.Ms. Dufour said she had spoken to some residents who heard "several explosions" at the bunker. She also said she saw flames from the bunker blaze and the air, during the early morning hours in Sorel-Tracy, was dense with heavy smoke. Then, said police, at about 1 a.m. Sunday another fire erupted in a nearby garage in a residential area.Sgt. McInnis said police have no suspects but believe all three were arson. However, he said it was too soon to tell if the fires were related.Fire officials were investigating all three fires on Sunday. The city's mayor Robert Marcel was at the scene of the bunker fire Sunday and was expected to update the media on the investigation into the fires later in the day.The Hells Angels Montreal club is based in Sorel and was Canada's first Hells Angels chapter.Sorel-Tracy is a city located about 90 kilometres north of Montreal.

Chad Wilson and John Midmore charged with a 2006 gunfight at Custer State Park

2 Hells Angels bikers charged with a 2006 gunfight at Custer State Park will be allowed to call a state ballistics expert to testify.Chad Wilson of Lynnwood, Wash., and John Midmore of Valparaiso, Ind., are to stand trial starting Nov. 3 in Sioux Falls.They're charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of commission of a felony while armed for the shootout that injured several rival Outlaws.Defense lawyers earlier made a motion that a firearms expert with the state lab be prevented from testifying.He was questioned by prosecution and defense lawyers today and then the judge ruled that he could testify.A charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder will be handled separately.Defense lawyers earlier asked that Frans Maritz, a firearms expert with the state crime lab, be prevented from testifying.Prosecution and defense lawyers questioned him Friday. Then Judge Gene Paul Kean ruled he could testify and that jurors could weigh his qualifications for themselves.Defense lawyers earlier asked for a trial delay because a federal complaint filed by the men hasn't been resolved and could produce evidence supporting their claim they acted in self-defense because rival Outlaws members targeted them.State prosecutors plan to argue that an ongoing feud between the two clubs was the motive for Wilson and Midmore to fire on the Outlaws, defense lawyers wrote in the complaint, which named 19 defendants, including various federal agencies, officials and the federal government.In September, Kean refused to delay the trial and on Thursday a federal judge filed an order denying the defense's request for a status hearing on the federal lawsuit, though the case will continue.
The trial has been delayed several times, including for an appeal to the Supreme Court that forced a change in judges.Wilson is a member of the Dago Chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club in San Diego and Midmore is a prospect of the Haney Chapter of the Hells Angels in British Columbia, Canada, according to court documents.The five Outlaws Motorcycle Club members who were shot and wounded are Thomas Hass, Al Mathews, Danny Neace, Claudia Wables and Susan Evans-Martin. Another woman, Crystal Schuster, suffered injuries unrelated to a gunshot. Their addresses were not included in court documents.The shooting happened Aug. 8, 2006, at Legion Lake Resort in Custer State Park, where the Outlaws gathered for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 70 miles away.Wilson and Midmore were arrested that evening after they told an off-duty park ranger their pickup had broken down and they needed a ride.According to a federal court document, an Outlaws member who was not wounded said he returned fire at the man who shot at his group.Defense lawyers have said they may call as many 153 witnesses, though some of the names are also on the list of more than 200 people submitted by prosecutors.

ATF Hells Angel

Arrested eight members of an Anaheim biker gang charged them with attempted murder

Arrested eight members of an Anaheim biker gang charged them with attempted murder this morning as part of an ongoing operation, authorities said.The charges stem from a fight last week at a Newport Beach bar between two biker gangs, said Anaheim police Sgt. Tim Schmidt.The group arrested this morning are members of a Christian biker gang named Set Free Soldiers, and the victims are members of the Hells Angels, Schmidt said.The operation, which included SWAT teams, began about 5 a.m. today, Schmidt said. No injuries were reported, Schmidt said, adding that officers served 11 warrants, all on attempted murder charges. On their website, Set Free Soldiers describe themselves as “a group of men who Love Jesus and Love to RIde Hard. We are not your normal motorcycle club. Some say we are too Good for the Bad guys, and too Bad for the Good guys.” “We don’t argue that,” the statement says. “All we Soldiers know is that we take care of our own and help plenty of others along the way. We try to live Right in this Wrong world and let our light shine wherever we may go.”
In addition to videos of the group in action, including some showing members in fistfights with other people, the site offers apparel for sale. A onesie for babies with the words “Soldier Made” written on the front in faux alphabet blocks sells for $30.The address given for those wishing to buy items is in the same Anaheim block raided this morning by authorities.

Antonio Marquez, was the vice president and sergeant at arms of the gang and currently is awaiting trial on San Antonio

Antonio Marquez, 39, was found guilty of attempted murder for a February 2007 shooting incident at the gang’s former clubhouse on Water Street. Marquez fired a gun at a man, who fled the scene and was never located.Despite no identified victim, prosecutors used Marquez’s own statements to law enforcement in which he admitted to shooting a man. The defense argued self-defense.During the sentencing phase, jurors were told that Marquez has a history of violent behavior, including multiple assaults that involved Marquez beating victims with a flashlight. Officers from the San Antonio gang unit testified about Marquez’s involvement with the Bandidos.
Defense attorney Perry Cortese sought probation for Marquez.“This conviction is pivotal for the citizens of Kerr County,” said 198th Assistant District Attorney Amos Barton. “As we grow, our community will have to address the same problems faced by larger cities, but we still have small-town values and big justice.”
Marquez was arrested for deadly conduct and failure to identify in the early morning hours of Feb. 24, 2007, at the Bandidos clubhouse after the owner of a neighboring business called Kerrville police. The business owner said he witnessed two men fire several rounds at a man.According to police, the victim ran away and no one appeared at local hospitals with gunshot wounds.
The Bandido clubhouse has since been closed.Marquez was the vice president and sergeant at arms of the gang and currently is awaiting trial on San Antonio charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver — a first-degree felony.

Wooroloo Mercanti shooting could be the beginning of a war between bikie gangs.

member of the Finks bikie gang, believed to be from Western Australia, was shot in the shoulder during the incident at Wooroloo, 55km east of Perth, on Sunday. Police would not comment on whether other motorcycle gangs were involved but it is suspected the Finks main rivals, the Coffin Cheaters, may be. Police would not reveal the name or age of the man who was shot. He was in a stable condition yesterday in Royal Perth Hospital. Another man was injured falling from his motorcycle during the shooting but was not admitted to hospital.
Assistant Police Commissioner Wayne Gregson said he was concerned that the incident could be the beginning of a war between bikie gangs. "Yes, that is a concern, that there could be tension between bikie gangs and that tension could escalate into violence," Mr Gregson said. The Finks, who have been well established in South Australia, Queensland, NSW and the Northern Territory, have reportedly been trying to establish a chapter in Western Australia. Former high-profile Coffin Cheater member Troy Mercanti is understood to have joined the Finks after being kicked out of the Coffin Cheaters. South Australia Police Detective Superintendent Des Bray, from the Crime Gangs Taskforce, said Mr Mercanti had been in South Australia recently and was wearing Finks colours. "We suspect that some of the people joining the club (the Finks) will be ex-Coffin Cheater members," Mr Bray said. SA has recently introduced tougher laws targeting outlaw bikie gangs. Mr Gregson said this might be one reason why Finks members were heading west. "The perception in South Australia may well be that it's too hot to do business," he said. "If we see that's effective legislation, it is something I would be happy to discuss with the Government." Mr Gregson said that although WA police had a strong focus on outlaw motorcycle gangs, they were powerless to prevent bikies crossing state borders.

motorcyclist who was shot and wounded on the side of the road in Wooroloo yesterday afternoon is believed to be a member of the Finks.

A motorcyclist who was shot and wounded on the side of the road in Wooroloo yesterday afternoon is believed to be a member of the Finks. West Australian police are investigating a shooting they believe involves at leat one bikie gang.
The incident comes just days after a memo was issued to all West Australian police officers informing them about moves by the Finks to establish a chapter in Perth.
It is believed former Coffin Cheater member Troy Mercanti has joined the Finks.
Police Assistant Commissioner for Crime Wayne Gregson says the Finks can expect to be closely monitored. "We are aware of their movements into Western Australia," he said."We'll be watching them very carefully and they will be strongly policed."
Police expect the section of Great Eastern Highway where the incident occurred to remain closed until midday as they investigate the crime scene.A detour is in place.

Paul Fontaine, 40, is accused of killing Rondeau and attempting to kill Corriveau, who narrowly escaped being hit.

Jury hearing evidence in the trial of a Hells Angel accused of murdering prison guard Pierre Rondeau was shown crime scene photographs yesterday that illustrated the force and extent of the surprise attack
The photos were taken by Montreal police crime scene technician Robert Schanck after the ambush was carried out the morning of Sept. 8, 1997. Rondeau, at the wheel of a bus used to transport inmates, was on his way to a detention centre. His colleague Robert Corriveau was in a passenger seat. The bus came to a stop on Tricentenaire Blvd. in Pointe aux Trembles at a railway crossing when bullets started flying.
Paul Fontaine, 40, is accused of killing Rondeau and attempting to kill Corriveau, who narrowly escaped being hit.The jury has been told that Fontaine received his patch, or full membership in the Hells Angels, months after the shooting.
The photos show that shots were fired into the bus from two directions. Seven shots were fired into the windshield, and most appeared to have been aimed at the driver's side. Five bullets were fired into the bus door, including a couple that struck the door frame. Corriveau was seated inches behind the door.The jury was also shown the inside of the bus, which showed that Rondeau lost a lot of blood before ambulance technicians arrived.The Superior Court trial, at the Montreal courthouse and presided over by Justice Marc David, is expected to last four months, during which evidence will be broken up into four stages. The first, which the jury is currently hearing, involves evidence from the day of the shooting.The second involves the testimony of Stéphane (Godasse) Gagné. The Hells Angels underling turned informant after he was charged, in December 1997, with being one of the people who killed Rondeau.The third stage will deal with Fontaine's disappearance after the shooting and his eventual discovery, in Quebec City, seven years later. The same stage will touch on the 1998 death of André (Toots) Tousignant, a Hells Angel believed to have been in on the plot to kill the prison guards.Prosecutor Randall Richmond has told the jury that Fontaine, Tousignant and Gagné were all working under the orders of Hells Angels leader Maurice (Mom) Boucher in a plot to disrupt and intimidate the justice system.The fourth stage will be used to present evidence intended to support Gagné's testimony.

last original member of the Niagara Hells Angels was charged with illegally importing vehicles from the United States.

last original member of the Niagara Hells Angels was charged with illegally importing vehicles from the United States. A five-month investigation by a joint forces police auto theft team led to the seizure of five vehicles and 12 charges against Timothy Panetta of Wainfleet. The 39-year-old owns Advantage Auto Sales and Leasing on Allanport Road in Thorold, which was searched by police last month.
A police source from the auto theft team alleged salvage vehicles were purchased in the U.S. and imported into Canada. “They are being fraudulently registered with their true identities hidden and then sold to the public,” the detective said.
The vehicles included two Chevrolet Suburbans and a Porsche Carrera. One of the five vehicles contained stolen parts. Police aren’t saying where the vehicles originated or their histories. Typically, when a vehicle is fraudulently registered, its flaws are hidden in documentation to increase its sales value. Two of the vehicles had been sold, while three were for sale, police said. The auto team, spearheaded by the OPP, were assisted by the biker enforcement unit and provincial organized crime enforcement team. Panetta joined the Hells Angels in 2001, not long after a massive takeover of nearly all of Ontario’s native biker groups by the gang. While gangs around the province abandoned their own colours and adopted the grinning death’s head patch of the Hells Angels, Niagara was a special case.

Mark Figueiredo Hells Angels associate has been sentenced to six years in prison

Hells Angels associate has been sentenced to six years in prison after police made what is described as Canada's largest seizure of the date rape drug GHB from his garage.Mark Figueiredo, 30, wept as he hugged his wife, sister and niece before he was led away in handcuffs.The Toronto man has no previous criminal record, but he chose to do business with the Hells Angels, found by judges to be a criminal organization, said Ontario Superior Court Justice Ian Nordheimer. The drug GHB has legal purposes, but the fact that Figueiredo dealt with the Hells Angels leads to the inescapable conclusion that the liquid "was not for legitimate or benign" purposes," Nordheimer said. GHB is one of at least three "date rape" drugs that can render victims physically helpless and unable to remember events afterward.
Figueiredo pleaded guilty in July to conspiring with six other men, five alleged to be Hells Angels members, to traffic in 600 litres of GHB, worth $1.2 million.Police found 350 litres in Figueiredo's garage on Crawford. St., in west Toronto, described by prosecutor Hugh O'Connell as the largest seizure of the drug in Canada.
Figueiredo was arrested as part of Project Develop, which charged alleged Hells Angels members in April 2007 following a series of police raids across southern Ontario. He is not a Hells Angels member.Several co-accused have pleaded guilty, others are before the courts. The judge accepted a joint submission by O'Connell and defence lawyer Fred Shanahan, and sentenced Figueiredo to six years. According to an agreed statement of facts, in May 2006 police found $2,000 in cocaine and some marijuana at Figueiredo's home.Police had placed him under surveillance and in January 2006 saw him carry plastic bags, believed to contain GHB into the Toronto home of a known Hells Angels member. A police agent at the home paid the Hells Angels member $1,600 for eight litres of GHB. Acting on suspicion Figueiredo was stashing GHB for Hells Angels, police executed a warrant on Feb. 15 and found the GHB in his garage.

Chris Ablett California warrant for his arrest popped onto the screen with a $5 million bond attached, Ablett told the officers, "That would be me,"

Christopher Ablett, 37, of Modesto, Calif., is at the center of an investigation that made international news.Hells Angels' San Francisco President Mark Guardado, 45, was shot and killed Sept. 2. Motorcyclists from around the world came to San Francisco to pay their respects.
Police in California had identified Ablett as a suspect in the case partly based on witness reports that tied someone fitting his description to the scene of the shooting. Police searched his Modesto home, seizing a motorcycle and other evidence.
Ablett is said to be a member of the Mongols Motor Club, a rival of the Hells Angels. Recent reports in California have linked assaults, shootings and pipe bomb explosions to tension between the groups
When officials ran Ablett's name and fingerprints through their system, they found nothing tying him to any Oklahoma case.
Ablett then suggested that they expand their search nationally. As the California warrant for his arrest popped onto the screen with a $5 million bond attached, Ablett told the officers, "That would be me," Holland said.

Kenneth Wagner Niagara Hells Angel sentenced to 11 years in jail

Kenneth Wagner Niagara Hells Angel sentenced to 11 years in jail is the first in Ontario to be convicted of directing others to act for a criminal organization. Kenneth Wagner the second in command man in the Niagara chapter was handed the sentence in a Toronto courtroom. “This is a message for those bikers and those who subscribe to that subculture that it will not pay,” federal prosecutor Tom Andreopoulos said in a telephone interview after court. Wagner, 43, pleaded not guilty to the criminal organization charge but was convicted last week by Judge John McMahon. The sentence also includes charges of trafficking cocaine and having $150,675 in proceeds of crime, which Wagner pleaded guilty to on Sept. 9.
Andreopoulos said Wagner was like the “quarterback” of the Niagara chapter. Wagner bossed others around while insulating himself from the actual drug and weapon dealings because he was an executive, Andreopoulos said. Police and prosecutors say Gerald (Skinny) Ward was the No. 1 man in the Niagara chapter. The pair were among 15 Hells Angels swept up in a provincewide crackdown on the motorcycle gang and its associates in September 2006. Project Tandem, run by the joint forces Ontario Biker Enforcement Unit, arrested 24 people and seized $3 million in drugs. When police searched Wagner’s Port Colborne home, they found internal police documents, cash and a bulletproof vest. Last week, McMahon ruled the Hells Angels, including the Niagara chapter located in Welland, is a criminal organization.Wagner, a single father of two adult children who has been in custody since his arrest two years ago, remains a member of the club, but told the court he is hoping to retire. The Crown had argued Wagner serve an additional 10 years, while the defence requested he serve an extra three. Andreopoulos said Tuesday Wagner will serve an additional six years and eight months. The judge credited him with four years and four months of pre-trial custody.
Andreopoulos said the judge thoroughly analyzed Wagner’s circumstances and took into account the fact he has no previous criminal record. Wagner has agreed to forfeit the cash, his truck, motorcycle and house on Highway 3, which has no equity. Wagner’s lawyer, Andras Schreck, said by phone Wagner will be eligible for parole after serving a third of his sentence. The judge rejected the Crown’s request that he serve half the sentence prior to parole eligibility. “I think he recognized there was genuine remorse on the part of Mr. Wagner,” Schreck said. He added the judge also found Wagner wasn’t the driving force behind the transactions — instead, it was Ward. Wagner was found guilty Sept. 30 of instructing four people to traffic drugs and a firearm in association with a criminal organization. The charge was based on five transactions in Niagara in which Wagner directed others to deliver four kilograms of cocaine and a gun to a police informant. Court records showed they traded most of the goods in the parking lots of a Fenwick motorcycle shop and the Seaway Mall in Welland. Ward’s case is still before the courts. He pleaded not guilty last month to the charge of directing others, including Wagner, to commit crimes as part of a criminal organization. The charge can carry a life sentence.
Judgment on that issue is scheduled for Nov. 21. Ward also faces sentencing after pleading guilty to trafficking cocaine four times between May 2005 and Sept. 2006 and unlawfully possessing $304,430 in proceeds of crime.

Christopher Ablett refused to speak to detectives, (and) said he would take the Fifth if he were questioned.”

“Mr. Ablett refused to speak to detectives, (and) said he would take the Fifth if he were questioned.”
Christopher Ablett of Modesto, Calif., surrendered to police Sunday afternoon, Police Chief Tom Holland told the Examiner-Enterprise earlier today.“Mr. Ablett showed up at the police department, said to dispatchers, ‘I am not armed but I am a fugitive and I’m here to surrender, so if you could call some officer in to take me into custody,’” Holland said.Two officers responded and Ablett reportedly told them the same thing.“He was then frisked and found to have no weapons,” Holland said.Holland said a short time later authorities realized who they had in custody.
Ablett has been wanted in California in connection with the slaying of 46-year-old Hells Angels leader, Mark “Papa” Guardado, who was shot outside a San Francisco bar on Sept. 2.Police have not said what the motive for the killing may have been but note that Ablett was a member of a rival gang, Mongols Motorcycle Club.
According to reports by The Associated Press, the Mongols and Hells Angels have a long-standing feud that erupted in an April 2002 fight at a casino in Nevada. The fight resulted in the deaths of three bikers and injured numerous others.
“When we contacted San Francisco police, they indicated that they were interested in coming to get him this week,” Holland said.Holland said Ablett wouldn’t say how he got to the police department, but police believe someone drove him there.“We know he was dropped off,” said Holland.When asked if Ablett had been staying with area Mongols, Holland said, “We don’t have a clue who he was with, he’s not talking.”
Holland said police have transferred Ablett to a “more secure facility.”“We have had no threats or indications that there will be any problem,” he said.He said he thinks Ablett will be transported to California quickly.”He was at all times courteous and cooperative,” Holland said.Ablett is being held on $5 million fugitive of justice warrant.

Paul Fontaine, 40, described in court as a full-patch member of the Hells Angels, is accused of being one of two shooters

Paul Fontaine, 40, described in court as a full-patch member of the Hells Angels, is accused of being one of two shooters who took part in the Sept. 8, 1997, attack that killed guard Pierre Rondeau. His partner of three years, Robert Corriveau, was also targeted in the shooting but was not struck.The other shooter was Stéphane (Godasse) Gagné, a Hells Angels underling who later turned informant, prosecutor Randall Richmond told the jury.Richmond said Gagné, who is still behind bars, will testify during the trial and characterized him as the most important witness because he is the only one who can identify Fontaine as the other shooter.With his receding hairline and double chin, and dressed in a checked dress shirt and striped tie, Fontaine looked more like a businessman than a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang as he sat in the prisoner's dock.The seven women and five men of the jury are expected to hear evidence until the end of January. More than 140 witnesses are expected to testify in the first-degree murder trial at the Montreal courthouse.
In his opening remarks, Richmond said Rondeau and Corriveau were targeted simply because they were prison guards."It was a conspiracy to kill guards, any guards - not specifically Mr. Rondeau and Mr. Corriveau," Richmond said.Fontaine was part of the conspiracy along with Gagné and André Tousignant, a Hells Angel who was killed in 1998.All three were operating under the orders of Hells Angels leader Maurice (Mom) Boucher, Richmond said, adding the gang boss planned to also have judges, police officers and prosecutors killed as part of a plan to destabilize the justice system. Boucher figured it would prevent his underlings from becoming informants because the Crown would never want to make a deal with someone who killed a prison guard, Richmond said."But he was wrong."
Fontaine went into hiding after Rondeau was killed, Richmond told the jury, and stayed under the radar until 2004 when he was discovered living under an assumed identity.He recalled how the day he and his partner were attacked seemed like any other until they stopped at an intersection in Rivière des Prairies while on their way to a detention centre to pick up inmates for a routine transport to the Montreal courthouse.Corriveau shot only a few very quick glances in Fontaine's direction while he testified.Corriveau said he saw a man in dark clothing stand in front of the guards' blue modified school bus, his arms resting on the hood. The shooter used both hands to point his gun at them. The next thing he saw, Corriveau said, was Rondeau get shot while he sat in the driver's seat."I saw the impact (of the bullets). He turned toward me as he was struck," said Corriveau, who was sitting in the front passenger seat."I was prepared to die. It makes no sense but I was," Corriveau said, adding that everything happened very quickly.The jury saw a photo that showed several shots were fired into the windshield of the bus and into the door of the bus, near where Corriveau sat, but he was not struck.

Todd Anthony O'Connor, a former member of the Nomads' outlaw motorcycle gang shot dead

The dead man was named in the media as Sydney underworld identity Todd Anthony O'Connor, a former member of the Nomads' outlaw motorcycle gang.He also was said to be a founding member of the Notorious crime gang, which has been linked to the drugs trade in inner-Sydney areas such as Kings Cross and the Oxford Street nightclub district.Police would not confirm the dead man's identity.A spokeswoman for the State Crime Command said Strike Force Colbee had been established to investigate the shooting.

Christopher Ablett turned himself in San Francisco authorities had issued a $5 million warrant for Ablett's arrest

Suspect in the September slaying of the president of the San Francisco chapter of the Hells Angels surrendered himself to authorities over the weekend in Oklahoma, San Francisco police said today.
Christopher Ablett, 37, of Modesto, a member of the rival Mongols motorcycle gang, turned himself in on Saturday and is awaiting extradition to San Francisco in connection with the Sept. 2 fatal shooting of Mark Guardado.San Francisco authorities had issued a $5 million warrant for Ablett's arrest. Guardado, 46, was shot dead around 10:30 p.m. outside a bar in San Francisco's Mission District. Police later identified Ablett as the suspect and seized a motorcycle and other evidence at his Modesto home, but could not locate him and urged him to surrender to police.Guardado's funeral in Daly City on Sept. 15 was attended by about 1,000 Hells Angels members and associates.On Sept. 18, explosives detonated in the San Jose driveway of another Mongols member, damaging two parked cars. Authorities could not confirm whether it was an act of retaliation.

Yesterday Daily Mail online published a story where the term 'Hell's Angels' was used in reference to the bikers

Yesterday Daily Mail online published a story where the term 'Hell's Angels' was used in reference to the bikers who turned up to support the men accused of murdering Gerry Tobin. We would like to make it clear that these men are members of the Outlaws motorcycle club and not the Hell's Angels motorcycle club.
Yesterday Daily Mail online published a story where the term 'Hell's Angels' was used in reference to the bikers who turned up to support the men accused of murdering Gerry Tobin. We would like to make it clear that these men are members of the Outlaws motorcycle club and not the Hell's Angels motorcycle club.man has admitted killing a former Calgarian who was shot dead on a British highway in August 2007.Sean Creighton, 44, pleaded guilty Thursday to the murder of Gerard (Gerry) Tobin, though his plea could not be reported until Friday for legal reasons, according to British newspaper reports.Creighton, who now faces a life sentence, is one of seven men charged with Tobin's murder. The other six are to go on trial in a Birmingham court beginning Monday.Tobin, 35, had been living in London for almost 10 years after moving from Calgary, where friends have said he was a devout Christian who led Bible studies and aspired to be a missionary.The motorcycle mechanic was returning from the Bulldog Bash, an annual motorcycle festival, when he was shot in the back of the head from a passing car.The police investigation focused around a motorcycle repair shop in Coventry, where officers seized two vehicles. Police also seized a gun in the raids, according to Canwest News reports at the time.Investigators believed Tobin was targeted because he was wearing his Hells Angels Motorcycle Club insignia at the time.Those charged in his murder are alleged to be associated with the Outlaws, rivals of the Hells Angels.

Four were members of the Manitoba Hells Angels chapter. former presidents Ernie Dew and Dale Donovan.Manitoba an open market for drug trafficking

31 people were arrested in Project Defence in February 2006 and Project Drill last December. Four were members of the Manitoba Hells Angels chapter. They include former presidents Ernie Dew and Dale Donovan. There has been speculation the shakeup created by the undercover projects, orchestrated by the Manitoba integrated organized crime task force, led to a struggle for control within the province's drug trade. There has been instability and gang-related violence in Thompson, including homicides and shootings. Sgt. Pat Olson, an RCMP officer with the province's integrated gang intelligence unit, said some gangs see Manitoba as an open market for drug trafficking.

Sean Creighton, faces a life sentence after he pleaded guilty to shooting dead a biker who was riding home from a Hell’s Angels festival.

Sean Creighton faces a life sentence after he pleaded guilty to shooting dead a biker who was riding home from a Hell’s Angels festival. Sean Creighton, 44, from Coventry, had been due to go on trial at Birmingham Crown Court for killing Gerry Tobin, a 35-year-old mechanic, but altered his plea to guilty. The trial of six other men for the murder of Mr Tobin, who was killed on the M40 motorway near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, on August 12 last year, is due to start on Monday.
Mr Tobin, from Mottingham, southeast London, was shot in the back of the head as he returned home from the Bulldog Bash biker festival at Long Marston airfield in Warwickshire. More than 100 Hell’s Angels, some wearing denim and leather jackets emblazoned with the Outlaws insignia, descended on the court last week. Some wore masks and one hid his face behind sunglasses and beneath a hoodie and black bowler hat. Creighton, who also admitted two firearms charges, has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced at the end of the trial, which is expected to last for up to six weeks. His change of plea could not be reported until the trial judge, Mr Justice Treacy, lifted the legal restrictions. After a jury was sworn in the judge warned them not to begin conducting their own investigations into the killing of Mr Tobin. Karl Garside, 45, pleaded not guilty to murder during a previous hearing in February, while Simon Turner, 41, Dane Garside, 42, Malcolm Bull, 53, Dean Taylor, 47, and Ian Cameron, 46, entered their not guilty pleas last December.
The exact addresses of the defendants, who are from Coventry, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes, cannot be published for legal reasons. All six men also face a charge of possessing a shotgun, while Turner and Dane Garside are further charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. During the selection of potential jurors, the judge asked whether any of them had ever been a member of, or knew members of, any organised bikers’ group. Prospective jurors were also asked whether they had ever attended the Bulldog Bash bikers’ festival or a similar event organised by a group known as the Outlaws.

Joseph McGuire was shot and wounded during a brawl in The Loud American Roadhouse

Joseph McGuire was shot and wounded during a brawl in a bar. The 33-year-old Hell's Angels biker is due back in court in November.The county prosecutor said off-duty Seattle police officer Ronald Smith shot McGuire in self defense during a fight.Smith and four others have pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor weapons charges. All five are members of the Iron Pigs, a motorcycle club made up of law officers and firefighters.

Four Hells Angels associates were caught in a Quesnel home this weekend with bales of marijuana

Four Hells Angels associates were caught in a Quesnel home this weekend with bales of marijuana, some guns and equipment to generate electricity.
The arrests were done in a SWAT-style takedown by RCMP, who converged on home on the Nazko Highway in Quesnel."Four males associated to the east end chapter of the Hells Angels were located and arrested at the residence," said Quesnel RCMP Cpl. Pat Jenkins. "Police seized approximately 160 pounds of marijuana, four firearms and power generating equipment."
All four males were from the Lower Mainland.Police estimated the wholesale value of the marijuana to be at least $320,000.

Andrew Leslie Paul, who retired from the force last month, may never be able to work again because of trauma he suffered after the infamous fight

Andrew Leslie Paul, who retired from the force last month, may never be able to work again because of trauma he suffered after the infamous fight between the Hells Angels and Finks on the Gold Coast.Three men were shot and three more stabbed when a fight broke out between the rival gangs at a kickboxing event at the Royal Pines Resort, where Mr Paul and another officer were providing crowd control on March 18, 2006.The claim states: "The plaintiff's co-worker called for urgent police back-up when the gun battle started but armed assistance did not arrive for at least 20 to 30 minutes following this request by which time the battle was over.
"During the gun battle, the plaintiff and his co-worker feared for their lives and those of the public who they were there at the event to protect, as they just did not have sufficient police resources to properly control the situation or to protect themselves or the public."The State of Queensland is accused of failing to pass on intelligence that bikie gangs, which had the potential to spark violence, could be at the event, to either the Broadbeach Police Division officer-in-charge or an 18-officer contingent at a nearby Carrara football event.It is also accused of failing to adhere to its own Queensland Police Service planning policy, which states there should be six officers for every 1000 members of the public at an event, with the claim estimating at least 3000 people were in attendance at the kickboxing tournament.
The claim states Mr Paul, 38, has been diagnosed with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder and a major depressive order because of the gunfight, the circumstances around it and a failure by the QPS to provide any adequate debriefing, counselling or ongoing medical assessment or treatment."Every aspect of the plaintiff's daily living, employment, social and recreational activities has been adversely impacted by the work injury," the claim states. "The plaintiff has tried to work as a police officer but has been unable to do so because of his work injuries. Medical specialists are of the opinion that the plaintiff will not be able to return to any paid employment for a number of years into the future, if at all."Mr Paul is claiming $950,000 for future economic loss, $140,707.47 plus interest for past economic loss, the loss of past and future superannuation benefits at the rate of 18 per cent, $75,000 plus interest for pain and suffering and loss of amenities, $19,403.22 for past special damages and $10,000 for future medical expenses.A spokeswoman said the QPS was unable to comment on the case because it was before the courts.

Thomas Eric Anderson full member of Hells Angels puppet club the Zig Zag Crew, has amassed a five-page long criminal record since 2003

Thomas Eric Anderson has been in jail since last June when he was arrested in the city on a Canada-wide warrant for violently assaulting a man with a metal baton, and trying to extort money from him for a drug debt allegedly owed to him by the victim’s roommate in February ’07. he pleaded guilty in court to the offenses, along with drug-trafficking charges and court-order breaches dating back to 2005, some of which implicated him in an intensive police operation targeting the Hells Angels motorcycle gang called Project Drill. . Anderson admitted yesterday to delivering just under a pound of cocaine in February ‘07 to undercover police agent Scotty ‘Taz’ Robertson, who was paid $650,000 to broker a series of drug and weapons deals which were captured by police on audio and video. In total, Anderson was given three years for the assault and extortion, four years for his Project Drill involvement and an additional two years after being found by police with about a dozen ½ gram bags of powder cocaine in a Regina police raid in 2005. Despite his young age, Anderson – a full member of Hells Angels puppet club the Zig Zag Crew - has amassed a five-page long criminal record since 2003. The latest charges against him are just part of “an unbroken stream of criminal offenses,” said Crown attorney Keith Eyrikson. Anderson’s sentence of nine years – less the 34 months of double time credit for time served awaiting trial was jointly recommended by the Crown and defense lawyer Roberta Campbell. He’ll be eligible for statutory release after two-thirds of his sentence is completed about five years from now. In accepting the joint recommendation, Court of Queen’s Bench Judge Joan McKelvey decried Anderson’s actions, indicating he was guilty of perpetuating a culture of addiction that destroys families and poses a huge cost to society. “The couriering of drugs and the drug trade itself continues to cause a major disruption in our society,” she said.
Anderson is also required to provide a sample of his DNA for a national database. He’s also prohibited from ever owning, possessing or carrying any weapons for the rest of his life. Campbell said Anderson hopes to serve his time in an Alberta prison where he’ll be closer to his family.

Adelaide Hells Angel will appear in court today for allegedly intimidating a witness while still in jail.

Hells Angel will appear in court today for allegedly intimidating a witness while still in jail.The Crime Gangs Task Force yesterday charged him for allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice and breaching a domestic violence order.
The man was already in custody at Yatala Labour Prison after being arrested on other charges in August 2008. Police will allege he attempted to intimidate a witness into dropping charges and providing false evidence. Bail has been refused and he is expected to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today.

Hells Angels, have infiltrated the airports in Edmonton and Calgary

Hells Angels, have infiltrated the airports in Edmonton and Calgary.An Air Canada baggage handler who didn't want to be named said police have known, at least for months, about the issue and yet nothing seems to have changed.He said he first learned criminals had disturbingly easy access to moving everything from knives to drugs by bypassing security checks when someone told him, not in so many words, to mind his own business.
"Obviously it's concerning when we hear these allegations," said Jim Rudolph, corporate communications manager for the Edmonton International Airport. "If these allegations are true, we'll do whatever we can ... to investigate."police report there are Hells Angels and two Asian groups at the airports in Edmonton and Calgary.
"(Airports) don't have adequate security. They have been letting this go on for years ... It's pretty dumb."He offered no specifics.
"I don't recall any such incidents," said Rudolph, noting he has worked at the airport for three years. "It's possible I just haven't been told."
Coun. Bryan Anderson, chairman of Edmonton's transportation and public works committee, said safety and security at the airport have never been formally discussed at City Hall. "I've never heard that kind of concern raised," he said.
Anderson said there's nothing City Hall can do to address potential problems.
"We do not control airport operations in any way, shape or form," he said. "As I would say to a citizen who brought in a complaint ... I will pass word onto (appropriate authorities) instead of talking about general hearsay."Rudolph said he has confidence in the RCMP and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. Together, the groups handle airport security for all airport employees.All employees with access to secure areas must have a Restricted Area Identification Card, or RAIC, said Rudolph. Anyone entering a secured area must scan either fingers or eyes for doors to unlock.To get an RAIC, employees must supply a five-year verifiable employment and education background. Their names are also run through RCMP, CSIS and Citizenship and Immigration databases. The passes are renewed about once every two years, said Rudolph.

Steven Gault was a full member of the Hells Angels when he agreed to work as a paid police agent between the spring of 2005 and fall of 2006.

Steven Gault was a full member of the Oshawa chapter when he agreed to work as a paid police agent between the spring of 2005 and fall of 2006.Among those selling drugs to Gault were Brian (Block) Jeffrey, 50, president of the Simcoe County Hells Angels chapter, Gerald (Skinny) Ward, 60, a founding member of the Niagara Hells Angels, and Terry Pink, 41, president of the Simcoe County chapter.Jeffrey, Ward and Pink each pleaded guilty yesterday in the University Ave. courthouse to an assortment of drug trafficking charges, but vigorously denied charges that they committed the crimes for the benefit of the Hells Angels.Ontario Superior Court Justice John McMahon heard arguments from defence lawyers and prosecutors on whether the drug deals were for the benefit of the biker club.Pink's lawyer, Joseph Bloomenfeld, said there is no evidence the drug deals were connected to his client's Hells Angels membership any more than it might be for the Kinsmen. If Kinsmen members get together for a business deal that has nothing to do with their membership, "is it in association with that organization?" he asked the judge.The judge reserved his decision. Federal prosecutor Tom Andreopoulos argued that the drug dealing "had everything to do with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club," adding that members were expected to give 10 per cent of criminal proceeds to the club.
Ward is accused of directing five other members and associates of the Hells Angels to deliver about 4 kilograms of high-grade cocaine to Gault.During the time he was a paid police agent, Gault wore a hidden recording device to let police listen in as he bought drugs from Hells Angels from across the GTA and southern Ontario.
In total, he bought 2 kilograms of pure crystal methamphetamine, 10 kilograms of cocaine, 50,000 pills of ecstasy, 8 kilograms of marijuana and a kilogram of hashish, as well as a pistol, according to evidence released yesterday.In one secretly recorded conversation, Jeffrey and Gault discuss a Peterborough drug dealer, who used to employ Gault as a debt collector."I remember you wanted to kill him a few years ago," Jeffrey said, laughing."Yeah," Gault replied.
"That was a (expletives) situation," Jeffrey continued.
Marco Freitas, 29, also pleaded guilty to selling drugs to Gault. Freitas, who was not a Hells Angel, admitted selling Gault 8,000 pills of ecstasy worth $55,000.
The men were charged two years ago in a massive police operation called Project Tandem, involving 500 officers from 11 forces.One of the documents filed in court is the transcript of an interview between Gault and a police officer, in which Gault said someone has to be "criminally solid" to be a Hells Angel.Asked what that meant, Gault replied it meant a candidate for membership has "never turned another in to the police."In another conversation, Gault told Ward how it hurt all members when one of them was arrested. "If you're busted as a Hells Angel it hurts me to begin with," he said.
"We're all brothers," Ward said in another conversation with Gault.

Detective Ron Smith said he shot McGuire after McGuire and other members of the Hells Angels jumped him inside the Loud American Roadhouse

Meade County State Attorney Jesse Sondreal announced today that an aggravated assault charge against Detective Ron Smith has been dropped. Earlier this month, prosecutors dropped a felony perjury charge against Smith.
Smith still faces a misdemeanor charge stemming from the shooting of Joseph McGuire on Aug. 9.
Smith said he shot McGuire after McGuire and other members of the Hells Angels jumped him inside the Loud American Roadhouse during the annual Sturgis, S.D., Motorcycle Rally. In addition to the aggravated assault and perjury charges, Smith also was charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
"The law enforcement investigation, submitted to this office, establishes that Ron Smith was defending himself from a violent premeditated attack and he responded in a manner which was neither excessive nor unreasonable under the circumstances," Sondreal said in a news release this afternoon.
Sondreal said he "assumes" that Smith was targeted because he belongs to a motorcycle club named the Iron Pigs, which is made up of law enforcement officers and firefighters. Sondreal said the Hells Angels could have also been provoked by the fact that Smith and other Iron Pigs were dressed in vests featuring the Iron Pigs logo.
Sondreal said that Smith and other Iron Pigs cooperated fully with authorities and testified before a grand jury impaneled to determine whether charges would be filed in the case.
"Mr. McGuire and his group attempted to flee the scene [after the shooting] and wouldn't cooperate and wouldn't testify before the grand jury. They all invoked their right to remain to silent," Sondreal said.
McGuire, of Imperial Beach, Calif., was charged with aggravated assault. An aggravated-assault conviction in South Dakota can result in up to 15 years in prison.
Smith, 43, couldn't be reached for a comment today.
In addition to Smith, four other members of the Iron Pigs who were with him at the bar face misdemeanor charges. All are charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. A conviction on the misdemeanor could result in up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.
They are: Scott Lazalde, 38, of Bellingham; James Rector, 44, of Ferndale, Whatcom County; Erik Pingel, 35, of Aurora, Colo.; and Seattle police Sgt. Dennis McCoy, 49, of Seattle. Lazalde and Rector are longtime members of U.S. Customs and Border Inspection and stationed in Blaine. Pingel is a firefighter.
"We're very happy for the development, especially for Detective Smith.," Rich O'Neill, president of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild, said today. "We were confident all along that when the evidence was truly analyzed this would be the result."
O'Neill said because Smith is no longer charged with a felony he should be able to return to work. He has been on administrative leave since the shooting.
Seattle police spokesman Sean Whitcomb declined to comment today about Smith.
Smith was originally charged with perjury after some confusion over whether he used a personal handgun or his department-issued weapon in the shooting.
While Smith claimed he used his personal firearm, South Dakota authorities said records obtained from the Seattle Police Department showed that the gun had been issued by the department. That led to the charge of perjury.
But Seattle police later discovered that the handgun used in the shooting was purchased by Smith from the Seattle Police Athletic Association in 1996.

Deborah Fetz,associate and keeper of stash house for cocaine

Deborah Fetz,associate and keeper of stash house for cocaine -- Pleaded guilty April 13, 2007, to possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Sentenced to 12 months conditional, followed by 12 months probation

Richard Beaulieu,prospect member -- Pleaded guilty July 26, 2007, to trafficking one kilogram of cocaine and possession of a restricted firearm

Richard Beaulieu,prospect member -- Pleaded guilty July 26, 2007, to trafficking one kilogram of cocaine and possession of a restricted firearm with accessible ammunition. Sentenced to six years in the penitentiary in addition to 10 months of pre-trial custody.

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Alain Lacroix,associate -- Pleaded guilty Aug. 1, 2007, to trafficking two kilograms of cocaine.

Alain Lacroix,associate -- Pleaded guilty Aug. 1, 2007, to trafficking two kilograms of cocaine. Sentenced to four years and nine months in addition to 45 days of pre-trial custody.

Timothy Muise,associate -- Pleaded guilty Nov. 9, 2007, to trafficking two kilograms of cocaine.

Timothy Muise,associate -- Pleaded guilty Nov. 9, 2007, to trafficking two kilograms of cocaine. Sentenced to six years and four months in addition to nine months of pre-trial custody.

Kenneth Wagner,Ward's right-hand man -- Pleaded guilty Sept. 9 to trafficking cocaine and possession of proceeds of crime.

Kenneth Wagner,Ward's right-hand man -- Pleaded guilty Sept. 9 to trafficking cocaine and possession of proceeds of crime. Pleaded not guilty to directing four people (below) to commit trafficking of cocaine in association with a criminal organization. He was found guilty Tuesday. Sentencing will be Oct. 7.

Gerald (Skinny) Ward,Niagara chapter leader -- Pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2008, to trafficking cocaine four times

Gerald (Skinny) Ward,Niagara chapter leader -- Pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2008, to trafficking cocaine four times between May 2005 and September 2006, and unlawfully possessing $304,430 in proceeds of crime. Pleaded not guilty to directing five local members (below) to commit trafficking of cocaine in association with a criminal organization. He'll receive judgment on that issue and sentencing submissions will start Nov. 21.

Fortifications of Niagara's Hells Angels clubhouse its strict membership rules

Fortifications at Niagara's Hells Angels clubhouse and its strict membership rules helped a judge determine the national motorcycle gang is a criminal organization. The Darby Road clubhouse in Welland was protected by surveillance equipment and physical barriers, such as barbed wire and a steel door filled with cement. "One wonders why, if the purpose of the organization is legal, there has to be such extraordinary security precautions?" Judge John McMahon said Tuesday in Toronto.
The judge studied eight characteristics of the club submitted by Det. Sgt. Kenneth Davis of the province's Biker Enforcement Unit before he came to his conclusion.
The club's use of the winged death head skull logo, conformity to national rules and intelligence gathering all helped facilitate criminal activities, the judge determined. "The patch itself demands respect from criminal elements and allows members to intimidate and extort," he said. McMahon said the structure of the Hells Angels would be "the envy of many international organizations." Run by a governing body and executives, chapters take minutes, hold weekly "church meetings" for full-patch members, and have to report nationally. Membership excludes anyone who's been a police officer, prison guard or "man of colour." A lengthy probation period is required so police can't infiltrate the organization, McMahon said.

Judge John McMahon found the Hells Angels to be a national criminal organization

Judge John McMahon found the Hells Angels, of which Wagner was an executive in the Niagara chapter, to be a national criminal organization.
McMahon said he based his decision on the organization’s structure, colours, membership rules, fortified clubhouses and criminal activities.
The ruling is expected to have implications for other Hells Angels members on trial disputing criminal organization charges, including Niagara chapter leader Gerald Ward.Although Ward’s case is being dealt with separately from Wagner’s, the same judge will be reviewing almost identical evidence to reach a verdict.
That verdict is scheduled for Nov. 21.On Tuesday, Wagner was found guilty of instructing four people to commit drug trafficking and transferring of a firearm in association with a criminal organization.He had pleaded not guilty to the charge earlier this month, but guilty to trafficking cocaine and possession of $150,675 in proceeds of crime.He will be sentenced on all counts on Oct. 7.
Wagner has agreed to forfeit the cash, his truck, motorcycle and house, which has no equity.The criminal organization conviction can carry a life sentence.
Crown prosecutor Tom Andreopoulos asked that Wagner be sentenced to 10 years in prison, in addition to time served, credited as four years.
But defence lawyer Andras Schreck argued for a sentence of no more than nine years minus time already served, which he argued was worthy of six years’ credit.
“I feel humiliated and embarrassed,” Wagner told court during his sentencing hearing.
He apologized to his 23-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son, who were in court, along with his parents.