Mexico arrested a military officer suspected of passing information to drug traffickers

Mexico arrested a military officer suspected of passing information to drug traffickers as part of a government sweep to rout out corruption, the attorney general’s office said in a statement on Friday.Mexico’s liaison to Interpol and the former head of the country’s organized crime bureau were also arrested in recent weeks for alleged drug ties. Another 30 anti-drug police have been fired on suspicion of corruption.

Raid on the Finks Balga clubhouse

Gang Crime detectives uncovered a stash of weapons including a stun gun and swords after they descended on the Olney Court property, police said.A quantity of amphetamines and cocaine was also allegedly discovered.On Monday December 15, police raided the God's Garbage clubhouse in Kelmscott, seizing a sawn-off rifle, ammunition and weapons including a baton.A quantity of white powder and smoking implements were also seized.A 43-year-old Kelmscott man has been charged with drug and weapons offences and will appear in the Armadale Magistrates Court on January 12.On December 11, heavily armed police, supported by officers from Australian Customs Service and Australian Federal Police, stormed the Coffin Cheaters' Baywater clubhouse.There, they allegedly seized a cache of weapons, including five loaded semi-automatic handguns, two sawn-off shotguns, ammunition, three swords and various weapons with blades attached to them.A large amount of cash, steroids and small quantities of cannabis and amphetamine paste were also recovered.Assistant Commissioner (specialist crime) Wayne Gregson said police would continue to target organised crime.``The result of these searches provides further evidence of the criminal nature and activities of these types of motorcycle gangs,'' Mr Gregson said.
``Western Australia Police will continue in our current efforts to dismantle and disrupt all such groups in Western Australia.''The raids follow escalating tension between bikie gangs following the arrival in WA of notorious eastern states-based gang The Finks, and the shooting wounding of one of its members at Wooroloo, east of Perth in October.

names of the biker gangs involved in the melee are not being released

It happened Saturday at the Special Memory Wedding Chapel in Downtown Las Vegas. The Manager of the chapel said they'd inadvertently scheduled the ceremonies back-to-back, not knowing the gang members were going to be there. As the first ceremony was finishing, another wedding attended by rival gang members, was scheduled. As the rival gang members arrived it wasn't long before the scuffle was underway.
That's when two people were stabbed in the melee. The extent of the injuries or where the injured were taken is not known.Metro quickly descended on the scene and the Gang Unit is said to have taken over the investigation. Lieutenant Richard Fletcher with Metro says there is video of the incident, "We have some video that we are reviewing. It won't be released at this time. It has been turned over to detectives."The names of the biker gangs involved in the melee are not being released. The investigation into the brawl is continuing.

One of the jurors who acquitted two Hells Angels bikers of attempted murder says factors that influenced the verdict

One of the jurors who acquitted two Hells Angels bikers of attempted murder says factors that influenced the verdict included people being led by emotion and a conflict in the state's evidence.After deliberating over three days, the Sioux Falls jury found Chad Wilson of San Diego and John Midmore of Valparaiso, Ind., not guilty of sparking a 2006 gunfight at Custer State Park.Three Outlaws Motorcycle Club members and two women with them were injured. Midmore is out on bail, but Wilson is charged in federal court with a gun crime.The state still wants to try the men on a conspiracy charge but the judge hasn't ruled on that.

Rival gangs the Rebels and Bandidos have been targeting each other

Rival gangs the Rebels and Bandidos have been targeting each other in 13 drive-by shootings since October.Another shooting occured at a house on Hewinson Avenue in Green Valley last night.Police have tried to get the two sides talking, but those attempts have failed and there are now concerns the violence will escalate.NSW Detective Chief Superintendent Ken McKay told News Ltd the gang’s attacks had simply been “cowardly”.“It’s just the lowest level of cowardly acts to drive past a place in the middle of the night and spray it with bullets,” Superintendent McKay said.“Don’t forget a lot of these places contain children and women.”

Two of the three Road Dog Cycle defendants who remain in custody will be home for Christmas

Two of the three Road Dog Cycle defendants who remain in custody will be home for Christmas, if defense attorneys have their way.They appeared in a federal courtroom in Fresno on Monday morning, with their attorneys and many co-defendants who were released earlier this year, to ask for a hearing to present evidence about why they should be freed.But, with Christmas fast approaching, prosecutors told the court they didn't know if their witnesses would be available in time. U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger said attorneys should try to schedule the hearing for Dec. 23.
"As with any pretrial detainees, they certainly would like to be with their families at Christmas," said Jai Gohel of San Francisco, who represents Ray M. Heffington.
Heffington, 40, of Chowchilla, was identified by federal prosecutors as the Merced chapter president of the Hells Angels motorcycle club. He has been in custody since July, when he was indicted with about a dozen others on charges relating to suspected illegal operations going back to 1997 at a Denair motorcycle shop.Ex-deputy still in custodyProsecutors say Robert C. Holloway III, a retired sheriff's deputy, and his son, Brent F. Holloway, 35, of Modesto, ran a racketeering enterprise at the shop. Prosecutors say Robert Holloway encouraged threats and violence against customers who didn't pay bills, operated a chop shop and extended credit to customers illegally.Holloway, 61, of Turlock remains in custody; his son was released on bond in August. The business has been closed since their arrest.
Another defendant still in custody who hopes to be released is a Manteca man prosecutors have identified as Alky Haulers motorcycle club chapter vice president Michael J. Orozco, 51. Orozco faces charges of making extortionate extensions of credit; collecting credit by extortionate means; and criminal forfeiture.Pretrial Services, an agency that makes recommendations regarding whether defendants should be released, said last summer that Orozco should be released, said his attorney, Mac McGinnis of Fresno."But somebody scared the judge into saying, 'I'm not going for it,' " McGinnis said Monday. "You're supposed to go on the evidence. I think they went on something else."McGinnis said his client is only "peripherally involved" in the case. He said Orozco verbally vouched for a "snitch" who bought a motorcycle from Robert Holloway.Many of the men were arraigned Monday on a revised indictment, filed in late November, that added several defendants and charges to the case. All who entered pleas -- including both Holloways, Orozco and Heffington; Reynaldo W. Sotelo, 52, of Gilroy; Alfredo F. Rincon, 37, of Manteca; Stephen J. Johnson, 60, of Linden; and David A. Swanson, 52, Modesto -- said they were not guilty.Swanson was charged in July with making false statements to investigators; in November, prosecutors added a count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.Swanson is a former deputy who was a court bailiff with the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department during the investigation.
Modesto attorney Robert L. Forkner, who represents Swanson, said he expects his client to be acquitted of all charges."Once again, the government is piling on charges for somebody who won't cooperate or enter a plea to a lesser offense," Forkner said. "It's a vindictive prosecution."

The tattoo can only be worn if the member has committed violent acts against Hells Angels members.

Expert on outlaw motorcycle gangs testified in court Tuesday, explaining that three of four men implicated in the non-fatal shooting of a suspected Hells Angels member appear to be patch-wearing Mongols gang members. Chris Cervantes, a Montebello police detective and ATF investigator, was brought from the Los Angeles area to provide expert testimony at a preliminary hearing for the men suspected of shooting 43-year-old Robert Thompson. Authorities have seized the men's property, including clothing reportedly emblazoned with the gang's logo and an application to join the Mongols Motorcycle Club -- an outlaw motorcycle gang the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has labeled as the most “violent and dangerous” in the nation.
On Nov. 8, authorities responded to shots fired on Third Street in downtown Eureka. There, police found Thompson lying in an intersection, bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds. Later that night, authorities located a dark-colored van, similar to one witnesses saw at the scene, and arrested Eric Gunner Lundin, 28, Dustin Christopher Liebes, 36, Brad Lee Miller, 26, and Redding resident Eric Dean Garcia, 28. Upon searching the van, investigators reportedly located a disassembled semi-automatic hand gun. The four have pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, assault with a firearm and participating in a criminal street gang. Three of the suspects bear tattoos, which Cervantes said linked them to the gang. Lundin, Liebes and Garcia all have diamond-shaped “1%” tattoos inked on their necks. Called the “one-percenter” tattoo, Cervantes said, it has been adopted by the Mongols and refers to the traditional concept that 99 percent of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens. Lundin has the letters “MFFM” -- or Mongols Forever Forever Mongols -- tattooed on his knuckles, and has the traditional Mongol head on his chest and right arm. The Mongol head, a Genghis Khan look-alike wearing sunglasses, is also tattooed on Garcia's forearm. The letters “RFFN” -- Respect Fear Fear Nothing -- are displayed across Liebes' chest. Cervantes said that tattoo can only be worn if the member has committed violent acts against Hells Angels members. As the story goes, the Mongols were formed in the 1970s by a small group of Latinos who were denied entry to the Hells Angels due to their ethnicity, he testified. There are now between 500 and 600 members in chapters throughout the United States, including California, Oregon, Nevada and Florida. The Mongols Web site declares the organization's support of a new chapter that has opened in Italy. Although the Mongols' regional presence is not strong enough to warrant a Humboldt chapter, Cervantes testified there is a Northern California chapter. No matter where the chapters are, they are governed by the “Mother Chapter” which hands down orders, many of which are based on the gang's constitution. The long-standing rivalry between the Hells Angels and the Mongols began early on, emanating from similarities between patches worn by the two gangs, he said. The violence escalated over time into a bloody gang war, with the Mongols perpetrating the majority of the attacks.
”This is a war. These guys are trying to kill each other, and the Mongols are winning,” Cervantes said. “There are a lot of (Hells Angels) dying at the hands of (Mongols') knives and guns.” On Oct. 22, a U.S. District Court judge granted an injunction banning gang members, family and any associate from wearing, licensing or distributing the Mongols' logo. With the banning of the Mongols' trademark, officers have ordered members to stop wearing the logo, Cervantes testified. However, during a search of a storage unit rented by one of the suspects, authorities located Mongols paraphernalia, including a T-shirt with “prospect,” which is worn by someone intending to be initiated into the gang, and a gang application, he said.
The application had been mailed to “The Mayor,” which Cervantes said is Lundin's moniker, leading him to believe “Lundin is the president of this Northern California chapter.” During recorded interviews taken at the jail, Lundin reportedly told officials he would be willing to give up his patch as a “bargaining chip,” Cervantes said. ”I have a really hard time believing he would be giving up his patch if he didn't have a patch,” he said. All the suspects were returned to the Humboldt County jail, where they remain on $500,000 bail. Their preliminary hearing is expected to end today.

Three German members of a Hells Angels biker gang were jailed and 11 more received suspended sentences

Three German members of a Hells Angels biker gang were jailed and 11 more received suspended sentences on Tuesday in what was billed as the country's largest trial of its kind.The sentences were handed down on the second day of a trial of the 14 Hells Angels members after the defendants reached a plea bargain deal with prosecutors on charges of assaulting and robbing members of a rival gang.The Hells Angels, wearing spiked helmets and wielding axe handles, raided the headquarters of a rival gang, the Bandidos, in the town of Stuhr in March 2006, brutally beating five rival gang members and stealing money and a laptop, the court found.Insignia were taken as trophies to decorate their own headquarters.The trial was held amid tight security. Police with sniffer dogs combed the courthouse and squad cars patrolled the highways leading into town to prevent renewed clashes between the rival gangs.Three of the accused received respectively 34, 32, and 30 month prison sentences, while 11 others were handed two year suspended prison sentences.Biker gangs including the Bandidos and the Hells Angels, both of which have members all over the world, have been involved in bloody feuds in recent years and are suspected by authorities of heavy

Gary Young, aged 36, said he was merely a probationary member of the Hells Angel chapter

Gary Young, aged 36, said he was merely a probationary member of the Hells Angel chapter, even though it was his fingerprints police found on a box containing cartridges. Young, of Blossom Farm, gave evidence on his own behalf at Swansea crown court and told the jury about the Hell's Angels. He said the west Wales chapter had its own president, vice president and sergeant at arms. He named Paul Willis as the president but said he had no idea who held the other two positions. He said they met regularly at Bethany House on the Old Hakin Road in Haverfordwest, a property owned by the group of motorcycle enthusiasts. He said the house was protected with barred windows and CCTV cameras. The jury has heard how police raided the house on September 6th, 2007. Among the rafters of a detached garage they found a loaded handgun fitted with a silencer and with the safety catch already switched off.
They also discovered ammunition for the weapon and another type for a Berretta style pistol. Young, who denies charges of possessing the gun, silencer and the two lots of ammunition, said he had been invited to visit Bethany House and eventually became a probationary member, or "prospect." He paid £20 a week for membership and attended about four times a week. He explained that meetings of those with full membership took place "upstairs" and he was not allowed to attend. Young said he was regularly asked to clear up the house and, two days before the police raid, had noticed the gun and ammunition while working in the garage. He said he left them where they were but contacted Paul Willis. Mr Willis, he said, assured him he would "sort it out."
On the day of the police raid he was contacted by another member who called an emergency meeting of the chapter at his flat. About a month later, said Young, that member was "kicked out" of the Hell's Angels. Questioned by Geraint Walters, prosecuting, Young denied that he was the sergeant at arms. Young agreed that police had found an air rifle at his farm which also had a silencer fitted, but explained that without such a device "the first shot at a rabbit makes the others run away."

Hell's Angel has been cleared of possessing a lethal handgun found at the motor cycling enthusiasts' base

Hell's Angel has been cleared of possessing a lethal handgun found at the motor cycling enthusiasts' base in Haverfordwest. But Gary Young, aged 36, was warned he still faced a prison sentence for offences he had already pleaded guilty to.
A jury at Swansea crown court took more than six hours to find Young not guilty of possessing the 8 millimetre gun, a silencer and two batches of cartridges.
They were all found at Bethany House on the Old Hakin Road, a property owned by the west Wales chapter of the Hell's Angels and used as a clubhouse. Police raided the house in May, 2007, and found the gun hidden in the rafters of a detached garage. The silencer was fitted, a bullet was in the chamber and the safety catch was turned off. Young's fingerprints were found on a plastic box containing some of the cartridges. He told the court he had touched the box while tidying the garage but had never owned or used the weapon. After the verdicts it was revealed that Young, now of North Court, Haverfordwest, had admitted possessing an over-powerful air rifle, an offensive weapon (a knuckleduster) and a small quantity of cannabis. Judge Huw Davies granted Young bail but warned him that the starting point at the sentencing hearing in January was jail.

Johnny Montani is accused of shooting dead former Club Dero turned Coffin Cheater, Kevin Woodhouse, outside an aquatic centre in Bayswater

Johnny Montani is accused of shooting dead former Club Dero turned Coffin Cheater, Kevin Woodhouse, outside an aquatic centre in Bayswater in May 2004.The jury in the trial of a man accused of wilfully murdering a former bikie gang member in Perth has resumed its deliberations.The jury retired to consider its verdict yesterday afternoon.The trial was set down for five weeks, but ran for six and heard from more than 50 witnesses.During the trial, the Supreme Court heard the men were friends for 20 years, but had a falling out a couple of weeks before the killing.Prosecutors allege Mr Woodhouse uttered the name of his killer as he lay dying.Mr Montani denies any involvement in the murder, and his lawyer, Phillip Urquhart, says the victim was a marked man after earlier switching bikie gangs.

Hells Angels have complete control in the whole Niagara region. Anyone who steps in there, they'll kill him pointblank

Hells Angels member-turned-informant has warned that anyone who dares to sell cocaine in the Niagara Region faces certain death from the biker gang, a Superior Court judge said yesterday. Stephen Gault, former secretary of the Angels' Oshawa chapter, made the comment while testifying at the drug trial of Gerald "Skinny" Ward, Justice John McMahon said in reading his judgment convicting Ward of having proceeds of crime, trafficking in cocaine and benefitting a criminal organization.
Ward, 60, the executive and founding member of the Angels' Niagara chapter, will be sentenced Feb. 27. "They (Angels) have complete control in the whole Niagara region. Anyone who steps in there, they'll kill him pointblank," McMahon quoted from the testimony of Gault, who was paid more than $400,000 as a police agent. "You don't play with their game ... all their lives are built upon drug dealing," Gault said in his testimony while explaining the workings of the biker gang. Gault testified that people join the Angels for "the power of the patch" -- which provides them protection -- but must pay the club 10% of their criminal proceeds and monthly dues for a legal defence fund for those facing prosecution. Members must vow not to cheat anyone on drug deals, court heard. The judge ruled yesterday Ward was directing the sale of cocaine to Gault for the bikers. Gault made 27 drug buys from various gang members, including four that involved Ward from May 2005 and Sept. 28, 2006.

Rebels and the Bandidos is being linked to as many as 13 shootings on Sydney streets

Rebels and the Bandidos is being linked to as many as 13 shootings on Sydney streets in just over two weeks.A new elite police unit, originally set up to investigate the night-time shooting of a gang member in Seven Hills last month, is widening its net to examine the outbreak of violence among the outlaw gangs.Codenamed Highcro and made up of gangs squad officers, the strikeforce will examine the series of shootings in western Sydney.On November 28, a 25-year-old was shot several times in the head and chest while a passenger in a car driving on the Prospect Highway. The car was hit by about 19 bullets fired from at least two high-powered rifles. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition.The Highcro detectives are using that incident as a springboard to look at 12 other shootings they believe may be linked to the warring bikie gangs, who have a history of enmity that often boils over into street warfare.A prominent Bandido was murdered in Melbourne in October and rumours of a planned "hit" marred the Friday extradition hearing in New Zealand of a Rebel member accused of a vicious bashing in Queensland last year.Only four days after the Seven Hills shooting, a Gypsy Joker was shot and knocked from his bike as he rode on the Great Western Highway before midnight.In the early hours of the same day, December 2, a tattoo parlour in Belmore and a Bass Hill house were fired at. No one was injured in either shooting. Since then there have been nine shootings across Sydney's west.The NSW violence comes on the back of a flare-up between the two gangs in Victoria. On October 22, a Bandidos enforcer, 51-year-old Ross Brand, was shot dead outside the gang's Geelong clubhouse.Two brothers, both members of the Rebels, have been charged with his murder.The continuing gang violence has also led to high security during an extradition hearing for New Zealander and Rebel member Peter Douglas Rauhina, 37.The first Sydney arrests in relation to the feud occurred on Wednesday night, when police pulled over four men in a Holden Commodore for a routine check and discovered two semi-automatic rifles, one loaded.Half an hour before the road stop, a house in Sadlier, believed to be linked to the Rebels, had been shot at. The four men, aged 21 to 46, are understood to be Bandidos associates.

Mongol Motorcycle Gang discovery of a trove of weapons, ammunition, explosives and drugs

Search of a north Visalia residence today led to discovery of a trove of weapons, ammunition, explosives and drugs, Visalia police said.Police added they also found indictation of the Mongol Motorcycle Gang at the residence, in the 1700 block of North Tipton Street. Visalia Police Sgt. Steve Phillips said the Mongol Motorcycle Gang was a once-dominant biker gang in Tulare County that now has few adherents.
In addition, police said, they stopped and later arrested a Visalia man as he drove away from the home. He was identified as Edward Aguirre, 46. Police said they found a zip gun and methamphetamine. He was held on drug and weapons charges.Inside the house, police said they found 30 firearms, 2,000 rounds of ammunition and other unspecified weapons and explosives, plus methamphetamine, marijuana and $746 in cash.

California Hells Angels Chad Wilson, 33, is charged with being a nonimmigrant alien in possession of a firearm

Chad Wilson, 33, is charged with being a nonimmigrant alien in possession of a firearm, according to the indictment.It accuses him of being admitted into the United States under a nonimmigrant visa and unlawfully having several guns.
U.S. Attorney Marty Jackley wouldn’t comment further.“This remains an ongoing investigation and therefore I’m not providing further information at this time,” he said.Wilson, from San Diego, could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if convicted.After deliberating over three days, jurors on Nov. 18 found Wilson and fellow Hells Angels biker John Midmore, 35, of Valparaiso, Ind., not guilty of trying to murder five people affiliated with the Outlaws Motorcycle Club during the Sturgis motorcycle rally.Midmore has dual citizenship in Canada and Australia but is a resident alien. He was released on bail that evening.Bond was also posted for Wilson, but he remains in the county jail in Sioux Falls. Attorneys earlier said he faced deportation to Canada upon his release.At the trial, Wilson testified that he fired several rounds with a .40-caliber handgun in self-defense after nine Outlaws members confronted him and Midmore at Legion Lake Resort, near a campground where the Outlaws were staying.Prosecutors argued the two Hells Angels attempted to kill the Outlaws, injuring three of the rival bikers and two women with them.Jurors cleared the men of five counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of commission of a felony while armed.
Wilson is a member of a California Hells Angels chapter and Midmore is a prospect of a British Columbia group.According to the indictment, Wilson illegally possessed two .40 caliber pistols, a Heckler & Koch 9 mm caliber pistol, an FEG 7.62 x 39 caliber rifle and a Calico 9 mm caliber rifle.Wilson testified at his trial that the guns were in his F-350 Ford pickup.In another court document filed Wednesday, prosecutors asked that Wilson be transferred to Rapid City for an appearance on the indictment.Wilson and Midmore have a separate civil lawsuit pending there against 19 federal agencies and officials, claiming they’re withholding information showing Outlaws were targeting Hells Angels.Tracy Kelley, Custer County state’s attorney, said she also plans to try Wilson and Midmore on a more serious charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, which carries a punishment of life in prison if convicted.The Outlaws injured were Thomas Haas, Allen Matthews and Danny Neace. They and two women with them, Claudia Wables and Susan Evans-Martin, testified at the trial.

Gypsy Jokers bikie gang member shot at a number of times from a dark-coloured sedan just before midnight

The man and his pillion passenger were riding a Harley Davidson east along the Great Western Highway in Mays Hill when they were shot at a number of times from a dark-coloured sedan just before midnight, a police spokesman said.The man was hit a number of times, causing him and his passenger to fall from the bike.They were taken to Westmead Hospital but their injuries were not considered life threatening, police said.The Harley Davidson had a sticker that said "Respect your local Gypsy Joker", News Ltd said.But police could not confirm whether the rider was a member of the Gypsy Jokers bikie gang.The incident follows a spate of shootings in Sydney in 24 hours.Two shots were fired into a house in Bass Hill, in Sydney's south-west, in the early hours of Tuesday.A short time later, 10 shots were fired into a tattoo parlour in Belmore.At 1.30pm yesterday, a man aged about 30 was shot in the arm in St Clair. A man was later charged with reckless wounding.

Robert J. Shannon, of Maple Ridge, B.C.,British Columbia man pleaded guilty this morning in U.S. District Court in Seattle to drug charges

Robert J. Shannon, of Maple Ridge, B.C.,British Columbia man pleaded guilty this morning in U.S. District Court in Seattle to drug and money-laundering charges for his role in selling drugs on behalf of the Hells Angels motorcycle club. pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison up to life in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.According to the indictment originally filed in the case, Shannon was in charge of distributing the narcotics on behalf of the Hells Angels and others. Drugs were hidden inside hollowed-out logs on trucks, within the false walls of cargo containers and vehicles, within loads of commercial lumber and beauty bark, inside large PVC pipes, and within the interior of a propane tanker. Some loads were carried on foot across the international border between the U.S. and Canada.Last month, co-defendant Devron D. Quast, 38, of Abbotsford, B.C., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to engage in money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.