Ellen Hall, 53, and Russell "Rustie" Hall, also 53, according to a police news release. According to provincial property records, the house is owned by Ellen and James R. Hall.Officers found the bodies when they responded to a 911 call at 7:30 this morning, said RCMP Sgt. Brigdit Leger. Police have ordered an autopsy, though one is not scheduled yet."They are suspicious deaths. We suspect foul play," Leger said at the scene Friday afternoon, as investigators continued to gather evidence from inside a grey, two-storey home, trimmed in white.
Investigators were also interviewing nearby neighbours.When asked about possible connections between the deaths and motorcycle gangs, Leger would not comment.
She also would not say if the 911 call was made by someone inside the house.
"You have to understand this is very early in the investigation," she told thechronicleherald.ca Friday morning.On Friday afternoon, two vehicles, including a red pickup truck, could be seen in the driveway of the home.A neighbour on the Barr Settlement Road confirmed that the home belongs to James (Rustie) and Ellen Hall.
"It's a different shaped home. It has a lot of skylights," said the neighbour who explained that she never socialized with the couple.The woman moved to the road about 11 years ago and she believes the Halls had been living on the street sometime before her arrival.While some neighbours were reluctant to speak to reporters, one woman came to her door with her three-year-old daughter by her side."We don't know them very well at that house because we keep to ourselves," she said, as the little girl chewed on a soother and smiled shyly.
"It's usually so quiet on this road. I wonder what in the name of God happened inside that house." Another neighbour who came to her door was awake overnight Thursday and had seen a car drive by at about 2 a.m. headed in the same direction as the Halls' home.Other residents said the couple once owned a variety store in nearby Nine Mile River, but sold it a few years ago.One man described the Halls as "decent people."
He said they are "hobby motorcyclists", but added "they weren't members of the Hells Angels, by any means, to my knowledge."On her Facebook profile, which had been removed by early Friday afternoon, Ellen Hall boasted of her love for her three "beautiful" grandchildren. Her page contained dozens of photos of them. Hall wrote that her adult children, Angela and Mike, both live in Alberta and that she missed them "very much".She said she liked to do crafts and scrapbooking in the winter, but she and Rustie "love going on our Harley to bike events" during the summer. Under her profile picture, Hall had written "Live out Loud very loud!!"
One of her Facebook friends was listed as Scott O'Reilly, who was an officer with the East Coast Riders Motorcycle Club and still owns the Waverley site of the East Coast Riders clubhouse which burned down in April 2007. O'Reilly has been pictured with his arm around a member of the Hells Angels.In January, the RCMP said the East Coast Riders had "patched over" to form a new chapter of the Hells Angels-affiliated Bacchus club in New Brunswick.
RCMP cars travelled back and forth Friday along the rutted and heaving roadway. Many people were speculating about what was going on.
Officers who have the road blocked off near the home were turning the curious away without giving any details, one man said.East Hants municipal councillor Greg Grant, who represents the area including Barr Settlement Road, said people in the neighbourhood would be shocked to learn what had happened in their community."It's a very quiet community on a dirt road," he said.
"Activity like that, it would be extremely rare anywhere, but it's unheard of out there."According to provincial records, the 2010 tax-assessed value of the Halls' property is $162,200 residential and $2,200 resource.
Barr Settlement is a small community in East Hants, about an hour's drive from Halifax.
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Saturday, 27 February 2010
Outlaws of course are the top known motorcycle gang, organized crime gang, motorcycle gang members in the United States.
"The Outlaws of course are the top known motorcycle gang, organized crime gang, motorcycle gang members in the United States. They have chapters located in, about 170 or so chapters located throughout the United States in most states."
James Parker was indicted on six counts of intent to sell cocaine, three counts of unlawful transport of firearms, and three counts of violent crime involving drugs and a machine gun.
Ryan Birt was indicted on one count of unlawful transport of Firearms and two counts of possession of child pornography. Thirteen others were indicted on a variety of drug charges...
Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble and his department was part of a similar raid conducted on an Outlaws clubhouse in Cleveland, netting one arrest, Danni Decker.
"He was charged on the state charges based on an incident that had occurred the day before, the night before in which he attempted to harass and intimidate other law enforcement officers and there were some state violation charges that were charged there. That was initially charged in order to hold him until the federal charges could be finalized out of Chattanooga."
Federal Charges that will send most in the group away for a long time.
"Those federal charges carry with them significant teeth, and if they are convicted of those federal charges they can carry with them very stiff penalties and they can be off the streets for many many years."
In Cleveland, Gobble says his crew is still on the lookout for more members associated with the Outlaws.
"This is also something that might be interesting to the public because they have seen the limited and the Black Pistons operating in this area and they are considered to be a potential support group and a support group depending on the status of their membership for this Outlaw motorcycle gang."
Most of the suspects will appear in federal court on Monday.
James Parker was indicted on six counts of intent to sell cocaine, three counts of unlawful transport of firearms, and three counts of violent crime involving drugs and a machine gun.
Ryan Birt was indicted on one count of unlawful transport of Firearms and two counts of possession of child pornography. Thirteen others were indicted on a variety of drug charges...
Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble and his department was part of a similar raid conducted on an Outlaws clubhouse in Cleveland, netting one arrest, Danni Decker.
"He was charged on the state charges based on an incident that had occurred the day before, the night before in which he attempted to harass and intimidate other law enforcement officers and there were some state violation charges that were charged there. That was initially charged in order to hold him until the federal charges could be finalized out of Chattanooga."
Federal Charges that will send most in the group away for a long time.
"Those federal charges carry with them significant teeth, and if they are convicted of those federal charges they can carry with them very stiff penalties and they can be off the streets for many many years."
In Cleveland, Gobble says his crew is still on the lookout for more members associated with the Outlaws.
"This is also something that might be interesting to the public because they have seen the limited and the Black Pistons operating in this area and they are considered to be a potential support group and a support group depending on the status of their membership for this Outlaw motorcycle gang."
Most of the suspects will appear in federal court on Monday.
motorcycle gang leader and a former Hockley County Deputy are headed for federal prison
motorcycle gang leader and a former Hockley County Deputy are headed for federal prison for their part in meth trafficking ring.54-year-old Bobby Duwayne Froman, the gang leader, got 20 years in exchange for pleading guilty.39-year old Jose Jesus Quintanilla received a three year sentence.These are just two of more than two dozen suspects indicted in a major meth trafficking operation from the south plains of Texas to California.
Blackmail is listed as a "principal source of revenue" for Finks bikie gang
Blackmail is listed as a "principal source of revenue" for Finks bikie gang in a dossier which also details the club's involvement in pack rape, drug trafficking, bashings and shootings.Prepared last year for the South Australian Government as part of new laws to target the Finks, the document reveals that 42 of the gang's 46 members in SA - which includes some now living in Perth - have serious criminal records.The dossier highlights the challenge faced by WA Police trying to combat the gang's expansion here since it joined forces with ousted Coffin Cheater bikie Troy Desmond Mercanti in 2008.In the past four years, there have been 111 allegations of blackmail made against the Finks in SA, of which 40 were formally investigated and involved 24 members of the gang. But only a handful of cases resulted in charges because the victims were too scared to give evidence.According to SA police, the Finks pose the greatest threat to public safety of any Australian bikie gang. One senior gang member has a business connection to Mercanti in WA."The members of the organisation associate for the purposes of organising, planning, facilitating, supporting or engaging in serious criminal activity," the document said.A registered association since 1991, the Finks Motorcycle Club tells a different story in its application for incorporation. "Establishing, carrying on, improving a community meeting place and promoting the interests of motorcycle enthusiasts within the local community," the document said.Over the past fortnight, two Finks associates in WA have been arrested at a Swan Valley concert or the gang's Balga clubhouse with unlicensed guns. Both have histories of violence, including a multiple stabbing and threats to injure.
One of the men is a 23-year-old Congolese refugee, whose father was jailed in Perth for stabbing his mother through the heart. The other is a South African-born Muslim, who once ran a children's clothing store, was a manager for a well-known WA car dealership and used the word "emails" as code when dealing ecstasy tablets from his gold Mercedes-Benz.But one of the most noticeable WA-based Finks is 2.03m-tall Matthew Thomas Ward, who is from South Australia and was convicted last year of having a loaded .357 Magnum handgun on a Kambalda mine site.Since the late 1960s, when the gang formed in Sydney, 162 convictions for violence have been recorded against Finks members.The gang's attempts to traffic in large quantities of the ingredients needed to manufacture methylamphetamine were confirmed in 2005, according to the document, when $380,000 was transferred by a Finks associate to Malaysia, which resulted in 38kg of pseudoephedrine being transported undetected into Australia inside children's books.
Between 1977 and 2008, there have been 173 convictions against Finks for serious drug crimes.Det-Supt Des Bray from the SA gang crime taskforce, who was in WA this week, said the Finks are by far his State's most violent bikie gang.
"If the Finks were to establish in WA that would be a bad thing but I think your police have done a very good job in containing them, locking them and putting a freezing order on the clubhouse," he said.
One of the men is a 23-year-old Congolese refugee, whose father was jailed in Perth for stabbing his mother through the heart. The other is a South African-born Muslim, who once ran a children's clothing store, was a manager for a well-known WA car dealership and used the word "emails" as code when dealing ecstasy tablets from his gold Mercedes-Benz.But one of the most noticeable WA-based Finks is 2.03m-tall Matthew Thomas Ward, who is from South Australia and was convicted last year of having a loaded .357 Magnum handgun on a Kambalda mine site.Since the late 1960s, when the gang formed in Sydney, 162 convictions for violence have been recorded against Finks members.The gang's attempts to traffic in large quantities of the ingredients needed to manufacture methylamphetamine were confirmed in 2005, according to the document, when $380,000 was transferred by a Finks associate to Malaysia, which resulted in 38kg of pseudoephedrine being transported undetected into Australia inside children's books.
Between 1977 and 2008, there have been 173 convictions against Finks for serious drug crimes.Det-Supt Des Bray from the SA gang crime taskforce, who was in WA this week, said the Finks are by far his State's most violent bikie gang.
"If the Finks were to establish in WA that would be a bad thing but I think your police have done a very good job in containing them, locking them and putting a freezing order on the clubhouse," he said.
sentenced 54-year-old Bobby Duwayne Froman, the founder of the Aces and Eights Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, to 240 months in federal prison.
Former Hockley County sheriff's deputy Jose Jesus Quintanilla received a 36-month federal prison sentence.
Froman and Quintanilla were arrested last July and charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In January, Froman agreed to a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty a month earlier for transporting methamphetamine from California to West Texas for distribution in the South Plains.
Kimberly Hull of Levelland and Perry Dean Roberson from Lubbock were also sentenced on Wednesday to one year in federal prison by Magistrate Judge Nancy M. Koenig.
Another co-conspirator, Bradley Gene Gore of Levelland, had his sentencing moved to March 5.
Froman and Quintanilla were arrested last July and charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In January, Froman agreed to a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty a month earlier for transporting methamphetamine from California to West Texas for distribution in the South Plains.
Kimberly Hull of Levelland and Perry Dean Roberson from Lubbock were also sentenced on Wednesday to one year in federal prison by Magistrate Judge Nancy M. Koenig.
Another co-conspirator, Bradley Gene Gore of Levelland, had his sentencing moved to March 5.
Fifteen members of the Outlaws club in Chattanooga and Cleveland, Tenn., face the possibility of life in federal prison
The Web site maintains the group’s veil of secrecy, saying, “Do not write us asking how to join! Find an Outlaw and ask him!” Motorcycle Club bills itself as “75 years of biking and brotherhood,” but some members of law enforcement say such clubs can be criminal organizations.
Fifteen members of the Outlaws club in Chattanooga and Cleveland, Tenn., face the possibility of life in federal prison after being arrested on charges of conspiring to sell cocaine, crack cocaine and illegally possessing firearms. Most were arrested at the club’s houses in Chattanooga on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
“Suffice it to say the Outlaws are a subculture that does not conform to mainstream culture. That’s a nice way to say they are a criminal organization,” said Special Agent Darryl Hill with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Agent Hill said the Outlaws rank among the top motorcycle gangs in the United States along with the Hell’s Angels, Pagans and Banditos.Based on the club’s own Web site and U.S. Department of Justice data, the Outlaws range across the East Coast and South with an estimated 500 or more members among more than 90 clubs.It was not clear whether attorneys had been hired or assigned to the members arrested Thursday. Attempts to reach members of the club were unsuccessful, and there are no numbers or e-mail addresses on the Outlaws’ Web site.
Mike Hall, director of the Tennessee 10th Judicial Drug Task Force, encounters a variety of criminal organizations in the Bradley, Polk and McMinn counties covered by his group. Along with other local law enforcement, including Chattanooga police and sheriff’s offices in Hamilton and Bradley counties, the task force assisted in the recent arrests of Outlaw members.“Motorcycle gangs are like any type of gang. It’s organized crime,” Mr. Hall said.Russ Dedrick, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, said overall criminal activity among motorcycle gangs is down in the district.“The Outlaws is just one organization,” he said, and many motorcycle clubs operate within the law.But motorcycle gangs involved in crime are not to be compared with small-time street-level drug dealers, authorities said. With their wide distribution and hierarchy, they operate “on a national level.”The secretive nature of these types of groups — which often have probationary periods and strict rules for membership — make it more difficult for police to infiltrate, he said.
“It’s a strong-knit community; they consider each other family,” Mr. Hall said. “They would die for each other, and they would kill for each other.”Sixteen Outlaws club members in the Detroit area were indicted in federal court last August on charges including violent crime in the aid of racketeering, illegal drug distribution and gun violations, according to the Justice Department.Following those indictments, the Justice Department announced that “the Outlaws Motorcycle Club has been identified as an international criminal organization whose members and associates engage in acts of violence including murder, attempted murder, assault, narcotics distribution and firearms and gambling offenses.”“The Outlaws have a long-standing violent history with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, including assaults/batteries, shootings and fatalities,” according to the Justice Department.
That long-standing history of violence with the Hells Angels hit locally when, in August 2007, James Wayne Brock Jr. was hospitalized and later lost his hand in a car bomb blast in Whitfield County, Ga., according Chattanooga to Times Free Press archives.Authorities believe the bomb was retaliation for a shooting in which Mr. Brock’s father, James Wayne Brock Sr., shot a member of the Outlaws at a strip club in Forest Park, Ga., the archives state. Both the senior and junior Brock were members of the Renegades, a motorcycle club that aligns with and supports the Outlaws.Following that shooting, more local agencies began assisting federal agents with investigations on the Outlaws, said Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble.
The evening prior to the raid at the Cleveland clubhouse, two undercover police were threatened by Outlaws member Danny Decker, and the officers had to draw their weapons, Sheriff Gobble said. Mr. Decker was arrested on state charges related to the threats, the sheriff said.
Sheriff’s deputies raided an Outlaws club in Knox County on New Year’s Eve 2009, arresting two members for allegedly threatening an undercover officer and charging them with aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping.
Fifteen members of the Outlaws club in Chattanooga and Cleveland, Tenn., face the possibility of life in federal prison after being arrested on charges of conspiring to sell cocaine, crack cocaine and illegally possessing firearms. Most were arrested at the club’s houses in Chattanooga on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
“Suffice it to say the Outlaws are a subculture that does not conform to mainstream culture. That’s a nice way to say they are a criminal organization,” said Special Agent Darryl Hill with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Agent Hill said the Outlaws rank among the top motorcycle gangs in the United States along with the Hell’s Angels, Pagans and Banditos.Based on the club’s own Web site and U.S. Department of Justice data, the Outlaws range across the East Coast and South with an estimated 500 or more members among more than 90 clubs.It was not clear whether attorneys had been hired or assigned to the members arrested Thursday. Attempts to reach members of the club were unsuccessful, and there are no numbers or e-mail addresses on the Outlaws’ Web site.
Mike Hall, director of the Tennessee 10th Judicial Drug Task Force, encounters a variety of criminal organizations in the Bradley, Polk and McMinn counties covered by his group. Along with other local law enforcement, including Chattanooga police and sheriff’s offices in Hamilton and Bradley counties, the task force assisted in the recent arrests of Outlaw members.“Motorcycle gangs are like any type of gang. It’s organized crime,” Mr. Hall said.Russ Dedrick, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, said overall criminal activity among motorcycle gangs is down in the district.“The Outlaws is just one organization,” he said, and many motorcycle clubs operate within the law.But motorcycle gangs involved in crime are not to be compared with small-time street-level drug dealers, authorities said. With their wide distribution and hierarchy, they operate “on a national level.”The secretive nature of these types of groups — which often have probationary periods and strict rules for membership — make it more difficult for police to infiltrate, he said.
“It’s a strong-knit community; they consider each other family,” Mr. Hall said. “They would die for each other, and they would kill for each other.”Sixteen Outlaws club members in the Detroit area were indicted in federal court last August on charges including violent crime in the aid of racketeering, illegal drug distribution and gun violations, according to the Justice Department.Following those indictments, the Justice Department announced that “the Outlaws Motorcycle Club has been identified as an international criminal organization whose members and associates engage in acts of violence including murder, attempted murder, assault, narcotics distribution and firearms and gambling offenses.”“The Outlaws have a long-standing violent history with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, including assaults/batteries, shootings and fatalities,” according to the Justice Department.
That long-standing history of violence with the Hells Angels hit locally when, in August 2007, James Wayne Brock Jr. was hospitalized and later lost his hand in a car bomb blast in Whitfield County, Ga., according Chattanooga to Times Free Press archives.Authorities believe the bomb was retaliation for a shooting in which Mr. Brock’s father, James Wayne Brock Sr., shot a member of the Outlaws at a strip club in Forest Park, Ga., the archives state. Both the senior and junior Brock were members of the Renegades, a motorcycle club that aligns with and supports the Outlaws.Following that shooting, more local agencies began assisting federal agents with investigations on the Outlaws, said Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble.
The evening prior to the raid at the Cleveland clubhouse, two undercover police were threatened by Outlaws member Danny Decker, and the officers had to draw their weapons, Sheriff Gobble said. Mr. Decker was arrested on state charges related to the threats, the sheriff said.
Sheriff’s deputies raided an Outlaws club in Knox County on New Year’s Eve 2009, arresting two members for allegedly threatening an undercover officer and charging them with aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping.
Friday, 26 February 2010
Twelve Comanchero members, including the president, are in custody charged with murder
Police today revealed that the notorious New South Wales gang, allegedly responsible for the Sydney Airport brawl which left one man dead, had established a foothold in Western Australia, with up to a dozen members.It comes amid speculation that WA Police are failing to stem the tide of interstate bikie gangs into WA, with the recent emergence of the Finks and the Rock Machine.
Today, police said that the 5kg haul of methamphetamine had been uncovered in a vehicle transported from Sydney to Perth, which arrived this week.Police will allege one of the arrested men flew to WA yesterday, collected the vehicle and drove it to an address in Bayswater before meeting one of the other arrested men in North Perth.
It will be alleged the first man later travelled back to Perth Airport to book a flight back to New South Wales before he returned to the Perth CBD where he was arrested.Detectives then pounced, launching a series of raids, including on a gym in Wellman St, Perth where police will allege Comancheros members had set up a clubhouse in a back room.Another 11 properties in WA, including a property in Hargraves St, Stirling where 210 grams of methamphetamine was allegedly seized, were searched by police, along with one in NSW.“We will allege there is a clear link between this drug shipment and the Comancheros. There is no question that outlaw motorcycle gangs represent organised crime networks. They are not social clubs, they are organised crime,'' said Det-Supt Jim Migro, from the Serious and Organised Crime Division.
The top-secret investigation, code-named Operation Baystone, has been in train since December last year when police seized 2.7kg of methamphetamine from a house in Stirling.Det-Supt Migro said police intelligence suggested that a senior member of the NSW Comancheros was due to arrive in Perth this weekend to distribute colours to up to eight new WA members.
``They are establishing themselves here in Western Australia...This is a clear indication that outlaw motorcycle gangs are involved in and/or are organised crime. They are not social clubs. They are organised crime,'' he said.
``We first became aware of them back in December...They haven't been out overtly displaying themselves as Comancheros but our intelligence holdings have been given some information and because of that we started this operation on them.''Det-Supt Migro said the drug seizure equated to a $50 million reduction in the social cost of illicit drugs to the community. He would not disclose the street value of the seized drugs.Criminals and interstate bikie gangs were attracted to WA in a bid to capitalise on the rich economy and hefty disposable income, he said.``This is a very significant bust. We're talking here 7.5kg of amphetamine over a couple of months. These people are not small fish. These are the people that we talk about (who) are key players in the illicit drug trade."These people are serious and organised crime and for those people who say that outlaw motorcycle gangs aren't in organised crime, this is a clear indication of their involvement.''“Methamphetamine is hugely destructive, resulting in not just personal misery but it has the knock-on effect of contributing to further serious and volume crime within society.''Tuart Hill man Steve Milenkovski, 32, the WA Comancheros president, has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to supply methamphetamine.
East Perth man Hao Bi, 26, was charged with attempting to supply methamphetamine, while Yuvaz Ozan, 31, from Kogarah in New South wasles has been charged with supplying methamphetmaine and conspiring to sell the drug. The trio appeared in Perth Magistrates Court today.
Another man, a 28-year-old from Stirling has been charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to sell or supply, possessing cocaine and possessing ecstasy. He will appear in court at a later date.Det-Supt Mal Lanyon, from then NSW Gang Squad, said the Comancheros were one of the most significant gangs in NSW with about 50 members and had been involved in the notorious Sydney AirportTwelve Comanchero members, including the president, are in custody charged with murder, he said.These charges relate to the death of Anthony Zervas, 29 - the brother of senior Hells Angels member Peter Zervas - who was killed during a brawl between the Comancheros and Hells Angels at Sydney Airport in March last year.
Today, police said that the 5kg haul of methamphetamine had been uncovered in a vehicle transported from Sydney to Perth, which arrived this week.Police will allege one of the arrested men flew to WA yesterday, collected the vehicle and drove it to an address in Bayswater before meeting one of the other arrested men in North Perth.
It will be alleged the first man later travelled back to Perth Airport to book a flight back to New South Wales before he returned to the Perth CBD where he was arrested.Detectives then pounced, launching a series of raids, including on a gym in Wellman St, Perth where police will allege Comancheros members had set up a clubhouse in a back room.Another 11 properties in WA, including a property in Hargraves St, Stirling where 210 grams of methamphetamine was allegedly seized, were searched by police, along with one in NSW.“We will allege there is a clear link between this drug shipment and the Comancheros. There is no question that outlaw motorcycle gangs represent organised crime networks. They are not social clubs, they are organised crime,'' said Det-Supt Jim Migro, from the Serious and Organised Crime Division.
The top-secret investigation, code-named Operation Baystone, has been in train since December last year when police seized 2.7kg of methamphetamine from a house in Stirling.Det-Supt Migro said police intelligence suggested that a senior member of the NSW Comancheros was due to arrive in Perth this weekend to distribute colours to up to eight new WA members.
``They are establishing themselves here in Western Australia...This is a clear indication that outlaw motorcycle gangs are involved in and/or are organised crime. They are not social clubs. They are organised crime,'' he said.
``We first became aware of them back in December...They haven't been out overtly displaying themselves as Comancheros but our intelligence holdings have been given some information and because of that we started this operation on them.''Det-Supt Migro said the drug seizure equated to a $50 million reduction in the social cost of illicit drugs to the community. He would not disclose the street value of the seized drugs.Criminals and interstate bikie gangs were attracted to WA in a bid to capitalise on the rich economy and hefty disposable income, he said.``This is a very significant bust. We're talking here 7.5kg of amphetamine over a couple of months. These people are not small fish. These are the people that we talk about (who) are key players in the illicit drug trade."These people are serious and organised crime and for those people who say that outlaw motorcycle gangs aren't in organised crime, this is a clear indication of their involvement.''“Methamphetamine is hugely destructive, resulting in not just personal misery but it has the knock-on effect of contributing to further serious and volume crime within society.''Tuart Hill man Steve Milenkovski, 32, the WA Comancheros president, has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to supply methamphetamine.
East Perth man Hao Bi, 26, was charged with attempting to supply methamphetamine, while Yuvaz Ozan, 31, from Kogarah in New South wasles has been charged with supplying methamphetmaine and conspiring to sell the drug. The trio appeared in Perth Magistrates Court today.
Another man, a 28-year-old from Stirling has been charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to sell or supply, possessing cocaine and possessing ecstasy. He will appear in court at a later date.Det-Supt Mal Lanyon, from then NSW Gang Squad, said the Comancheros were one of the most significant gangs in NSW with about 50 members and had been involved in the notorious Sydney AirportTwelve Comanchero members, including the president, are in custody charged with murder, he said.These charges relate to the death of Anthony Zervas, 29 - the brother of senior Hells Angels member Peter Zervas - who was killed during a brawl between the Comancheros and Hells Angels at Sydney Airport in March last year.
Monday, 22 February 2010
Raid on the Perth headquarters of the Finks bikie gang
Raid on the Perth headquarters of the Finks bikie gang has resulted in the seizure of ammunition and a small amount of drugs.Officers from the Gang Crime Squad searched the clubhouse on Olney Court at Balga for firearms after a Finks nominee was charged with possessing a loaded handgun.Police allege the .25 calibre pistol fell to the ground during a scuffle between the 47-year-old man and security staff at a concert at surburban Caversham last night.He has been charged and is due to face court next week.
Detective Inspector John Adams says the operation was a success and charges will be laid."We've located a quanity of ammunition and a small amount of drugs," he said.He says part of another firearm was also found on Friday night during a search of the Balga clubhouse.
Detective Inspector John Adams says the operation was a success and charges will be laid."We've located a quanity of ammunition and a small amount of drugs," he said.He says part of another firearm was also found on Friday night during a search of the Balga clubhouse.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
William Wardell "Cozmo" Welebir,, and now of Conway, S.C., was convicted Friday in U.S. District Court on a single count of arson
William Wardell "Cozmo" Welebir, formerly of Front Royal, and now of Conway, S.C., was convicted Friday in U.S. District Court on a single count of arson. Prosecutors didn't have to prove that he actually set the Oct. 25, 2003, fire, but had at least aided and abetted the arson.six years after Strasburg's Bad Water Bill's Bar-B-Q Barn was destroyed in a 3 a.m. blaze, one of the culprits has been brought to justice.The other is dead, according to the U.S. government.
Welebir faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, with a 20-year maximum. After ensuring his medical needs -- he suffers from insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension and osteoarthritis, among other ailments -- could be met in a local jail, he was taken into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to await sentencing.Jurors sat through more than two days of testimony from witnesses who included a fire expert, a motorcycle gang expert, investigators and current and former members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club.Within weeks of the fire, Welebir, using the alias "Mr. Wagner," was supplying police with information on the Pagans, one of what are known as one-percenter outlaw motorcycle gangs because they are among the 1 percent of bikers who don't follow society's rules. He was put in touch with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent Mark Ambrozy, who testified that Welebir kept changing his story about the arson that at Bad Water Bill's.In one account, Welebir didn't know about the fire until the next morning; in another, he said he was at one gas station, while in a different version he placed himself at another. In one statement, Welebir said he saw current Pagan James Arthur "Art" Calhoun and former Pagan Josh Vossel set the fire, according to Ambrozy.
A Virginia state trooper saw Welebir's Ford Mustang leaving the bar, a haunt for area biker gangs, particularly the Warlocks, minutes before the fire was reported.On the stand Friday morning, Vossel said had he been asked to set the fire, he would have. At that time, he was what is known as a "hang around," someone who runs around with the gang, but is not a full member.
Vossel said "one percenters" live by their own rules, prompting U.S. District Judge Samuel G. Wilson to ask if that applied to telling the truth on the stand. Vossel said he left the Pagans five or six years ago, so their rules no longer applied to him."It's not like they're out there robbing banks or killing babies, or anything like that," he said. "It's like a government. You have officers, you have presidents, you have secretaries, treasurers."
"It's like containing a virus," Vossel said. "You don't want it to get airborne."Vossel overheard the Pagans' president, Steven Paul "Blacksmith" Hampton, who was killed in a motorcycle crash five years ago, talking about retaliating against the Hells Angels. He described Hampton, a close friend of Welebir's, as "paranoid" of the Pagans being linked to criminal activity."'Blacksmith' liked to use civilians for a lot of his dirty work," Vossel said. "That way, it has nothing to do with the Pagans."Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Souders said Welebir was guilty of at least driving Hampton to the scene of the fire."A strong message was sent with what was done," he said. "There were flames and destruction. This was a terrible fire.
"I will be honest. There are some questions that haven't been answered. There are some questions that we're never going to know the answer to. Who all was there at the scene of the fire? Who lit the match? Who poured the gas? We don't know."
Calhoun, 51, of White Post, testified Thursday that Welebir wasn't "Pagans material," highlighting as an example of his breach of Pagan etiquette Welebir publicly identifying Calhoun at a bike show. Souders played excerpts of a recorded phone call between Welebir and an intelligence analyst.In that call, Welebir talks about recently taking a gift to Calhoun, but spends a great deal of time telling the analyst, Domingo Perez, of the Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office, that Calhoun is supplying drugs, and suggests that Calhoun's wife be pressured to give up information by threatening to take away their baby.
Defense attorney Andrea Harris threw suspicion on Calhoun's and Vossel's credibility, and said her client didn't want to be a member of the Pagans.
"Cooperating with police certainly wouldn't impress the Pagans," she said. "Once [investigators] found the Mustang, they just tried to build a case against the Mustang."The government is asking you to speculate, and you cannot speculate. The government is asking you to believe the words of these Pagans. ... They're outlaws. Mr. Welebir is a person who was trying to do the right thing."Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Mott was the final lawyer to address jurors.
"We don't have to prove motive, but we did," he said. "It's respect. He was trying to get the respect of Paul Hampton, the president of the chapter. He was trying to get the respect of Calhoun and Vossel and others involved in the club. But when he didn't get it, he turned on them."A sentencing date has not yet been set.The arson's victims have some "vindication" now, Mott said after court.
"They were innocent victims caught up in [a] turf war," he said.
Welebir faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, with a 20-year maximum. After ensuring his medical needs -- he suffers from insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension and osteoarthritis, among other ailments -- could be met in a local jail, he was taken into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to await sentencing.Jurors sat through more than two days of testimony from witnesses who included a fire expert, a motorcycle gang expert, investigators and current and former members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club.Within weeks of the fire, Welebir, using the alias "Mr. Wagner," was supplying police with information on the Pagans, one of what are known as one-percenter outlaw motorcycle gangs because they are among the 1 percent of bikers who don't follow society's rules. He was put in touch with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent Mark Ambrozy, who testified that Welebir kept changing his story about the arson that at Bad Water Bill's.In one account, Welebir didn't know about the fire until the next morning; in another, he said he was at one gas station, while in a different version he placed himself at another. In one statement, Welebir said he saw current Pagan James Arthur "Art" Calhoun and former Pagan Josh Vossel set the fire, according to Ambrozy.
A Virginia state trooper saw Welebir's Ford Mustang leaving the bar, a haunt for area biker gangs, particularly the Warlocks, minutes before the fire was reported.On the stand Friday morning, Vossel said had he been asked to set the fire, he would have. At that time, he was what is known as a "hang around," someone who runs around with the gang, but is not a full member.
Vossel said "one percenters" live by their own rules, prompting U.S. District Judge Samuel G. Wilson to ask if that applied to telling the truth on the stand. Vossel said he left the Pagans five or six years ago, so their rules no longer applied to him."It's not like they're out there robbing banks or killing babies, or anything like that," he said. "It's like a government. You have officers, you have presidents, you have secretaries, treasurers."
The Pagans were upset by what they saw as an effort by the Hells Angels to move into their territory, Vossel said. A Hells Angels support club, the Titans, had a bike show scheduled at the Strasburg eatery the day of the fire. Putting up a wall against the support club makes it harder for the bigger club to settle in, he said.
"It's like containing a virus," Vossel said. "You don't want it to get airborne."Vossel overheard the Pagans' president, Steven Paul "Blacksmith" Hampton, who was killed in a motorcycle crash five years ago, talking about retaliating against the Hells Angels. He described Hampton, a close friend of Welebir's, as "paranoid" of the Pagans being linked to criminal activity."'Blacksmith' liked to use civilians for a lot of his dirty work," Vossel said. "That way, it has nothing to do with the Pagans."Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Souders said Welebir was guilty of at least driving Hampton to the scene of the fire."A strong message was sent with what was done," he said. "There were flames and destruction. This was a terrible fire.
"I will be honest. There are some questions that haven't been answered. There are some questions that we're never going to know the answer to. Who all was there at the scene of the fire? Who lit the match? Who poured the gas? We don't know."
Calhoun, 51, of White Post, testified Thursday that Welebir wasn't "Pagans material," highlighting as an example of his breach of Pagan etiquette Welebir publicly identifying Calhoun at a bike show. Souders played excerpts of a recorded phone call between Welebir and an intelligence analyst.In that call, Welebir talks about recently taking a gift to Calhoun, but spends a great deal of time telling the analyst, Domingo Perez, of the Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office, that Calhoun is supplying drugs, and suggests that Calhoun's wife be pressured to give up information by threatening to take away their baby.
Defense attorney Andrea Harris threw suspicion on Calhoun's and Vossel's credibility, and said her client didn't want to be a member of the Pagans.
"Cooperating with police certainly wouldn't impress the Pagans," she said. "Once [investigators] found the Mustang, they just tried to build a case against the Mustang."The government is asking you to speculate, and you cannot speculate. The government is asking you to believe the words of these Pagans. ... They're outlaws. Mr. Welebir is a person who was trying to do the right thing."Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Mott was the final lawyer to address jurors.
"We don't have to prove motive, but we did," he said. "It's respect. He was trying to get the respect of Paul Hampton, the president of the chapter. He was trying to get the respect of Calhoun and Vossel and others involved in the club. But when he didn't get it, he turned on them."A sentencing date has not yet been set.The arson's victims have some "vindication" now, Mott said after court.
"They were innocent victims caught up in [a] turf war," he said.
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Dispute between rival bikie gangs may have been behind a fire at a tattoo parlour owned by a former member of the rock group Rose Tattoo.
The Hells Angels have been on a recruitment drive and Mr King is believed to be one of five Nomads who defected to the group, along with their former national president Scott Orrock. Such changes can cause tension between rival gangs, according to the bikie expert Arthur Veno.
Dispute between rival bikie gangs may have been behind a fire at a tattoo parlour owned by a former member of the rock group Rose Tattoo.The blaze at House of Pain, in Annandale, was spotted shortly before 12.30am yesterday and neighbours in adjoining units had to be evacuated.The parlour is owned by Steve King, who played with Rose Tattoo from 2000.Mr King was believed to have been a member of the Nomads gang, but may have switched his allegiance and joined the Hells Angels shortly before Christmas.”There’s a strong correlation between recruiting drives and inter-club tensions,” Dr Veno told the Herald last month.”The growth of one club can also have a flow-on effect on other clubs. A recruitment drive in one club tends to spark a recruitment drive in others in response.”Mr King displayed guitars from his time with Rose Tattoo in the parlour on Parramatta Road as well as other music memorabilia, all of which is thought to have been destroyed in the fire.A year ago the nearby Hell’s Angel’s clubhouse on Crystal Street, Petersham, was blown up and shots fired into another tattoo parlour on Parramatta Road.Four men associated with the Nomads were arrested at Kings Street Wharf after an assault on nightclub bouncers about 12.30am on February 14, 2010.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
shoulder-bumping" members of the Hells Angels and the Throttle Lockers
shoulder-bumping" members of the Hells Angels and the Throttle Lockers puppet gang inside the nightclub, provoking a street fight outside.
Cpl. Annie Linteau said the officers charged, Const. Chris MacDonald of Prince Edward Island, and Const. Kiel Samotej of Alberta, remain on duty though they are also the subject of an internal code of conduct review.MacDonald, 40, and Samotej, 25, were in the Okanagan with others on vacation. They are due to make their first appearances in a Kelowna courtroom April 22.
Kelowna resident Errol Milsom-Gardener, 25, will appear in court April 8 for allegedly striking Mac-Donald, who ended up in hospital.Linteau said the fight outside the night club involved 15 to 20 individuals wearing Hells Angels and Throttle Lockers colours and about seven members of MacDonald's group."This alleged assault involved a 'shoulder bump' inside the nightclub and is believed to have instigated the much larger altercation that later took place outside," she said.
Linteau said a shoulder bump would constitute an assault if it was done intentionally, which is what the evidence showed in this case. The shoulder bump did not result in anyone being injured, she said.
After the incident inside, the Mountie group left the bar and the biker group followed them.
"The group of 15 to 20 tracked them down the street for about half a block and that's where the altercation happened," Linteau said.
While the Mounties could identify the bikers, Linteau said she didn't know if the bikers knew there were police officers in the opposing group.
She said others with Mac-Donald sustained minor injuries that did not require hospitalization. Mac-Donald was held overnight at Kelowna General Hospital and then released.
Kelowna RCMP investigated the fight and sent the findings to Crown counsel for consideration of criminal charges, Linteau said. Those charged were approved Feb. 5.
The Hells Angels established a Kelowna chapter in the summer of 2007, and several members of the notorious biker gang have moved to the Okanagan.
The Throttle Lockers are one of several puppet clubs that have surfaced across B.C. over the past year. Police say these clubs have a direct relationship to the Hells Angels. The Throttle Lockers club is based in 100 Mile House and has about 10 members and ties to the Kelowna Hells Angels.
motorcycle gangs played any role in the shooting death of a tattoo parlor owner.
Police say Ferraiolo was ambushed Tuesday night outside his parlor, A Touch of Color, on Dixwell Avenue. The medical examiner's office says he died of multiple gunshot wounds. gangs played any role in the shooting death of a tattoo parlor owner.Chief Thomas Wydra said Wednesday that police are investigating whether the victim, 64-year-old Joseph Ferraiolo, had any affiliation, membership or involvement in any motorcycle gang, and whether his killing may have been retaliation for something.Wydra declined to say why police were looking at motorcycle gangs and wouldn't say if any suspects had been identified. Investigators are looking for a black truck they say was connected to the killing.
Jay Dobyns, death threats from the Hells Angels.
Jay Dobyns, an ATF agent in Arizona for 22 years, contends in U.S. Court of Claims papers that his bosses failed to uphold an agreement to protect him after he received death threats from the Hells Angels.Last month, Judge Francis Allegra ruled that Dobyns' complaint must proceed, and he rebuked government lawyers for their dismissal arguments.The agent's victory was short-lived, however. Days after Allegra's Jan. 15 decision, federal lawyers filed a counterclaim accusing Dobyns of harming his country by publishing an autobiography, "No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels," and entering a deal to sell the book's movie rights.The counterclaim argues that Dobyns violated federal rules by failing to get a supervisor's approval before publishing a book based on information he gathered while working as an ATF agent.Dobyns, who still works at ATF as a coordinator for computerized ballistics data, said the countersuit was a "completely retaliatory move.""It definitely supports my allegation that ATF is going to do everything it can to break me," he said.ATF and Justice Department officials did not respond to interview requests.Dobyns' troubles with the bureau began in 2003 after he completed 21 months as the lead undercover agent in Operation Black Biscuit, one of the deepest law-enforcement probes into the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.Working with informants and other agents who posed as bikers, Dobyns infiltrated the Hells Angels so thoroughly that he was invited to become a member before the probe ended. The case resulted in charges of murder, conspiracy, weapons violations and narcotics offenses against 16 bikers in Arizona.Dobyns, already a decorated agent, received several other national awards.The Hells Angels case later fell apart, largely because of problems with undercover informants as well as disputes between federal prosecutors and ATF agents.In the aftermath, Dobyns says that he and his family were targeted by a series of death threats issued by the Hells Angels and other groups. Jail informants described plans to murder Dobyns.Dobyns eventually went public with complaints that the ATF failed to adequately investigate the threats or provide security for his family. ATF administrators rebuffed all formal grievances, Dobyns said, then launched a retaliatory campaign of harassment and slander against him. An internal inquiry dismissed Dobyns' allegations, but an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General validated his claims. In 2007, ATF managers agreed to settle the matter with a payment of $373,000, a guarantee that Dobyns' family would be protected and assurances that the agent would no longer be subjected to abuse.
Seven months later, according to Dobyns' lawsuit, the ATF stopped providing protection. Then, in August 2008, Dobyns' home in Tucson was destroyed by an arson-caused fire.Dobyns' Court of Claims lawsuit lists 147 instances in which he says the ATF violated the settlement agreement.Department of Justice attorney Kent Kiffner asked for a dismissal based on technical arguments.Federal employees are normally limited in their ability to seek tort damages from their agencies. However, because Dobyns won a settlement in his previous claim, the judge said, the agent is entitled to sue the government for breaching that 2007 agreement.Days after the ruling, the federal government filed its counterclaim.
Government lawyers argue that Dobyns had previously breached the agreement by not seeking a supervisor's approval before publishing his book. Federal rules also prohibit ATF agents from using their official position to further a private business interest.The counterclaim asks that Dobyns pay the government for all funds he has or will receive related to the book and possible movie.
Dobyns' actions, the counterclaim says, have "injured" and "damaged" the United States, but the filing does not explain how.Kiffner referred inquiries to a Justice Department spokesman, who could not be reached.Dobyns said his autobiography, co-written by Nils Johnson-Shelton, has been on sale for a year and only contains information about the ATF that had previously been public."How did this damage them?" he asked. "I'm just waiting for an answer to that one."
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
provincial witness protection program will help law enforcement combat Hells Angels
provincial witness protection program will help law enforcement combat gang activity, Calgary police Chief Rick Hanson said.The government announced in its speech from the throne on Thursday that it will establish a program that will offer short-term protection, as opposed to an existing federal program that offers long-term or permanent protection.Witness protection on its own may not induce members to quit gangs, but Hanson said it could be a deciding factor for gangsters looking for a way out. "It's just something that leaves the door open if they want to get out and are really serious about getting out," he said.Gang cases are typically difficult to prosecute because witnesses are afraid to come forward. Getting former gang members as witnesses may allow police to start gaining momentum in gang-related investigations, said Hanson."It creates opportunities to develop sources, individuals who would be willing to support the police in giving evidence against their associates," he said.
The program will be paid for and administered by the province and could be used for other types of cases, though gang prosecutions are seen as its most likely application. That arrangement not only spares police budgets the burden, but the separation also protects investigations, Hanson said.
"It's really critical when you use someone as a witness who has gang ties or affiliations, it's done so that it doesn't compromise the integrity of the investigation," he said.
While the concept is new to Alberta, other jurisdictions have used the same sort of short-term protection.
The program will be paid for and administered by the province and could be used for other types of cases, though gang prosecutions are seen as its most likely application. That arrangement not only spares police budgets the burden, but the separation also protects investigations, Hanson said.
"It's really critical when you use someone as a witness who has gang ties or affiliations, it's done so that it doesn't compromise the integrity of the investigation," he said.
While the concept is new to Alberta, other jurisdictions have used the same sort of short-term protection.
Norwegian lawyer Morten Furuholmen is preparing a lawsuit against Icelandic authorities for what he calls an unfounded arrest of Leif Ivar Kristiansen
Norwegian lawyer Morten Furuholmen is preparing a lawsuit against Icelandic authorities for what he calls an unfounded arrest of Leif Ivar Kristiansen, the leader of the Hells Angels motorcycle club in Norway, at KeflavÃk International Airport yesterday.
partially clothed human skeleton has been found on a Manchester building site
partially clothed human skeleton has been found on a Manchester building site. [9 February 2010]The remains were discovered by construction workers excavating for a car park redevelopment on Miller Street, near the CIS Tower.A post-mortem found that the skeleton belonged to a white woman aged between 16 and 30. She had a fractured neck, collarbone and jaw. Police are treating her death as suspicious and have launched a murder enquiry.
Hells Angels members behind bars and locked up many more members of the Hells Angels puppet club the Zig Zag Crew.
Court documents show that with Hells Angels support low in Manitoba because of the arrests, the Rock Machine motorcycle gang is trying to make inroads into the province. Rock Machine members have apparently been wearing their gang colours, enraging members of the Hells Angels.Court documents show the conflict between the two gangs turned violent in the middle of January.A member of the Rock Machine was lured to a business on St. Mary's Road and then viciously beaten with a stool by several members of the Redlined Support Crew, another group of Hells Angels associates, state the documents.The fear of gang retaliation is what led police to raid a house on Mighton Avenue in Elmwood last week. Officers seized a loaded 9 millimetre handgun after receiving information that a Redlined member living there was allegedly keeping a loaded gun ready in case of attack by the Rock Machine.
The Hells Angels and Rock Machine have clashed in the past. During the mid 1990's in Quebec, about 150 people were killed in a biker war there that ended only after a truce was called.According to court documents, Winnipeg police believe more biker gang violence is being planned in the city, which is leading officers to stake out locations.
The Hells Angels and Rock Machine have clashed in the past. During the mid 1990's in Quebec, about 150 people were killed in a biker war there that ended only after a truce was called.According to court documents, Winnipeg police believe more biker gang violence is being planned in the city, which is leading officers to stake out locations.
15 to 20 people wearing Hells Angels and Throttle Lockers “colours.”
Police allege the off-duty officers — Const. Chris MacDonald, 40, of P.E.I. and Const. Kiel Samotej, 25, of Alberta — and seven others were involved in a fight with 15 to 20 people wearing Hells Angels and Throttle Lockers “colours.”The charges stem after one of the officers allegedly shoulder-bumped a Hells Angels inside the club leading to a much larger brouhaha outside between the two groups.MacDonald was taken to Kelowna General Hospital, where he was treated for multiple injuries. Mounties say other members of MacDonald’s group were also injured but did not require hospitalization.The officers have been charged with assault while Kelowna resident Errol Milson-Gardener, 25, has been charged with assault causing bodily harm for his alleged role in the attack on MacDonald.The trio are scheduled to appear in court on April 22.Both officers remain on duty while an internal RCMP code-of-conduct investigation is under way.
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Police have charged the wife of former Coffin Cheater Troy Mercanti with stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a trust fund
Police have charged the wife of former Coffin Cheater Troy Mercanti with stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a trust fund set up for the benefit of the children of slain gang member Marc Chabriere.In an attempt to ward off violence between the Cheaters and Mercanti's new gang the Finks, police and the Australian Crime Commission launched an investigation into the allegations last year.Yesterday they charged Tammy Cherie Kingdon with four counts of stealing and one of property laundering.It is understood that police are also investigating the theft of money from a trust fund set up by Mercanti in 2000 after the death of his close friend Richard Vickers.Police would not confirm last night whether any of the four stealing charges related to the Vickers trust.It is believed the property laundering charge flows from using the allegedly stolen funds in the purchase of the Finks' Balga clubhouse in Ms Kingdon's name last year.Ms Kingdon was at home when gang crime squad officers raided the family's Duncraig house yesterday.
She was released on bail to appear in Joondalup Magistrate's Court on Thursday. Mercanti, who is in jail for assault, is understood to have been charged with offences related to the same investigation.Mr Chabriere was shot dead in a hail of bullets in 1998 at the height of the gang war between the Coffin Cheaters and Club Deroes.Andrew Wayne Edhouse was charged but acquitted of the murder.After Mr Chabriere's funeral, the Coffin Cheaters organised a trust fund to help provide for Mr Chabriere's children.Senior gang members were put in charge of the trust, including Mercanti, who was sensationally expelled from the gang in 2008 on "bad standing" after being bashed by up to 15 members.Within months, Mercanti joined the Finks bikie gang and a Finks member was shot in the shoulder as he rode his motorcycle with three other men near Wooroloo, sparking fears of a new and deadly gang war.
The Finks Balga clubhouse was then bought in Mrs Mercanti's name.Mercanti was refused parole this month and is not due for release until next year.
She was released on bail to appear in Joondalup Magistrate's Court on Thursday. Mercanti, who is in jail for assault, is understood to have been charged with offences related to the same investigation.Mr Chabriere was shot dead in a hail of bullets in 1998 at the height of the gang war between the Coffin Cheaters and Club Deroes.Andrew Wayne Edhouse was charged but acquitted of the murder.After Mr Chabriere's funeral, the Coffin Cheaters organised a trust fund to help provide for Mr Chabriere's children.Senior gang members were put in charge of the trust, including Mercanti, who was sensationally expelled from the gang in 2008 on "bad standing" after being bashed by up to 15 members.Within months, Mercanti joined the Finks bikie gang and a Finks member was shot in the shoulder as he rode his motorcycle with three other men near Wooroloo, sparking fears of a new and deadly gang war.
The Finks Balga clubhouse was then bought in Mrs Mercanti's name.Mercanti was refused parole this month and is not due for release until next year.
Friday, 5 February 2010
Red Deer has a 12 to 20-member chapter of the Nomads, a Hells Angels puppet club
Police say the man is a member of the outlaw motorcycle gang, and the women, neither of whom was seriously injured, had no prior connection to the bikers."There's no believed connection between them at all. It's not a domestic relationship or anything," said RCMP spokeswoman Const. Sabrina Grunow.Red Deer has a bylaw banning any sort of gang identification clothing, and Grunow said the man wasn't wearing anything to identify himself as a biker.But around 2:37 a.m. police were called to the Urban Rodeo in the 4700 Block of Gaetz Avenue on Jan. 24 where it was reported that a group of women were involved in an altercation with several members of the Hells Angels.Grunow said that by the time cops arrived, much of it had broken up.They're still trying to piece together what happened, but Grunow acknowledged that it's pretty unusual to find several macho members of a bike gang fighting with women on the street.It's even more unusual to find plenty of witnesses when outlaw bikers are involved."It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the long run," Grunow said. Red Deer has a 12 to 20-member chapter of the Nomads, a Hells Angels puppet club. Grunow said investigators are still trying determine whether the suspect is a member of that club, or another chapter.
fight outside of a downtown nightclub has landed a Hells Angels member in jail.
A 58-year-old man from Spruce Grove was charged with two counts of assault after Red Deer City RCMP responded to multiple complaints of a large disturbance outside of Urban Rodeo shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 24. It was alleged that a physical altercation was ongoing between members of the Hells Angels and a number of women, according to an RCMP news release. The man was arrested without incident. Two women, ages 20 and 21, suffered minor injuries as a result of the altercation. The man, whose name isn’t being released pending the charges being sworn, was released from custody with conditions and is set to appear in Red Deer provincial court on March 23.
80 motorbikes accompanied the coffin of popular Hells Angel Mike Bugler to his funeral on Tuesday.
Starting at Mr Bugler’s home in The Friary, the procession went around the ring road and on to Salisbury crematorium where scores more mourners were waiting to pay their last respects.
The coffin was carried in a sidecar and Mr Bugler’s wife Myra travelled on his Harley Davidson, with a police escort accompanying the bikers. Mr Bugler, 60, died at Salisbury Hospice on January 19.
He had been diagnosed with cancer in 2008. Born in Portsmouth, he moved with his
family to Herbert Road in Salisbury and grew up in the city. From an early age, he was an avid motorcycle fan and became Master of Arms in the Hells Angels. He made friends all over the country, and many of them travelled on their bikes to attend his funeral.
Mr Bugler’s family said he was known for his “happy, big personality” and he has been described as a “gentle giant”. They said he would do anything for anyone and played a huge part in the community.
Mr Bugler worked as a lorry driver and loved listening to the music of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Beatles. After the funeral, the mourners went to the Five Bells pub where Mr Bugler and his wife received a blessing last October.
The coffin was carried in a sidecar and Mr Bugler’s wife Myra travelled on his Harley Davidson, with a police escort accompanying the bikers. Mr Bugler, 60, died at Salisbury Hospice on January 19.
He had been diagnosed with cancer in 2008. Born in Portsmouth, he moved with his
family to Herbert Road in Salisbury and grew up in the city. From an early age, he was an avid motorcycle fan and became Master of Arms in the Hells Angels. He made friends all over the country, and many of them travelled on their bikes to attend his funeral.
Mr Bugler’s family said he was known for his “happy, big personality” and he has been described as a “gentle giant”. They said he would do anything for anyone and played a huge part in the community.
Mr Bugler worked as a lorry driver and loved listening to the music of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Beatles. After the funeral, the mourners went to the Five Bells pub where Mr Bugler and his wife received a blessing last October.
three members of the motorcycle gang known as the Hells Angeles were arrested under the suspicion of drug crimes in Ventura County
three members of the motorcycle gang known as the Hells Angeles were arrested under the suspicion of drug crimes in Ventura County. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Gang Unit reported the arrests over the weekend.Two of the men were arrested last Friday, one on the suspicion of transporting methamphetamine and the other under the suspicion of being under the drugs influences.They were stopped by gang unit officials who noticed them weaving in and out of traffic on Highway 101 at speeds over 85 miles per hour. David Olivares, the man who was under suspicion for transporting methamphetamine, was released from the Ventura County jail after he posted $55,000 bail. The other man was cited and released.A few days before this incident, another man known to be an associate of the Hells Angels, Martin Kada, was arrested under the suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. Mr. Kada was released on $20,000 bail.Drug crimes are extremely serious charges. A drug crime conviction can drastically change the course of your life after resulting in large fines, a felony record, and even jail time. If you find yourself in a situation where you have been accused of crimes such as these get in touch with Ventura County criminal defense lawyer Robert Helfend, he has the experience you need in your corner.Three members of the Hells Angels were arrested recently on suspicion of drug crimes, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Gang Unit said Saturday.On Friday, investigators arrested David Olivares, 39, of Carpinteria on suspicion of transportation of methamphetamine, and James Ivans, 37, of Carpinteria on suspicion of being under the influence of methamphetamine.
They were among six motorcyclists stopped by gang investigators who saw them weaving in and out of traffic at more than 85 mph on Highway 101 near Del Norte Boulevard, officials said.
Olivares was released from Ventura County jail after posting $55,000 bail. Ivan was cited and released. The others were cited for traffic violations.
Martin Kada, 37, of Ventura was arrested Jan. 22 near Saticoy on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. He was jailed and released on $20,000 bail, sheriff’s officials said.
They were among six motorcyclists stopped by gang investigators who saw them weaving in and out of traffic at more than 85 mph on Highway 101 near Del Norte Boulevard, officials said.
Olivares was released from Ventura County jail after posting $55,000 bail. Ivan was cited and released. The others were cited for traffic violations.
Martin Kada, 37, of Ventura was arrested Jan. 22 near Saticoy on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. He was jailed and released on $20,000 bail, sheriff’s officials said.
most brutal news report surrounding the Hell’s Angels Australian member
most brutal news report surrounding the Hell’s Angels Australian member dates back to 2007 June. On that fateful day one of the members of the Hell’s Angels Australia chapter shot a gentleman who was trying to assist one of the gang member’s girlfriends and the six shots fired at passers-by resulted in two more people being injured. The 2007 Melbourne CBD shootings have angered this Australian city. The motorcycle gang also went on to further tangle with members of another motorcycle club in Australia known as The Comanchero Motorcycle Club. The Hell's Angels Australia has a very disreputable and negative public image and recent legislation has outlawed motorbike gang activity. The reason for the negative publicity is primarily because of the continued turf and gang wars that are leading to violence that spills out over to the general public.
Kadir P’s “Centro” chapter has proven particularly brutal in this ongoing feud, and difficult to control. Its members have repeatedly made savage attacks on rivals in the Hell’s Angels
Officials believe that Frank H., the head of the Hell’s Angels club in Hanover, hammered out the details of the defection last week with “Centro” leader Kadir P. Likewise, Peter M., one of the highest-ranking Bandidos in Europe, confirmed to SPIEGEL ONLINE that the crossover took place on Tuesday evening. However, when questioned about the matter, Hell’s Angels member Rudolf “Django” T. declined to confirm that the defectors had been accepted into his organization yet, saying only: “We’ll let you know in the next few days.”While the defecting members of “Centro” — both notorious and feared in the biker scene for their violence — have cut ties with their old group, it appears that their membership in Hell’s Angels has not yet been finalized. But the bikers have stripped their club house in Berlin’s northern Reinickendorf district of all Bandido insignia.Recent months have seen an uptick in violence between the rival motorcycle gangs — particularly in Berlin, the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein and eastern Germany. And the attacks have been escalating, from knife assaults to shootings to explosives. The reason: the Bandidos have managed to recruit hundreds of young men, many of them from immigrant families in Germany’s east, and put the Hell’s Angels on the defensive.Kadir P’s “Centro” chapter has proven particularly brutal in this ongoing feud, and difficult to control. Its members have repeatedly made savage attacks on rivals in the Hell’s Angels camp, which has close ties to the far-right fan club of a local football club. Indeed, one newspaper article recently reported that the Hell’s Angels in Berlin refuse to allow foreigners into their ranks.Now, however, the brutality would appear to have been forgiven and forgotten — the avowed enemies may soon become brothers in arms.
In the meantime, police units have taken up positions in front of the Bandidos’ clubhouse in Berlin. Investigators also say that biker-related properties have been kept under observations in Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg since Tuesday evening. “We want to see whether a war breaks out,” one investigator told SPIEGEL TV.Nobody knows, after all, how the Bandidos will react to this mass defection. Revenge and retaliation? Do the “traitors” now have to fear for their lives? In short, what does the defection mean?
“That they’re gone,” says Peter M., the number-two man in Europe’s Bandidos organization, before hanging up the phone.
In the meantime, police units have taken up positions in front of the Bandidos’ clubhouse in Berlin. Investigators also say that biker-related properties have been kept under observations in Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg since Tuesday evening. “We want to see whether a war breaks out,” one investigator told SPIEGEL TV.Nobody knows, after all, how the Bandidos will react to this mass defection. Revenge and retaliation? Do the “traitors” now have to fear for their lives? In short, what does the defection mean?
“That they’re gone,” says Peter M., the number-two man in Europe’s Bandidos organization, before hanging up the phone.
76 members and supporters of “Centro,” as the Berlin chapter of the Bandidos is known, are reportedly trying to defect to the Hell’s Angels camp.
When all was said and done, a gravely wounded Hell’s Angels hanger-on named Enrico K. was lying on the street — with an axe in his leg. When the police questioned him about what had happened, he attributed his gruesome wound to “a traffic accident.”In the biker system of values, there have always been two constants. One is the sacred “code of silence.” The other is the hatred for enemy biker clubs. As such, a recent development in the Berlin biker scene — first reported by SPIEGEL TV and SPIEGEL ONLINE on Wednesday — is as unprecedented as it is explosive.A total of 76 members and supporters of “Centro,” as the Berlin chapter of the Bandidos is known, are reportedly trying to defect to the Hell’s Angels camp. Investigators say the would-be defectors have already appeared in public wearing brand-new red-and-white Hell’s Angels garb, and that they have seen André S., the head of the local Hell’s Angels club, speaking with members of the rival club. The 45-year-old S. was recently stabbed — likely by Bandidos.
massacre of Bandidos Motorcycle Club members sheds more light on the lives of several York Region residents connected to the club.
Among those murdered in 2006 were York residents Paul "Big Paul" Sinopoli, 30, of Jackson's Point, the secretary-general of the Bandidos Toronto chapter and Jamie "Goldberg" Flanz, 37, of Keswick.
The book offers a rare glimpse into the often insular biker realm. But rather than just its seedy, dark image, Mr. Edwards paints a different picture of some of the men.For instance, Mr. Flanz, owned a computer business and was a Bandido prospect for six months before his death, and Toronto's George Kriarakis, who reportedly had a strong marriage, likely wanted camaraderie, according to Mr. Edwards.In late October, six men, Wayne Kellestine, Frank Mather, along with Winnipeg residents Marcelo Aravena, Brett Gardiner, Michael Sandham - a former police officer - and Dwight Mushey were found guilty for their roles in the killings.The Texas headquarters of the club was upset with the Canadians for breaching club rules. The night of the murder, there was an attempt to rescind the membership of several men, Mr. Edwards wrote.Even before the Bandidos massacre, Mr. Flanz's home was connected to another violent incident.In December 2005, a 20-year-old woman, who is now in witness protection and who Mr. Edwards referred to as Mary Thompson, was in a home on Hattie Court, in Gerogina, owned by Mr. Flanz.Ms Thompson had experienced a rough home life and a car accident and a high school friend of hers recommended Flanz's home as a good place to stay, he said.
She got a room upstairs and had been there a few weeks when Keswick resident Shawn Douse, who Mr. Edwards described as a husband, father and drug dealer, arrived at the home. Mr. Flanz was not home at the time.After a confrontation about drugs, Mr. Douse was taken into the basement. Upstairs, Ms Thompson could hear Mr. Douse screaming, Mr. Edwards wrote.
Mr. Douse's body was later found in a north Pickering field.Four men, who Mr. Edwards has described as connected to the Bandidos, including Keswick resident Cameron Acorn, a Bandido, and former Keswick resident Bobby Quinn as well as Randy Brown of Jackson's Point, were later convicted in connection with Mr. Douse's death. An Oakville man was also convicted.Mr. Flanz had nothing to do with the death of Mr. Douse, according to Mr. Edwards.Mr. Flanz's home was simply a "good place to meet", Mr. Edwards said.Mr. Flanz had a good rapport with Ms Thompson, the book states."He was like a big brother," Mr. Edwards said. "(Ms Thompson) was terrified the next day, she listened to the beating, which was really traumatic and then the next morning she has to clean up the blood. Her reaction was more emotional more than anything else. There was also a real fear for her life ... that she's a witness and not really part of the group."In the book, Mr. Edwards thanks Mr. Douse's father for reminding him of the human toll the murder took.
Meanwhile, Mr. Edwards said Mr. Sinopoli weighed several hundred pounds and constantly fretted about his health. Mr. Edwards describes Mr. Sinopoli, a former security guard, as having "dabbled in selling drugs".However, he was well like, Mr. Edwards said.While acknowledging the men were outlaws, Mr. Edwards said it was important to show that they were also people."A lot of them are like people we went to high school with," he said. "They might not have been on the honour roll but they were still human. A lot of them, if they stayed around a little bit longer, they probably would have floated out of it. Sometimes it's the situation that makes people the way they are."
York Regional Police is monitoring the activities of outlaw biker groups in the region, investigative services Insp. Richard Crabtree said.Today, there are two outlaw biker clubhouses in York, including one in Keswick and one in King Township, York police said.Meanwhile, Mr. Edwards also writes about Francesco "Cisco" Lenti, a Vaughan man who court records show was the subject of a Hells Angels plot to curb his attempts at Bandidos expansion. In 2008, Mr. Lenti pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of David John "Dread" Buchanan the sergeant at arms for the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club West Toronto chapter and aggravated assault for the wounding of another Hells Angel and a then-prospect member of the club. The shooting took place at a Vaughan club."He's what someone would call a one-percenter's one-percenter," Mr. Edwards said of Mr. Lenti, referring to the term by which some motorcycle riders identify themselves or are identified as being outlaws."If Lenti had been listened to, the massacre probably wouldn't have happened," Mr. Edwards said. "Lenti had a really strong, uneasy feeling about Sandham. There was something in his antennae about Sandham that he didn't trust."Mr. Edwards said he finds it unlikely that the Bandidos will make a push to expand into Ontario again soon. According to Mr. Edwards, the club is headquartered in the United States.
"The best of them were murdered and the worst of them went to prison for the murders," he said
Sylvain Boulanger openly described to Police how he had murdered someone
Sylvain Boulanger was also granted immunity from prosecution, despite admitting to Police that he'd actually murdered someone himself. His defection from the notorious biker gang led to more than 150 arrests during Operation SharQc in 2009.The three-year operation saw Boulanger, an Angels member for over 20 years, spill the beans over murders, attempted murders and other crimes committed by his former associates.
Boulanger openly described to Police how he had murdered someone:
"The door was open, I come up on the side and I shoot. I hear 'Ow! Ow! Ow!' I see him there and in my head, he's dead. So I get out of there running," he told police in a videotaped conversation obtained by Radio-Canada.Boulanger initially asked for over £5 million but the request was turned down.
Boulanger openly described to Police how he had murdered someone:
"The door was open, I come up on the side and I shoot. I hear 'Ow! Ow! Ow!' I see him there and in my head, he's dead. So I get out of there running," he told police in a videotaped conversation obtained by Radio-Canada.Boulanger initially asked for over £5 million but the request was turned down.
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