FBI agents and Honolulu police took Stephen Sanders, former head of the San Diego Hells Angels, into custody without incident in Ala Moana Park on Thursday, Agent Tom Simon said. The 42-year-old Sanders was wanted in California in connection with a 2007 robbery and kidnapping. The Hawaii arrest comes the same day that more than two dozen members of the Hells Angels and their associates were apprehended in a series of San Diego County raids. FBI spokesman Darrell Foxworth told the San Diego Union-Tribune (http://bit.ly/rmikpu ) that the 26 arrests came at the end of a violent crimes task force investigation. Simon said Sanders' arrest on the same day of the raids was a coincidence.
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Friday, 30 September 2011
Hells Angel slaying suspect arrested in San Fran
University of California, San Francisco police have arrested the suspect in the slaying of the president of a Hells Angels chapter at a Nevada casino. UCSF Assistant Police Chief Paul Berlin says 53-year-old Ernesto Manuel Gonzalez was taken into custody after he was spotted by an officer just a block from campus police headquarters around 8:20 p.m. Thursday. Gonzalez was apparently in a parked 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. He is being held pending the arrival of police from Sparks, Nev., where he is accused of killing Jeffrey "Jethro" Pettigrew inside a casino on Sept. 23. Authorities say Gonzalez is an alleged member of the Vagos gang and shot the 51-year-old Pettigrew four times in the back. Pettigrew was the president of the San Jose chapter of the Hells Angels.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Danish court jails 15 motorbike gang members for murder attempts on rivals
Danish court has sentenced 15 motorbike gang members to jail for six murder attempts on rival gang members. The court said Thursday the bikers would spend from three to 15 years in prison, following the country’s biggest biker-related trial. Loading... Comments Weigh InCorrections? Copenhagen’s city court ruled earlier this month that members of the Hells Angels and their support group, AK81, were guilty of a series of shootings in the Danish capital in 2009. No one was killed but one victim had his leg amputated. The gangs have been feuding over control of criminal markets, including drug trade.
Monday, 26 September 2011
Hells Angels' president killed in Sparks shooting
Police confirm the president of the San Jose chapter of the Hell's Angels, Jeffrey Pettigrew died while two Vagos club members are being treated for their injuries. Sparks Police say a group of members from the Hell's Angels and Vagos motorcycle clubs got into a fight near the Trader Dick's bar late Friday night. Police have made no arrests for the murder or shootings of the other victims.
Gang violence at Sparks Nugget Hotel results in shooting of Sacramento biker
More details are becoming available in shooting death in Sparks, Nevada involving the Hells Angels and a rival motorcycle gang. The shooting late Friday night at the John Asguaga's Nugget Hotel resulted in the death of a Hells Angel leader from San Jose and injuries to 2 rival Vagos gang members. The gang members were among thousands of attendees at the annual Sparks "street vibrations" event. Concern about retaliation led local and state officials to declare a to a state of emergency, which was eventually lifted around 5 p.m. on Saturday. A Sacramento gang detective investigating the case in Nevada said one of the gang members shot at in retaliation is from Sacramento. That gang member was shot twice in the chest Saturday morning. He was expected to survive. In response to concerns about retaliation, a Sacramento ATF agent said, "We always try to be aware of crimes of violence in our community. We try to anticipate when and where there will be violations of the federal firearm and explosive laws. We are watching this very closely," said Graham Barlowe, ATF Sacramento's Resident Agent in Charge.
Dunedin gang members arrested following clash
Hells Angels and Vagos Motorcycle Gangs Go to War in Nevada Casino
The Hells Angels motorcycle gang is minus one California leader after a wild shootout in a Nevada casino. The Vagos motorcycle gang survived the fight with two members wounded. The violent fight caused the city's Mayor to temporarily declare a state of emergency and stop a biker festival. It wasn't long before a drive-by shooting wounded another biker in retaliation.
Friday night at John Ascuaga's Nugget Hotel and Casino in Sparks, Nevada, was the scene of the bloody altercation between the two gangs. Eyewitnesses say a Hells Angels member fired the first shot and a surveillance video clearly shows a biker shooting wildly into the casino crowd. Police have charged Hells Angel, Cesar Villagrana, with assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a stolen firearm after seeing the video.
According to one witness, the shooting started when one Hells Angel was punched in the nose. He went on to say the biker jumped up with the bloody nose and pulled a gun and fired. The scene must have been horrific and must have scared the casino's patrons into taking cover. When bikers start fight, it's time to take cover.
Jeffrey "Jethro" Pettigrew, age 51, was the member of the Hells Angels killed at the casino. He was the leader of the San Jose, California, branch of the gang. The two wounded bikers were listed as 45-year-old Leonard Ramirez and 28-year-old Diego Garcia, both members of the Vagos. It's a miracle more people weren't killed or wounded. It is a good thing these guys are not better shots.
The casino fight broke out about 11:30 Friday night and by 10:49 the next morning another biker had been shot on the streets of Sparks. The town was hosting a biker festival called "Street Vibrations" where the shooting occurred. A biker was shot in the stomach by someone riding in a black BMW. Reno Police Department Lt. Amy Newman has commented that the second shooting was "definitely" revenge. Could the Hells Angels be in a continuing war with the Vagos? Only time will tell.
Police keep close watch on Ballarat as bikies visit
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Hells Angels chapter president died in a casino shootout with a rival biker gang.
The city of Sparks, Nev., declared a state of emergency Saturday after a Hells Angels chapter president died in a casino shootout with a rival biker gang. Mayor Geno Martini also canceled the Street Vibrations biker festival that was under way in the city, which is located adjacent to Reno where an annual air show was canceled when a plane crashed into the grandstand earlier this month. The announcement came after the man killed in the Friday night shooting at John Ascuaga's Nugget casino was identified as Jeffrey Pettigrew, president of the San Jose, Calif., chapter of the Hells Angels. The gunfire also left two members of the rival Vagos in stable condition at an area hospital and landed another Hells Angel in jail on a charge assault with a deadly weapon. Police said in a written statement that another biker, who was not identified, was shot at a traffic light at 10:40 a.m. Saturday by a gunman driving a BMW sedan. Although the two incidents could not be definitively linked, the city decided it was time to clamp down in the situation. Along with the cancellation of the biker festival, police beefed up patrols in the downtown area.
David Glasser would-be witness against a Hells Angel with a violent reputation had turned into a nervous wreck
Friends say he lived in fear. In the months before his murder, those closest to David Glasser say the would-be witness against a Hells Angel with a violent reputation had turned into a nervous wreck. "He was getting really scattered and frantic the past couple of weeks. He couldn't even sit down -- he'd pace. You could see the fear written across his face," said Rick Reynolds, Glasser's longtime friend. "He was openly, admittedly terrified." Friends and acquaintances of Glasser's say prosecutors ignored his pleas for protection as a witness, even as he was poised to testify against a man who allegedly had threatened to kill him for cooperating with police. Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless said his office took steps to ensure Glasser's safety. Capeless described a man who said he felt safe in his apartment, preferring to stay in his Pittsfield home rather than relocate at the suggestion of police. In either case, Glasser had reason to be afraid. According to court records, Adam Lee Hall, a member of the Berkshire County chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, already had beaten Glasser with a baseball bat -- and that was just when Hall thought Glasser had stolen a carburetor from him. After that 2009 incident, authorities Advertisement persuaded Glasser to become a witness against Hall on drug, gun and assault charges. That prompted more threats from Hall, who later was accused by police of setting Glasser up to take the fall for a bogus armed robbery in an effort to keep him from testifying. Fifteen days ago, Glasser's body was found along with two of his friends, buried in a boulder-covered trench on private property in Becket. The friends -- fellow Pittsfield residents Edward S. Frampton and Robert T. Chadwell -- were killed because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, according to authorities. The discovery of the bodies came just nine days before Glasser had been scheduled to testify Sept. 19 against Hall in Berkshire Superior Court in connection with the assault and framing incidents. The discovery of the bodies came just nine days before Glasser had been scheduled to testify Sept. 19 against Hall in Berkshire Superior Court in connection with the assault and framing incidents. Police since have arrested Hall -- a 34-year-old Peru resident -- and two alleged accomplices. The three have been charged with three counts of murder, witness intimidation and kidnapping, and a fourth suspect has been charged with helping to bury the bodies. Glasser's murder has sparked an outcry from the victims' families, who say the District Attorney's Office and police didn't do enough to protect their witness. "They never did anything to help David," said Donna Randolph, whom Glasser called "Mom" and talked with at least once a week. Glasser was estranged from his family at a young age, according to Randolph, and no one in the family could be located for comment by The Eagle. However, Randolph and others close to Glasser said he had complained to them that he had gone to authorities and asked for witness protection as recently as a month before his murder. "He came to my house right after he'd been to the police one of those times," said Randolph, 67, of Pittsfield. Randolph said Glasser, 44, had been told by officers that nothing could be done and to let police know if anything happened. The Pittsfield Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police referred questions to the Berkshire County district attorney. Capeless said he's never denied a "reasonable request for protection of a witness." He insists his office did everything it could to protect Glasser, including relocating him twice at its suggestion. Capeless said that after each of the two relocations -- which were intended to be temporary -- Glasser had opted to return home, saying he felt safe. "On each occasion he said, ‘Look, I feel OK now and I'd like to go back to my apartment,' " Capeless said. "Ultimately it is his decision. We can't make witnesses relocate." Capeless said it's normal for witnesses to want to stay in their homes. "They want to control their lives." Capeless said. But Glasser's friends say he only stayed in his apartment because he had nowhere else to go. "He wasn't there because he wanted to be," Randolph said. The state has a witness protection fund, which pays for lodging, living and transportation expenses. District attorneys can submit petitions to fund the relocation of a key witness. Capeless said his office never submitted such a petition. Capeless declined to go into detail about his office's two temporary relocations of Glasser. Capeless wouldn't say when they took place, where Glasser was relocated to, or how long he stayed. Capeless said that speaking more about steps his office took to protect Glasser could compromise the safety of other witnesses against Hall who have opted to relocate. But no one who knew Glasser said they had heard anything about his being relocated by the District Attorney's Office. Asked about that, Capeless said: "People aren't supposed to know about it. That's the point." But Glasser's friends say they don't believe Capeless. "It's not true," Randolph said. "They never, never relocated David. They never did anything to help David. He would have let me know. He was like my son. We were very close. He would have told my husband and me one way or another." Likewise, Glasser's friend Rick Reynolds -- along with three other friends contacted by The Eagle who asked not to be identified -- said Glasser hadn't been relocated and never got the help he was asking for. The Eagle got some insight into Glasser's psyche in 2005. In an eloquently worded letter to the editor published that year, Glasser said in the first sentence that he was "mentally and physically challenged." He went on to write that he had diabetes, which "sometimes mimics being drunk," and that he had been "wrongfully fired" from jobs and treated unfairly in other instances because of people's "misunderstanding" of the issue. Glasser's main point in the letter was that he wanted to bring "an awareness of how we treat each other." He made no other reference to his mental condition in the letter. Capeless said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on Glasser's mental capacity. Randolph said she wasn't clear about the nature of Glasser's challenges, but said he "functioned a little bit slowly." Glasser did, however, understand the danger he was in, Randolph said. "Oh, he understood," she said. "He was absolutely terrified. There's no other way to put it." The terror that filled Glasser's life is well documented. According to court records, during the 2009 baseball-bat incident, Hall beat Glasser over a missing carburetor -- leaving his face black, blue and swollen -- and forced him to sign the title of his truck over to Hall. Then, according to the records, Hall made Glasser drive himself to Berkshire Medical Center in Hall's Hummer with Hall in the passenger seat. Before Glasser got out of the car, Hall told him that if he went to the police, he would be killed, according to a transcript of an interview police conducted with Glasser. Trooper Dale Gero responded to the emergency room at BMC after the staff reported a suspected assault and battery. After being treated at BMC, Glasser was taken to the Cheshire State Police barracks for an interview, in which he recounted the incident. According to Gero's report, at the end of the interview, Glasser asked if the state police had a witness protection program, and he told the trooper he was afraid of Hall retaliating against him. After being treated at BMC, Glasser was taken to the Cheshire State Police barracks for an interview, in which he recounted the incident. According to Gero's report, at the end of the interview, Glasser asked if the state police had a witness protection program, and he told the trooper he was afraid of Hall retaliating against him. According to the report, Glasser was escorted out of the barracks and told to contact "the police if anything further happened." Two days later, Glasser came in for a follow-up interview with investigators. Just before that interview, Glasser again told police he believed Hall would kill him, according to police records. Hall was arrested that day and was released three months later on a $50,000 bond. Glasser, meanwhile, was living in the Linden Street apartment he shared with Frampton. Glasser's name doesn't appear in court records again until Hall allegedly framed Glasser for armed robbery in New York state on Aug. 14, 2010. According to police, Hall and his associates planted a gun and other evidence in Glasser's truck in an effort to connect him to the supposed robbery. Pittsfield lawyer Alexander Schmulsky was appointed to defend Glasser against the charges. They met in a jail cell in the basement of Central Berkshire District Court. "He was concerned for his safety," Schmulsky said. "He was scared." A few days later, Schmulsky got a call from the District Attorney's Office saying the charges had been dropped. Schmulsky said Glasser was in the hands of the DA's office after that and that he never heard from his client again. Meanwhile, Hall was re-arrested. He was released on bail in March of this year, on a $250,000 bond. Even though Hall had been released pending his trial, Capeless said Glasser had stopped feeling unsafe when he started working with police as a witness, adding that law enforcement had been in "regular" contact with him. Capeless declined to be more specific about the nature of the contact, but said that each time officers checked in with Glasser, Glasser told them he was fine. "After Glasser became further involved with this office, he did not express that he felt unsafe," Capeless said. "Anytime he was staying in his apartment, he remained there because he felt safe and he wanted to be in his home." Friends strongly disagree with the district attorney's assessment of Glasser's feelings. They say Glasser -- known to mind his own business -- was manipulated into testifying against Hall. "He didn't want to testify," Reynolds said. "He said he was being pressured. I think they [DA's office] used that he was angry about being jumped, being beaten, having his truck taken [to get him to testify]. It hurt his pride. I think the police used that to say, ‘Do something about it.' " Reynolds said Glasser also believed he might be charged with possession of cocaine if he didn't testify, a notion Capeless strongly disagrees with. "He felt like he was in a no-win situation," Reynolds said. Capeless denies that Glasser was pressured into doing anything he didn't want to do. He said Glasser understood that by testifying against Hall, he would be protecting himself and others, effectively ensuring that Hall would go to prison. "People have to understand that if they don't come forward, these kinds of people will be walking the street," Capeless said. Still, Glasser's former lawyer said Capeless' job is about more than just putting people behind bars. "The district attorney's only job isn't to win the trial, it's to provide justice for the people of Berkshire County," Schmulsky said. "Where's the justice for Mr. Glasser today?" Capeless said his office did the best it could with the information it had at the time. He said it's easy to second guess after the fact. Randolph, meanwhile, said her last visit with Glasser is burned in her memory. "I didn't see him but for a couple of minutes the last time," she said. "He hugged me and I hugged him, and he said, ‘I love you, Ma,' and I told him I loved him. I miss him. Every day."
Hell's Angels motorcycle club member facing charges in deadly casino brawl
member of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club was facing charges including assault with a deadly weapon Sunday after a brawl between club members devolved into a gunfight that left one person dead. Police identified the victim of the shooting at John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks, Nevada, as Jeffrey Pettigrew, 51, president of the San Jose, California, chapter of the Hell's Angels. Two other people, both of California and members of the Vagos motorcycle club, were in stable condition at hospitals after being shot in the abdomen and the leg, respectively. Cesar Villagrana, 36, was arrested after surveillance video showed him "shooting into the crowd" during the Friday night melee, Sparks police said in a statement. "However, it cannot be confirmed at this time if any of the projectiles struck the victims." Besides assault with a deadly weapon, Villagrana also faces charges of carrying a concealed weapon; aiming a firearm at another; aiming or discharging a firearm where a person is endangered; and possession of stolen property/firearm, jail records show. His bail was set at $500,000 cash only. Authorities appealed to bystanders who may have photographed or videotaped the event to contact police. A second shooting occurred at 10:49 a.m. Saturday, police said. A motorcyclist was traveling down a street when a car pulled alongside him and he was shot in the stomach. The name of that victim was being withheld, but he was in stable condition, authorities said. Witnesses said a black four-door BMW with two people inside was seen speeding away just after the shooting. "We are unable to definitively link the two shooting incidents at this time," police said. The incidents occurred during the Street Vibrations Fall Rally, an event that began Wednesday and was expected to continue into Sunday. After the shootings, however, the Sparks portion of the event were canceled through the weekend, the city announced Saturday. The mayor of Sparks also declared a state of emergency. "Whenever you have people who enter our city with bad intentions, bad things are going to happen," Sparks Mayor Geno Martini said Saturday. Police said they have increased the number of foot and mobile patrols in the city. Authorities reported that as many as 30 people took part in the casino brawl. Police responded with assistance from overhead helicopters. There has been no violence since the Street Vibrations rally expanded into Sparks, police said. "The Sparks Police Department wants to acknowledge the acts of these two motorcycle clubs do not represent a majority of the motorcycle enthusiasts that come to the Street Vibrations event," authorities said in a statement.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Police step up watch on Hells Angels
Police in Massachusetts are closely watching a local chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club as one of its high-ranking members sits in jail accused of triple murder. Adam Lee Hall, who court records list as the third in command of the Berkshire Hells Angels, has been charged with three counts of murder in connection with the Aug. 28 deaths of David Glasser, Edward Frampton and Robert Chadwell. Hall, 34, of Peru, Mass.; David Chalue, 44, of North Adams and Springfield, Mass.; and Caius Veiovis, 31, of Pittsfield, Mass., formerly of Augusta, each face three counts each of murder, kidnapping and witness intimidation in connection with the triple slaying. Police haven't linked the homicides to the biker club. But over the weekend they stepped up surveillance of its clubhouse in Lee, Mass., using a "high visibility patrol operation" Saturday that coincided with the Berkshire Hells Angels' annual Lobster Fest. Police from the central Massachusetts towns of Lee, Great Barrington, Pittsfield, Lenox and Dalton assisted Massachusetts State Police as motorcyclists from across the region descended on the biker club's headquarters Saturday near October Mountain State Forest in Lee. Also on the scene were the state's environmental police and a county special response team. Police took pictures of everyone entering and exiting Woodland Road leading to the Angels' clubhouse. Many of the bikers seen in the area wore patches identifying themselves as members of the Hells Angels and other regional motorcycle clubs. Massachusetts State Police Lt. David Buell, commander of the troop's Lee barracks, said police have monitored the club's Lobster Fest event the past five years. He cited an increase in the number of police patrols this year in light of the recent homicides but declined to say how many officers were in the area. Buell reported no arrests or incidents Saturday. Several neighbors walked up to police in the area, he said, and thanked them for being there. The Berkshire Hells Angels Facebook page indicated that tickets to the Lobster Fest were $30. It warned visitors to expect heavy police presence. Meanwhile, the Berkshire District Attorney's office disclosed that the bodies of Glasser, Frampton and Chadwell were found buried on private property in Becket, Mass. Authorities declined to be more specific; they previously had refused to discuss any information about where the bodies of the three men were dumped. Glasser, Frampton and Chadwell went missing sometime between Aug. 27 and 28 from Glasser's apartment on Linden Street in Pittsfield. Police say the men killed Glasser to keep him from testifying against Hall during an upcoming trial in Berkshire Superior Court. Police said neither Chalue nor Veiovis -- formerly known in Maine as Roy Gutfinski Jr. -- are members of the Hells Angels. Court records filed last week said the men's bodies had been dumped together in a deep trench that had been covered with large boulders and dirt, with digging equipment found nearby. According to the report, Hall had inquired about the availability and location of excavation equipment in the weeks prior to the homicides. Gutfinski had been convicted in 2000 of elevated aggravated assault in Kennebec County Suprior Court, and served 71/2 years of the 10-year sentence. He changed his name to Caius Domitius Veiovis in 2008. Veiovis, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, faces the possibility of three life sentences without parole.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Missing Pittsfiled men were found buried in Beckett
New details are emerging in the case of three Western Massachusetts men whose deaths are allegedly linked to a Hells Angels member. Police say the bodies of the three Pittsfield men had been buried by boulders in Beckett. David Glasser, Edward Frampton and Robert Chadwell were found last week, nearly two weeks after they disappeared. Ranking local Hells Angels member Adam Lee Hall and two friends, David Chalue and Caius Veiovis, have pleaded not guilty to charges. Authorities say they killed the men because Glasser was set to testify against Hall.
Dhak Gang Member Targeted in Surrey Shooting
ujhar Singh Khun-Khun is fighting for his life after being shot several times Friday night. And his shooting could be linked to the dispute between his gang and a group of Hells Angels who have been doing a lot of finger-pointing since the Aug. 14 Kelowna attack that killed Jonathan Bacon and wounded Hells Angel Larry Amero and Independent Soldier James Riach. Khun-Khun, at 24, has a long history with police already. And he is a close associate of Sukh Dhak, brother of the late Gurmit Dhak. When Gurmit was gunned down outside Metrotown Mall last October, it was the beginning of a series of tit-for-tat shootings. Sukh Dhak was close by Khun-Khun when he was shot. Dhak has now been picked up on a breach and is in custody. Police are concerned about the escalating tension. On one side is Dhak, the Duhre brothers and their associates and some United Nations gang members. On the other are some Hells Angels, the remaining Red Scorpions, the IS and other associated individuals. It is a constantly-shifting mess that is disturbing to police. And they are working hard to prevent more violence and to make arrests in the Bacon death and now the Khun-Khun shooting.
Hells Angels guilty of murder attempts
Copenhagen's city court has found 15 Hells Angels guilty of six murder attempts on members of other biker gangs. The court said that members of the Angels and their support group, AK81, were behind a series of shootings in 2009 in Copenhagen. No-one was killed, but one victim had his leg amputated in a series of escalating criminal feuds.
Monday, 19 September 2011
The largest ever trial involving Danish motrocycle gangs has resulted in 15 out of 16 charged individuals being convicted of attempted murder and assault.
Leading Hells Angel, Brian Sandberg, has been found guilty of attempted murder today (Photo: Scanpix) The largest ever trial involving Danish motrocycle gangs has resulted in 15 out of 16 charged individuals being convicted of attempted murder and assault. One man was released on Monday without charge. The trial of four full members of the Hells Angels – including leader Brian Sandberg – and 12 henchmen has taken six months and was based mostly around the testimony of the 25-year-old informant MFP. The 15 individuals were charged with having carried out four shootings, planning a further two as well carrying out assaults using weapons. Their victims were mostly young men with immigrant backgrounds. One of the shooting targets was ‘Little A’ (Lille A) who is a leading member of the rival Blågårds Square Group (Blågårds Plads Gruppen) in Nørrebro. The city court recognised that MFP’s testimony was supported by technical evidence, witness statements, telephone recordings and video surveillance which the judge stated was necessary in order to convict the accused. MFP told to the court before the summer holiday who had participated in the various shootings and assaults, who gave the orders and why they happened. He has already been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by the High Court for his part in five shootings though his sentence has been reduced due to his cooperation with the police. But throughout the trial the defence has attempted to question his credibility and have accused him of lying about important events. The Hells Angels have called the case a “well-planned miscarriage of justice”. The arrest of many of the bikers most notorious members involved in the gang conflict, has meant the Hells Angles have been effectively shut down. Hells Angels spokesperson Jørn “Jønke” Nielsen has moved to Jutland and many of the remaining leaders are being held in custody. It is now thought that the Hells Angels group in Ishøj have taken over much of the power base from the Copenhagen region and that they are starting to recover. The arrest of Brian Sandberg in autumn last year has led to a calming of tensions between the immigrant gangs and the bikers. Conflict has since broken out within the immigrant gangs and also between the Hells Angels and rival biker gang, Bandido’s, in Esbjerg. Sandberg was found not guilty of attempted murder at an incident at a Vesterbro kiosk as the court found MFP’s testimony about the event to not be reliable. His testimony was still used by the court to convict other bikers of the attempted murder however. Sandberg was convicted of manslaughter in a shooting at the Surf’n Play-café on Rantzausgade in Nørrebro. He alleges, however, that his car was shot at earlier in the evening. The 15 men will be sentenced next week.
Victims' burial site is in Becket
The bodies of David Glasser, Edward Frampton and Robert Chadwell were found buried on private property in Becket, according to the District Attorney’s office. Authorities declined to be more specific and released no other new information about the case. Until this week, law enforcement officials had refused to even release the location of what they described as a "burial site," where the bodies of the three men were dumped and covered with boulders and dirt. Meanwhile, state and local police conducted what they described as a "high visibility patrol operation" Saturday in Lee, coinciding with the Berkshire Chapter of the Hells Angels’ annual party, Lobster Fest. Adam Lee Hall, who court records list as the third in command of the Berkshire Hells Angels, has been charged with three counts of murder in connection to the men’s disappearance. Otherwise, police haven’t linked the murders to the local motorcycle club, which has put up its clubhouse to cover Hall’s bail in an earlier case, according to court records. Police from Lee, Great Barrington, Pittsfield, Lenox and Dalton assisted State Police, who watched as motorcyclists from across the region descended on the Berkshire biker’s headquarters on Woodland Road in Lee, just past the entrance to October Mountain State Forest. Also on the scene were the state’s Environmental Police and the county’s Special Response Team. Police Advertisement took pictures of everyone entering and exiting Woodland Road leading to the Angels’ clubhouse. Many of the bikers seen in the area wore patches identifying themselves as members of the Hells Angels and other regional motorcycle clubs. State Police Lt. David Buell, the station commander at the troop’s Lee Barracks, said the club’s Lobster Fest is an annual event. He said police have conducted high-visibility patrols coinciding with the party for the past five years. He said police increased the number of patrols this year in light of the recent murders, but he declined to say how many officers were in the area. Buell said there were no arrests or incidents on Saturday, although he said several neighbors walked up to police in the area and thanked them for being there. Members of the Hells Angels were not immediately reachable for comment on Saturday. The group’s Facebook page indicated that tickets to the event were $30. It warned visitors to expect heavy police presence. Glasser, Frampton and Chadwell went missing sometime between Aug. 27 and 28 from Glasser’s apartment on Linden Street in Pittsfield. Hall, 34, of Peru, David Chalue, 44, of North Adams and Springfield, and Caius Veiovis, 31, of Pittsfield, have been charged with three counts each of murder, kidnapping and witness intimidation. Police said neither Chalue nor Veiovis are members of the Hells Angels. Police say the men killed Glasser to keep him from testifying against Hall during an upcoming trial in Berkshire Superior Court. Court records filed last week said men’s bodies had been dumped together in a deep trench that had been covered with large boulders and dirt, with digging equipment found nearby. According to the report, Hall had inquired about the availability and location of excavation equipment in the weeks prior to the murder.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Case summary reveals the size of Astapa corruption in Estepona
The judge in the Astapa case, regarding corruption in Estepona Town Hall, has more than 40 million € belonging to the 99 indicted in the case frozen, and Hacienda has detected a missing 20 million from appraisals on four real estate deals. These are named a El Ángel, Valle Romano, Arroyo Enmedio Este and Camino del Cerrillar. The case summary shows that as many as 1,800 properties have been impounded in the case, along with 50 vehicles, and a stud with 38 horses. One of the papers dated December 2010 shows that police have requested information from more than 100 local companies, most of them hotels, banks or builders and from what was obtained have concluded that the Town Hall and the political parties organised events and other items paid for by third parties, or by the people alleged to be at the centre of the case. El País reports that the ex Chairman of the Caja Jaén is among those implicated for bribery. José Antonio Arcos Moya, is alleged to have been involved in the payments surrounding concessions made by the Town Hall in 2007 regarding the first occupancy licence for La Reserva de Selwo Golf S.L. The case summary notes the high life style of the ex Councillor, José Ignacio Crespo and says there are indications that he received a 40,000 € payment from a company with town planning interests in the town. The tax authorities are investigating more than 120 companies and individuals and the police continue to wade through 160 boxes of files and 100 hard disks of information.
Motorcycle gangs extending reach in Alberta
Seven years ago, Shannon Trottier was left with a gaping hole in her life when she watched her 34-year-old son die in her arms. Joey Campbell, also known as Joey Morin, was rushed to hospital after he was sprayed with bullets outside a west-end strip club, but his injuries were too severe to overcome. A second man, Robert Simpson, died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. Both men were affiliated with outlaw motorcycle gangs — at that time the Bandidos — and the killer has yet to be brought to justice. The shooting marks the last time any significant violence among bikers erupted onto city streets and police are holding their breath it will stay that way given the province’s changing biker club scene. According to Sgt. Marc Labonte of the Edmonton Integrated Intelligence Unit for the RCMP, during the last two years Alberta has seen one of the largest increases in outlaw motorcycle gangs across the country. Labonte wouldn’t name the specific clubs that have set up shop in the province, but said there are now four main clubs referred to as “one-percenters” — a term given to outlaw motorcycle clubs that aren’t always just out for a good time — as opposed to one main group with four chapters. Two new one-percenters showed up in the last year, and each one has one to three chapters. In addition, police have identified at least eight “puppet” clubs or associate clubs, which consists of members aspiring to become part of the main clubs, so they conduct certain business to prove themselves worthy. In early 2009, Labonte said there were maybe two or three associate clubs in the province. The bikers are also spreading their wings. Two or three years ago, Labonte said the one-percenters were limited to Edmonton and Calgary, but they have since spread to cities throughout the province, and it’s largely attributed to the booming economy. “The economy was good, so there was money. Where there’s money, there is always a criminality,” said Labonte. Police are closely keeping tabs on the most recent outlaw motorcycle clubs to arrive in the province. But Labonte isn’t expecting an all-out turf war to erupt any time soon — like the one going on between the Hells Angels and Rock Machine in Winnipeg, which experienced a series of firebombings and shootings, including one that put a 14-year-old boy in hospital with gunshot wounds. In the past, some of the biker gangs in Alberta have been responsible for homicides, home invasions, drugs, prostitution, money laundering and extortion. Labonte said there has been an increase in criminality among the clubs in recent years — the most notable were home invasions where “somebody didn’t pay up.” But often crimes such as this go undetected, making it difficult for law enforcement to get involved. “The victim, who’s a criminal usually, will not report it to police because they know what these guys can do,” said Labonte, who noted biker gangs try to keep violence from spilling onto the street. “They don’t want to make a big scene. They will be very low profile because they don’t want the public against them. They are like a business. They don’t want to be known as bad guys.” Although police aren’t concerned there will be an all-out turf war in Alberta, Mounties are cognizant things could change since many of the clubs are connected regionally and nationally. In 2004, Criminal Intelligence Service Canada listed the Hell's Angels as the largest and most powerful outlaw motorcycle gang in Canada, with approximately 500 members belonging to 34 chapters across the country, in which at least three were in Alberta. The following year, the director of the Criminal Intelligence Service of Alberta told the Sun the Hells Angels wouldn’t allow any competitors to set up shop in Alberta. But police believe the momentum has changed since then. Labonte noted there are about five or six one-percenters in the U.S. Alberta now has four of them — and they seem to be talking and negotiating with each other. Police have heard of instances where one group has stolen another group’s patch, which sends a message you are not allowed to be here. So far the bikers seem to be using the gesture as a way to start talking to one another and lay grounds for respect, said Labonte. Whether those talks are peaceful remains to be seen. “It’s always troublesome. It happened in Edmonton and a small rural community, so now we have to be careful because that could escalate,” said Labonte. “Some of them are into criminality. It doesn’t mean they are all into criminality.”
Friday, 16 September 2011
Judge denies Hells Angel's request for furlough
federal judge today refused to allow Hells Angels sergeant-at-arms Ricky W. Jenks out of jail so he can help with his girlfriend’s pregnancy. U.S. District Court Judge Justin Quackenbush ripped Jenks during the hearing, saying Jenks hadn’t “earned” much consideration from him. “His record is not one that generates a great deal of sympathy,” Quackenbush said of Jenks. “But here he is escaping another major, major multiyear sentence.” Jenks, 33, was arrested following a March 3 raid at the motorcycle gang’s clubhouse, 1308 E. Sprague Ave., and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jenks previously pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in connection to the 2001 killing of a Spokane Valley man who was making methamphetamine. Federal prosecutors and defense attorney Tracy Collins have worked out a plea agreement that includes a joint-recommendation for two years in federal prison. Quackenbush earlier had questioned the deal, noting that Jenks faced substantially more time in prison if the case had gone to trial. Collins said Quackenbush has indicated he will honor the deal during sentencing, scheduled for Oct. 7. “We were hoping for the release for the stress it would relieve for Brittany’s pregnancy,” Collins said of Jenks’ girlfriend and mother of his 2-year-old child. Jenks also has a 5-year-old child with another woman. Jenks’ girlfriend and family members declined comment. Quackenbush said some judges might agree to the release if Jenks, himself, was seeking a medical procedure. “It’s not that I think Mr. Jenks is a risk of flight. To his credit, and he needs some credit, he is not one to flee,” the judge said. “But, he commits those crimes.” Shortly after his release on the manslaughter conviction, Jenks was indicted as part of a 2006 federal racketeering charge that led to the conviction of chapter president Richard “Smilin’ Rick” Fabel. As part of that case, Jenks later pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by threats or violence and was sentenced to 16 months in prison with credit for time served in jail awaiting trial. “With this record now, if he is again before a court on a felony or violation of release conditions, Mr. Ricky Jenks needs to be locked up for all or a substantial portion of his life just to protect society,” Quackenbush said. “It’s those children Mr. Jenks should think about when he has, and he will with his record and associates, the opportunity to violate the law.”
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Hell’s Angels head for Oslo
300 members of the motorcycle club Hell’s Angels are expected to descend on Oslo from all over Europe this weekend, to take part in the Oslo chapter’s 15th anniversary celebrations. Police are gearing up for the event but wouldn’t initially say whether they will deny Hell’s Angels members entry into Norway, as they did when another club party was held in Stavanger earlier this year. “We haven’t made a decision,” Einar Aas of the Oslo Police District told newspaper Aftenposten, but he added police were “considering” turning away those with long criminal records. The main celebrations will be held at the Oslo Hell’s Angels club house on Strømsveien on Saturday, but there will also be a meeting of Hell’s Angels Europe at the Helsfyr Hotel on Friday. Police intended to maintain a presence there as well.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Adam Lee Hall is the sergeant-at-arms of the Berkshire County chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club,Bodies of missing Pittsfield men found, three others charged with murder
The search for three missing Pittsfield men has ended with the discovery of their bodies and murder charges against three other Massachusetts men. Berkshire County District Attorney David Capeless says 34-year-old Adam Lee Hall of Pittsfield and Peru, 44-year-old David Chalue of Springfield, and 31-year-old Caius Veiovis (also known as Roy Gutfinski) of Pittsfield were arrested on Saturday and are being charged with murder, kidnapping, and witness intimidation. The three are accused of killing 44-year-old David Glasser of Pittsfield, 58-year-old Edward S. Frampton of Pittsfield, and 47-year-old Robert T. Chadwell of Pittsfield who were last seen at an apartment at 254 Lindon Street in Pittsfield on August 28th. Capeless tells FOX23 News, "We feel - as we have charged the three with intimidation of a witness - this had to do with Glasser's being a witness in a pending criminal case. Unfortunately, we believe that Frampton and Chadwell were in the wrong place at the wrong time." The district attorney says Adam Lee Hall is the sergeant-at-arms of the Berkshire County chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. Capeless says police are procession five locations and two vehicles for evidence.
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Hells Angels boss faces charges over vicious dog attacks
In the worst-case scenario, Frank Hanebuth could face charges of grievous bodily harm. It is still not clear how the two dogs got out of his heavily guarded property. “The question of whether this was a deliberate act still remains,” officials said on Saturday.
The aggressive dogs had been running lose in the district of Wedemark, north of Hannover, on Thursday evening. They bit five people, causing serious injuries to two of them.
In a newspaper interview Hanebuth apologized publically to those who had been attacked.
“It was a terrible accident. I hugely regret what happened to the victims,” Hanebuth told the Neue Presse. “It is absolutely clear that I will use all the means at my disposal to take responsibility for the incident.” The 46-year-old owner had himself gone to the police on Friday.
According to the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, Hanebuth’s lawyer expects his client to only be charged with bodily injury caused by negligence. However, there is also the prospect that he could face the more serious charge of grievous bodily harm.
Hanebuth said he was “horrified and shocked” by what had happened. The dogs had been trained and had never attacked anyone before. “They weren’t beasts,” he said.
Friday, 9 September 2011
Police fear turf wars as motorcycle gangs expand operations
Motorcycle gangs, who are considered by Finnish police to constitute organised crime groups, have significantly expanded their operations in the past decade. The gangs have spread so extensively throughout Finland that police fear that violent conflict might break out among them. Motorcycle gangs have set up clubhouses especially in the Helsinki region and in the south of Finland, but activities have branched out to other parts of the country as well. “Organised crime groups use the same methods as players in normal business. If there is a market somewhere, a section is set up there to secure their operations”, says Jussi Oksanen of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Police say that the three most infamous organisations, the Hell’s Angels, the Bandidos, and Cannonball have more than 40 subsections around Finland. Police calculate that there are a total of 80 organised crime groups in Finland, including the subsections. However, most of the groups using different names are not motorcycle gangs. There are nearly 1,200 members in the various groups. The newest, called the United Brotherhood, was formed out of three others, and has more than 50 members. In recent years the gangs have avoided clashes, lest their main criminal activities suffer. Most recently Finland experienced a bloody gang war in the 1990s. “There have been various clashes suggesting a resurgence of tension. In Germany and Denmark, the Hell’s Angels and the Bandidos have been on war footing. These are international criminal organisations, so the trend in other countries is reflected here as well.” Leaders of the Finnish section of the Hell’s Angels are currently under suspicion in an extensive drug smuggling and dealing case. This does not come as a surprise to Jussi Oksanen, who says that police have been collecting surveillance material on the organisation’s activities for a long time. “The Helsinki drug police, along with the West Uusimaa Police can now demonstrate that the members themselves are involved in criminal activities”, Oksanen says. According to Oksanen, actual members of the motorcycle gangs have previously been careful not to get their hands dirty. “They have let the others do the jobs where there is a risk of getting caught.” Police say that surveillance activities have revealed that the Hell’s Angels have used smaller gangs as partners. Traditionally the gang has been very careful of its image, and has avoided committing crimes that could bring bad publicity. Police say that the Hell’s Angels differ from the Bandidos, and the purely Finnish Cannonball in that it has not set up many new subsections, nor has it taken actual supporter gangs into its organisations. For instance, Bandidos has several subsections on various levels, which are seen as stepping stones by members who want to advance within the organisation. The Hell’s Angels have had about a third of the number of members as the Bandidos, which has undergone considerable expansion recently. “However, now for the first time a new group, the 1% Bad Machine 81 Finland has entered the Hell’s Angels’ official organisation. Why the group made the move right now remains unclear”, Oksanen says. He notes that one possibility is that the Hell’s Angels are flexing their muscles for possible clashes to come.
Hell’s Angels leaders suspected in massive drug case
The drugs squad of the Helsinki Police and the West Uusimaa Police have uncovered an exceptionally large drug smuggling and growing operation, in which the main suspects are members of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club. Police managed to confiscate several kilos of amphetamine and cocaine as well as a number of unlicensed weapons and about EUR 200,000 in cash. Police also found the biggest cannabis growing operation ever discovered in Finland. Detective inspector Jari Pynnönen describes the case as one of the biggest in Finnish history. What makes it exceptional is that the police were able to trace the drug trafficking organisation to the very highest levels. “Six members of the Hell’s Angels organisation have been detained or arrested during the investigation. Included are people from the top leadership of the organisation all the way to the presidential level”, Pynnönen says. A total of 10 people have been held in connection with the case. The investigation began already in the late summer of 2009. Pynnönen says that the smuggling, transport, and growing of illegal drugs has continued for years. Millions of euros are believed to have been involved in the business. The street value of the drugs that were confiscated was estimated at EUR 800,000. The drugs have been smuggled from Central Europe in hiding places built in various vehicles. Smuggling has been done largely by couriers hired abroad, who have not had significant criminal records, or any direct connection with the Hell’s Angels. The drugs were brought to Helsinki, from where they were distributed throughout the greater Helsinki region, and possibly to other parts of Southern Finland. Pynnönen says that helping in the distribution have been a supporter club with close ties to the Hell’s Angels, as well as so-called “hangaround members”. Pyynönen sees the bust as a major blow to the illegal drug business in Finland for a while, but he also expects the gap to be filled up as new players enter the field. “In this respect it is important that plenty of cash and many illegal weapons were confiscated. This always slows the reorganisation of the activities.”
Missing West Vancouver man has ties to United Nations gang
West Vancouver man linked to the United Nations gang disappeared earlier this week - two days before he was to be sentenced in a drug trafficking case in Ontario. Omid Bayani, 36, was last seen Monday afternoon en route to the gym, West Vancouver police Det. Tom Wolff von Gudenberg said Thursday. His worried family reported him missing a day later, saying it was out of character for Bayani not to return home or call anyone. Police are investigating whether Bayani's gangland history has somehow caught up with him, or whether he took off to avoid his sentencing. The Crown was seeking a jail term of between eight and nine years. Bayani was arrested in 2007 along with Hells Angels in B.C. and Ontario after a massive Ontario Provincial Police undercover operation targeting the biker gang. Despite being a ranking UN gang member at the time, Bayani had worked with the rival Angels in a conspiracy to traffic 600 litres of GHB - the date rape drug. This past July, prosecutors stayed a charge of belonging to a criminal organization against Bayani and his co-accused. But Bayani was convicted on the drug charges. Wolff von Gudenberg said Bayani, who is six feet tall and weighs 240 pounds, was last seen wearing a white or grey Under Armour shirt, blue Under Armour shorts, running shoes and ankle socks. Bayani worked out at two different North Shore community centres, he said. "We don't have any confirmation that he got to the gym," Wolff von Gudenberg said. Despite his criminal history, Bayani had not been on the radar of West Vancouver Police in recent months. "It is impossible to speculate because we don't know anything about his real connections locally," Wolff von Gudenberg said. "He has been totally off our radar." He said other Lower Mainland law enforcement agencies, including the Gang Task Force, have been contacted. "Everybody's been notified just because of that history. Who knows if somebody has a source out there who knows something? He could be missing. He could have taken off," Wolff von Gudenberg said. Port Moody police Insp. Andy Richards led the B.C. component of the Ontario investigation when he was with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. Richards said Thursday that he hasn't heard anything about Bayani since the 2007 arrest. "He was a player. He was a big player at one time," Richards said. And he said Bayani had gang connections far beyond the UN, as indicated by his involvement with the Hells Angels. News of Bayani's disappearance comes just a day after the head of the Gang Task Force, Supt. Tom McCluskie, said the police fear retaliation for the Aug. 14 murder of Red Scorpion Jonathan Bacon and wounding of Hells Angel Larry Amero and Independent Soldier James Riach. Another West Vancouver man with gang links, Vahid Mahanian, vanished under similar circumstances June 27 and was found dead on Cypress Mountain two weeks later. Bayani came to Canada as a refugee, but was ordered deported in 1999 after a series of armed robberies in Calgary. He filed a series of unsuccessful challenges against the deportation, but was never removed from Canada.
Thursday, 8 September 2011
Man stabbed in Stockholm Biker gang brawl
A man was left nursing stab wounds to the neck after a mass brawl involving some 20 men belonging to rival biker gangs in central Stockholm on Tuesday.Another man is also reported to have required treatment after the brawl on the open street outside a bar on Södermalm in central Stockholm. According to witness reports some 15 members of the Red and White Crew, a supporter club of the Hells Angels, stormed the El Cocodrilo restaurant on Ringvägen. Armed with knives, tear gas and firearms the group attacked a rival gang, reported by the police to be either Outlaws or Bandidos. "I heard screaming and shouting, then I saw a mob run in and out from the restaurant. Then they came out carrying a half-naked guy, who fell to the ground and who they continued to assault," an eye witness told the TT news agency. The witness watched as the man was beaten bloody outside the restaurant before the police managed to break up the fight. There are reports of shots being fired inside the restaurant, but these are denied by the police. "They waved a weapon, but no one has been shot," said Stefan Nordemark at Stockholm police. The police detained a person during the night, with a second man subject to a warrant for his arrest. "We have conducted a number of raids, including a club premises. We are working on the case and it feels as if we have a good situation."
alleged member of the Notorious outlaw motorcycle gang is due in court tomorrow on charges related to firearms
alleged member of the Notorious outlaw motorcycle gang is due in court tomorrow on charges related to firearms found at a Castle Hill storage unit earlier this year. Gangs Squad detectives who arrested and charged the 24-year-old man allege he is a high-ranking member of the organised criminal group. He is facing several firearm and possession charges as well as drug charges. The charges relate to a search warrant conducted by police at a storage facility in Castle Hill on March 28. Police allegedly found three firearms, loaded magazines, two silencers and a quantity of ammunition. He is due before Penrith Local Court tomorrow. Strike Force Ventilate comprises detectives from the State Crime Command’s Gangs Squad and was established to investigate a number of alleged violent incidents involving Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and Notorious organised criminal group members and associates.
Bikie arrested on firearms charge
Crime Gangs Task Force members yesterday afternoon arrested a 30-year-old member of the South Australian Chapter of the Finks Motorcycle Gang at his home address at Paralowie. Police say it is alleged that Crime Gangs Task Force members conducted a search of the man's home where they located a .357 revolver buried in his rear yard. 'During the search police also located a quantity of .357 ammunition buried in another location within the rear yard,' police said. 'The man was charged with firearms offences including possession of a prescribed firearm and possession of insecure ammunition. 'He was bailed to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on 12 October 2011. 'A 27-year-old woman of the same address was also reported for firearms offences including possession of a prescribed firearm and possession of insecure ammunition and will appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court at a later date.'
Seventh man charged over alleged attempted extortion - SCC Gangs Squad
Gangs Squad detectives have charged a seventh man following investigations into an alleged attempted extortion. About 10am today (Thursday 8 September, 2011), a 37-year-old man was arrested by police. Police allege he is an associate of the Hells Angels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang. He was subsequently charged with demand money with menaces and participating in a criminal group. He was granted conditional bail to appear at Burwood Local Court on 28 September. The charges relate to an alleged attempted extortion on 8 July, 2011. Strike Force Embark was established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged theft of vehicles from the Burwood car yard just before 3pm on Thursday 7 July 2011, as well as an attempted extortion on 8 July and an attempted extortion on Monday 11 July.
DA dismisses charges against former Hells Angels member
Judge Bruce Young dismissed criminal charges Friday of intimidating a witness and street terrorism against Ethan Akins of Ventura, who was arrested in April last year. Akins, who is a former member of the Ventura chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club, was initially arrested for domestic violence, said one of his attorneys, Robert Sheahen. Sheahen said Akins lost his job and spent a week in jail as a result of the arrest. Akins' lead attorney Kelly Sheahen Gerner of Los Angeles said in a news release that she was pleased the district attorney acted "honorably and fairly" in this case
Jarrod Bacon wants to be tried by judge alone in cocaine conspiracy trial
Jarrod Bacon
Photograph by: Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
A former Abbotsford man whose brother was gunned down last month has re-elected to have a judge alone preside over his trial on a cocaine conspiracy charge.
Jarrod Wayne Bacon told the court of the change as jury selection for his October trial was set to begin this week.
His co-accused, Arnold Wayne Scott, also re-elected to be tried by judge alone, federal Crown Martha Devlin confirmed Tuesday,
The case is scheduled to start in October.
Bacon is the younger brother of Jonathan Bacon, a Red Scorpion gangster shot to death outside a Kelowna casino Aug. 14. Two others linked to the Hells Angels and Independent Soldiers were injured, as were two women passengers in their vehicle. No one has yet been charged in the high-profile targeted slaying.
Jarrod Bacon and Scott were arrested in November 2009 after a undercover police investigation dubbed E-Pintle.
Bacon remains in pre-trial custody, while Scott was released on bail.
Hells Angel held on $1M bail on multiple charges
member of the Hells Angels is being held on $1 million cash bail on charges of child pornography and extortion, while the search continues for a key witness scheduled to testify against him in a separate upcoming criminal trial and two others. Adam Lee Hall, shackled and wearing the motorcycle club's T-shirt, arrived at the Berkshire County courthouse complex Tuesday morning under an unusually heavy police presence. Meanwhile, authorities continued Tuesday to investigate the disappearance of David R. Glasser, 44; Edward S. Frampton, 58; and Robert T. Chadwell, 47. They have been missing from the apartment Glasser and Frampton shared at 254 Linden St. since Aug. 28, the day Tropical Storm Irene hit. Glasser is a witness in a criminal case against Hall and is also the victim of a scheme aimed at derailing him from testifying against Hall, according to authorities. On Monday, District Attorney David F. Capeless said the three men, now missing for more than a week, may have been the victims of foul play. Capeless is not commenting on any connections between Hall and the men's disappearances. Authorities searched for the men in Pittsfield State Forest on Sunday and Monday, then concentrated their efforts Tuesday in the neighborhood from which they went missing. There was no sign of a struggle at the residence where the three men were last seen on Aug. 27. While authorities have declined to Advertisement comment on whether Hall is considered a suspect in the three men's disappearances, Hall's attorney, William M. Rota, told The Associated Press on Tuesday, "I would not be surprised with the authorities to suspect [Hall's involvement], but I have no reason to suspect that it's true." Rota said that as far as he knows his client hadn't been questioned by police in the matter of the men's disappearance. Hall, who has been out on $250,000 bail for his other cases, was picked up on Sunday on new charges -- extortion and two counts each of possessing child pornography, dissemination of child pornography and solicitation of child pornography. Police and prosecutors allege Hall coerced a 16-year-old girl to send him lewd photographs of herself or else she wouldn't see her friend again. In court on Tuesday, Hall pleaded not guilty to those charges. Rota told the judge the charges were "a bit of a stretch." Nevertheless, Central Berkshire District Court Judge Rita Koenigs agreed with Berkshire Assistant District Attorney Gregory Barry's bail request -- that Hall be held on $1 million cash or $10 million bond. Barry cited Hall's five cases pending in superior court and his alleged history of witness intimidation. Barry also won his request to have Hall's $250,000 bail in his other pending criminal cases revoked. Hall is being held at the Berkshire County Jail & House of Correction and has an Oct. 3 court hearing. Hall can be held for 60 days without the right to bail on the revocation. "They threw the book at him," Rota later told The Eagle. The 34-year-old Hall, a resident of the town of Peru, is scheduled to go to trial in Berkshire Superior Court on Sept. 19 on charges that include kidnapping, assault and battery with a baseball bat, and witness intimidation. In 2009, Hall allegedly beat Glasser with a baseball bat, believing he had stolen a car part from him, and forced him to turn over his truck as payment. Authorities also allege Hall tried to frame Glasser by pinning him to a phony robbery in order to prevent him from testifying against him in one of his criminal cases. The brother of missing man Robert T. Chadwell told The Eagle on Monday that Robert hung out with Glasser and Frampton. Les Chadwell said he was aware of Glasser's "tangle" with the Hells Angels, but that his brother and Frampton were not involved. Les Chadwell said he feared the worst and that his brother was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
The Devil's Professor
Monday, 5 September 2011
Ex-wife chases Hells Angel biker for child support
Linda Sebastaio, ex-wife of former Oshawa Hells Angel Steven Gault, wants child support money for their 14-year-old daughter. He's now in a witness protection program after working as a police agent.
PETER EDWARDS/TORONTO STARLike many single mothers, Linda Sebastiao dreads the back-to-school bills, when she’s expected to shell out big bucks for clothing and school supplies.
Also like many single parents, Sebastiao is hoping to share the bills with her former spouse.
The problem is Sebastiao’s ex is Steven (Hannibal) Gault, a former Oshawa Hells Angel who’s now deep in a witness protection program. And how do you collect child support from someone who has a secret identity and address?
Gault testified in court in 2008 that he had received more than $1 million for his undercover work with police that helped land his former biker colleagues behind bars. That work ended with convictions for drugs, weapons and criminal organization, against 21 Ontario Hells Angels and associates.
Sebastiao, 34, says a lawyer has calculated that Gault owes $487,000 in child support going back eight years. She plans to file papers in court very soon.
This week, through a police intermediary, Gault offered her a one-time only payment of $200, she says.
Gault could not be reached for comment.
During his biker days, Gault wasn’t known to back down from fights and was nicknamed “Hannibal” for his taste for blood.
“He was proud of that,” Sebastiao says.
Sebastiao said Gault was proud that he bit off a chunk of a man’s ear in a Campbellford pool hall brawl. He was convicted of assault for that.
“When we would make him steak for supper, his was just with spices, raw, not even on the grill for a little,” she says.
Sebastiao is certain Gault has plenty of money to help out with expenses for their 14-year-old daughter, if he wished.
“He would rather spend $5,000 on a (motor)bike part than $50 for a good pair of shoes for his daughter.” Sebastiao says.
Theoretically, Sebastiao has a strong claim for child support benefits, experts say.
Toronto lawyer Barry Swadron says Sebastiao should be able to get paperwork requiring Gault to pay child support, even if she doesn’t know his new location and identity.
“The very people who are protecting him should be cooperative in serving the necessary papers,” says Swadron, who once served divorce papers to someone in witness protection through the RCMP.
The Family Responsibility Office is charged with enforcing child and spousal support orders, and an official there says Gault can’t hide from child support obligations while hiding from his former biker buddies.
However, Sebastiao will have to push the issue, if she hopes to collect money.
The Family Responsibility Office isn’t informed when clients are put into witness protection programs, says Charlotte Wilkinson of the Ministry of Community and Social Services, which administers the Family Responsibility Office.
“If FRO becomes aware that a support payor is in witness protection, we have the ability to advise the relevant police service of the payer’s support obligation,” Wilkinson says. “It remains the support payer’s responsibility to make court-ordered support payments.”
In June 2010, Sebastiao was awarded $35,000 from the provincial Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, after it concluded she had been frequently physically and sexually assaulted by Gault over an eight-year period.
Sebastiao says the current tensions are a far cry from her giddy feelings when their relationship began, when she was just 18. Gault was generous and charming then, she says. Within a month, they were living together. Less than a year after that, they had a baby girl.
“He was very charming and swept me off my feet.”
Back then, Gault was a good provider, if not an honest one.
He was part of a group called “The Travellers,” which targeted seniors living on farms in Eastern Ontario for renovation scams.
One elderly farmer was bilked for $260,000 for renovation work that was never done, she says.
While the money was dirty, it was plentiful, she says.
“He gave us everything we wanted. Everything that we needed. We bought a nice, cute little place.”
The longer they were married, the more he pushed to control her, she says. She says she wasn’t allowed to have a driver’s licence and that he beat her for the smallest things, such as if he thought toilet paper was rolling the wrong way.
She said his personality took a dramatic turn for the worse when he became an outlaw biker with the Satan’s Choice Motorcycle Club. That organization was swallowed up by the Hells Angels in 2000, at which time he became a member of that club.
“After he got his full patch he thought he was king of the world.”
There was more partying, more cocaine and more abuse, she says.
Gault was convicted in 2002 of attempting to harass a Durham Region police officer and his family.
A year later, Gault had a restraining order against him, forbidding him from having contact with Sebastiao’s family after he allegedly threatened to blow up their family home with them inside.
At the 2008 trial of two Oshawa Hells — just one of the trials Gault testified at — the court heard that he once told her he could tie her to a tree, cover her with honey, and let bugs and animals eat her.
“If they can’t find a body they can’t lay a charge,” she recalled him saying. He also said it would be easy to dispose of her body with lime, she says.
His constant threats made her afraid to leave him, although she thought of it often.
“I was scared, scared of what he might do to me and my family; like what he had threatened.”
After he joined the Hells Angels, Sebastiao says Gault became increasingly nervous about their cute little house — in which Sebastiao no longer lives.
It had huge front windows, which Sebastiao loved. Gault bricked them in, telling her that cut their chances of being hurt in a drive-by shooting attack.
Their marriage finally ended around the time Gault told her he was turning police agent, to make big money from his former brothers.
At first she protested to him that she didn’t want to live in a witness protection program.
“I said, ‘I love my family. I don’t want to leave my family and never see them again.’ ”
The final breaking point, she says, was when he said he wanted to move his ex-stripper girlfriend in with them.
Today, she says she has no fears from the Hells Angels, since Gault is their enemy as well. After her split with him, club members helped out with living expenses for a few months until she could get resettled, she says.
“I’ve got no worries because I never ratted on the bikers. In the end, they’re the ones who helped me.”
What she does worry about is telling her 14-year-old daughter she might not be able to get her the school clothes she wants and needs.
“She’s getting older. She needs things.”
Bail for leader of Hells Angels' Ventura chapter
longtime leader of the Hells Angels' Ventura County chapter charged in connection with the firebombing of two tattoo parlors has been granted bail. The Ventura County Star ( http://bit.ly/pPC00U) says a judge Friday ordered 64-year-old George Christie Jr. detained at home with an electronic monitoring bracelet. It was unclear early Saturday whether Christie had posted the $200,000 bail. Christie was arrested three weeks ago after being named in a six-count indictment that charges him and four others with conspiracy, extortion and arson. The indictment alleges that Christie, who owns a tattoo shop in Ventura, ordered Hells Angels members to threaten his competitors in an attempt to shut down their businesses. He has pleaded not guilty.
Dutch police leads the convoy as members of the Dutch divisions of motorcycle clubs Hells Angels and Satudarah gather to demonstrate in Amsterdam
Dutch police leads the convoy as members of the Dutch divisions of motorcycle clubs Hells Angels and Satudarah gather to demonstrate in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 04 September 2011.
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Source: EPA/BGNES
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