Texas Biker Convicted Of Machine Gun Possession

Benjamin Edward Neuner, 59, of Alvarado, faces as much as 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine after his conviction on charges he possessed an illegal machine gun. Neuner, known as "Rebel Rider Ben, was convicted Tuesday by a federal court jury in Fort Worth. Federal prosecutors say Neuner converted two rifles into machine guns and delivered them to an undercover FBI agent. Neuner, identified as a member of the Rebel Riders Motorcycle Club, contended a rival Bandido motorcycle gang member entrapped him. Neuner remains in custody pending sentencing, which is set for Aug. 31.

Hells Angels sponsored by franchise of The Coffee Club, other mainstream businesses

THE Hells Angels in Brisbane have secured "sponsorship" from a franchise of The Coffee Club and a range of other mainstream businesses. The links, detailed on the outlaw motorcycle club's website, underline the relative sophistication of the world's oldest "outlaw" motorcycle outfit, described by one local criminal lawyer as the bikies with "the best business smarts". Alongside the Jimboomba and Browns Plains branches of The Coffee Club, described as "gold" sponsors by the Hells Angels, there are "platinum" sponsors that include Harley-Davidson dealerships and specialist automotive parts providers. But there is also property management firm, Strata & Corporate Collections, a Cleveland fried chicken restaurant and an East Brisbane locksmith, Millennium Locks, with motto: "Change the keys, not the locks".

White Rock Hells Angel facing drug charge after his Langley home raided

full-patch member of the White Rock Hells Angels is expected to be charged with trafficking after Abbotsford Police found almost a kilogram of cocaine in his Langley home. Abbotsford police executed a search warrant at the home of 50-year-old Brent Douglas Milne Wednesday after an investigation into cocaine trafficking in the city. Const. Ian MacDonald said the drug enforcement unit was helped by the Abbotsford police department's Gang Suppression Unit, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit's Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Unit and the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team. Investigators are preparing their report to Crown counsel, MacDonald said. Charges are expected to follow. Police also found $26,000 in the house at 27019 — 28A Avenue in Aldergrove. Milne has no criminal record and is listed on land title documents as a trucker and mechanic. MacDonald said police obtained information earlier this year about the alleged involvement of the Hells Angels in the Abbotsford drug trade. "People who are involved in gangs and organized crime are always on police radar," he said. Investigators gathered additional information that could support a search warrant, said MacDonald. "I am really proud of the officers involved in this," he added. "We believe the seizure and arrest improves public safety for the citizens of Abbotsford, Langley and beyond." The White Rock chapter of the Hells Angels has been in turmoil in recent months. Member Larry Amero was seriously wounded last August in a Kelowna shooting that left Red Scorpion Jonathan Bacon dead and Independent Soldier James Riach wounded. Former Sergeant at Arms in the White Rock chapter, Mike Robatzek, was recently thrown out of the club. And Trevor Jones, the twin of White Rock member Randy Jones, was indicted in the U.S. in a massive cross-border drug smuggling operation that American prosecutors allege was done for the benefit of the White Rock chapter. MacDonald said police are aware of "flux and instability" among Hells Angels and other gangs active in the Lower Mainland. And as some of the gangs try to consolidate, they are ramping up their drug trafficking to increase profits, MacDonald said. "When you go into that mode, you obviously take more risk and you make more mistakes," he said

White Rock Hells Angel Caught with a Kilo of Cocaine

Abbotsford Police excuted a search warrant Wednesday at the Langley home of a full-patch Hells Angel Brent Milne from the White Rock chapter. Inside, they found almost a kilo of cocaine (34 ounces) and $26,000 cash. The 50-year-old, who has no criminal record, is expected to be charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking. Const. Ian MacDonald said the man’s name surfaced in connection with drug sales in Abbotsford. So investigators dug more information and were able to get the search warrant.

Christopher Ablett, Mongols biker gang member, sentenced to life in prison for SF Hells Angels leader's murder

Christopher "Stoney" Ablett, a member of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang, was sentenced to life in prison without parole Tuesday for the murder the president of the Hells Angels' San Francisco chapter. According to a press release, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced that Ablett was sentenced to serve two concurrent life sentences and one life sentence to run consecutive. Ablett was accused of stabbing and shooting Mark "Papa" Guardado outside a bar on Sept. 2, 2008 in the city's Mission district. He was convicted in February of murder in aid of racketeering, assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, using a gun in a violent crime and using a gun in a murder. Ablett testified at trial that he killed Guardado in self-defense but prosecutors alleged that the Modesto-based Mongol started the fight and killed Guardado to enhance his status within the gang. "The defendant killed a complete stranger for no reason other than his membership in a rival motorcycle gang," U.S. Attorney Haag said, according to the press release. "This sentence should send a clear message that there is a heavy price to pay for engaging in such a senseless act of violence. There is nothing we can do to bring Mr. Guardaro back. I hope, however, that this conviction and sentence begin to bring his family some closure."

Shootings not my fault, says ex-bikie Wissam Amer

THE man believed by police to be the central figure in a bikie feud has declared he is not at fault for Sydney's spate of drive-by shootings and says they are the "act of a coward". Wissam Amer, 28, broke his silence to The Sunday Telegraph to say he was not at the heart of the current shootings between the Hells Angels and Nomads outlaw motorcycle gangs. Last week The Sunday Telegraph revealed police believe Amer was the source of the conflict after he defected from the Hells Angels to the rival Nomads. Speaking through his lawyer Maggie Sten, the former bikie said unequivocally that he was no longer part of any gang and disputed police claims he's responsible for the feud. "The conflict between the Hells Angels and the Nomads is dead and buried - it has been for a while," Mr Amer said through his lawyer. "It has got nothing to do with me." Mr Amer was previously a member of the Bandidos, but left the group during a large scale "patch-over" of its members to the Hells Angels more than a year ago. Police believe he then tried to leave the Hells Angels to join the Nomads and burned bridges along the way - however he disputes this. Ms Sten said Mr Amer now wants to clear the record and confirm he is not part of any gang and is attempting to get on with a "normal life". What is not in dispute, however, is that Mr Amer was the target of two drive-by shootings over the past seven months. One was a drive-by at a Merrylands Oporto, two days after he was released on bail; the other happened three days later at his previous address at Canley Vale. Police believe both attacks were committed by Hells Angels, however Mr Amer said he could not prove this and neither could police. Mr Amer is unsure who the perpetrators were. "It could have been anybody - it's a dirty game, it could have been someone that I'd had a run-in with years ago," Ms Sten said on Mr Amer's behalf. "I live my life with no fear - I live now as a normal person." What Mr Amer was sure about was that drive-by shootings on himself or anyone else was a despicable act. "It's as weak as scratching somebody's car - anybody who drives a car and attacks you at 1am is a coward," he said through Ms Sten. "Especially when you know the people you're looking for are not there," referring to cases where the alleged targets were in jail. He could not explain the forces behind the current wave of shootings, but agreed with a police theory - revealed by The Sunday Telegraph - that a third party is trying to reignite animosities between the groups. Authorities brokered a peace agreement between the two gangs in January, but that faltered on April 16 when shots were fired at a home and car in Pemulwuy. "We believe it's other people trying to stir the pot," Ms Sten said for Mr Amer. "This is the perfect time for people to attack because they know the Hells Angels and Nomads were in a previous conflict which no longer exists." Police Strike Force Kinnarra has locked up 13 people in relation to the nine shootings that happened last month. Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis said the conflict was firmly between the two gangs.