BIKERLAND

Thursday, 8 September 2011

Seventh man charged over alleged attempted extortion - SCC Gangs Squad

Posted On 09:04 by Marbella Times 0 comments

 

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.

 


Hells Angel held on $1M bail on multiple charges

Posted On 08:35 by Marbella Times 0 comments

 

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.


Wednesday, 7 September 2011

Joshua Leo Johnson, vice-president of the Sonoma County Hells Angels, surrendered to Lake County authorities

Posted On 07:29 by Marbella Times 0 comments

 

Joshua Leo Johnson, vice-president of the Sonoma County Hells Angels, surrendered to Lake County authorities in connection with the beating of a rival gang member and a companion at Konocti Vista Casino in June, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Johnson, 35, an iron worker, remains in jail pending a hearing on his $500,000 bail, officials said Tuesday. Two other Hells Angels — Nicolas Felipe Carillo, 32, and Timothy Robert Bianchi, 33 — were arrested during a warrant sweep in Santa Rosa and Petaluma last week, authorities said. A fourth suspect, David Dabbs 32, remains at large. Dabbs also is being sought on a San Diego no-bail warrant for alleging kidnap and torture, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. The suspects are charged in the vicious beating of Michael Burns, 39, a rival motorcycle gang member, and Kristopher Perkin, 48, during a tattoo convention at the casino. Perkin was not seriously injured.


key witness in a case against a Hell's Angels member accused on drug and gun charges is missing

Posted On 07:26 by Marbella Times 0 comments

 

key witness in a case against a Hell's Angels member accused on drug and gun charges is missing along with two other men, raising the suspicions of relatives and authorities in a western Massachusetts town. Police say 44-year-old David Glasser, 58-year-old Edward Frampton and 47-year-old Robert Chadwell, haven't made any banking or credit card transactions and haven't been in contact with family members since they vanished more than a week ago. The men shared an apartment in Pittsfield. "Three people, all in the same house, missing — yeah, something happened, something tragic," Les Chadwell, brother of Robert Chadwell, told The Berkshire Eagle newspaper. "We'll never hear from them again, and you can quote me on that." Glasser was expected to testify this month in the robbery, assault and kidnapping trial of Adam Lee Hall, the reputed sergeant at arms of the Berkshire County chapter of the Hells Angels. Hall has pleaded not guilty in Berkshire Superior Court to a host of charges including kidnapping, assault, witness intimidation, extortion, cocaine distribution and weapons crimes. He had been free on bail but was arrested Sunday on extortion and child pornography charges alleging he got someone to text him inappropriate photos of a 16-year-old girl. Hall was arraigned on the new charges Tuesday in the Berkshire court. A judge ordered him held on $1 million bail, and his case resumes Oct. 3. He still is scheduled to go on trial on the other charges Sept. 19. Authorities said the criminal cases against Hall stems from a dispute he had with Glasser. They said Hall believed Glasser stole an automobile part from him in 2009, so he retaliated by threatening Glasser, beating him with a baseball bat and forcing Glasser to turn over his car to him. Hall later tried to frame Glasser, hoping it would stop Glasser from testifying against him about those allegations, authorities said. They said Hall got a woman he knows to falsely accuse Glasser of robbing her at gunpoint. Glasser was cleared of any wrongdoing. William Rota, Hall's attorney, said his client denies all the allegations and looks forward to his trial. He said he doesn't know what to make of Glasser and his two roommates all missing at the same time. "I would not be surprised with the authorities to suspect (Hall's involvement), but I have no reason to suspect that it's true," he said. Pittsfield police Capt. Patrick Barry said the men have been missing since the night of Aug. 27 or early the following morning — the weekend that Tropical Storm Irene hit New England. They were last seen at their apartment, he said. Barry and Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless would not comment on any possible ties between Hall and the disappearance of the men, but they said they can't rule out foul play. "It's now well past a week, and other information we have indicates that this was not just a matter of them leaving for parts unknown," Capeless told The Associated Press on Tuesday. He declined to elaborate.


Tuesday, 6 September 2011

The Devil's Professor

Posted On 17:37 by Marbella Times 0 comments

 

erstwhile associate kinesiology professor at California State University at San Bernardino remains on the lam after police raided his home last week and found a pound of methamphetamine and a cache of guns. Police are charging that Stephen Kinzey, who had been on the San Bernardino faculty for a decade, was leading a double life: teaching and researching by day; directing the local chapter of an outlaw biker gang, and its drug business, by night. Not long after the manhunt began, Albert Karnig, the university’s president, emphasized that no one on the Southern California campus saw this coming: “To our knowledge, this is the first notice that anyone on our campus has had regarding this situation,” Karnig said. “…If the allegations are indeed true, this is beyond disappointing.” newspaper accounts described neighbors, students, and even Kinzey's father as having little or no sense of the professor's alleged outside activities. The Contra Costa Times quoted Kinzey's father as saying that he knew that his son belonged to a motorcycle gang and was not "thrilled" about it (the father taught him to ride). But Hank Kinzey also described his son as "a good Catholic boy" and a Republican, and added: "Everybody's always in denial when it's something to do with their family, but this is really surreal," he said. How could a full-time college professor run a drug ring on the sly without tipping his hand? Tom Barker, a professor of criminal justice at Eastern Kentucky University and leading scholar on outlaw biker gangs, says it is not hard to imagine. “It’s not uncommon for leaders or members of motorcycle gangs to hold down seemingly legitimate lives,” says Barker, even if part of their responsibility is to oversee an illegal drug business. “A college professor could easily pull it off.” Barker says he knows of at least two other college professors who are members of outlaw biker gangs, though he would not disclose their names because he says it could cost him his life. If Kinzey is the kingpin that police suspect he is, “he’s not actually that much involved in actual delivery of drugs,” says Barker. “He’s probably setting up the networks, and he can do that in the way he’s away from the classroom very easily.” In such crime organizations, most of the number-crunching falls to the secretary-treasurer, Barker says. The actual distribution falls to the members and their associates, the enforcer handles the dirty work, and the president’s leadership duties can be delegated to the vice president when necessary. While the chapter head is like the CEO of a small company, the illegal nature of the business means “there’s not a lot of paperwork,” says Barker. Barker says he is familiar with the Devil’s Diciples [sic], the gang Kinzey is alleged to have been running. And while he does not know specific details about the San Bernardino chapter, he says that the president of that chapter would have been in charge of anywhere between seven and 25 full-fledged gang members and a broad network of associates and business partners. He guessed the president of the chapter would personally pull in about a million dollars per year. As an associate kinesiology professor at San Bernardino, Kinzey was probably making around $70,000, according to the annual data produced by the American Association of University Professors. So if Kinzey was indeed the head of a lucrative drug ring, why continue to teach? Barker says that it may have been a fallback in case the kinesiology professor ever wanted to get out of organized crime. Heading the Devil’s Diciples might pay well, but it lacks the stability and retirement benefits of a state teaching job, Barker says. Another theory, he adds, is that Kinzey just loved to teach. Terry Rizzo, the chair of the kinesiology department at San Bernardino, did not respond to multiple requests for an interview; neither did Kinzey’s other colleagues. But student reviews on RateMyProfessors.com suggest that Kinzey had been popular among many students and passionate about his work. “Dr. Steve Kinsey is an amazing [professor], who helps his students in every situation, including in their greatest need,” wrote one student in 2007. “He is a good friend of mine and we continue to get together on a quarterly basis to catch up on life. Thank god for him, because I wouldn't be a graduate without him!!!!!” “He's so awesome!” wrote another, later that same year. “He has a passion for everything he does and it shows in his desire for students to succeed and understand.” More recent reviews paint a less flattering portrait, however. Kinzey “seems like he does not care anymore,” reported one reviewer in 2008. “im sure he is good at what he does he just isnt clear at all. talks all class and does not get anything done. kinda unorganized, but nice enough.” In 2010, a student wrote: “the professor sucks, he comes in late and doesn't care, if he try's to help you he'll end up rambling about himself.” And the last review before Kinzey became a fugitive, written last May, depicts a perpetually distracted instructor: “He's a really good guy and would give you the shirt off his back,” the reviewer wrote. “But something serious must have happened to him because he shows up late, and rambles on about random and controversial topics. He lost his focus & passion for teaching. His behavior lately makes it seem like he wants to get fired.” “Sad,” the student added, “because I really enjoyed all of his classes.”


Monday, 5 September 2011

Ex-wife chases Hells Angel biker for child support

Posted On 13:48 by Marbella Times 0 comments

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.

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 STAR

Like 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.”

 

 


Book Review: The Brotherhoods: Inside The Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs by Arthur Veno

Posted On 12:01 by Marbella Times 0 comments

 

Believe it or not, those mean, bad-ass outlaw motorcyclists that scare the piss out of middle America are referred to as “bikies” in Australia. I think if you went up to a member of the Hell's Angels in the U.S. and called him a "bikie" you would get your ass whipped pronto. But that is about the only difference between the biker gang member down under from any of his brothers around the world. Professor Arthur Veno has been studying the outlaw bikie phenomenon since 1981, and has been granted remarkable access by the Aussie clubs over the years. His new book The Brotherhoods: Inside The Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs is the result of his research, and provides a fascinating insight into their world. The obvious comparison would be to Hunter S. Thompson’s 1966 Hell’s Angels: A Strange And Terrible Saga. But they are two fundamentally different books. Where Thompson got inside the club out and rode with the Angels, Veno takes a different approach. Although it is obvious that he has gotten to know some members well enough to be trusted with certain things, he is always an outsider. The Brotherhoods certainly does not shy away from the subjects that make the outlaw bike culture so dangerously intriguing. With chapters such as “Bombs And Bastardry,” “On The Nose: Clubs And Drugs,” and “Chicks And Ol’ Ladies,” there are plenty of examples of outrageous behavior. The book has a definite voyeur appeal. While most of us do not wish to live the life, it is fascinating to view from a distance. The look of The Brotherhoods is particularly appealing, for it is filled with pictures. It is so beautifully put together, with a faux leather cover, and tons of photos as to make a great coffee-table book. The tea and crumpets crowd would probably salivate over it too. Ever since The Wild One film, and the emergence of the Hell's Angels, the outlaw bike culture has seemed to be a strictly American affair. The Brotherhoods shows us that the lifestyle has permeated every corner of the globe. It is a captivating study with some amazing photographs, and definitely worth a look.


Rebels bikers spend night at motor camp

Posted On 11:58 by Marbella Times 0 comments

 

Members of the Australian outlaw biker gang the Rebels rode into Taranaki at the weekend. Police say up to 12 bikers, believed to be patched members of the Rebels, arrived in Stratford on Friday, stayed overnight at a motor camp and left the next morning. Members of the public contacted the Taranaki Daily News, believing the police had stopped the gang on New Plymouth's Coronation Ave about 1pm. But that was a different group of bikers of mainly locals, police said. The force was on alert after three Taranaki-based patched Rebels members were arrested last week in a police drug operation. Detective Sergeant Charlie Kawana, of New Plymouth CIB, said police were aware of the group that arrived in Stratford.


Wednesday, 24 August 2011

shootout between rival motorcycle gangs Hell's Angels and the Vagos

Posted On 09:47 by Marbella Times 0 comments

The attorney for one of the men accused in a shootout between rival motorcycle gangs Hell's Angels and the Vagos has filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Richard Glaxiola, the lawyer representing Michael Trevor Koepke, filed what can only be described as a massive bound document, perhaps three inches thick, with Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Celé Hancock, asking that she dismiss the case against his client.

Hancock questioned the attorneys for the other five defendants and they all said they would be joining in on the motion.

Koepke faces an 18-count indictment, including multiple charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct. The charges stem from an Aug. 21, 2010, shootout in an unincorporated area northwest of Chino Valley.

Koepke also will be allowed to travel to Las Vegas over a specific three-day period so he can participate in a semi-professional fight.

Various other procedural motions on behalf of the other defendants were filed or mentioned as potential filings.

Hancock, seeing the number of motions coming, did not set a hearing date, but said she would wait until everyone had filed.


No concern about Kelowna gang shooting

Posted On 09:46 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Revelstoke RCMP aren’t worried about any blowback from last weekend’s gang shooting in Kelowna that killed Jonathan Bacon, the leader of the Red Scorpion gang.

“We have no concern that it’s going to come to Revelstoke,” RCMP Cpl. Rod Wiebe told the Times Review last week.

Wiebe did confirm there is gang activity in Revelstoke. He said one member of the Independent Soldiers gang lives in Revelstoke.

“They have a huge influence in Revelstoke and are probably our main problem with gangs,” he said.

Also present in town are the Hells Angels, who own a property in town that they use as a stop off point in between Calgary and the Okanagan, Wiebe said.

“They don’t spend a lot of time here,” he said. “They overnight and then they’re on their way again. When they’re in town they’re well behaved.”

While violence is not a serious concern, the various gangs do have an influence on the drug trade in town.

Meanwhile, B.C.’s Minister of Public Safety said the province’s two-year-old “gangs and guns” strategy is working, and the province will continue to do its share to maintain it.

Bond issued a statement Tuesday, Aug. 16, after community leaders questioned whether federal funds for Kelowna’s 16-member anti-gang squad would continue beyond this fall. A similar unit was also set up in Prince George after a string of gang-related shootings in B.C., with a three-year commitment shared by the federal and provincial governments.

“Over 200 organized crime and gang members and associates have been arrested and charged with more than 400 serious offences since we brought in the gangs and guns strategy in February 2009,” Bond said.

“Since 2008-2009 our government invested B.C.’s full $53.3 million share of the Police Officer Recruitment Fund for additional policing positions dedicated to combating gun, gang and organized crime. I can assure you, the province is committed to the continuing funding of these dedicated resources.”

Kelowna was rocked last Sunday by a brazen daytime shooting in the driveway of a lakefront hotel. Abbotsford gang leader Jonathan Bacon was killed and a member of the Hells Angels was seriously injured when their Porsche SUV was raked with automatic weapon fire from another vehicle.

Two women in the Porsche were also hit by gunfire, and a fifth occupant, believed to be another drug gang associate, escaped on foot.

Armed gang violence was being reported beyond Metro Vancouver by 2009. At that time, former premier Gordon Campbell announced the Kelowna and Prince George gang and weapon squads, along with $185 million to add 304 more cells to the overcrowded B.C. prison system.

That announcement included 180 spaces at a new Lower Mainland Pre-Trial Centre, which was opposed by Burnaby politicians and moved to an expansion of the existing Surrey Pretrial Centre. It also included 20 more spaces at Prince George Correctional Centre and 104 additional spaces at Alouette Correctional Centre for Women in Maple Ridge.

Later in 2009, B.C. moved to restrict the sale of body armour to law enforcement members and licensed security guards and private investigators.

Kelowna RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon said in October 2009 that body armour was being used in armed robberies there. Body armour and automatic weapons were becoming popular status symbols for gang members as a way of intimidating rivals, police said.

RCMP Cpl. Wiebe re-iterated there were no concerns in the local detachment that the recent violence would spill over into Revelstoke but that people should “realize that we don’t live in a bubble and we do have gang members living amongst us.”

 


Teenager gave stolen guns to Hells Angels

Posted On 09:43 by Marbella Times 0 comments

One of the specialist weapons involved in the theft. Pictures: NT POLICE

One of the specialist weapons involved in the theft. Pictures: NT POLICE

A TEENAGER who stole more than $15,000 worth of rare guns and gave them to suspected Hells Angels gang members won an appeal against his two and a half year jail term.

The 19-year-old man appealed the sentence in the NT Supreme Court, claiming his alleged "connection" with the Hells Angels was not supported by evidence.

In February, he pleaded guilty in Darwin Magistrates Court to stealing the collectables and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years' jail, suspended after serving six months.

His lawyer Louise Bennett told Justice Dean Mildren last month that there was no evidence to support the claim he knew his co-offenders were connected to the motorcycle gang.

She said there was also no evidence to show he knew the guns would end up in the hands of the Hells Angels.

Crown prosecutor Sandy Lau said the sentencing magistrate thought the crime was "very serious". During sentencing, Magistrate Daynor Trigg said someone who would steal firearms for the Hells Angels was not participating in "schoolboy" crime.

"Outlaw motorcycle gangs, such as the Hells Angels, are seriously and actively involved in serious criminal activity," he said.

But Justice Mildren found that Magistrate Trigg took a serious view because he knew the co-offenders had connections to the gang.

He said two of the nine guns, valued at $15,980, were found in the possession of someone "connected with the Hells Angels".

"It was never suggested that (the offender) knew this at the time of the offending," he said. "I would uphold the appeal on that ground."

Justice Mildren said the sentence imposed by Magistrate Trigg would be "set aside" and the teenager would be re-sentenced.

He suggested home detention as a possible alternative.

 

 


Saturday, 20 August 2011

By now you have seen the headlines and images of destruction: the rioting, looting, violent assaults, and arson.

Posted On 14:57 by Marbella Times 0 comments


London and other UK cities look like war zones and their citizens are afraid to venture out, because the danger is very real.

It’s a view of the temporary breakdown of society. It is gut check time; a time when the concept of being able to defend oneself gives way to the stark reality that few viable options to do so exist.

Gun laws in the UK are among the most restrictive in the world. In March of 1996, a deranged man walked into a school in Dunblane, Scotland and killed 16 children and one teacher. In the aftermath of this tragedy, British politicians sought to reduce violent crime by enacting a ban on all handguns. Handgun owners were given a February 1998 deadline to turn in their firearms–and they did. The UK was supposed to become a much safer place–but dramatic increases in crime following the gun ban proved it didn’t.

A July 3, 2009, Daily Mail article reported that “Britain’s violent crime record is worse than any other country in the European Union, it has been revealed. Official crime figures show the U.K. also has a worse rate for all types of violence than the U.S. and even South Africa.”

And the current bedlam has proved it further. Restrictive laws concerning long-guns, combined with the outright ban on handguns, leave the country’s citizens largely defenseless (it was reported this week that sales of one type of aluminum baseball bats on Amazon UK rose 6,541 percent). In many places, it was reported that police were unable to stop the mayhem. As a result, panicked, defenseless law-abiding citizens were forced to flee their homes, while others watched as their businesses were destroyed. Compare this to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, when armed citizens were able to protect their lives, families, and property from looters and violent mobs.

An August 11 Herald Sun article reported one resident as saying, “its absolute bedlam on the street. People have been openly looting for an hour, two hours, and the police have been ineffectual. They’ve done nothing.” Another victim, who was trapped in her hair salon in Clapham Junction while a mob smashed its way in and trashed it, said, “They were mocking us, [saying] ‘look, look, they look scared’. Where is the police? I want protection. This is what they’re here for . . . I’m not secure at my workplace. I’m not secure at my home place. Will they be there to protect us tonight? They weren’t here to protect us last night.”

The Telegraph.com.au reported on Tuesday that mobs were forcing hapless victims to strip off their clothes while being robbed, and described a shocking video that shows a bleeding, already-pummeled teenager being robbed in broad daylight by lawless thugs who pretend to help him to his feet, and then steal the contents of his backpack while he can barely remain standing, much less defend himself.

This is what a disarmed country looks like. This is how little is left when free men and women surrender their right to own a firearm.

One has to wonder how differently this all would be playing out if the law-abiding were allowed to arm themselves. How different would the reports be if violent, opportunistic, amoral thugs were confronted with armed resistance from their intended victims?

It has been said that, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” In this case, good men and women have been stripped of their ability to do something, and evil has certainly triumphed.

Ironically, the UK is an outspoken proponent of the United Nations’ efforts to negotiate an Arms Trade Treaty. Presumably the UK’s goal in supporting an ATT is to spread the “safety and sanctity” they imagine their country as having to the rest of the world. Perhaps the recent calamities will cause the British to rethink their position; we certainly hope so. It’s time for the British government to drop its draconian gun-control laws and restore the right of self-defense to its law-abiding citizens.

It’s time to face the facts. When law-abiding citizens are disarmed, is their society a safer one? Do gun bans reduce violent crime? Will the police always be there to protect you? England’s current plight is just the latest example to show us, yet again, that the answer to these questions is an emphatic “No.”


Wednesday, 10 August 2011

Ex-biker gang boss from Glouco gets 3 years

Posted On 23:43 by Marbella Times 0 comments

former biker gang boss from Gloucester County has been sentenced to at least three years in prison for shooting and stabbing another man in what authorities say was a dispute over leadership of their Philadelphia chapter of the Pagans Motorcycle Club.

Steven "Gorilla" Mondevergine, of Turnersville, pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated assault and firearms offenses in the January 2008 attack on Timothy "Casual" Flood. Prosecutors dropped an attempted murder charge in exchange for Mondevergine's plea.

Authorities say Flood was trying to force Mondevergine, a onetime Philadelphia police officer, from the gang, prompting Mondevergine to attack him inside a Northeast Philadelphia home used as a gang clubhouse. Flood initially told police he'd been attacked in a bar parking lot.

Mondevergine was fired from the Philadelphia Police Department after he was accused of protecting gamblers in 1982. The charges were later dropped.

The burly Mondevergine was arrested at his mother's Washington Township home in December.

Mondevergine was immediately sentenced to three to 10 years in prison following his guilty plea on Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Mondevergine himself was nearly killed in 1999 when he was shot six times in a mob-style hit outside his mother's then-South Philadelphia home.

Authorities said then that Mondevergine was said to have had ties with reputed mob boss Joey Merlino, a childhood friend.

 


Rock Machine allies arrested after run-in

Posted On 11:43 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Police have arrested two associates of the Rock Machine gang after a crash that sent three officers to hospital.
The three officers were hurt in a collision Tuesday at about 12:30 a.m. after officers tried to stop a Dodge Avenger near Antrim Road and Rockspur Street, part of a police investigation of an ongoing biker-gang battle that's simmered throughout the summer.
Police said the Avenger made "quick evasive manoeuvres" that caused the crash.
After the Avenger allegedly hit two marked police cruisers and an unmarked truck, police took two men and a woman into custody and seized a loaded handgun.
Two men the police arrested have ties to the Rock Machine biker gang, said a source, though police would not specify how Tuesday's vehicle chase was tied to gangs.
Officers from the organized crime unit, the tactical support team and canine unit were involved in the traffic stop.
"Getting into the specifics of that investigation is not something I am prepared to do, nor does it provide the public with any information that we haven't already provided them," said Winnipeg Police Service spokeswoman Const. Natalie Aitken, who said the investigation has been underway since mid-July.
Aitken said police have taken "very proactive, very aggressive measures" in an ongoing gang conflict.
"There's been a number of violent incidents that have occurred in our city and that is something that's not going to be tolerated," she said.
Aitken said the Avenger caused the crash. "I don't think our officers ever have the luxury of dealing with any routine traffic stop anymore," she said.
By midday Tuesday, two of the three officers had been treated and released from hospital.
One remained at hospital, however, with a serious upper-body injury.
Police said the three police vehicles involved in the crash had serious damage.
Joseph Jordan Carl Choken, 19, Guy Wesley Vernon Stevenson, 21 and Amanda Kay Freeman, 23, face charges, including possession of restricted firearms. Choken had an outstanding warrant for arrest, and Stevenson is charged with three probation breaches and possessing a weapon contrary to a probation order.
The three were in custody Tuesday, said police. Freeman and Choken do not have prior criminal convictions.
However, Stevenson was found guilty in 2009 of uttering threats and possessing a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, as well as a robbery and assault with a weapon.

 


The Milperra Bikie Massacre, a gunfight between two rival Australian biker gangs that took place in suburban Sydney in 1984, is being turned into a TV series

Posted On 11:42 by Marbella Times 0 comments

.

Australia's Network Ten has commissioned Underbelly indie Screentime Productions to make The Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms, a six-part drama telling the story behind the events that lead to seven people being killed.

Screentime exec director Des Monaghan, head of drama Greg Haddrick (My Husband My Killer) and Rick Maier (Offspring) are the show's exec producers. Haddrick is also writing alongside series producer Roger Simpson (Satisfaction) and Jo Martino (Winners & Losers).

Louisa Kors (The Librarians) and Peter Andrikidis (BlackJack, The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant) are the show's coproducers, with the latter also directing. Screen Australia also invested in the series.


Wednesday, 27 July 2011

Police try to block Cold Chisel concert

Posted On 17:39 by Marbella Times 0 comments

South West police are trying to block Cold Chisel's concert in Margaret River on November 26 because it clashes with school leavers' celebrations, could attract bikies and will stretch police resources to the limit.

South West Supt Lawrence Panaia wants the concert at Sandalford Estate shifted to either before or after leavers' celebrations due to be held near Dunsborough from November 23 to November 26.

Supt Panaia described the timing of the concert as "irresponsible" and said he would ask Director of Liquor Licensing Barry Sargeant to refuse the appropriate liquor licence or impose tough conditions.

The concert's promoters said yesterday the concert was expected to attract 12,000 people and could not be moved.

Supt Panaia said at least 130 police would be needed in the region to control the events, with more than 8000 teenagers expected for leavers' celebrations.

"To have (the concert) on top of that, you're starting to stretch even the health service," he said.

Supt Panaia said while the Michael Buble concert at Sandalford Estate last year caused little trouble, a Cold Chisel concert was likely to attract a rougher crowd, including outlaw motorcycle gangs.

But Sandalford Estate chief executive Grant Brinklow said proper preparation would ensure minimal disruption to the South West.

Cold Chisel co-manager John O'Donnell said the band's appeal went beyond bikies to parents and children.

"Their fan base is also more female than you might expect," he said.

Cold Chisel lead singer Jimmy Barnes, 55, yesterday cancelled solo shows planned for next month because of health problems but is expected to recover for the band's long awaited national tour. Barnes had been battling flu after a gruelling European tour.

 


Saturday, 4 June 2011

Adelaide police have arrested 12 men connected with two bikie gangs after a violent brawl at a city nightclub

Posted On 07:25 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Adelaide police have arrested 12 men connected with two bikie gangs after a violent brawl at a city nightclub was captured by security cameras.

Police said 13 members of the Hells Angels and 12 members of the Finks clashed violently about 5am on May 29 at the Hindley Street venue.

They attacked each other with bottles, glasses, metal bollards and heavy metal bar stools, with several members of the group suffering serious head injuries.

Detective Inspector Steve Taylor, from the Crime Gangs Task Force, said the incident showed the true nature of the relationship between bikie gangs.

While they had recently portrayed themselves as law-abiding citizens who were united in the fight against SA's anti-gang laws, the opposite was actually the truth, he said.

'These pictures show members of motorcycle gangs are not ordinary citizens who ride motorcycles on weekends as a fun get together,' Det Insp Taylor said.

'They are not unified, they are violent offenders who have no problem playing out their differences in public.

'This violence has included shootings, bombings and stabbings.'

Det Insp Taylor said it was lucky no one was killed in the latest incident.

No arrests were made on the night, with police launching a major investigation involving about 170 officers.

They raided clubrooms operated by both the Finks and the Hells Angels on Friday.

Those arrested included seven members of the Finks, including the club's sergeant-at-arms, one member of the Hells Angels and four people associated with the Hells Angels.

They were all charged with aggravated riot, a recently introduced offence which carries a 10-year maximum jail term.

The 12 were granted police bail on strict conditions and will appear in court at a later date.


Man linked to bikies charged with assault

Posted On 07:24 by Marbella Times 0 comments

man linked to a bikie gang has been charged with sexual assault after police raided two homes in southern NSW.

Local police and officers searched the clubhouse of an alleged chapter of the Outlaw motorcycle gang in Townsend Street, Albury, on Friday.

Items believed to be related to the alleged assault at the weekend were seized.

A second house was searched in David Street, where items were also seized.

A 46-year-old Albury man was arrested and charged with sexual intercourse without consent.

He has been bailed to appear in Albury Local Court June 6.

 


Thursday, 19 May 2011

gang of drug dealing bikers from Milford Haven and Neyland made a minimum £40,000 selling heroin and cocaine.

Posted On 12:53 by Marbella Times 0 comments

American Outlaw

The figure will rise when experts have worked out how much gang leader Michael Barnes made out of dealing in Class A drugs.

Barnes, aged 46, of Neyland Heights, Neyland, Michael Orford, aged 44, of Pier Road, Milford Haven, Christopher James Morrissey, aged 20, of St Annes Road, Milford Haven, and Steven Morris and Dane Gosling, from Aberdare, were due at Swansea crown court for a proceeds of crime hearing.

Orford, Gosling and Morrisey refused to leave their prison cells and attend the hearing on Friday, May 13th.

Ian Wright, prosecuting, said some calculations had been made and agreed with defence lawyers - Morris had made £23,387, Morrisey £3,000 and Gosling £8,672.

They and other members of the west Wales chapter of The Outlaws - rivals to the Hell's Angels - have already forfeited more than £7,500 in cash and when the police swooped they confiscated £130,000 worth of drugs, vehicles and property.

The haul included 45g of cocaine, two kilogramme of cannabis and one kilogramme of amphetamine.

Judge Keith Thomas ruled that Morris was broke and ordered him to pay a nominal £5. Gosling owned a car and was told to pay £1,875.

More orders will be made at future hearings.

Barnes is serving a five year sentence, Orford four and a half years and Morrissey one year.

They were all convicted of conspiring to supply class A and B drugs.

The gang, in total, received sentences totaling more than 28 years.


club sergeant-at-arms Julian Fletcher Ivory took Stolzenberg to Minmi Cemetery and beat him so badly he thought he was going to die.

Posted On 12:47 by Marbella Times 0 comments

The Rebels: A Brotherhood of Outlaw BikersA SENIOR Rebels bikie has admitted taking a prospective member to a remote Hunter cemetery at gunpoint before bashing him so badly he received fractures to his face, eye socket, cheekbone and several ribs and severe cuts to his head that needed extensive stitching.
The victim, Greg Stolzenberg, had wanted to join the Rebels bikie gang’s Newcastle chapter when he was ordered to attend its Wickham clubhouse in May last year.

Court papers alleged Stolzenberg had attended a Raymond Terrace tattoo parlour days earlier and collected $200 in protection money on behalf on some Rebels before other gang members told the shop owner not to give any more money to the prospective member.

After being ordered to the clubhouse, Stolzenberg was told to get a sawn-off shotgun he had stashed at home before being told they were going to do a drug rip-off.

Instead, club sergeant-at-arms Julian Fletcher Ivory took Stolzenberg to Minmi Cemetery and beat him so badly he thought he was going to die.

Ivory, whose papers had his address listed as the clubhouse in Throsby Street, Wickham, pleaded guilty yesterday to wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of demanding money by force in company with intent to steal, relating to extorting money from the owner of the Raymond Terrace tattoo parlour.

Ivory will be sentenced in Newcastle District Court at a later date.

Court papers alleged some Rebels members had threatened other Hunter tattoo shop owners into handing over money for protection.

Stolzenberg told police he had got out of the car at Minmi Cemetery before Ivory smashed him across the legs with the sawn-off shotgun.

Several others allegedly came in on the beating.

‘‘To tell you the truth, I don’t know how I got out of there alive,’’ he told police.


Wednesday, 18 May 2011

police in Rock Hill are investigating after woman says her boyfriend was stabbed at a biker bar by a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.

Posted On 13:19 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Clubpolice in Rock Hill are investigating after woman says her boyfriend was stabbed at a biker bar by a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.

According to a Rock Hill police report, officers were called to the Carolinas Medical Center location in Steele Creek after 58-year-old Jim Moye came to the emergency room with a stab wound to his abdomen.

When questioned by the security staff at the hospital, Moye would only say that "it was a motorcycle thing," the report states. Moye's girlfriend, 53-year-old Linda Mlecsko, told the security officer that the pair was at the Wall-Bangers social Club located at 1474 East Main Street in Rock Hill around 11 p.m. Saturday night when Moye was stabbed.

Mlecsko told the security guard that she could identify the man who stabbed Moye and that he was a "Hells Angel Gang Member," the report states.

The security guard told officers that Moye came into the emergency room with a gun, but Mlecsko took it back outside before the guard could retrieve it.

According to the report, Moye was transferred to the main branch of Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte because of the severity of his injuries.


Alleged Hells Angel pleads not guilty to gun charge

Posted On 13:15 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Hell To Pay: Hells Angels vs. The Million-Dollar Rat36-year-old Gilroy man pleaded not guilty today to charges that he was carrying a loaded Beretta handgun not registered to him, plus an allegation that he is an active member of the Hells Angels, prosecutors said.
The motorcycle group has been deemed an illegal street gang.
Cesar Villagrana crashed his motorcycle in Aptos on March 17 and his "gear spread across the road," leading to the discovery of the gun, prosecutor Charlie Baum said.
Villagrana was injured in the crash, but appears to have recovered. A tall, solidly built man, he was in court for the hearing. He politely declined comment.
His attorney, Michael Hingle of San Jose, also declined comment, saying it would be inappropriate to do so at this early stage in the proceedings.
Before the hearing, Baum said, "I just doesn't like gangsters with guns."
Villagrana's preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 13.


Sunday, 8 May 2011

51-year-old Leif Ivar Kristiansen was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for drugs offences, aggravated robbery, as well as threatening behavior towards competitors in the tattoo/piercing industry

Posted On 13:41 by Marbella Times 0 comments

51-year-old Leif Ivar Kristiansen was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for drugs offences, aggravated robbery, as well as threatening behavior towards competitors in the tattoo/piercing industry, NRK reports.
Oslo police arrested the alleged gang leader in March following major raids on three tattoo shops in properties in Lillehammer, Trondheim, and Tromsø.
During the trial, one of co-defendants, a 32-year-old father-of-three who cooperated with police, testified he felt threatened following a visit to his partner by two of Mr Kristiansen’s associates, subsequently filing charges with police. He was sentenced to 420 hours community service and 60 days in jail.
Three other individuals were also given prison terms, and Mr Kristiansen was ordered to pay a total of 275,000 kroner compensation.
Defending counsel Morten Furuholmen told Addresseavisen “it is an improper verdict and one that will not seem fair in retrospect.”
“I will be appealing against everything possible,” said the alleged gang leader following the verdict.


Saturday, 16 April 2011

Federal prosecutor defends Hells Angel

Posted On 16:46 by Marbella Times 0 comments

A Hells Angels member and former Nevada brothel owner received a fair trial and an adequate defense before his conviction a few years ago on child pornography charges in Wyoming, a federal prosecutor said in a court filing this week.
David Burgess filed a lawsuit late last year challenging his conviction and 15-year prison sentence for possession and transportation of child pornography. He claimed his original defense lawyer was inadequate and asked for a new trial.
Burgess is a member of a Nevada chapter of the Hells Angels and former owner of the Old Bridge Ranch, a legal brothel near Reno, Nev. Prosecutors say investigators found a vast collection of child porn on two hard drives confiscated from Burgess’ motorhome during a 2007 traffic stop in western Wyoming.
“There can be no doubt, let alone a grave doubt, that Burgess knowingly possessed child pornography as he traveled from Nevada into Wyoming,” a three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver ruled in 2009. The U.S. Supreme Court later that year refused to review Burgess’ case.
In his lawsuit filed in December, Burgess asked U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson of Cheyenne, who presided over Burgess’ 2007 trial, to set aside the convictions.
For his latest legal effort, Burgess has retained San Francisco attorney Tony Serra, a nationally prominent civil rights lawyer who gained fame defending members of the Black Panthers and other groups in the 1960s.
Johnson in December ordered the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Wyoming to respond to Burgess’ claims that he didn’t receive a fair trial.
Federal prosecutor Jim Anderson originally prosecuted Burgess in 2008. Anderson filed a lengthy response on Wednesday to Burgess’ lawsuit. Anderson denied Burgess’ claims and said the evidence against him was overwhelming.
An attempt to reach Serra for comment wasn’t immediately successful. Anderson declined to comment on the case.
The main thrust of Burgess’ argument before Johnson is that Jim Barrett, the federal public defender who represented Burgess at trial, failed to prepare an adequate defense. While Barrett has declined to comment on the case, Anderson wrote that Barrett is a highly competent, seasoned defense attorney who did the best he could under the circumstances.
In his court filing, Anderson dismissed Burgess’ claims that Barrett had failed to prepare defense witnesses to present Burgess “as a man of excellent character and a great member of the community.”
“This is pure fantasy,” Anderson wrote. “Regardless of how much witness preparation had occurred in this case, it would not have changed the basic facts: on July 24, 2007, (Burgess) a brothel owner and member of an outlaw motorcycle gang, was apprehended in possession of drugs and tens of thousands of images of child pornography.”
Now that Anderson has filed his response, it’s up to Johnson whether he wants to hold an evidentiary hearing on Burgess’ claims. The judge could also rule either for or against Burgess’ request to set aside his convictions.

 


Murder suspect linked to Hells Angels

Posted On 16:44 by Marbella Times 0 comments

The man arrested for murdering and leaving a victim in the trunk of a burning car may have ties to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.
Taylor Wolf worked with and even lived at home of Ricky Jenks.  Police said Jenks is known as 'The Enforcer' and was arrested in March after the Hells Angels club house was raided.  Now investigators are trying to figure out how involved Wolf was with the Hells Angels.
 
Investigators arrested Wolf at a Spokane Valley apartment.  Investigators said the Knotty Pines Apartment unit belongs to Ricky Jenks.  They believe Wolf and Jenks likely met while working at Fessco Fleet and Marine.  Their former employer, Marc Fessler said both of them worked at the shop at the same time.
People at the Knotty Pines apartments said Wolf was helpful.  Jenks' girlfriend said Wolf house sat their apartment.
"He was always working on cars.  He'd rake the neighbor's yard.  He seemed like a good kid," said neighbor Kristopher Gattman.
 
Jenks was arrested when federal agents raided the Hells Angels club house.  Investigators are not calling the Wolf-Jenks connection significant at this point. 
 
"We've heard rumors about that.  But that's something we haven't been able to confirm either," said Spokane County Sgt. Bill Beeman.
People who know Wolf said he has been seen at the Hells Angels club house.  But it does not mean he is a member.  People who know Wolf said he was not acting like himself the week of the murder.

 


Wednesday, 30 March 2011

A preliminary hearing has been set for an alleged Hells Angels affiliate facing first-degree murder charges in relation to the deaths of a Center Burlington, Hants County couple.

Posted On 23:41 by Marbella Times 0 comments

A preliminary hearing has been set for an alleged Hells Angels affiliate facing first-degree murder charges in relation to the deaths of a Center Burlington, Hants County couple.
Curtis Blair Lynds, a convicted drug trafficker serving time in federal prison, faces two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Barry Kirk Mersereau and Nancy Christensen. The couple was found slain in their home in September 2000.
Lynds, 34, was not present during a Windsor provincial court proceeding yesterday when Judge Alan Tufts set aside Oct. 11 to 28, excluding Oct. 19 to 21, for a preliminary hearing in relation to his case. The preliminary hearing will take place in Kentville provincial court. A brief focus hearing is scheduled for July 18 in Windsor.
Lynds, a resident of 191 Hiram Lynds Road in North River, was charged on Dec. 13, 2010 with the double homicide. He also faces accessory after the fact charges in the deaths of Barry Kirk Mersereau's brother, outlaw biker Randy Mersereau, and innocent victim Charles Robert Maddison of Portapique.
It is alleged that Lynds helped his uncle, Jeff Lynds, flee custody, knowing he was responsible for the death of Randy Mersereau, who went missing in 1999. It is believed Randy Mersereau had a falling out with the Hells Angels prior to his disappearance. His remains were discovered Dec. 5, 2010, in a remote wooded area off the Hiram Lynds Road.
A second accessory after the fact charge was handed to Lynds in December, when 36-year-old Michael John Lawrence, of Windsor, was charged with the first-degree murder of Maddison, who went missing in September 2000.
Former East Mountain resident Les Greenwood, 41, is also facing an accessory after the fact charge in connection with Maddison's murder.
Along with Lynds, Greenwood and Lawrence also face two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of the Center Burlington couple.


Sunday, 13 March 2011

Nelson police kept a close watch on about 60 riders in the poker run today, organised by members of the Hell's Angels gang.

Posted On 04:34 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Nelson police kept a close watch on about 60 riders in the poker run today, organised by members of the Hell's Angels gang.

Inspector Brian McGurk said police were delighted that licensees at virtually all bars along the way refused to entertain the event.

Police set up a roadblock during the run, breath testing riders and checking the roadworthiness of bikes.

Forty-three infringement notices were handed out and eight bikes were green-stickered.

Hells Angels took over the event after the hosts, the Red Devils, were unable to attend.

All members of the Red Devils and their associates remain in custody after appearances in the Nelson District Court this morning.

Twenty search warrants were executed in properties in the Nelson area yesterday with 28 people arrested, and drugs, weapons, cash and other property, including 11 motorbikes, seized.

Fourteen people will reappear in court on Tuesday and three have been remanded in custody until April 1.


Friday, 11 March 2011

Three members of the notorious Mongols biker gang will serve time in prison

Posted On 21:37 by Marbella Times 0 comments

 2009 stabbing outside a Gustine bar after entering pleas of guilty and no contest Tuesday in Merced County Superior Court.
Defendants Albert Aleman, 37, Brandon Carvalho, 31, Ruben Silva Jr., 23, David Silva Jr., 24, Mark Oseguera, 25, and Richard Naudin, 31, were accused of killing 33-year-old Bill James outside a Gustine bar late Nov. 6, 2009.
Three of the six defandants signed plea deals and were given various sentences, while David Silva Jr. had charges against him dropped.Naudin pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Oseguera pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Carvalho pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years in prison. His prison term was extended by a year because of a previous term he served.
Based on the evidence in the case, Deputy District Attorney David Elgin, the prosecutor, thought the sentences were appropriate. The case is very complex, but the men sentenced Tuesday received justice, he added.
David Silva Jr. had charges against him dropped because after further investigation, it was determined that he wasn't at the scene or involved in the stabbing, Elgin said.
Several witnesses were interviewed before it was determined that David Silva Jr. wasn't involved, said John Garcia, the attorney who represented David Silva Jr.
Despite being in jail for about two years, he's taken it well and was "ecstatic" to have the charges against him dropped, Garcia said.
"I think from this point on, he'll probably find a better path for himself," Garcia said.
A preliminary hearing for both Ruben Silva Jr. and Aleman, who are still facing murder charges, will continue today at 10 a.m. in Courtroom 1.
Although the case was partially resolved Tuesday, Elgin said the specific motive for the killing remains unknown.
In the midst of the hearing, Carol L. James, the victim's mother, made a statement to the defendants.
While the victim's sister, Heather James could be heard crying in the background, some of the defendants made eye contact with Carol L. James, but others looked away as she explained how the death of her son destroyed her family.
Heather James had also planned on saying a few words, but was too upset to make a statement.
Outside of the courtroom, she said she was very close to her brother growing up. He was 15 months older than her.
Though it's difficult to be in the same courtroom with the men accused of killing her brother, she still makes the hearings to be there for her mom.
Despite three of the defendants being sentenced, it wasn't enough for Heather James.
"It doesn't seem like anything," she said.
Carol L. James labeled the men who killed her son "cowards," noting that nothing can bring her son back.
"I think about it everyday," she said. "I go to the cemetery everyday."
The night of James' death, up to 10 men walked into the 431 Fifth St. bar in Gustine, and a fight erupted with James. He was stabbed several times by at least two of the men. After the fight spilled out into the street, James was stabbed again and collapsed, according to Merced County sheriff's detectives.
Shortly afterward, he was pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital Los Banos. Detectives have said there's no evidence James was gang-affiliated.
The same weekend of James' death, members of the Mongols had booked every room of a Santa Nella hotel. The hotel staff abandoned the business out of fear of the gang, according to a sheriff's report.
In the months after the stabbing, sheriff's detectives rounded up a total of nine suspects throughout Southern California and the Bay Area, with help from agencies in those areas.


Sunday morning stabbing that left one man injured at an Anderson strip club

Posted On 21:34 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Sunday morning stabbing that left one man injured at an Anderson strip club stemmed from a shooting 20 years ago involving rival motorcycle gangs, the suspect told Police investigating the incident.

Jason Simmons, 36, was arrested at the VIP Show Club following an altercation that ended with a stabbing early Sunday morning.

According to court documents, cameras inside the club show Simmons facing Jesse Stone. The video allegedly shows Simmons reaching behind his back “and suddenly making stabbing motions towards the victim.”

According to court documents, Simmons told detectives the altercation started when the victim, Jesse Stone, started making comments about insignias on his black leather vest.

The probable cause illustrates how Simmons told detectives that Stone and another man were “there to kill him.”

Simmons faces a charge of aggravated and battery and possession of marijuana.

Stone was transported to a hospital in Indianapolis where he is listed in fair condition.


Tuesday, 1 March 2011

“Bandidos” Motorcycle Gang.Man stabbed 20 times during strip club brawl

Posted On 22:59 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Man stabbed 20 times during strip club brawl  "Four people were sent to the hospital Monday night after a gang fight broke out near a downtown Albuquerque strip club.

Albuquerque police say the fight broke out around 11:30 p.m. Monday in the alleyway of Knockouts near 3rd Street and Central Avenue.

The fight is said to have started after one suspect threw a beer bottle at another person setting off the brawl.

The Fat Mexican: The Bloody Rise of the Bandidos Motorcycle ClubPolice say two people involved in the fight are members of the “Bandidos” Motorcycle Gang.

While one person involved was stabbed nearly 20 times police say none of the injuries sustained during the fight were life threatening."


Strip-club stabbing was biker gang | Albuquerque, New Mexico | KRQE News 13

Posted On 22:56 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Biker Gangs and Organized Crime Strip-club stabbing was biker gang | Albuquerque, New Mexico | KRQE News 13: "late-night fight outside a Downtown Albuquerque club sends four men to the hospital.

Two brothers appear to be the victims of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Police say they were standing outside a strip club on Central in downtown Albuquerque on Monday night around 11:30 p.m. when they were approached by Ervin Halmayr and James Hutchison.

A police report states one of the men threw a beer bottle at the brothers, then both started stabbing, punching and kicking them.

The brothers were able to get away and taken to the hospital.

Police found Hutchinson and Halmayr at another hospital where they showed up for treatment and denied involvement.

The report also states they could face assault and weapons charges."


Friday, 18 February 2011

'Dump Squad' street gang sentenced to 25 years in prison

Posted On 07:02 by Marbella Times 0 comments

A Newport News man who allegedly was a member of the 'Dump Squad' street gang was sentenced to 25 years in prison Thursday, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Norfolk.

Monquay Williams, 21, pleaded guilty on Oct. 21 to participation in a racketeering conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injuries, and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, according to the release.

Williams and other gang members were involved in a fight in the parking lot of the Atmosphere Club on Dec. 24, 2007, according to a statement of facts filed with Williams' plea agreement. According the release, several gang members began to beat Tony Vaughan, who was later shot and killed by another gang member, according to the release."


worked on behalf of the Hells Angels

Posted On 06:59 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle ClubU.S. drug-smuggling warrants issued for four B.C. men: "B.C. drug smugglers -- who police believe worked on behalf of the Hells Angels -- has been indicted in Washington state.

U.S. warrants were issued Wednesday for Dustin Meehan, Justin Harris, Ronald Lochbalm and Gordy Dahms, alleging they transported major shipments of marijuana across the border for several years using various methods to conceal the illicit loads.

The four are alleged to have worked with Rob Shannon, Devron Quast, Jody York and others who have already pleaded guilty in Seattle. Shannon was earlier handed a 20-year sentence, while others got lesser terms. York and six others who were charged last October have pleaded guilty but are yet to be sentenced.

The latest indictment says the four 'collaborated to operate a marijuana transportation and distribution organized based in British Columbia."


criminal organization run by Mario “Five Cent” Sincennes moved into town in an attempt to take over the drug trade in Brockville, Gananoque and Prescott by waging a campaign of violence and intimidation

Posted On 06:56 by Marbella Times 0 comments

A Wayward Angel: The Full Story of the Hells AngelsAnother guilty plea from busted Brockville drug ring: "Brockville cocaine dealer has pleaded guilty to conspiring with a violent criminal organization run by a member of the Hells Angels Nomads.

Prosecutors allege Ryan Morton, 27, was a mid-level dealer when the criminal organization run by Mario “Five Cent” Sincennes moved into town in an attempt to take over the drug trade in Brockville, Gananoque and Prescott by waging a campaign of violence and intimidation between October 2007 and July 2009.

Morton, who was once stopped by police in a car with two other men on the way to assault rival drug dealers who had resisted the group’s overtures, pleaded guilty to four conspiracy charges. Those charges included conspiracy to traffic cocaine for the benefit of a criminal organization, conspiracy to commit assault causing bodily harm for the benefit of a criminal organization and conspiracy to possess the proceeds of crime."


Friday, 4 February 2011

Witnesses sought after garage owner kicked by gang member - Local News - News - General - Armidale Express

Posted On 01:02 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Witnesses sought after garage owner kicked by gang member - Local News - News - General - Armidale Express: "SERVICE station proprietor was allegedly assaulted by a member of a motorcycle gang near Guyra on Tuesday.
It is possible that the Hell’s Angels motorbike gang was involved in the assault, according to Senior Constable Mandy Vaughan.

“A number of men riding motorcycles, who identified themselves as members of the Hell’s Angels, were stopped and spoken to on the New England Highway,” Inspector Roger Best of New England Local Area Command said.

The assault allegedly occurred shortly before 2pm after an accident in the entrance to the Black Mountain BP Service Station.

An argument broke out when the proprietor asked the motorcyclists to remove a fallen bike from the service station’s entry point.

Witnesses to the assault said that one of the riders kicked the proprietor in the ribs.

Police have obtained CCTV footage of the incident."


Paul Merle Eischeid, one of the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted Fugitives, was captured today in Buenos Aires by Argentinean authorities.

Posted On 01:00 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Hells Angel Accused of 2001 Murder Arrested in Argentina After Nearly Four Years on U.S. Marshals' Most Wanted List - Phoenix News - Valley Fever: "A member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, who authorities believe is responsible for 'one of the most grisly' murders in recent American criminal history, has been captured in Argentina, the U.S. Marshals Service announced today.
Paul Merle Eischeid, one of the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted Fugitives, was captured today in Buenos Aires by Argentinean authorities.

Eischeid is suspected in the 2001 kidnapping and murder of Cynthia Garcia."


Jury selection continues in the trial of four motorcycle gang members accused of trying to kill a man.

Posted On 00:00 by Marbella Times 0 comments

Jury selection continues in the trial of four motorcycle gang members accused of trying to kill a man.

So far, 11 jurors have been chosen to hear the trial of Joe Flores, Jose Flores, Chester Hunnicutt and Derrick Johnson.

There must be 12 jurors and two alternates for testimony to begin for the Bandido gang members.

The men are charged with attempted murder and battery.

The quartet was arrested after a shooting at Fred's Bar, which is near the Prairieville-Port Vincent area, in February 2010.

The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office reported the men got into an argument with former gang member Steven Hoff, 31.

Investigators said Hoff was shot several times by Joe Flores, the gang's president.

The four men are also charged with badly beating Hoff's friend, Brian McDonald, at the bar during the scuffle.


Thursday, 3 February 2011

OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE GANGS ARE LOYAL TO NONE BUT THEMSELVES

Posted On 23:57 by Marbella Times 0 comments


Thursday, 11 February 2010

shoulder-bumping" members of the Hells Angels and the Throttle Lockers

Posted On 19:37 by Marbella Times 0 comments


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.

Posted On 19:16 by Marbella Times 0 comments

 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.


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

Posted On 17:29 by Marbella Times 0 comments

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.


Friday, 5 February 2010

Red Deer has a 12 to 20-member chapter of the Nomads, a Hells Angels puppet club

Posted On 14:29 by Marbella Times 0 comments

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.

Posted On 14:24 by Marbella Times 0 comments

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.


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