Hells associate found guilty, given 51-month term - Winnipeg Free Press

Hells associate found guilty, given 51-month term - Winnipeg Free Press: "Manitoba Hells Angels associate who didn't want to be seen as pleading guilty to gang-related charges was instead found guilty Monday after what was likely the fastest trial in judicial history.
The unusual hearing last just a few minutes and included Crown and defence lawyers calling no witnesses and making no submissions.
The only evidence was an agreed statement of facts that was provided to the judge for review days earlier.
Queen's Bench Justice Glenn Joyal had no choice but to make the obvious ruling, paving the way for a sentencing hearing to begin almost immediately. Raymond Brown, 44, was then given 51 months in prison, in addition to five months of time already served, under a joint-recommendation from Crown and defence lawyers. His offences include participating in a criminal organization, conspiracy to launder proceeds of crime and trafficking marijuana.
Prosecutor Chris Mainella said a lot of gang members -- especially high-ranking ones such as Brown -- don't want to be seen as admitting responsibility and would rather put justice officials to the test of proving their case. He said Preston's way of dealing with his case is similar to the 'no contest' plea that exists in the United States.
Brown was one of 33 people arrested last winter as part of 'Project Divide,' in which police used a secret agent to infiltrate the gang by using a former Hells associate as a paid informant. He is the 13th to deal with his charges."

Jack Rosga kept a low profile for a man who federal authorities say was the national leader of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club

Jack Rosga kept a low profile for a man who federal authorities say was the national leader of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, ordering subordinates to attack rival gang members while living and working in Milwaukee.

Known as "Milwaukee Jack" within the club, Rosga, 53, has a relatively clean record. A lawyer representing him says Rosga is a "working stiff" who runs a small trucking company, doesn't smoke and has an occasional sip of Crown Royal.

But both Rosga and the Outlaws, a group that works to maintain a positive public image, are portrayed in a far different light in a 12-count indictment filed last week against Rosga and 26 other Outlaws from seven states.

The indictment includes accusations of attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, robbery, extortion, witness intimidation, drug dealing, illegal gambling and gun charges, much of which Rosga allegedly directed from Milwaukee.

Rosga told an undercover agent he expected to one day end up in jail, following the Outlaws' two previous national leaders, both of whom are in federal prison, the indictment says. Rosga also told undercover federal agents posing as Outlaws that they should shoot members of the rival Hells Angels gang, according to the indictment.

Rosga's arrest last week during a surprise raid at the Outlaws' clubhouse on Milwaukee's south side is the latest chapter of the club's history in the area, which stretches back decades and includes previous federal investigations, battles with rival gangs, bombings and at least seven unsolved homicides, according to court records, law enforcement officials and news accounts.
Milwaukee ties

The Outlaws trace their roots to 1935, to a bar on Route 66 near Chicago. Their motto: "God forgives, Outlaws don't."

In 1964, Milwaukee bikers formed an Outlaws chapter. It was the first outside Chicago, and Milwaukee has since remained a stronghold of the gang.

The Outlaws operate like a corporation, with local chapters, regional officers and a national leader, according to law enforcement officers who have investigated the club. Members pay monthly dues, and the gang exacts taxes from members for special expenses, such as funeral costs for members, according to court documents and experts.

Traffic stop leads to arrests of North Bay Hells Angels members | PressDemocrat.com

Traffic stop leads to arrests of North Bay Hells Angels members | PressDemocrat.com: "Two North Bay members of a Hells Angels club, driving with a pack of motorcycle riders Sunday were stopped by CHP officers who found they were carrying a cache of weapons.

The two men, from Santa Rosa and Lake County, were arrested. A third Hells Angels member was arrested later Sunday for having an ice pick hidden in his handle bars, the CHP said.
About 300 riders converged in Marin County for an annual Hells Angels fundraiser ride. The ride also was a memorial for a Bay Area member who was shot and killed in May 2008 while riding in truck on Highway 101 in Marin County."

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

shoulder-bumping" members of the Hells Angels and the Throttle Lockers puppet gang inside the nightclub, provoking a street fight outside.

Cpl. Annie Linteau said the officers charged, Const. Chris MacDonald of Prince Edward Island, and Const. Kiel Samotej of Alberta, remain on duty though they are also the subject of an internal code of conduct review.MacDonald, 40, and Samotej, 25, were in the Okanagan with others on vacation. They are due to make their first appearances in a Kelowna courtroom April 22.

Kelowna resident Errol Milsom-Gardener, 25, will appear in court April 8 for allegedly striking Mac-Donald, who ended up in hospital.Linteau said the fight outside the night club involved 15 to 20 individuals wearing Hells Angels and Throttle Lockers colours and about seven members of MacDonald's group."This alleged assault involved a 'shoulder bump' inside the nightclub and is believed to have instigated the much larger altercation that later took place outside," she said.

Linteau said a shoulder bump would constitute an assault if it was done intentionally, which is what the evidence showed in this case. The shoulder bump did not result in anyone being injured, she said.

After the incident inside, the Mountie group left the bar and the biker group followed them.

"The group of 15 to 20 tracked them down the street for about half a block and that's where the altercation happened," Linteau said.

While the Mounties could identify the bikers, Linteau said she didn't know if the bikers knew there were police officers in the opposing group.

She said others with Mac-Donald sustained minor injuries that did not require hospitalization. Mac-Donald was held overnight at Kelowna General Hospital and then released.

Kelowna RCMP investigated the fight and sent the findings to Crown counsel for consideration of criminal charges, Linteau said. Those charged were approved Feb. 5.

The Hells Angels established a Kelowna chapter in the summer of 2007, and several members of the notorious biker gang have moved to the Okanagan.

The Throttle Lockers are one of several puppet clubs that have surfaced across B.C. over the past year. Police say these clubs have a direct relationship to the Hells Angels. The Throttle Lockers club is based in 100 Mile House and has about 10 members and ties to the Kelowna Hells Angels.

motorcycle gangs played any role in the shooting death of a tattoo parlor owner.

 Police say Ferraiolo was ambushed Tuesday night outside his parlor, A Touch of Color, on Dixwell Avenue. The medical examiner's office says he died of multiple gunshot wounds. gangs played any role in the shooting death of a tattoo parlor owner.Chief Thomas Wydra said Wednesday that police are investigating whether the victim, 64-year-old Joseph Ferraiolo, had any affiliation, membership or involvement in any motorcycle gang, and whether his killing may have been retaliation for something.Wydra declined to say why police were looking at motorcycle gangs and wouldn't say if any suspects had been identified. Investigators are looking for a black truck they say was connected to the killing.

Police have charged the wife of former Coffin Cheater Troy Mercanti with stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a trust fund

Police have charged the wife of former Coffin Cheater Troy Mercanti with stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a trust fund set up for the benefit of the children of slain gang member Marc Chabriere.In an attempt to ward off violence between the Cheaters and Mercanti's new gang the Finks, police and the Australian Crime Commission launched an investigation into the allegations last year.Yesterday they charged Tammy Cherie Kingdon with four counts of stealing and one of property laundering.It is understood that police are also investigating the theft of money from a trust fund set up by Mercanti in 2000 after the death of his close friend Richard Vickers.Police would not confirm last night whether any of the four stealing charges related to the Vickers trust.It is believed the property laundering charge flows from using the allegedly stolen funds in the purchase of the Finks' Balga clubhouse in Ms Kingdon's name last year.Ms Kingdon was at home when gang crime squad officers raided the family's Duncraig house yesterday.
She was released on bail to appear in Joondalup Magistrate's Court on Thursday. Mercanti, who is in jail for assault, is understood to have been charged with offences related to the same investigation.Mr Chabriere was shot dead in a hail of bullets in 1998 at the height of the gang war between the Coffin Cheaters and Club Deroes.Andrew Wayne Edhouse was charged but acquitted of the murder.After Mr Chabriere's funeral, the Coffin Cheaters organised a trust fund to help provide for Mr Chabriere's children.Senior gang members were put in charge of the trust, including Mercanti, who was sensationally expelled from the gang in 2008 on "bad standing" after being bashed by up to 15 members.Within months, Mercanti joined the Finks bikie gang and a Finks member was shot in the shoulder as he rode his motorcycle with three other men near Wooroloo, sparking fears of a new and deadly gang war.
The Finks Balga clubhouse was then bought in Mrs Mercanti's name.Mercanti was refused parole this month and is not due for release until next year.

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

Police say the man is a member of the outlaw motorcycle gang, and the women, neither of whom was seriously injured, had no prior connection to the bikers."There's no believed connection between them at all. It's not a domestic relationship or anything," said RCMP spokeswoman Const. Sabrina Grunow.Red Deer has a bylaw banning any sort of gang identification clothing, and Grunow said the man wasn't wearing anything to identify himself as a biker.But around 2:37 a.m. police were called to the Urban Rodeo in the 4700 Block of Gaetz Avenue on Jan. 24 where it was reported that a group of women were involved in an altercation with several members of the Hells Angels.Grunow said that by the time cops arrived, much of it had broken up.They're still trying to piece together what happened, but Grunow acknowledged that it's pretty unusual to find several macho members of a bike gang fighting with women on the street.It's even more unusual to find plenty of witnesses when outlaw bikers are involved."It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the long run," Grunow said. Red Deer has a 12 to 20-member chapter of the Nomads, a Hells Angels puppet club. Grunow said investigators are still trying determine whether the suspect is a member of that club, or another chapter.

fight outside of a downtown nightclub has landed a Hells Angels member in jail.

A 58-year-old man from Spruce Grove was charged with two counts of assault after Red Deer City RCMP responded to multiple complaints of a large disturbance outside of Urban Rodeo shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 24. It was alleged that a physical altercation was ongoing between members of the Hells Angels and a number of women, according to an RCMP news release. The man was arrested without incident. Two women, ages 20 and 21, suffered minor injuries as a result of the altercation. The man, whose name isn’t being released pending the charges being sworn, was released from custody with conditions and is set to appear in Red Deer provincial court on March 23.

80 motorbikes accompanied the coffin of popular Hells Angel Mike Bugler to his funeral on Tuesday.

Starting at Mr Bugler’s home in The Friary, the procession went around the ring road and on to Salisbury crematorium where scores more mourners were waiting to pay their last respects.
The coffin was carried in a sidecar and Mr Bugler’s wife Myra travelled on his Harley Davidson, with a police escort accompanying the bikers. Mr Bugler, 60, died at Salisbury Hospice on January 19.
He had been diagnosed with cancer in 2008. Born in Portsmouth, he moved with his
family to Herbert Road in Salisbury and grew up in the city. From an early age, he was an avid motorcycle fan and became Master of Arms in the Hells Angels. He made friends all over the country, and many of them travelled on their bikes to attend his funeral.
Mr Bugler’s family said he was known for his “happy, big personality” and he has been described as a “gentle giant”. They said he would do anything for anyone and played a huge part in the community.
Mr Bugler worked as a lorry driver and loved listening to the music of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Beatles. After the funeral, the mourners went to the Five Bells pub where Mr Bugler and his wife received a blessing last October.

three members of the motorcycle gang known as the Hells Angeles were arrested under the suspicion of drug crimes in Ventura County

three members of the motorcycle gang known as the Hells Angeles were arrested under the suspicion of drug crimes in Ventura County. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Gang Unit reported the arrests over the weekend.Two of the men were arrested last Friday, one on the suspicion of transporting methamphetamine and the other under the suspicion of being under the drugs influences.They were stopped by gang unit officials who noticed them weaving in and out of traffic on Highway 101 at speeds over 85 miles per hour. David Olivares, the man who was under suspicion for transporting methamphetamine, was released from the Ventura County jail after he posted $55,000 bail. The other man was cited and released.A few days before this incident, another man known to be an associate of the Hells Angels, Martin Kada, was arrested under the suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. Mr. Kada was released on $20,000 bail.Drug crimes are extremely serious charges. A drug crime conviction can drastically change the course of your life after resulting in large fines, a felony record, and even jail time. If you find yourself in a situation where you have been accused of crimes such as these get in touch with Ventura County criminal defense lawyer Robert Helfend, he has the experience you need in your corner.Three members of the Hells Angels were arrested recently on suspicion of drug crimes, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Gang Unit said Saturday.On Friday, investigators arrested David Olivares, 39, of Carpinteria on suspicion of transportation of methamphetamine, and James Ivans, 37, of Carpinteria on suspicion of being under the influence of methamphetamine.
They were among six motorcyclists stopped by gang investigators who saw them weaving in and out of traffic at more than 85 mph on Highway 101 near Del Norte Boulevard, officials said.
Olivares was released from Ventura County jail after posting $55,000 bail. Ivan was cited and released. The others were cited for traffic violations.
Martin Kada, 37, of Ventura was arrested Jan. 22 near Saticoy on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. He was jailed and released on $20,000 bail, sheriff’s officials said.