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Showing posts with label Mongols MC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mongols MC. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Mongols MC members charged with murder

Pinellas Park, Florida USA (October 18, 2023) - On Tuesday, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office announced two additional arrests in the April 2022 killing of a man that the Mongols Motorcycle Club members believed was a police snitch. Vincent Romanino was booked into a Hillsborough County jail Tuesday and is being held without bond and Joshualee Garcia was booked into a Pasco County jail, according to the Pinellas Sheriff’s Office.


Each faces a charge of accessory after the fact to first-degree felony murder in the fatal shooting of Dominick Paternoster, the Sheriff’s Office said. Both men were members of the Mongols MC when Paternoster was killed, according to the Sheriff's Office. Paternoster, 46, was shot multiple times in his home sometime between 10:20 P.M. on April 27, 2022, and 1:00 A.M. the following morning. His body was found around 4:30 p.m. on April 28.

RELATED | Mongols MC Member Arrested Over Killing

RELATED | Mongols MC member faces murder charge

 
Around four months later, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri called a news conference on Aug. 29, 2022, to announce the indictment of Paul Mogilevsky on a first-degree murder charge in Paternoster’s death. He said Paternoster, now 49, had been a member of a puppet club for the Mongols MC called the Raiders MC.




Detectives said members of the Mongols MC believed Paternoster was a “snitch,” but authorities would not confirm whether Paternoster was an informant or not.

Monday, October 9, 2023

Police raid Mongols MC clubhouse

Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia (October 9, 2023) - A Mongols Motorcycle Club clubhouse has been raided ahead of the group's national run this week. Police searched an industrial complex at Blacktown in Sydney's west on Friday night and said they seized several items "consistent with the illegal sale and supply of alcohol". This included bar stools, lounges, fridges, and alcohol.
 
@State of NSW

The Mongols MC is preparing for its national run in Victoria, which will run from Wednesday to Saturday this week. Detective Acting Superintendent Stuart Gordon said NSW Police will work with Victoria Police to ensure riders comply with the law and road rules.



"We have assigned a significant number of resources to join our southern counterparts in policing the run, including officers attached to the southern region and traffic and highway patrol command," Gordon said. 

"No illegal behaviour will be tolerated – either on or off the road – and, as well as minimising the impact of the ride to other motorists, police will be targeting any anti-social behaviour."



Thursday, September 21, 2023

Mongols MC members shot at while riding

Tippecanoe County, Indiana, USA (September 21, 2023) - A man riding a motorcycle, later identified as Keylin Holly pulled out a handgun and allegedly shot at two other motorcyclist at an intersection. The victims reportedly told the man to stop following them when they stopped at the intersection the shooting took place, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Wednesday.
 


When police were on their way, they received more calls of shots fired in the area. According to an officer in the area at the time, Holly was wearing a denim vest with “Abolafia” in red and white lettering. Holly was riding his motorcycle behind two older men on motorcycles. The officer said he heard the two men tell Holly to stop following them.

When the bikers approached the intersection of 18th Street and Everett Street, the officer saw what looked like Holly shooting at the two motorcycles in front of him. According to Tippecanoe County Prosecutor's Office, Holly is a known member of the Abolafia Motorcycle Club. The people he's accused of shooting at are members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club.



Holly is charged with four counts each of attempted murder, aggravated battery and attempted battery with a deadly weapon, as well as unlawful carrying of a handgun, criminal recklessness and criminal organization activity.

He is being held in the Tippecanoe County Jail with $210,000 in bonds as of Wednesday evening, according to jail logs.

Friday, September 15, 2023

Mongols MC affiliates crash going to national event

Amberley, New Zeland (September 15, 2023) - Two people affiliated with the Mongols MC crashed on their way to Christchurch for a planned event. Detective Inspector Joel Syme said police were aware of a planned event in Christchurch this weekend involving members and associates of the Mongols MC.



On Friday morning, police were called to a crash involving two motorcycles travelling to the event. The crash on State Highway 1, north of Amberley, was reported to Police at 11:25 AM. “Nobody was injured and the road was not blocked.”



Syme said additional police staff would be deployed in the city over the weekend to “closely monitor the behaviour” of those attending the event. “Our expectations around these types of events are very clear and I can assure the community that we will have resources in place to respond to reports of unlawful behaviour.

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Bandidos MC hit with search warrants

Albuquerque, New Mexico (September 5, 2023) - FBI and New Mexico State Police SWAT teams launched early morning raids in towns across New Mexico, searching the homes of the 25 Bandidos MC members identified as having made “imminent threats” to kill or hurt rivals involved in the fatal shootings in May.

Evidence seized included more than 150 firearms, and three men were arrested on state charges as the investigation into possible racketeering and other crimes continues. New Mexico’s top law enforcement announced at a press conference they had a message for the estimated 75 or so Bandidos members in New Mexico whose properties weren’t searched.

“The motorcycle is a symbol of freedom, of individualism, and the open road,” said U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Alexander Uballez. “But today, a selfish few are trying to tell us who gets to enjoy our roads, what clothes they are required to wear, and with whom they can ride. The people of New Mexico have no more patience for violent bullies. Working together, the law enforcement agencies of New Mexico return the open road to the public who owns it.”
 

Raul Bujanda, FBI Special Agent in Charge for New Mexico, said the investigation will include tracing the firearms seized to determine if they have been involved in any unsolved homicides in the state. Looking out at an audience of state, federal, county sheriff and city law enforcement officers who helped conduct the searches, Bujanda said the violence that erupted at the annual motorcycle rally in Red River was “kind of a wake up call for everyone here.”

The events, which drew tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts, turned violent May 27 when members of the Bandidos MC surrounded members of the much smaller New Mexico based motorcycle club, the Water Dogs MC. Gunfire broke out, and three people were fatally shot, one member of the Water Dogs, and two Bandidos MC members. A total of eight people were shot, all members of the motorcycle clubs.

Prosecutors in Taos County dismissed murder charges temporarily against a Water Dogs MC member, who had been arrested after the shootings. The Water Dogs MC member reportedly claimed self-defense. The violence at the rally was linked in part to photos taken at a wedding that showed the president of the Water Dogs MC standing with at least one member of the Mongols Motorcycle Club. The Mongols have been trying to increase the club’s presence in New Mexico. Historically, the Bandidos have considered the state their territory.

According to a 145-page search warrant affidavit, some of confidential informants have reported that Bandidos leadership is “concerned the Bandidos MC look weak for having failed to avenge the shooting deaths of  two members during the weekend rally in Red River, N.M.”

“Based on my investigation, I believe members of the Bandidos MC are preparing to attack members of the Mongols MC and Water Dogs MC,” wrote FBI Special Agent Bryan Acee in the affidavit. He stated that the 25 Bandidos MC members targeted in Thursday’s searches “have been the most aggressive proponents of violent conflict.”

“Coupled with the fact those same Target Subjects are believed to be actively conducting reconnaissance on their rivals; acquiring and trafficking in firearms, encouraging others to join them in assaulting and killing rivals; and in possession of firearms, ammunition, and ballistic vests; I believe the requested search warrants will mitigate the current threat and result in the seizure of valuable evidence,” wrote Acee.

Acee’s affidavit described that to prepare for an attack some Bandidos MC members have been following Mongols MC members from their homes or work to ascertain their habits and where they live. They have been practicing shooting. The searches occurred in Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Farmington, Hobbs, Gallup, Capitan, Ruidoso, Rio Rancho, Los Lunas and several smaller communities.

Bujanda said the law enforcement intervention on Thursday won’t likely extinguish the bad blood between the Bandidos and their rivals. “It’s a turf war and they think this is their turf. Obviously it’s not.”

Friday, October 14, 2022

Mongols MC Member Arrested Over Killing

Pinellas Park, Florida, USA (October 13, 2022) - The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has made a second arrest in the fatal shooting of a Palm Harbor motorcycle club member. On Wednesday, the sheriff's office arrested Dylan Lee Pascale, 35, of Pinellas Park on first-degree murder charges for his involvement in the gangland-style slaying of Dominick Paternoster, 46, on April 27.



His arrest follows the August 26 indictment of Paul Mogilevsky, 48, of Pinellas Park by a grand jury on first-degree murder charges in the shooting death of Paternoster at his home, 104 Dunbridge Drive, Palm Harbor. Gualtieri said Paternoster was a member of the Raiders motorcycle club, a support or puppet club of the Mongols Motorcycle Club. He was shot multiple times by more than one gun after being identified as a "snitch" who was providing information to law enforcement, Gualtieri said.

RELATED | Mongols MC member faces murder charge


Although based in California, Gualtieri said the clubs numbers have a growing presence in Tampa Bay. “They're a criminal racketeering organization, and they are organized crime, really, in its truest sense," Gualtieri said. "They're very, very different from everyday people who simply enjoy riding motorcycles on weekends and belong to true social motorcycle clubs. These aren't the people you see out on a Sunday motorcycle ride. They're thugs who terrorize and commit crimes."



Mogilevsky and Pascale are both members of the Mongols, which share a clubhouse in Tampa with the Raiders, Gualtieri said.

Source: Tampa News

Monday, August 29, 2022

Mongols MC member faces murder charge

Largo, Florida, USA - (August 29, 2022) - A Pinellas grand jury has indicted a member of the Mongols motorcycle club who is accused of killing another motorcycle club member he believed to be a police informant. Paul Mogilevsky, 48, faces a first-degree murder charge in the April shooting death of Dominick Paternoster, 46, in Palm Harbor. 

Paternoster was a member of the Raiders MC, a feeder group for the Mongols MC. The two share a clubhouse in Tampa, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said at a news conference Monday. “Paternoster was not just killed. He was executed,” Gualtieri said. 

He declined to say, however, whether Paternoster was an informant. Mogilevsky and Paternoster were at the Mongols clubhouse in Tampa together on April 27, the night Paternoster was killed, Gualtieri said. They then went to Paternoster’s Palm Harbor home with another person.
 


Video evidence and witnesses placed the suspects at Paternoster’s home on the night of the shooting, Gualtieri said. Mogilevsky initially said he and another person left Paternoster asleep in a recliner at home, according to court documents. However, investigators said Mogilevsky lied about the timeline of events that night.



A confidential witness also told authorities that Mogilevsky had planned the shooting and admitted to killing Paternoster, court documents say, and authorities were able to verify some of the information the witness provided. Mogilevsky and the other suspect got rid of some evidence in Tampa Bay, Gualtieri said. Members of the sheriff’s office dive team helped recover the evidence.

Gualtieri said multiple guns were used to shoot Paternoster in his home, where he was found dead about 4:30 p.m. on April 28, according to court documents. Law enforcement is still investigating the death and plans to make other arrests, the sheriff said.

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Alleged Mongols MC hangout caught up in raid

Queensland, Australia (July 30, 2022) - Operation Viking, which began 6:00 am last Monday, resulted in more than $150,000 cash, seven firearms and a raft of prohibited drugs like methylamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana allegedly being seized across northern NSW and southeast Queensland. The combined street value of the drugs is estimated to be more than $4.5 million.
 


The operation was established by NSW Police in partnership with the NSW Crime Commission, Queensland Police, Federal Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to gather intelligence and disrupt bikie activities across the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast border regions.



State Crime Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Jason Weinstein, said it was the result of two weeks of intensive overt and covert operations to shadow outlaw motorcycle club activity. During the search, officers allegedly located a bar at the rear of the home that contained Mongols paraphernalia, alcohol and an amount of marijuana.

All items were seized and the bar was dismantled.



Friday, December 4, 2020

Mongols MC Targeted in Police Operation

Victoria, Australia (December 4, 2020) - Police have arrested six people and seized 14 firearms as part of a National Day of Action targeting the Mongols Motorcycle Club. Officers searched a club house and address in Echuca, along with several properties in Greater Melbourne.

The six people have been charged with a range of drug, firearms, weapons, and explosives offences.

A number of items were also seized from the properties, including firearms, cash, explosives, and a range of drugs like cocaine, cannabis, hallucinogens, steroids, and prescription medication. 



Police also served firearm prohibition orders on 12 Mongols MC members and conducted compliance checks on a number of existing firearm prohibition order subjects.

Earlier this week, police seized 12 firearms from two patched Mongols MC members.

Police also searched a South Morang address and seized a suspected stolen Harley Davidson, drugs, ammunition, and a conducted energy device. Two men, who are patched members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, were also served with firearm prohibition orders and were expected to be charged in relation to the seizures.

Members of the Echo Taskforce, public order response team, licensing records division, dog squad, bomb response unit, and local police – as well as the Australian Federal Police national anti gangs squad – were involved in the day of action on Thursday.

Across Australia, a number of people were arrested and a range of items including firearms, drugs, and cash.

Crime Command Acting Assistant Commissioner Mick Frewen said it was imperative that law enforcement agencies across Australia continued to work to together to target motorcycle clubs.

“This is a group we know have traditionally been involved in violent crimes such as shootings, assaults, arson, drug trafficking, extortion and intimidation,” Mr Frewen said.

“These activities bring immense harm to communities across Australia and often significantly impacts innocent people who have no links to the outlaw motorcycle gangs.”

“In Victoria alone, the Mongols have been linked to a number of firearms incidents including multiple homicides and non-fatal shootings over the past 15 months.”

“Organised criminal groups such as the Mongols aren’t a state-based problem.”

“They remain a significant issue for law enforcement right across Australia and days of action such as this one provides the ideal opportunity for us to work together to target their offending and also gather intelligence.”

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Mongols MC Boss Granted Bail

Melbourne, Australia (November 26, 2020) - The head of a Melbourne Mongols MC already out on bail has been granted it again after he was arrested today. Mongols boss Toby Mitchell was arrested by the Echo Taskforce following an incident that took place in Melbourne on November 15 event. He was knocked unconscious during an early hours brawl at Queens Bridge Square in Southbank.

Earlier in the night he had been partying at Soho Bar. CCTV footage shows Mitchell walking with a group of friends along the Southbank promenade and engaging in a verbal altercation with a man sitting on the ground who he then punched in the face twice. 



Mitchell was pulled away by his group of friends, but he approached that man again and that’s when the he was struck unconscious. The Mongols leader was charged with affray and committing an indictable offence while on bail. He faced the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court via video link, and was granted bail for the second time in less than eight weeks today. The leader was in court last month, also on assault charges but released on bail. 

Toby Mitchell

The alleged serious assault occurred outside a cafe on Domain Road in South Yarra on October 4. Police allege he struck the male to the head three times. As part of his bail conditions Mr Mitchell was not to associate with any members of the Mongols. 

SOURCE: 9News


Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Mongols MC Prospect Charged

Brisbane, Australia, (October 6, 2020) -  Investigators from the Organised Crime Gangs Group have charged an alleged prospect of the Mongols MC with drug and weapon offences following the execution of a search warrant at a Browns Plains residence on Friday.

During the search of the residence on October 2, police located and seized 1.3 kilograms of methylamphetamine, 551 grams of cocaine, two handguns, a silencer, ammunition and approximately $50,000 cash.

A cash counting machine and Mongols MC clothing were also located and seized.



A 24-year-old Browns Plains man, allegedly a prospect of the Mongols MC, was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of a dangerous drug exceeding schedule, possession of category H firearms, possession of ammunition and possession of proceeds of crime.

Detective Inspector Larissa Miller from the Organised Crime Gangs Group said this was a notable seizure with the arrest reflecting the Queensland Police Service’s commitment to pursuing motorcycle club-driven crime. 

“OMCGs are motivated only by greed and profit, their activities are interwoven with the illegal possession of firearms, drugs and money causing significant harm to our community,”
Inspector Miller said.

“To those thinking of joining a gang, know that we are resolute in our commitment to disrupting and prosecuting members and associates of OMCGS and protecting the community from their criminal activities.”

The man appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 3 and was remanded in custody.

SOURCE: Mirage


Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Mongols MC Clubhouse Raided

Canterbury, New Zealand (February 26, 2020) BTN — Police have raided the new Canterbury headquarters of international motorcycle club the Mongols MC. No one was arrested and inquiries were "ongoing", a police spokesman said.

Part of State Highway 1 (SH1) was closed between Burnham and Rolleston on both sides about 7:00 am as the armed offenders squad and police carried out the planned search. It reopened about 8.30 am.


Stuff understands police raided the new headquarters for the Canterbury chapter of the Mongols MC, which has more than half a dozen members and associates.

Several police cars, including the mobile police bus and what looked like dog squad vans, were seen outside the headquarters at The Old Sawmill in Burnham, opposite the Burnham Military Camp.


The expansion of the Mongols, which first established itself in the Bay of Plenty last year, has created tension in Christchurch's underworld. In the past two weeks a barbershop with links to the club has been firebombed in separate attacks while a tattoo parlor was smashed into with a stolen ute.

Police are exploring whether the attacks are the work of a rival club.

A senior Canterbury-based Mongols figure was kicked out of the Hells Angels last year, which led to the disbandment of the clubs's Quake City chapter in Christchurch. He is linked to the tattoo parlor via an ex-partner.


At least one of the barbershop attacks is believed to have involved Molotov cocktail-like devices. A Mongols member has confirmed the club is connected to the barbershop, but it's unclear what that connection is.

Stuff earlier reported the Mongols MC, involved in a recent North Island shooting, had expanded into the South Island after senior members, including national president Jim Thacker, traveled to Christchurch and started the Canterbury chapter of the club.

A patched Mongols member previously said the barbershop was "sort of" connected to the club. "We haven't caused any trouble, it's just people not wanting us around … we're new to town," he said.

"We're not going out to go get some revenge or anything like that because that's just what everyone expects. That's just stupid, we'd rather just keep our family safe and move on with life, and start our businesses and be happy and ride motorbikes."

He expected police to come knocking on the doors of the clubhouse in the coming days as a result of the attacks. "They expect us to do the retaliation . . . it's just the way society is, we haven't done anything wrong but we're going to be painted out as bad people," he said.

The police spokesman said the armed offenders squad attended "as a precaution" and guarded the road at the Burnham end. Police could not provide any other details on the reason for the warrant.

SOURCE: Stuff

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Mongols MC headquarters subject to searches

Santa Ana, California, USA (June 29, 2019) BTN — A federal judge on Friday, June 28, made clear that his decision to place the Mongols motorcycle club on probation means the headquarters for the organizations mother chapter is fair game for random search by probation officers, not individual bikers themselves.

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter in May ordered the Mongols organization to pay a $500,000 fine, and to serve five years on supervised probation, after a Santa Ana jury found that the Southern California-based club itself — rather than specific members — was guilty of racketeering.


The first-of-its-kind legal battle was part of a decade-plus effort by federal law enforcement to seize control of the Mongols patches, which depict an illustration of a smiling, ponytailed, Ghengis Khan-type motorcycle rider. The Santa Ana jury agreed that the government should be able to take control of the patches and trademark, but Judge Carter overrode that portion of the verdict, ruling it would be unconstitutional.

Since Carter’s decision, law enforcement agencies from across the country have reached out to federal probation officials to ask what the terms of the Mongols organizations probation means for their efforts to police individual riders, prosecutors told the judge.

Related | Mongols Motorcycle Club wins court case
Related | Mongols MC lose federal case against patch 
Related | Jury ready to decide Mongols MC fate over patch
“I have no problem searching the mother chapter, that is where you found the guns,” Carter told prosecutors. “But this isn’t a wholesale warrant without probable cause to search anyone on the street.”

But before the government can search the Mongols’ headquarters, they are going to have to come back to the court and tell the judge where it actually is. Court filings have referred to a location in West Covina, but prosecutors on Friday noted that is a reference to the former home of Ruben “Doc” Cavazos, a former president of the Mongols who was kicked out of the club.

Prosecutors didn’t immediately provide the judge with a new address for the club’s current headquarters, just telling him it is not in West Covina. The Mongols was originally formed in Montebello in the 1970s.

The legal battle over the Mongols patch is almost certain to make its way before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and likely the U.S. Supreme Court. Carter is allowing the club to pay their $500,000 fine in monthly installments, so that they can still afford to fund the expected appeals.


The case stemmed from Operation Black Rain, an undercover investigation in which law enforcement agents infiltrated the Mongols. A separate, earlier court case against specific Mongols members led to 77 people pleading guilty to racketeering-related charges.

In the most recent trial, the Mongols as an organization were found to have taken part in drug trafficking, vicious assaults and even murder. Much of the violence was tied to a long-running rivalry between the Mongols and the Hells Angels motorcycle club, and led to attacks, some fatal, in bars and restaurants in Pasadena, Hollywood, Merced, La Mirada, Wilmington and Riverside.

Attorneys representing the current leadership of the Mongols have blamed the violence on Cavazos and his crew, who they note are no longer involved in the organization.

SOURCE: The Orange County Register 

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Mongols MC member testifies in own defense

Los Angeles, California, USA (June 6, 2019) BTN — A man charged with killing a Pomona SWAT officer testified Wednesday that he fired a “warning shot” because he feared members of a motorcycle club to which he belonged were trying to break into his family’s home in San Gabriel and he did not know that police were at the front door.

Testifying in his own defense, David Martinez said, “I would never fire at police or law enforcement ever. I have family that’s (in) law enforcement.”


The 41-year-old termite inspector — who is charged with the killing of Pomona police Officer Shaun Diamond — told the downtown Los Angeles jury that he reached for a shotgun by his bed because he heard loud banging sounds and thought someone was trying to break into the house he shared with his parents, common-law wife, two young children and his adult sister, who has Down syndrome, during the early morning hours of Oct. 28, 2014.

The defendant said he fired after seeing what he perceived to be the barrel of a gun pointed toward his father.

“I fired a warning shot … what I perceived to be a warning shot,” he said, telling jurors that he didn’t see anyone on the front porch.

Diamond was helping to open a metal screen over the front door of the home as part of a multi-agency operation serving a warrant targeting the Mongols motorcycle club when an interior door was opened and a single shotgun blast rang out, striking him in the neck. The 45-year-old officer — who had 16 years of law enforcement experience with the Los Angeles, Montebello and Pomona police departments — died the next day.


Martinez said he did not see anyone outside the home who appeared to be injured after firing the gunshot — although his father had been injured in the gunfire — and that he did not learn until later that an officer had been struck. He said it’s hard for him to accept that he may have shot his own father and thought then that his dad had been wounded by police.

Police never identified themselves 

When defense attorney Brady Sullivan asked if he heard anyone identify themselves before he fired the shot, Martinez said, “I never heard anybody identify themselves as police.” He said he was startled to hear screaming and that he turned around, dropped the shotgun, laid down and said he was sorry.

“I kept saying I was sorry. I didn’t know it was the police,” Martinez said. “I thought it was the Mongols.”

The defendant said he had reached for the shotgun by his bed after hearing “a lot of banging,” and headed from the bedroom to the living room, where his parents had been sleeping.

He testified that he unsuccessfully tried to urge his father to wait to open the wooden front door because he wanted to answer the door himself.

“I remember telling my dad twice, `Wait, wait,’ but I don’t think he heard me,” Martinez said. “He was opening the door … I aimed the shotgun towards the door because I thought someone was trying to break in.”

Under cross-examination by Deputy District Attorney Michael Blake, the defendant said, “I took aim and I pulled the trigger.”

“You shot to kill that day?” the prosecutor asked.

“I shot to protect my family,” Martinez responded.

“You shot to kill the target that day?” the prosecutor said.

“There was no target, sir,” the defendant said, maintaining that he was trying to defend his family when he fired the shot, and never saw any police officers until they were coming into the house after the shot was fired.

Martinez said he had pondered dropping out of the Mongols after having a change of heart about his involvement in the motorcycle club, but had heard stories about other members who tried to quit and was concerned for the safety of himself and his family.

He said he grew more concerned about his safety following two freeway shootings that targeted Mongols members, and “got a sense of not feeling safe in my home.” A night earlier, he had argued with a fellow Mongols member, he said.

In his opening statement last month, Blake told jurors that Martinez was warned loudly and repeatedly that police were at the door before the shot rang out.

“(Their) uniforms are covered with patches and insignia that identify them as police,” and “they made announcements repeatedly” calling out “Pomona Police Department … open the door,” the prosecutor said.

“Throughout this awful incident … the Pomona SWAT team remained calm and professional,” still proceeding to search the house and detain family members, he said. “They did not return fire. They did not shoot up the house … they did not use force on a single person.”

The prosecutor contended that Martinez’s claim that he thought that Mongols were at his door was “false,” telling the jury that those comments were “calculated.”

Defense attorney Brady Sullivan referred to the events surrounding the shooting as a “perfect storm,” telling the jury, “Sometimes in life, a series of unexpected, unanticipated events combine, they come together and result in a tragedy.”

“When David Martinez came out of his bedroom and heard unknown people breaking into his house … he acted to defend his family,” the public defender said. “He had no idea it was the police and, in fact, expected that it was going to be his rivals.”

Martinez made a “regrettable decision to join the Mongols,” Sullivan said, calling his client a motorcycle enthusiast who “liked the brotherhood.”

“He was afraid to quit (because) the scary truth is that you don’t just walk away from the Mongols,” the defense attorney said. “They come and take your vest, they come and take your motorcycle and they exact a little physical punishment.”

Martinez could face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted as charged. Prosecutors opted earlier not to seek the death penalty against him.

SOURCE: My News LA

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Mongols MC President Arrested

El Paso, Texas, USA (April 30, 2019) BTN — The president of the El Paso chapter of the Mongols Motorcycle Club was arrested Monday during an early Monday raid at his Northeast home, police said.

Charles Edward Anderson Jr. is accused of assaulting a former rival club member earlier this month at a motorcycle garage, El Paso police said.

The Mongols Motorcycle Club are a recent arrival in El Paso and one of the world's largest "1 percenter" clubs, which law enforcement considers an outlaw biker gang. Anderson, 46, was arrested on a charge of engaging in organized criminal activity-assault causing bodily injury.


Anderson allegedly assaulted David Griego , 48, on April 5 at the Busted Knuckle Motorcycle Garage on Hondo Pass Drive, police said in a news release.

The garage is owned by Anderson, according to county business records.

Anderson was arrested at 4:45 a.m. Monday when a multi-agency law enforcement team raided his home in the 8300 block of Mount Latona Drive, police said.

The arrest and search warrants were served by a team including the police SWAT team and Gang Unit, Texas Department of Public Safety, FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

A jail log shows that Anderson was later released from jail on Monday on a $25,000 bond.

The Mongols are a recent arrival in El Paso and one of three major motorcycle clubs in the city, a police gang [sic] investigator testified earlier this year in the trial of a member of the Kinfolk MC convicted of killing the El Paso Bandidos chapter president.

Kinfolk member Javier "Jake" Gonzalez was sentenced to 56 years in prison in the murder of Juan "Compa" Martinez Jr. and wounding three other bikers in a bar shooting.

The Bandidos have been in El Paso for more than 50 years and the Kinfolk began in 2016.

Last August, Anderson was identified by El Paso police as a member of the Heathen Horde Motorcycle Club. Anderson was among Heathen Horde members arrested for allegedly assaulting members of the Valley Boys Motorcycle Club at the 5 Points Bistro in the Five Points neighborhood.

Anderson is scheduled to go on trial in June on aggravated assault charges in that case. Social media posts show at least one other then-member of the Heathen Horde now displays Mongols membership.

The Mongols began 50 years ago with 15 members in the East Los Angeles before expanding to other parts of Southern California. The Mongols display the diamond-shaped "1 %" patch used by what law enforcement term outlaw motorcycle gangs.

The term "1 percenter" originated after the 1947 biker riot in Hollister, California, when the American Motorcyclist Association declared that 99 percent of motorcyclists were good, law-abiding citizens, implying that one percent were outlaws.

The Mongols now have chapters across the U.S. and a dozen countries. The Mongols website lists 11 chapters in Texas, though El Paso is not one of the cities on the list.

SOURCE: KTSM

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Mongols Motorcycle Club wins court case

Santa Ana, California, USA (February 28, 2019) BTN — A federal judge has rejected the U.S. government’s unprecedented efforts to gain control of the prized patches that adorn the vests worn by the Mongols motorcycle club, ruling that prosecutors attempts to seize the organization’s trademarks are unconstitutional.


The written ruling, released Thursday morning by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, marks a setback for federal prosecutors who two months ago persuaded a Santa Ana jury to find the Southern California-based club guilty of racketeering. Attorneys for the Mongols described the ruling as a victory for all motorcycle clubs.

At the center of the legal battle was control of the patches that depict the club’s name and an illustration of a ponytailed, Ghengis Khan-type motorcycle rider wearing sunglasses. “The Mongols motorcycle club was able to defend the First Amendment for themselves and all motorcycle clubs,” said Stephen Stubbs, an attorney for the Mongols.

Related | Mongols MC lose federal case against patch 
Related | Jury ready to decide Mongols MC fate over patch
The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not immediately comment on the ruling. Carter’s ruling is unlikely to stand as the final word in a case that has drawn national attention. The first-of-its-kind effort to convict the Mongols organization, rather than specific members, of racketeering in order to strip members of their well-known insignia is almost certain to make its way before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and possibly to the U.S. Supreme Court. Carter upheld the racketeering conviction and tentatively agreed that the government can keep seized guns and ammunition from the Mongols.

But he ruled that efforts to take control of the Mongols’ insignia and patches violates the First Amendment’s freedom of speech and association protections and the Eighth Amendment’s protection against excessive fines. “Not everything repugnant is unconstitutional,” Carter said. “And what does the government plan to do with the tattoos of the (Mongols’ insignia and patch) on members’ backs, arms and other body parts? …

That certain individual members of the Mongol Nation displayed the symbols while committing violent crimes or were rewarded with other patches for the commission of crimes does not justify the government’s attempts to bootstrap a conviction of the motorcycle club into censorship of uncharged members or supporters.”

Attorneys for the Mongols have described the patches that adorn members’ leather “cuts” as the organization’s “Holy Grail,” and they have said that the government taking control of them would mark a “death penalty” for the group. “I’m happy that this is not a death sentence here,” said Attorney Joseph Yanny, who represented the Mongols in the racketeering trial. “But I don’t like the fact the club has been labeled a criminal organization.”

Prosecutors have argued that taking the Mongols’ trademark is the only way to stop the “cycle of crime” committed by club members. The Mongols have countered that the crimes were committed by “bad apples” who are no longer involved in the club. In December, jurors agreed that the Mongols organization engaged in drug trafficking, vicious assaults and murder.

Much of the violence – which included attacks, some fatal, in bars and restaurants in Hollywood, Pasadena, Merced, La Mirada, Wilmington and Riverside – was tied to a decades-long rivalry between the Mongols and the Hells Angels motorcycle club. Carter noted that the government has spent more than a decade attempting to take control of the Mongols’ trademark, at one point claiming it wanted to be able to stop members of the club and literally take their jackets off of their backs. “The government is not merely seeking a forfeiture of the ship’s sails,” Carter wrote. “In this prosecution, the United States is attempting to use (racketeering laws) to change the meaning of the ship’s flag.”

The Mongols, one of the nation’s largest motorcycle clubs, was formed in Montebello in the 1970s, and is now based in West Covina. Among those who testified on behalf of the club during the recent racketeering trial was Jesse Ventura, a former Minnesota governor and retired pro wrestler who joined the group in 1973 while still on active duty in the U.S. Navy.

The case stemmed from Operation Black Rain, a multi-agency investigation that involved several law enforcement agents infiltrating the Mongols. A separate, earlier case against specific Mongols members resulted in 77 people pleading guilty to racketeering-related charges.

SOURCE: Los Angeles Times

Monday, February 25, 2019

Mongols MC member suspected in freeway shooting

El Monte, California (February 24, 2019) BTN — A motorcyclist was shot and wounded Saturday on the 10 Freeway in El Monte by a suspected member of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, authorities said. Two motorcyclists were riding just east of the 605 Freeway at around 1 p.m. when they were surrounded by four to six riders who likely belong to the Mongols Motorcycle Club, according to the California Highway Patrol.


An alleged Mongols member then shot one of the motorcyclists, who was riding a red Honda CBR 1000, in his right thigh, the CHP said. The wounded motorcyclist exited the freeway at Garvey Avenue and called the police.

He was taken to the hospital. Authorities were still searching for the suspected shooter Sunday night. Witnesses said the man has an unknown tattoo on his forehead and a long ponytail. All westbound lanes of the 10 Freeway at Interstate 605 were closed for an hour while officers attempted to locate evidence, the CHP said. They found two .380 caliber shell casings and shards of a bullet.

The Mongols were formed in the 1970s in Montebello, it has expanded over the decades to include several hundred members in chapters across Southern California and elsewhere.

SOURCE: ABC7

Friday, January 11, 2019

Mongols MC lose federal case against patch

Santa Ana, California, (January 11, 2019) BTN — A California jury decided Friday that the Mongols motorcycle club should be stripped of its trademarked logo in a first-of-its-kind verdict, federal prosecutors said. The jury in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana jury previously found Mongol Nation, the entity that owns the image of a Mongol warrior on a chopper, guilty of racketeering and conspiracy.


The verdict caps an unusual decade-long quest by prosecutors to dismantle the gang responsible for drug dealing and murder by seizing control of the trademark they said was core to the clubs's identity. Club members were "empowered by these symbols that they wear like armor," Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Welk argued. Attorney Joseph Yanny had argued that the organization didn't tolerate criminal activity and kicked out bad members.

Related | Jury ready to decide Mongols MC fate over patch
He said the government targeted the group because of its large Mexican-American population and had attributed crimes of some into a "group conviction." "These are ordinary people," Yanny said. "They are hardworking people. You don't see the Hells Angels here." But jurors found the Mongols were a criminal enterprise responsible for murder, attempted murder and drug dealing.

In addition to the logos, the jury found Friday that the government could keep various items bearing the mark, including vests, clothing and documents such as the Mongols’ constitution — as well as a number of guns, ammunition and armored vests it had seized in earlier raids against the group. But the jury denied forfeiture rights for belt buckles, jewelry, lighters, bandannas, stickers, and motorcycle parts — apparently unable to find the “required nexus” between the items and the group’s criminal activity. Friday’s verdict confounded Mongols members and their lawyers.

Stephen Stubbs, the club’s general counsel, described the outcome as “very strange” because the jury did not find the logo forfeitable on the count of racketeering, but did so on the racketeering conspiracy count. “How can we make sense out of that?” Mr. Stubbs said, adding that it appeared to be a compromise verdict, one agreed upon so the jury could go home after long days of deliberations. “So, we continue to fight so that Americans can’t be banned by the government from wearing symbols.”



The effort to take the logo followed the convictions of 77 club members on racketeering charges in 2008. The convictions were the result of an investigation in which four male agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives infiltrated the club and four female agents posed as their girlfriends.

SOURCE: New York Times

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Jury ready to decide Mongols MC fate over patch

Santa Ana, California, (January 9, 2019) BTN — Allowing the government to take control of the Mongols motorcycle club’s prized patches would be a “death sentence” for the organization, an attorney for the motorcycle club argued on Tuesday.  

It is a muscled Genghis Khan-like figure on a chopper, part of a set of patches which members say display their brotherhood with other members.

Unknown Mongols MC members

A jury recently convicted the organization on racketeering and conspiracy charges.

Now that same jury must decide if there is a link between the patches and the racketeering acts. If so, the Mongols must give up what is called their collective membership marks, their patches. The forfeiture would be a penalty for outlaw activity.

Related | Mongols MC found guilty of racketeering
The Mongols did not speak to the media Tuesday while the case was in trial, but days ago they described the significance of the badges.

"It means everything to us. This is a lifestyle, a culture and a way of life," said David Santillan, national president of the Mongols Motorcycle Club.

The Mongols say that the criminal convictions sprang from acts committed a decade ago, under the leadership of a president that the Mongols kicked out themselves .

"If it wasn't sad it would be funny, these things have nothing to do with alleged racketeering," lead Mongols attorney Joe Yanny told the jury.

Retired ATF undercover agent Darrin Kozlowski testified that members were allowed to buy patches or had them awarded according to what they carried out for the club.

Prosecutor Steve Welk told the jury that the marks serve as a unifying symbol for an organization that deals drugs, intimidates, engages in violence and even commits murder.

The Mongols say the racketeering acts and other offenses were committed by bad apples, not the entire membership.

It's a case like none other undertaken by the U.S. government. If the jury finds for the prosecution a separate proceeding will follow to determine whether compelled forfeiture of the patches would violate the Mongols' First Amendment rights.

SOURCE: LA Daily News


Thursday, December 13, 2018

Mongols MC found guilty of racketeering

Santa Ana, California (December 13, 2018) BTN — A federal jury on Thursday found the Mongol Nation motorcycle club guilty of racketeering, siding with prosecutors who said it operated as an organized criminal enterprise involved in murder, attempted murder and illegally distributing methamphetamine and cocaine, authorities said.

The Mongol Nation, called a violent biker gang by prosecutors, was also convicted of racketeering conspiracy.



Still to be determined is whether the Mongols, dubbed “the most violent and dangerous" biker gang in the country, will forfeit "any and all marks" that include the organization's logo — the word "Mongols" and a drawing of a Genghis Khan-styled rider on a motorcycle.

Related | A Motorcycle Club can’t conspire with itself
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Related | Mongols MC: Feds going after clubs colors at racketeering trial


The verdict gets prosecutors a step closer to their goal of seizing their trademark patch, which is big businesses for the gang, according to court filings.

Higher-ups in the estimated 600-person club "will frequently bear patches that indicate they are officers in the enterprise," and they earn those patches through violence and mayhem, prosecutors say.

The verdict will not mean prison time since it is against the organization, not individuals, but the group could be subject to criminal fines, according to court documents. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 8 to argue forfeiture issues.

A request for comment from the attorney listed as representing the Mongol Nation in court documents, was not immediately returned. An email to a person listed on the Mongols' website was also not returned Thursday.

"The Mongols Gang is a violent, drug trafficking organization that advocates and rewards its members and associates for committing violent crimes, including, and specifically, assaults and murders, on behalf of the gang and in order to promote what the gang terms 'respect,' prosecutors wrote in one court filing.

In another filing, they said the club's "'Mother Chapter" may award a "skull and crossbones" or "Respect Few Fear None" patch to members who have committed murder or engaged in acts of violence on behalf of the gang.

Prosecutors said in court documents that the Mongols are a nationwide organization, but approximately 400 of its 500 to 600 members are believed to be located in Southern California, and some of its members are current or former members of Los Angeles County street gangs.

Defense lawyers have said the motorcycle group is simply a loose configuration of riders in the Southwest, not an organized criminal enterprise. They also have maintained that the government doesn't have the right to seize the patches of members who haven't been involved in any criminal activity.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles has been trying to go after the patches for a decade.

Then-U.S. Attorney Thomas O'Brien first announced the unusual legal bid after 79 members of the gang were indicted in 2008.

SOURCE: NBC News