Armond Edward Bletcher

Armond Bletcher was born on November 14, 1942, in Alameda County, California, USA. His father, Edward E. Bletcher, was a decorated United States Navy veteran who served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Edward's military service deeply influenced Armond's upbringing, instilling in him values of resilience and strength.

 

Standing somewhere between 6 foot 3 and 6 feet 8 inches tall and tipping the scales around 350 pounds, he faced relentless bullying due to his size, which had a lasting impact on his life. Determined to change his circumstances, Armond dedicated himself to weightlifting and reportedly used horse steroids to build his physique. This transformation from a bullied victim to a formidable force allowed him to confront his past tormentors and establish himself as a powerful figure.

 

Armond Bletcher’s prized motorcycle and car, ca. 1963

His reputation only grew as he became involved with the mafia and worked as a bodyguard for the legendary singer Frank Sinatra. These connections solidified his standing as a man not to be trifled with and added to his mystique. As a friend of the Fresno Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, and a feature favorite with the staff at Easyriders magazine, Armond was literally a giant among men and a controversial figure to this day.

 

1976 Easyriders magazine

Despite his tough exterior, family was always important to Armond. The values instilled in him by his father played a crucial role in shaping his character and the path he chose. Edward E. Bletcher's final resting place at Belmont Memorial Park in Fresno, California, serves as a poignant reminder of the lasting impact of family on Armond's life.

 

Armond flexing his bicep among his friends in an undated photo

His resilience and capacity to endure physical harm without flinching earned him immense respect from his peers. This unyielding toughness, combined with his steadfast loyalty, made him an influential force within the organization.

 

1976 Easyriders magazine

He tragically met his match at the wrong end of a .357 when a baseball bat beating couldn’t diffuse his anger, just pissed him off more. He was dead at 33 yrs old. Armond had allegedly gone after his cousins to “mess them up” when they refused to put him on their shop payroll, which he desperately needed to show an honest source of income while being investigated by the Feds for numerous illegal activities. Having his personal lifestyle and exploits plastered on the pages of Easyriders magazine probably didn’t help matters much.

 

Armond's gravesite at Belmont Memorial Park Fresno, Fresno County, California, USA

“Hell’s Angels love to fistfight. There’s never a shortage of drunks or fools willing to take us on, and a lot of times we’ll take on each other. Armond Bletcher stood 6″8″ and weighed 350 lbs. He was so strong he could pick up a couple motorcycles and put them on the back of a pickup truck. In the early 70's Armond could bench 705 lbs., but he had to arch his back to do it. He was never in competition, but he took steroids and was unbelievably big.” ~Ralph “Sonny” Barger

Snitch scared about HAMC member release from prison

Toronto, Ontario Canada (July 25, 2024) - A police snitch who helped put Dean Kelsie in prison says last week's decision to release the alleged former Hells Angels Motorcycle Club hitman on day parole is a mistake. Paul Derry, snitch, says he has known Dean since he was six years old, said this about his former friend. "He will kill again and that's not me being scared of anybody or any vendetta against Dean," Paul said in an interview with a local news source.

At a hearing on July 18, the Parole Board of Canada decided to release Dean, 50, on day parole for a period of six months. Dean is serving a life sentence for murder. He allegedly shot and killed Sean Simmons in the lobby of an apartment building in north-end Dartmouth, N.S., in October 2000. Three other men were also charged in the killing, which was allegedly ordered by a member of the Hells Angels MC who was upset that Simmons had an affair with his wife.

 

Neil Smith and Wayne James were sentenced to life in prison for their part in the murder. Steven Gareau had charges against him stayed in 2018. Dean was originally convicted of first-degree murder. After the decision was overturned on appeal and a new trial ordered, the Supreme Court of Canada refused a bid by Nova Scotia prosecutors to reinstate the first-degree murder conviction, instead substituting a conviction for the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

He was first granted day parole in 2021, and his release was reviewed every six months. But his release was suspended in January of this year and he was sent back to prison after he threatened a co-worker at the job he'd landed outside of prison.

Paul, snitch, after reading of Kelsie's release, said the decision could have grave consequences. "If the parole board continues to let Dean out on any kind of release, he is eventually going to kill somebody," Paul said. "He has not changed a bit. That's very apparent by everything you've watched over the last couple of years since his appeal, his last trial."

The board has imposed special conditions on Dean's release. They include that he abstain from drugs and alcohol, not associate with anyone with a criminal record, stay away from the Simmons family and take anger management training.

Paul, snitch, said life has been hard on his family. "Watching my family go through what they've gone through has been difficult," he said. "There's no end to this sentence. I mean, never mind the fact that you have to constantly think about the part you played in those things but you also have to look at what your family goes through because of what you do now, even if you've changed, it doesn't change the damage that's done and that continues to go on."

Bacchus MC members arrested for vehicle theft

Oakville, Ontario, Canada (July 25, 2024) - The Ontario Provincial Police Bike Enforcement Unit opened an investigation in June 2023 after receiving information that several members of the Bacchus Motorcycle Club were in possession of stolen vehicles. In November search warrants were executed in Burlington, Orangeville, Etobicoke, Hamilton, Mississauga, and Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador as well as the Bacchus MC clubhouse in Oakville.

 

Police say they recovered six stolen and re-vinned vehicles, ownerships, insurance, key fobs and fraudulent VIN plates. “These vehicles are not only stolen for profit they are also used in the commission of other serious violent crimes, such as armed robberies, home invasions, serious assaults, shootings and homicides,” said Supt. Dave Costantini of the Halton Regional Police Service, which assisted the OPP in the investigation.

• Rober Janes, of Oakville has been charged with three counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and two counts of fraudulent concealment.
• Chad Burtt, of Oakville has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, fraudulent concealment, and fraud over $5,000.
• Alam Miles, of Amaranth, Ont., has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

The accused are scheduled to appear in court in Orangeville on July 30.

Mask 1985 - Red's Funeral

This is one of the deleted scenes from the 1985 biker movie "Mask" showing Red's funeral.

 

This clip is where they bury him with his Harley.


Mask starred: Sam Elliott, Eric Stoltz, Harry Carey, Jr., Laura Dern, Dennis Burkley, and more.

Pagan's MC Lawsuit Against Drunk Cops Goes to Trial

Pittsburgh, PA, USA (July 17, 2024) - A bar fight in Pittsburgh between undercover cops and members of the Pagan's Motorcycle Club in 2018 will finally be reviewed in court now that a civil suit brought by the Pagan's MC has been approved by a federal judge. The Pagan's MC are accusing the cops of excessive force, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution after a confrontation in a bar suddenly degenerated into violence caused by cops who had been drinking for hours.

 

The city of Pittsburgh wanted the lawsuit completely shut down, and argued for its dismissal. However, surveillance footage that captured the fight convinced a federal judge that the Pagan's MC had a valid point. In a video, a member of the Pagan's MC, Frank Deluca, can be seen arguing with one of the cops. Words are exchanged, there is no audio and Deluca pushes the undercover cop. The other three cops leap into the fray, and hold Deluca against the bar while another man repeatedly beats him and punches him in the face.

Deluca was punched 26 times in the two minute fight and suffered facial and cranial trauma as well as a dislocated elbow. He was then arrested. A month after the fight, the Allegheny District Attorney's Office announced it was dropping its charges against the Pagan's, citing new evidence, the bar's surveillance footage. According to the court documents, earlier in the evening four undercover Pittsburgh cops — Detectives David Honick, Brian Burgunder, David Lincoln and Brian Martin — were drinking at Kopy's Bar on the city's South Side while conducting surveillance on a suspected drug dealer.

RELATED | Bar Owner Sues City And Cops

After the target of their investigation left, the cops began pounding drinks; one officer had 15 doubles of liquor, and the other three had 20, 15, and nine drinks, respectively, according to the lawsuit. “When they determined that the subject was not going to return to the bar because he had left, the officers should have just gotten up and left. They didn’t,” Beth Pittinger of the Pittsburgh Citizens Police Review Board said. “They were preparing to leave, but the members of the Pagan's Motorcycle Club walked in, so they decided to stay.”



According to the lawsuit, the cops and the bikers were initially getting along well, and one of the cops even bought shots for two of the bikers. At some point during the evening, the cops began to suspect that their cover had been blown, which allegedly put them all on edge. According to Pittinger, it is unclear why the cops came to that belief. “There was an assumption made that one of the patrons had or I don't even know if this is accurate, it's still a bit elusive to me that a patron had disclosed to the Pagan's MC that the four detectives were actually police officers,” she said.

According to both the testimony of those involved in the brawl and a criminal complaint filed after the fight, Martins revealed that he and his other companions were police. A report from the Pittsburgh Citizens Police Review Board released in 2021 theorized that Martin may have been trying to deescalate a conflict between the bikers and the police by telling the men they were actually law enforcement. Dietz said that city's lack of guidelines regarding undercover police alcohol consumption will be a major issue at the trial. No start date has been set.

Outlaws MC leave for a funeral

Accompanying note with photograph: "A group of Outlaws leave their campsite at Woodville, Fla., early Wednesday afternoon, and begin their journey at Bristol, Fla., where funeral services for slain member Leonard Henderson, 29, better known as "Terry the Terrible," will be held Wednesday at 4:00PM."

Leonard "Terry the Terrible" Henderson was murdered with several others on July 4, 1979 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Cops issue hundreds of tickets at HAMC event

Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada (July 15, 2024) - The Lethbridge Police Service issued 194 tickets and made a dozen arrests in response to a couple of events that brought an influx of people and vehicles into Lethbridge over the weekend.

 

One of those was a gathering of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and many of their supporters, who were in town to celebrate the opening of a new Lethbridge clubhouse. The other was the annual Street Machine Weekend, a celebration of cars and car culture.

RELATED | Local police warns public of Hells Angels MC arrival

Police monitoring of the Street Machine event resulted in 10 arrests, and a another two people were arrested at the Hells Angels gathering. Police issued 154 tickets, mostly for stunting and equipment violations, at the Street Machine event, while 40 tickets, most for careless driving, speeding and failing to stop at stop signs or red lights, were written in relation to the Hells Angels MC gathering.



Five impaired drivers were removed from the road and two roadside sanctions were given to drivers with a blood-alcohol level above .05 at the Street Machine event. Fifty Hells Angels MC members or their associates were removed from licensed establishments under the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act.

Outlaws MC welcomed in Vermont city for gathering

Rutland, Vermont, USA (July 14, 2024) - Rutland, a small city in Vermont with less than 20,000 people is preparing for a visit from the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. City officials say the Outlaws MC is holding its national meet at the Vermont state fair grounds starting Thursday.

 

While the local news is pushing that the Outlaws MC is on multiple Federal watchlists with ties to organized crime, Rutland’s mayor doesn’t believe any issues will come up during the group’s time in the Marble City, he says it’s better to be prepared.



“Any motorcycle club coming to Rutland to celebrate, to do something at the fair grounds, I think that’s awesome,” Rutland mayor Mike Doenges said. “I think its great that people want to participate. You look at things like Daytona Bike Week or Laconia and those are great economic drivers for those communities."

"Those communities are prepared for those things though, this is the first time we’ve had something like this in Rutland of this size.” Mayor Doenges says the city is looking at additional law enforcement staffing from July 18th to the 20th.

HAMC member at Berkeley protest in 1965

Photo of Michael H. Walter dated October 16, 1965. Michael was a member of the Oakland charter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club. Michael was taken into custody by Berkeley police officers after breaking through police lines.

 

He reportedly tore down a placard and battled some of the Vietnam protest marchers in Berkeley. A police officer was seriously injured in the melee and Michael was jailed.
Photograph: Anonymous

Local police warns public of Hells Angels MC arrival

Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada (July 11, 2024) - The Lethbridge Police Service will be joined by officers from law enforcement agencies across Alberta and Canada as members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club come to the city. It is expected that a large number of Hells Angels MC members and their supporters will arrive in the city on July 12. The police is asking the public to be aware of the significant increase in motorcycle traffic and share the road safely.

 

Police are informing the public that members of a new Hells Angels charter in Lethbridge, their support clubs and others, are holding a grand opening party and are anticipated to ride during various events over the weekend. LPS Acting Inspector Pete Christos says as many as 200-300 members are expected to take part in this weekend’s events, but most are from out of town and will likely leave afterward.



LPS will be joined by the RCMP, ALERT Integrated Gang Enforcement Team, Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, Medicine Hat Police Service, Taber Police Service, Camrose Police Service and other Canadian police agencies for the day. 

Christos says, “It has been well documented that many outlaw motorcycle gang members, their friends and associates, are involved in criminal activity, we will be working with our policing partners to monitor their presence, deter illegal activity and maintain public safety through an overt police presence.” He is telling the public to enjoy their weekend as normal, but if you encounter a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, do not engage with them. 

Alleged One Order MC member faces gun charges

Toronto, Ontario, Canada (July 10, 2024) - A man and a woman are facing more than a dozen firearms-related charges each after investigators executed a search warrant last month. The OPP-led Biker Enforcement Unit (BEU) seized ammunition, two firearms, One Order Motorcycle Club vests and two cellphones on June 21.

 

Police said one of the individuals arrested is a member of the One Order Motorcycle Club. The One Order Motorcycle Club includes former street gang members and has had a close association with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Det. Insp. Scott Wade from the BEU said.

The BEU, a joint forces unit led by the OPP’s organized crime bureau, says its mandate is to “disrupt and dismantle organized crime groups” and to lessen the criminal activities of what they call “Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs.” Police say motorcycle gang members often take part in illegal, profit-driven activities like drug trafficking, extortion, intimidation and murder.

The 49-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman from Etobicoke are each facing 15 charges, including unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose and possession of a firearm obtained by crime. They are both scheduled to appear in court next month and have been released from custody.

Alleged Vagos MC leaders arrested in raid

Bakersfield, California, USA (July 3, 2024) - The alleged president and sergeant at arms of the Antelope Valley chapter of the Vagos Motorcycle Club have been arrested on suspicion of multiple weapons offenses. John Anderson, the alleged president, and Ulisses Navarette, the alleged sergeant of arms, were arrested this week.

 

According to sheriff’s officials, deputies on June 14, 2024 received reports of Vagos MC members harassing customers at a business in Tehachapi. Deputies searched Navarette’s home and allegedly located several Vagos MC jackets, one with a loaded gun in a pocket. Investigators allegedly found another gun hidden in a motorcycle, a fully automatic machine gun and a 40mm launcher.



One of the jackets had a MC patch identifying Navarette as the clubs sergeant of arms. Anderson was arrested at home in Rosamond. Navarette is scheduled for a court hearing Friday in Mojave. Anderson is due in court Monday.