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Showing posts with label Clubhouse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clubhouse. Show all posts

Monday, June 15, 2020

Major Win For Hells Angels MC

Nanaimo, BC, Canada (June 15, 2020) BTN — British Columbia’s Supreme Court has curtailed the sweeping powers of the provincial Civil Forfeiture Office in a ruling that concluded it could not seize three Hells Angels clubhouses based on a belief that they would be used for future criminal activity.

In a 321-page decision released late last week, Justice Barry Davies struck down a core provision of the provincial Civil Forfeiture Act as unconstitutional, ruling the office’s targeting of property because it is likely to be used to commit crimes in the future intrudes into criminal law – “the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal legislature."

The Hells Angels clubhouse in Nanaimo was seized in 2007

To illustrate his reasoning, Justice Davies posited that, under B.C.'s civil-forfeiture law, dangerous drivers who had served their sentence for killing or severely injuring a pedestrian could have their new car seized as “a future instrument of unlawful activity.” The law’s speculation over potential new crimes also runs counter to the “principles of sentencing enacted by the Parliament of Canada under the Code that have as an objective the rehabilitation of offenders,” he wrote.

Rick Ciarniello, a long-time Hells Angel who acts as a spokesperson for the bikers and who testified in the trial, said Hells Angels living in Manitoba and all parts farther west were asked for monthly donations to fund the 13-year legal fight, which cost more than a million dollars.

“We were probably the wrong people to fight this, but the only ones that had the resources and wherewithal to do it,” Mr. Ciarnello told The Globe and Mail on Sunday. “These were not just the rights of Hells Angels that were being violated; what we did here is we fought for the rights of all British Columbians."

Related | Hells Angels lose clubhouse to forfeiture

Related | Hells Angels MC still fighting for their clubhouse


The judge found the office was only able to prove that the B.C. Hells Angels, an organization with a reputation for violence and multiple members convicted of serious crimes, used their Vancouver clubhouse for a trio of cocaine and methamphetamine deals at least 15 years ago. Justice Davies said it is possible the bikers or their associates could once again use this clubhouse and the two others for such crimes, but the provincial agency did not prove that this is likely.

The office launched its case involving the Nanaimo clubhouse in late 2007. It began proceedings against the Vancouver and Kelowna clubhouses in 2012.

Hope Latham, a spokesperson for B.C.’s Solicitor-General and Minister of Public Safety, whose office oversees the civil-forfeiture system, said it was too early to say whether the ruling would be appealed to the province’s highest court. “For now, the Civil Forfeiture Office and its counsel will take time to review the court’s findings,” she said in an e-mailed statement.

Joseph Arvay, lead lawyer for the Hells Angels in the case, said not only was the law unconstitutional, but the office’s interpretation of the legislation was an overreach. As well, he added, the office had “all the resources imaginable” to prove the clubhouses were instruments of crime and failed to do so.

“Say what you will about the Hells Angels but I think they made an important stand,” Mr. Arvay said. “Almost everybody settles these cases because the risks of going to trial are so great.”

In a 2016 report, the Canadian Constitution Foundation, Calgary-based civil-liberties advocates, looked at eight provincial civil-forfeiture programs across the country and found they often trampled on the rights of citizens and seized property from innocent people. It gave the civil-forfeiture systems in B.C. and Ontario an "F" grade.

Lawyer Bibhas Vaze, who is representing a client in another trial arguing the civil-forfeiture system is unconstitutional, said the ruling is another clear rebuke to the office’s practices. He said in recent years clients have had to sign consent orders to keep their property but allow the office to seize it in the future if the office conducts a spot inspection that uncovers alleged criminal activity.

“The director is engaging in future policing, that’s unconstitutional,” Mr. Vaze said. “There’s a lot of people who think that fairness in the law only applies to certain sets of people, but we’re seeing across North America right now that people are finally cluing in that when you don’t take fairness seriously it results in rampant inequality in our world.”

SOURCE: Times Colonist 

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Firearms And Club Cuts Seized

Bancroft, Ontario (April 28, 2020) BTN - Two people were arrested during a raid by the Ontario Provincial Police’s biker enforcement unit in the town of Bancroft, Ontario. On April 22, the Ontario Provincial Police unit and the Belleville police’s tactical team searched a Bancroft home.


The Belleville police claimed numerous firearms, including rifles and handguns, and various types of drugs were seized during the warrant. The Belleville police released an image of items seized, which includes leather jackets with Outlaw Motorcycle Club logos on them.

Two people, 48-year-old Brian Sturgeon and 41-year-old Laura Power, both from Bancroft, were charged with the following:
  • Three counts of careless storage of a firearm 
  • Two counts of breach of firearms regulations 
  • Two counts of unauthorized possession of a weapon 
  • Possession of a schedule I substance 
  • Possession of a schedule II substance Possession of schedule III substance 
  • Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000
Both of the accused were released on bail. Belleville police are still investigating the case.

SOURCE: Big96

Monday, March 2, 2020

Chapter President Pleads Not Guilty

Providence, Rhode Island, USA (March 2, 2020) BTN —As his legal troubles mount, the president of the Hells Angels Rhode Island chapter is accusing the authorities of trying to entrap him and going easy on a “star witness” with a violent history.

Joseph Lancia, 28, of Smithfield, pleaded not guilty in District Court on Monday morning to two misdemeanors stemming from an altercation at the Cadillac Lounge strip club Saturday night. Police said they saw him punch a man, later identified as a strip club bouncer, in the face.


He will remain locked up because authorities say he violated the conditions of his bail in a case from June, when police said he shot at a man — a former prospect for the motorcycle club — driving by the Hells Angels Providence clubhouse in a truck.

In legal papers filed just days before the strip-club altercation, Lancia’s attorneys launched a number of accusations at the man police said he tried to shoot.

RELATED | HA Chapter President Arrested
RELATED | Cops stalking Hells Angels MC fundraiser
RELATED | Hells Angels Prez arrested for assault 
RELATED | Hells Angel MC member home raided 

The man, Richard Starnino, actually pointed a gun at Lancia first, and has threatened Lancia’s life a number of times, the filing says. Nobody was injured in the incident.

“The Grand Jury was never made aware of Richard Starnino’s drug habits, nor were they made aware of his violent criminal history or the numerous death threats he made against Joseph Lancia,” the filing says. “Furthermore, it was never disclosed to the Grand Jury that Starnino was an informant for the State Police, and that Starnino instigated and caused this incident.”

And Starnino has seen his own legal troubles quickly resolve in his favor — because he was cooperating with prosecutors in a long-running investigation into the Hells Angels, Lancia’s lawyer, Joseph Voccola, said.

Voccola said in a court filing that Starnino was arrested in May after beating a woman who’d gotten sand into his vehicle.

But by then, Starnino, 47, was already cooperating with the state police in an investigation into the Hells Angels, and had been for a number of months. So despite the fact that the victim reported suffering broken bones and needing 30 stitches, Starnino was charged only with misdemeanor simple domestic assault, the filing says.

Just days later, Starnino was charged again with violating a no-contact order after another assault, Lancia’s attorneys said. But he again was only charged with a minor offense, and authorities withdrew an accusation that he’d violated his bail on the earlier charge, Voccola said.

The charges against Starnino were eventually dismissed, according to court records.

Lancia now faces an accusation that he violated the terms of his bail in the June case after his arrest at the strip club over the weekend. That differs from the treatment Starnino received, Voccola said. “Everybody should be treated the same,” Voccola said. “That’s not the case here.”

Starnino’s attorney in his latest cases from 2019 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lancia will pursue a self-defense argument and an entrapment defense; the route Starnino took with his truck to drive by the Messer Street clubhouse “doesn’t make sense,” Voccola said.

Maj. Timothy Sanzi of the Rhode Island State Police said he could not comment on the specifics of Lancia’s arguments, but said: “The detectives do a terrific job and we stand by the investigations they produce.”

Lancia is expected to appear in Superior Court on Tuesday to face accusations that he violated the terms of his bail from his arrest at the strip club over the weekend. He rejected a deal that would have resolved the bail violation and the underlying misdemeanors from the weekend but would have resulted in him serving 75 days at the Adult Correctional Institutions.

Voccola noted that the victim in the strip club case “doesn’t even want to come forward.”

But police said they saw him punch the victim, so he was charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. On Monday, a simple assault charge was added to the case.

SOURCE: TurnTo10

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Arrests at Outlaws Clubhouse

Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland (February 26, 2020) BTN — An RCMP operation called "Project Barbarian" has led to multiple arrests and charges in Grand Falls-Windsor — including arrests at a motorcycle clubhouse.

Police plan to release more details today about the operation, which they said targets "drug trafficking with a connection to organized crime."


According to an RCMP spokesperson, multiple people were arrested and charged, including some who were arrested at the Outlaws Motorcycle Club clubhouse in Grand Falls-Windsor on Saturday.

The RCMP have called the Outlaws Motorcycle Club a "one-percenter" organization, and allege it has links to crime. In 2018, police said the Outlaws were looking to expand their presence in Newfoundland.

The Outlaws clubhouse in Grand Falls-Windsor displays a flag with a diamond logo containing the words "Outlaws 1%er."

According to the RCMP's website, "The common term '1% Club' distinguishes outlaw motorcycle riders from the majority of motorcycle enthusiasts who are law-abiding citizens. It's worn as a symbol by outlaw bikers and often seen as a pin, patch or tattoo."


The Outlaws clubhouse is located in a complex across from a gas station, and next to Central Health's community health building.

Three of the men arrested Saturday are facing charges of trafficking cocaine.

Jimmy Lee Newman, 36, Anthony Chow, 33, and Michael Hayes, 23, appeared in provincial court in Grand Falls-Windsor on Monday, and are all scheduled to return to court in April.

They have yet to enter a plea on the charges.

Chow has a criminal record that includes breaking and entering. The last conviction on record was for an offence in 2007.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Hells Angels Clubhouse Targeted

Surrey, British Columbia, Canada (February 25, 2020) BTN — The City of Surrey is seeking an injunction to stop a rented rural property in Anniedale from being used as a clubhouse for the Hells Angels’ newest chapter.

Surrey filed the lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court on Jan. 31, claiming the clubhouse contravenes city bylaws and had renovations done without building permits.


The suit names Gurbinder Singh Johal and Kulwant Kaur Johal, the owners of the house at 18068 96th Avenue as defendants, as well as full-patch Hardside Hells Angel Shannon Rennie.

Rennie, 44, signed a five-year lease for the property, the lawsuit claims.

“The City was advised by the RCMP and verily believes that Mr. Rennie is a full-patch member of the Hells Angels, an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang,” the court documents say.

As Postmedia first reported, the Hells Angels opened the Hardside chapter in March of 2017 — the 10th HA chapter to start since the motorcycle club set up in B.C. in 1983.

Shortly afterwards Hardside held a gathering on the Anniedale property, which is on a dead-end street just off the Trans-Canada Highway.


The event was “a large gathering of full patch members, motorcycles, public drinking, increased traffic in the neighbourhood and related social activities,” the city’s lawsuit alleges.

“Between summer of 2017 through to the end of 2018, the city’s enforcement included monitoring of activities on the property. There were minor regulatory breaches not related to the operation of an OMG (outlaw motorcycle gang) that were resolved by city bylaw enforcement.”

When Hardside began planning an anniversary party at the property in early 2019, the city sent a notice saying the gathering was not permitted. The event was then cancelled, the suit said. But after Hardside member Suminder “Allie” Grewal was shot to death on Aug. 2, 2019, the bikers organized a post-funeral wake at the clubhouse.

“This assembly included approximately 35 people, 25 motorcycles and 10 vehicles. Law enforcement observed people drinking from red cups, smoking, and inhaling nitrous oxide from red balloons,” the court documents said. “City Bylaw Enforcement also observed OMGs from other clubs including the Lynchmen, the Dirty Bikers and Hells Angels members from Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.”


Hells Angels outside Hardside clubhouse on Aug. 16, 2019 to mourn slain Hells Angel Suminder “Allie” Grewal

The zoning on the one-acre property “does not permit the use of the property as a clubhouse, assembly hall or entertainment hall,” the suits says. “The property owners have leased the property to the tenant, who is using and continues to use the property as a clubhouse, assembly hall or entertainment hall with the consent or permission of the property owners. These uses are not permitted.”

The suit also alleges that the building bylaw has been violated by the construction of “a tent-like structure fixed to or supported into land” and “renovations inside the dwelling unit.” Permits were never obtained, the city says. The city is asking the court for an injunction that would state the property can no longer be used as a clubhouse and would request the removal of the non-permitted structure.

No statement of defence has yet been filed.

Neither the Johals nor Rennie could be reached for comment.

Hells Angels spokesman Rick Ciarniello did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum declined to comment because the case is before the courts, spokesman Oliver Lum said.

Surrey RCMP also declined to comment.

B.C.’s Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit has launched a campaign to educate the public about the risks posed by the Hells Angels and other outlaw motorcycle gangs. CFSEU Sgt. Brenda Winpenny said Friday that the Hells Angels “utilize clubhouses in our communities to brand their image and they serve as a tool to market themselves to the public.”

“They serve as a tactic of intimidation and our communities should not fall complacent and desensitized to it as they represent and are utilized by individuals involved in criminality who pose a threat to public safety,” she said.

SOURCE: Vancouver Sun

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Clubhouse Gets More Breathing Room

Troy, New York, USA (February 19, 2020) BTN — The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club will benefit from the city’s removal of urban eyesores, as bidding has opened to knock down the derelict building on the north side of the motorcycle clubhouse property in the gritty North Central neighborhood.


The two-story wood-frame residential property at 3151 Sixth Ave. is one of eight properties in the North Central and Lansingburgh neighborhoods the city wants to raze as its wipes out buildings that are heavily damaged by fire, are deteriorating or are otherwise so unsafe that city firefighters are ordered not to enter.

The Hells Angels clubhouse at 3145 Sixth Ave. is usually a quiet place with much of its 0.27-acre parcel locked behind a fence. The three-story brick clubhouse building at the north side of the property is adjacent to the building the city wants to raze.

This is one of eight buildings the city of Troy is advertising to demolish.
(Lori Van Buren/Times Union)

The city has been budgeting funds to knock down buildings to erase blight and open up parcels for redevelopment. Sometimes the properties are sold to nonprofits that aim to build on the lots.

The Troy Fire Department last year sent a list of properties it recommended be removed over safety concerns to Mayor Patrick Madden’s administration. In some cases fire damage is extensive the buildings can’t be repaired. “They just have to be taken down,” Fire Chief Eric McMahon said.

SOURCE: Times Union

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Media Blames Hells Angels for Shooters

New York City, New York, USA (February 13, 2020) BTN — After four decades, the infamous Hells Angels packed up their Manhattan clubhouse and relocated to the Bronx. Their presence quickly became known to residents after bullets flew into their clubhouse.

Hells Angels new clubhouse 

The Jan. 2 incident raised questions about the Hells Angels' intentions on the Throgs Neck block. Windows are now boarded up at the clubhouse, and police are keeping a close eye.

"It was a little concerning. But you can't really blame them. I mean it's like blaming a victim for getting shot at. Do you blame the shooter or do you blame the victim? So, now they are getting the bad rep for something that happened to them," said a resident.

Related | New Hells Angels Clubhouse Upsets Nosy Neighbors 

Related | Former Hells Angels MC Clubhouse Sold


Allegations of criminal activity mark the group, but they are also known for charity with their annual toy drive during the holiday season.

News 12's investigation discovered that their clubhouse at 241 Longstreet Ave. is not the only property the club has bought after selling their longtime East Village NYC chapter headquartered in Manhattan for more than $7.7 million.



Documents obtained by News 12 reveal that the Church of the Angels Inc., which is under Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, has purchased four properties in the Bronx.

Three of those purchased properties are in Throgs Neck and were acquired in October 2019. Listed on the deed documents is the Law Offices of Edmond Pryor. He would not directly tell News 2 that he worked with the Church of the Angels Inc.

"I have no pending matters for them," said Pryor. Pryor was also a part-time employee of Bronx Councilman Mark Gjonaj, which made some residents question the councilman's involvement with the club.

The office denied any connection to News 12, saying in a statement, "This was a private transaction that had no reporting requirement to any elected official or the local community board."

Some in the neighborhood are waiting until it gets warmer to see if Hells Angels and their slew of bikes will mess or mesh with the fabric of their community.

News 12 has reached out to the Hell Angels and Community Board 10 and has not heard back.

SOURCE: News 12

Sunday, February 9, 2020

Hells Angels set up shop in Michigan

Mount Pleasant, Michigan, USA (February 9, 2020) BTN — The Hells Angels, the world’s most infamous motorcycle club, have opened their first chapter in Michigan, establishing the Hells Angels Michigan Nomads near Mount Pleasant in the center of the state. Based on the West Coast, the iconic Hells Angels began expanding into the Midwest in the late 1960's, but until now, had never planted a flag in Michigan due to it being prime territory for the rival Outlaws MC, the nation’s preeminent rust belt biker crew. A message announcing the new Hells Angels Michigan chapter on its website.


The Outlaws and Hells Angels have been at war since 1974 when Outlaws in Florida killed a group of Hells Angels from Boston. Headquartered out of Detroit and Chicago, the Outlaws have maintained a strangle hold on the Midwest biker scene for decades. When the Hells Angels moved into Illinois in the 1990's, violence between the clubs ramped up.

Ralph (Sonny) Barger, 81, founded the Hells Angels’ Oakland chapter in 1957, became the club’s overall boss and grew it to mythic proportions around the globe. Today, Barger lives in Phoenix and remains active in club affairs. Barger commissioned the opening of the club’s first Midwest outpost in Cleveland in 1967, sending Clarence (Butch) Crouch to Ohio to be his personal eyes and ears in the region. Crouch eventually turned state’s evidence and committed suicide in the Witness Protection Program.

In 1988, Barger was convicted in federal court for ordering the bombing of an Outlaws clubhouse in Louisville, Kentucky and did five years in prison. He played a recurring character on the hit FX television show Sons of Anarchy, about a fictional California biker gang.

Barger’s counterpart in The Outlaws, Harry (Taco) Bowman, died behind bars last year. The legendary Bowman headed the club from his home in Detroit for most of the 1980's and 1990's, finally convicted of murder and racketeering in 2001. Per testimony at his trial, Bowman put a murder contract on Barger’s head and had his lieutenants hunting the Hells Angels shot caller near his home in California. Bowman and Barger’s then second-in-command, George Christy, then engaged in a series of peace talks that fell through at the last minute.

STORY: Scott Burnstein
SOURCE: Gangster Report

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Attack on Hells Angels clubhouse investigated

New York City, New York, USA (January 12, 2020) BTN — Detectives are running down leads in an attack that saw gunmen on motorcycles open fire on the Hells Angels Bronx clubhouse earlier this month, a shooting they hope to solve before the violence escalates, authorities said.

A police official told Bronx Justice News investigators are examining all possibilities in the case, including whether a rival motorcycle club shot up the Angels’ new Throggs Neck digs on Jan. 2.


The motorcycle club recently relocated its headquarters from Manhattan to the Bronx.

Related | Shots fired at Hells Angels New Clubhouse
Related | New Hells Angels Clubhouse Upsets Nosy Neighbors 
Related | Former Hells Angels MC Clubhouse Sold

Now, investigators are concerned the Hells Angels will strike back before the culprits responsible for the clubhouse shooting are arrested.

The property was fired upon by multiple shooters on motorcycles, who rode away and have not been caught, authorities said.

More than a dozen bullet casings were found outside the property, a former American Legion post, following the 10:35 p.m. attack, according to police.

The property sustained damage but no injuries were reported, authorities said.

SOURCE: Bronx Justice News 

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Shots fired at Hells Angels New Clubhouse

New York City, New York, USA (January 4, 2020) BTN — Several shots were fired at the Hells Angels new Bronx headquarters, sparking concerns that the motorcycle club has brought violence and chaos to a once quiet neighborhood.


Police said the clubhouse was damaged in the hail of bullets at the Longstreet Ave. building in Throggs Neck about 10:30 p.m. Thursday. No one was injured.

“Everyone’s worst fears have materialized,” Bronx Community Board 10 District Manager Matt Cruz said. “For this to happen after the holiday, and children are not back in school — it’s now a serious concern for this community.”

Related | New Hells Angels Clubhouse Upsets Nosy Neighbors 
Related | Former Hells Angels MC Clubhouse Sold

“The community is upset and scared,” Cruz said. “We are on heightened alert for this and we’re hoping the NYPD can get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible and we’re sure they will.”

Over 14 shots were fired, according to a post on the Facebook group “Friends of Community Board #10." Responding officers found shell casings in front of the building, but no arrests were made.


The Hells Angels bought the fenced-off, two-story brick building near Wissman Ave. in early December. The building sits on a quiet, tree-lined street of middle-class homes.

Neighbors had complained earlier this month about a noisy gathering at the Bronx headquarters — one of many clashes that have plagued the Angels in recent years.

SOURCE: Spectrum News 

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Tuesday, December 31, 2019

New Hells Angels Clubhouse Upsets Nosy Neighbors

New York City, New York, USA (December 31, 2019) BTN — Roaring motorcycle engines and late-night carousing have bedeviled the once-quiet Bronx neighborhood where the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club have just set up their new New York headquarters.

The motorcycle club bought a two-story brick building in middle-class Throggs Neck, and a noisy gathering at the headquarters earlier this month disturbed neighbors.

“You could hear them, they were loud,” said Chris Fernandez, 36, whose home overlooks the new club at 241 Longstreet Ave. “Oh, my God, they were going the whole weekend, literally through the night.”



Fernandez said the group has been quiet since that weekend, though a man who identified himself as a club member said on Monday the club will continued to hold events.

Related | Former Hells Angels MC Clubhouse Sold


The Hells Angels sold the E. 3rd St. site to a developer in in June, and moved their base to the Bronx.

The Hells Angels recently bought a former American Legion property in the Bronx after the notorious motorcycle gang left their longtime club in the East Village. The staff lawyer for Councilman Mark Gjonaj repped the gang in the deal.

The Hells Angels recently bought a former American Legion property at 241 Longstreet Ave. in the Bronx. (Trevor Boyer/for New York Daily News)

“We’ll be reaching out to NYPD to discuss the matter at greater length,” Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.’s spokesman John DeSio said of the Hells Angels’ new club.

The staff lawyer for Councilman Mark Gjonaj, whose district includes Throggs Neck, repped the Hells Angels in the August sale of the property, according to state records. The building sold for $1.25 million. The building was formerly occupied by an American Legion post.

The lawyer, Ted Pryor, did not respond to questions about his role in the sale or the Hells Angels’ plans for their new property, which features a pillar with the club name in bold red letters and the club’s eerie skull logo on the second story.

“This was a private transaction that had no reporting requirement to any elected official or the local community board,” Gjonaj’s spokesman Reginald Johnson said in a statement. “The Councilman was only recently made aware of the sale. He expects the group to abide by all quality of life laws and ordinances. If they do not, he will work with law enforcement to ensure their compliance.”

But the involvement of Gjonaj’s lawyer still raised eyebrows among neighbors. Gjonaj “knew what was going on from the beginning, so why’d he allow it?” speculated Awilda Cordero, president of social services nonprofit Emergency Rights. “He doesn’t have to live here.”

She said bikers gave her dirty looks and tried to stare her down when they moved into the club, which is surrounded by concrete and has a chain-link fence separating it from the street. “They were making us feel like, ‘We’re here, what are you gonna do about it?’” Cordero said.

“Like any other neighbor that owns property in our community, we welcome them,” Community Board 10 District Manager Matt Cruz said. “Of course, our board office is willing to meet and see how they can be helpful to our community. “We are hoping that ... they will be good neighbors,” he added.

SOURCE: New York Daily News

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Friday, November 22, 2019

13 charged in Hells Angels clubhouse raid

Denver, Colorado, USA (November 22, 2019) BTN — Thirteen people are accused of running an organized crime ring in Denver. District Attorney Beth McCann charged them following raids on the Denver Charter Hells Angels Club House, two tattoo shops and a business that advertises as specializing in customizing trucks, among others.


The suspects are aged 27 to 81 years old.

Federal agents raided multiple locations around the Denver area earlier this month. Agents say they seized dozens of firearms in addition to methamphetamine, cocaine, cash and passports.

Video captured by neighbor shows about 10 agents and several uniformed officers outside a building in the 3200 Block of Navajo Street, and patrol cars blocking a nearby intersection.
“The Hells Angels just got raided next to us,” a man can be heard saying in one of the video clips. “I haven’t seen a person come out.”

The district attorney’s office say the people accused face charges of assault, kidnapping, robbery, motor vehicle theft and chop shop activity.


Neighbors told CBS4 they heard flash bangs as the agents went into the home but things quieted down fairly quickly after that.

ATF Special Agent David Booth had confirmed that some of the individuals “have ties to motorcycle gangs.” He said at least two motorcycle clubs were involved.

Top row, from left: Jason P. Sellers, Michael J. Dire, Jared B. Orland, Clinton Williams. Middle row, from left: William “Kelly” Henderson, William “Curly” E. Whitney, Justin A. Wright, Peter M. Baron. Bottom row, from left: Dominic P. Robichaud, Adam Mulcahy, Jimmy Salazar, Derek A. Beste

The names of the accused are:

Jason P. Sellers, 44
Michael J. Dire, 74
Jared B. Orland, 47
Clinton Williams, 45
William “Kelly” Henderson, 42
William “Curly” E. Whitney, 81
Justin A. Wright, 35
Peter M. Baron, 30
Dominic Robichaud, 47
Dustin Ullerich, 47
Adam Mulcahy, 27
Jimmy D. Salazar, 44
Derek A. Beste, 30
Jerome J. Guardiola, 35, remains at large

Investigators said raids took place in Denver, the metro area, Colorado Springs, and Weld County. They said the raids were successful but there are still individual agents are working to locate.

Booth said the ATF was involved to coordinate the effort between state and local agencies but would say the specific nature of the crimes being investigated.

SOURCE: CBS4 Denver

Hells Angels clubhouse destroyed by fire

Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada (November 22, 2019) BTN — A fire Tuesday night destroyed the Hells Angels Clubhouse on Simpson Street. Thunder Bay Fire Rescue says the initial call came in at 10:24 pm. Platoon Chief Edward Hill said more calls were coming in while crews were on their way to the fire, with crews calling a second alarm while heading to the scene.


Hill said arriving firefighters found heavy flame and smoke coming from the back of the Hells Angels Clubhouse and the fire was spread into the roof of Rizzo's Cabinets, but they were able to keep it from spreading further.

"We actually managed to make a good stop and the old, I believe it's European Bakery, we managed to keep the fire from spreading into that structure or the Underground Gym that was south of that structure," said Hill.


The fire was already deep seated when firefighters arrived to the scene, and crews used a defensive tactic to fight the fire. Aerial ladder trucks were set up at the front of the buildings to protect exposures, while crews started an attack from the rear of the buildings.

"The way it collapsed there's still flames underneath all the collapsed roof structure and it will be a while before we get that out."


Hill said no one was in the building at the time and there were no injuries to firefighters. Hill told CBC, the European Bakery building had some damage from fire fighting suppression activities and the Underground Gym has some water damage.

Firefighters were still on the scene Wednesday morning putting out hotspots and Simpson Street was expected to remain closed for some time for clean up.

Hill said the cause of the fire is unknown and will be under investigation.

SOURCE: CBC

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Sentencing in Outlaws MC Prez's murder

Tampa, Florida, USA (November 20, 2019) BTN – A federal judge will decide Wednesday if Christopher “Durty” Cosimano and Michael “Pumpkin” Mencher should spend the rest of their lives in prison for crimes related to their involvement in the 69′ers Motorcycle Club.

Both men were found guilty this summer in a trial that centered on the December 2017 assassination of Paul Anderson, president of the Pasco County chapter of the rival Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Anderson was shot repeatedly while his pickup truck was stopped in rush-hour traffic off the Suncoast Parkway.


Prosecutors said the killing was the culmination of a months-long campaign of violence that began with the beating of two 69′ers and the theft of their biker vests.

The story of the feud and the resulting criminal cases against five 69′ers has been widely told. Less discussed are the details of how such groups operate in the Tampa Bay area and elsewhere. Images and documents used as evidence in the trial offer a look at the inner workings of the 69′ers, a motorcycle club governed by strict rules, part of a subculture seldom glimpsed by outsiders.

In the hours after Anderson was murdered on Dec. 21, 2017, investigators from Pasco County and the federal government turned their attention to a modest house on Riverview Drive east of U.S. 41 in Hillsborough County. The home sits a few hundred feet north of the banks of the Alafia River.

Shaded by tall oaks, with a flagpole and mailbox out front, the house doesn’t appear much different from others in the working-class neighborhood near a large phosphate mine. But behind its walls investigators found biker vests, weapons, drugs and photographs of 69′er gatherings. A front garage housed a set of motorcycles.

A photograph used as evidence in the federal trial of Chrisopher Cosimano and Michael Mencher shows the bar area inside the clubhouse of the local chapter of the 69'ers Motorcycle Club. [U.S. District Court] [U.S. District Court]

A rear garage served as the 69′ers “clubhouse,” a headquarters for the local chapter they called “Killsborough.” Inside was a liquor bar with walls adorned with banners and posters featuring the menacing red-tongued wolf that is the centerpiece of the 69′ers logo. There are framed snapshots of members donning their vests, which bear the patches denoting their status as part of the “1%” — the small fraction of bikers who shirk society’s rules.

The men who pose in the photos are mostly white, though some appear to be people of color. Some make obscene hand gestures for the camera. In the trial, prosecutors showed a jury a nine-page constitution which outlines the national rules governing all local chapters of the 69′ers Motorcycle Club.

A photograph used as evidence in the federal trial of Christopher Cosimano and Michael Mencher shows the inside of the Hillsborough clubhouse of the 69'ers Motorcycle Club. [U.S. District Court] [U.S. District Court]

All chapters are overseen by a collection of officers known as “The Council,” according to the document. The Council meets twice a year. Their task is to maintain standards for all 69′er chapters.

The document details each chapter’s internal structure. It mandates four officers, including a president who must “rule with an iron fist,” vice president, sergeant at arms and treasurer. The constitution dictates that each chapter must be registered as a non-profit, and that a club accountant must file a tax return for the group each year.

“It is the responsibility of all officers to maintain their position with the highest level of respect for all members, property, family and employment,” the document reads.

Related Outlaws MC President was killed over club colors
The membership requirements: you must be at least 18 years old, own an American-made motorcycle, possess a valid motorcycle license, have never been a member of law enforcement, complete a one-year period as a “prospect” and meet the approval of all members. A member can retire from the club with the approval of the Council after five consecutive years of service to the club. The document forbids fighting among members.

“Any member caught stealing from the club or banging another member’s old lady will be ejected from the club,” it states. “Old ladies are off limits.”

“Members shall not discuss club business with citizens,” the document states in large letters. “What’s said in the house stays in the house.”

A total of five men were charged with federal crimes related to Anderson’s murder. Three of them, Allan Guinto, Erick Robinson, and Cody Wesling, signed plea agreements. Guinto and Wesling testified against Cosimano and Mencher.

They were accused of following Anderson on motorcycles through traffic on the Suncoast Parkway and shooting him through the windows of his pickup truck as he stopped at a traffic light at the end of an off-ramp at State Road 54.

Cosimano and Mencher were both found guilty in August on charges that included murder in aid of racketeering.

SOURCE: Tampa Bay Times

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Hells Angels clubhouse raided for selling booze

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (September 19, 2019) BTN — Winnipeg police raided two Manitoba Hells Angels clubhouses and charged three people with selling liquor without a licence under the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act.

The search warrants were executed in December 2018 after police said they received information from three people that the Hells Angels were selling liquor without a licence inside two clubhouses in rural Manitoba houses. One is in the rural municipality of Rosser, the other on Redonda Street in the rural municipality of Springfield.

Winnipeg police executed search warrants at two Hells Angels clubhouses in Manitoba in December 2018, including this property on Road 65 N. in the rural municipality of Rosser.

Police affidavits say the informants told investigators there is a set price for booze at the clubhouse bars and the Angels believed that law enforcement couldn't investigate them if they put up signs that said "Donations."

The details were sealed by a provincial court judge in December but the documents were recently unsealed, although some information was redacted to protect the identities of confidential informants.

"Each clubhouse advertises that any alcoholic drink or non-alcoholic drink is not for sale but individuals can 'donate' the $3 or $5 to the Hells Angels," the police affidavit says.

Police were told the Hells Angels have a book behind the bar with a running tab for people who owe money for drinks, and the motorcycle club put the money in a bank account along with proceeds of their clothing sales — an account with more than $60,000 in it, the affidavit says.

To verify some of the source information they received, police said they relied on a number of things, including statements they got from officers in the organized crime unit who had observed the bar while arresting a suspect in the Redonda Street home in 2017.

Police said they also saw photos of a fully stocked clubhouse bar and fridge on the Facebook page of a prospective member of the Hells Angels and in the background of photos of a woman wearing support gear on the Manitoba Nomads website, which sells Hells Angels support clothing to the public.

Winnipeg police search warrant documents say the Hells Angels were selling liquor inside two Manitoba clubhouses without a licence to do so, and the setup included a donation jar to keep law enforcement away. (Provincial Court of Manitoba)

"If they want money for a drink, they're gonna get money for a drink, whether it's put in a jar or handed to someone in a parking lot," said Peter Edwards, Toronto Star crime reporter and organized crime author.

"I think there's all sorts of criminal activity in Hells Angels, but I think that the liquor licence type stuff is, I don't know.… I just don't see it as something that's going to make the streets safe."

Last December following the raids, Winnipeg police charged three men for selling liquor without a licence: Dale Donovan, who now goes by the name Kelland and is the president of the Manitoba Nomads, which is a chapter of the Hells Angels; Lorne Corlett, a full patch member of the gang; and prospect Cameron Barron.

The crime is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000, up to a year in jail, and forfeiture of any items seized by law enforcement.

In the 43-page search warrant documents, police said they received photographs from other Canadian police agencies that had conducted similar raids that showed "donation bins" posted in other Hells Angels clubhouse bars.

"All chapters of the Hells Angels across Canada follow the same rules and structure. The Hells Angels have world rules, Canada rules and then chapter rules," the police affidavit said.

In search warrant documents, Winnipeg police say in September 2018 a Hells Angels prospect posted these photos on his Facebook page. Officers said the photos were taken in a Hells Angels clubhouse and show a fully stocked bar, which supports allegations they were selling liquor without a licence. (Provincial Court of Manitoba)

Police said raids were done in Kelowna, B.C., Sudbury, Ont., St. Catharines, Ont., Ottawa and Toronto. CBC News also found video on YouTube showing police in Australia have done the same.

"It's an incredibly sophisticated organization with significant financial backing, so it makes it very difficult for police to take action against them," said Kelly Sundberg, an associate professor in the department of economics, justice and policy studies at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

"The police are limited by geography and by budgets. The Hells Angels are not."

Sundberg said regulatory approaches are one of the only tools police have to combat criminal organizations like the Hells Angels.

Winnipeg police search warrant documents say police in Ottawa raided a Hells Angels clubhouse in December 2017 and photos showed it had a similar setup to other Hells Angels clubhouses in other parts of the country. (Provincial Court of Manitoba)

"With the hopes that by taking that regulatory action against the organization that they'll discover a criminal act that will open the door for a criminal investigation that allows them to proceed on larger charges," Sundberg said.

Edwards, who has written 10 books on organized crime, understands why police would crack down on the Hells Angels in any way that they can, but he believes investigations like this will do nothing more than garner sympathy for them.

"They're not gonna keep piles of cocaine laying on the table in their clubhouse," Edwards said.

"What they're trying to do is crack down on criminal activity, drug trafficking, and this sort of thing is kind of, it's sort of a nuisance thing but its not going to put anyone out of business."

The Hells Angels have a long record of violence in Canada, including the murder of two justice officials in Quebec in 1997. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Quebec branch of the Hells Angels was warring with a rival outlaw motorcycle gang, the Rock Machine. That resulted in an estimated 150 murders over the course of a decade, and extensive drug trafficking and related crimes in Manitoba, the RCMP and Manitoba Justice say.

In 2014, Manitoba became the first government in North America to formally list the Hells Angels as a criminal organization. Similar designations have been made in Ontario and British Columbia.

But Sundberg said over the years, the Hells Angels have worked hard to change their public image by holding fundraisers for charity and organizing community events.

"I would not be surprised if the Hells Angels secure some of the best marketing and communications people money can buy. They've done an excellent job … in steering that lens of criminality away from them and even put it into the minds of the public that they are in fact a legitimate organization."

He said the narrative the Hells Angels present today is that the negative press has been manufactured by law enforcement and that they've been unfairly targeted.

"The Hells Angels are incredibly sophisticated. They have some of the best lawyers and accountants. The resources available to them, they're global in scope," Sundberg said.

SOURCE: CBC

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

MC and Cops share different views over raid

Fresno, California, USA (September 10, 2019) BTN — A group of local motorcyclists say Fresno anti-gang officers overreacted in a raid on their clubhouse Saturday, but a sheriff’s spokesman said the officers had no choice after an armed Hells Angel ran and hid inside the building.

“It was crazy, bro,” said Jay Upton, vice president of the Savage Assassins. “We were racially profiled.” Upton said he is heavily tattooed, and “my appearance sometimes doesn’t accommodate people.”


The sheriff’s spokesman, Tony Botti, said there were two armed Hells Angels at the event and dismissed the idea that members of the MAGEC gang unit should have let club members eject the fleeing suspect, identified as Rey Rodriguez, 32, of Fresno, instead of serving a warrant and searching the property.

“That’s not the way it works,” said Botti. His advice: Don’t hang out with the wrong people.

Rodriguez was arrested on charges of being an armed gang member. The other man identified as an Angel, Stephen Meza, 58, of Tulare, was arrested on the same charge as well as carrying a stolen gun. Rodriguez and four others at the party were cited for obstructing an investigation and one person was held on an outstanding DUI warrant.

Related | Hours long standoff at clubhouse ends with arrests


Upton said the Savage Assassins staged an end of summer event that began Saturday afternoon at their clubhouse on Belmont Avenue east of First Street. A barbecue, cold drinks and a wet T-shirt contest were on the schedule. Upton said he noted a heavy law enforcement presence in the area early in the day, but said he talked the event over with at least one sheriff’s sergeant and it appeared there was a mutual understanding: No alcohol was being sold, only a plate of food.

Flyer for the Savage Assassins MC party

Upton said Christian biker groups were also at the event. “I’m not here to make a nuisance in my city,” he said. Things went south when a MAGEC detective reported seeing that Rodriguez was armed. Confronted, Rodriguez fled inside a steel fence and others inside locked the gate, Botti said. Upton refused permission for officers to go inside to detain Rodriguez. “Not my call,” he said. The Savage Assassins wanted to see a warrant.


That led to officers obtaining one. In the hours that followed, Upton said party goers were detained with zip ties. Some of the detainees, including Upton’s father, Mike, were in their 60s and 70s, he said. Upton added that his father, who suffers from a heart ailment and COPD, is still in the hospital as a result of the stress.

Upton said MAGEC detectives “destroyed the clubhouse and damaged a steel door at a next-door radiator shop in a search for weapons. Botti said a total of three were recovered: two in possession of Rodriguez and Meza, and one on a motorcycle.

Upton said the incident was “blown way out of proportion,” but members of his club were suffering consequences Monday when they went back to work: “Their jobs are in jeopardy.” Botti said the party goers have themselves to blame for obstructing the investigation: “As the night went on, a lot of them were drunk,” and uncooperative.

As for the potential of any unwarranted damages, Botti said a claim could be filed with the county’s risk management unit.

SOURCE: The Fresno Bee

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Hells Angels lose clubhouse to forfeiture

Nanaimo, BC, Canada (August 26, 2019) BTN — The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and seven members have failed to have the province’s attempt to seize three of their clubhouses thrown out of court.

In a roughly 15,000-word ruling in advance of his decision in the civil forfeiture case, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Barry Davies rejected the Angels’ arguments that their rights had been violated in the proceedings to grab their properties in Nanaimo, the East End of Vancouver and Kelowna.


The fulcrum of the petition was the legality of the RCMP’s disclosure to the Civil Forfeiture Office of information gleaned from “Project Halo,” “Project E-Pandora” and “Project E-Predicate” — investigations involving the motorcycle enthusiasts.

Related | Hells Angels MC still fighting for their clubhouse

Davies said in the decision published Monday that there was no support for the club’s claims.

“I share some of the concerns raised by the petitioners with respect to the potential that exists for lack of notice and lack of record-keeping in the transmission of information and have observed that the relationship between the police and the CFO with the attendant possibility of conflict arising from the intersection of criminal law substance and procedure and civil forfeiture law substance and procedure may require not only evidentiary oversight by the court but may also engage charter scrutiny,” Davies wrote.

“I have also, however, determined that there is no evidentiary foundation for an argument that any lack of notice or record-keeping has compromised the ability of these petitioners or any of the other defendants in the related forfeiture proceedings to defend those proceedings.”

A vehicle belonging to The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia sits in front of the former Nanaimo Hells Angels clubhouse in Nanaimo. Photo: Richard Lam/Postmedia

The Director of Civil Forfeiture seized the Nanaimo Hells Angels clubhouse in Nov. 2007 and commenced proceedings in Nov. 2012 against the East End and Kelowna clubhouses.

The two proceedings were joined for trial in Aug. 2015 based upon the allegation that each clubhouse was an “instrument of unlawful activity” because “in future, they were likely to be used to engage in unlawful activity that may result in the acquisition of an interest in property and/or cause serious bodily harm to persons.”

The Angels filed counterclaims that asserted the “instruments of unlawful activity” provisions of the Civil Forfeiture Act were unconstitutional.

The trial of the forfeiture proceedings commenced on April 23, 2018.

In Oct. 2018, the Angels filed the petition under the Judicial Review Procedures Act seeking to quash the forfeiture litigation and obtain orders prohibiting the Director from continuing the proceedings. After hearing the petition in early April, Davies reserved judgment; he completed the trial of the forfeiture proceedings on April 30. His decisions on the forfeiture applications as well as on the Angels’ counterclaim are pending.

Given the importance of the petition decision, however, it had to be delivered before Davies ruled on the underlying litigation. “I am satisfied that the Director had lawful authority to collect information from the RCMP and to commence and conduct the related forfeiture proceedings,” Davies concluded.

“Accordingly, while I find that entering into the (Memorandum of Understanding) with the RCMP by the Director and the creation of the CFO RCMP Program Manager Position was lawfully authorized, I am also satisfied that, in some circumstances, the relationship between the police and the CFO with the attendant possibility of conflict arising from the intersection of criminal law substance and procedure and civil forfeiture law substance and procedure may require not only evidentiary oversight by the court but also engage charter scrutiny.”

The Nanaimo Clubhouse and contents, except for some released by agreement of the parties, have been in the continuing possession of the CFO for almost 12 years.

SOURCE: Vancouver Sun

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Apache MC allegedly has colors pulled

Charleston, West Virginia, USA (July 2, 2019) BTN — Kanawha County Sheriff's deputies responded to the Apache Motorcycle Club near St. Albans Saturday. The call was for a disturbance.

When investigators arrived, they found club members "bloody and beaten." The Apache club members said they were robbed by members of two other clubs: the Pagans and the Demons.


According to the criminal complaints, witnesses told deputies that rival club members "entered the Apache Club uninvited and after some communication between club presidents, a physical altercation ensued."

The complaint continues, "The victims were physically beat up, held down, and held at gunpoint in order to be removed of their 'cuts' or motorcycle club patches or insignia."

The suspects allegedly stole guns, knives, and clothing from the victims. Investigators say they were taken by force or threat.


Deputies investigated and ended up arrested eight people on felony charges. According to the criminal complaints, these eight suspects are accused of taking part in the robbery or being present for it.

The following four suspects are charged with armed robbery: James Grim, 37, of Poca, Rhonda Brisendine, 47, of Elkview, Roger Lee Prater, II, 33, of Delbarton, and Gary Steven McDaniels, 34, of Stollings.

The following four suspects are charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery: James Overby, Jr, 47, of Lorado, Christopher Scragg, 45, of Charleston, Douglas Bailey, 51, of Charleston, and Linda Paetz, 51, of Temperance, Michigan.

Only five mugshots were available Monday morning. Brisendine, Prater II, McDaniels, Overby, and Paetz are in the South Central Regional Jail.

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Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Modesto Hells Angels President Arrested

Modesto, California, USA (June 26, 2019) BTN — The president of the Modesto Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, his wife, and two others will appear in federal court on Wednesday in Fresno, where they’ll face methamphetamine trafficking charges.

Charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday were Modesto residents Randy Picchi, 61, president of the club; his wife Tina Picchi, 51; Michael Mize, 61; and Michael Pack, 32, a prospect with the club.


Randy Picchi, Tina Picci, and Mize were arrested Tuesday and placed into custody, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

Search Warrants Executed at Seven Locations

Officers executed search warrants at seven locations Tuesday in Stanislaus County, including the Hells Angeles clubhouse in Modesto.

Court documents allege that Randy Picchi led a drug conspiracy and directed his wife to regularly deliver drugs to Mize and others in Ceres. Randy Pichi also enlisted Pack to help obtain methamphetamine on at least one occasion. Pack was stopped by law enforcement officers and was found with 499 grams of meth on him.


In addition, the court documents allege that Randy Picchi directed Tina Picchi to drive from Modesto to Redding to deliver meth to a customer. On the way, Tina Picchi was stopped by law enforcement and found with approximately 4 ounces of meth, which she had wrapped in a plastic glove and hidden in a cup of soda.

Defendants Face 10-Year Minimum Sentences

This case involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Central Valley Gang Impact Task Force, the Modesto and Turlock police departments, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the California Highway Patrol.


Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson and Laurel Montoya are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine.

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Hells Angels Prez arrested for assault

Providence, RI, USA (June 13, 2019) BTN — The scene on a West End street Wednesday evening looked dangerous: state police SUVs blocked Messer Street in front of the Hells Angels Clubhouse around 5:30 p.m., and more were arriving.


The raid took place in a densely populated area, an odd pairing of the benignly curious and the menacingly armed. Onlookers and residents trying to get home were told to stay behind the SUVs. State police wore bulletproof vests.

A line of troopers in full protective gear, some with breathing apparatus over their faces, filed from Ford Street toward the motorcycle club’s three-story building, followed by a Humvee-type vehicle, which pulled up breach across Messer Street, facing the club. A white van stopped and troopers poured out. [emphasis added]

Related | Hells Angel MC member home raided


The Humvee, its battering ram pointed straight at the clubhouse’s red steel door, plowed ahead. The door crumpled. The crowd exclaimed “woo!”

Using a bullhorn, one officer called out for anyone inside 161 Messer St. to come out with their hands up. This was repeated four or five times before a man came out, his hands over his head. He was immediately tackled, his hands cuffed behind him, and kept on the ground.


A woman came out with her hands up. She was also handcuffed. Several dogs ran out, one with an immediate need for the curb. One of the dogs licked the face of the man on the ground. An onlooker yelled to police not to hurt the dogs.


As the man was escorted past some senior state police officers, he paused to answer a question by saying he didn’t know. The woman who had come out of the clubhouse, wearing shorts and a black-and-red jersey with a big 81, seemed relaxed as she waited with several officers on a Ford Street sidewalk. She was taken to a cruiser after nearly everyone had left.

Before police entered the clubhouse, the battering-ram truck let out an explosive noise. Then troopers and K-9s disappeared beyond the crumpled door. Occasionally a loud boom, sounding like someone had hit a 55-gallon steel drum with a sledgehammer, issued from inside, raising questions from the crowd about whether it was gunfire.

By 6 p.m., detectives were still gathering evidence inside the clubhouse, but the street had been reopened.

A news release from the state police said they arrested the president of the Rhode Island Hells Angels chapter at the clubhouse at 1:40 p.m. Wednesday. Joseph M. Lancia, 28, of 40 Fanning Lane, Greenville, was taken into custody without incident on a charge of felony assault. The news release said his arrest was part of an investigation into reports of shots fired near the West Side clubhouse.


The events that started just before 6 p.m. were members of the Intelligence Unit and the Tactical Unit securing the clubhouse and conducting a search, state police said.

Lancia was taken to state police headquarters in Scituate, where he was processed and held overnight for arraignment Thursday at District Court, Providence, the news release said.

More charges may be filed as the investigation continues, the release said. State police spokeswoman Laura Kirk said no information would be released Wednesday about anyone else, such as the man and woman who came out of the club, saying a news conference is planned for Thursday.


Kids on bicycles, youths on bright red rental Jump bikes, and one young man on a motorized bicycle were among the onlookers, but no one showed up on a Harley.

SOURCE: Providence Journal