POLICE: Rival Motorcycle Clubs in Australia Join Forces

New South Wales, Australia (December 10, 2017) —  RIVAL bikie clubs engaged in bloody warfare for decades are burying the hatchet and merging into super clubs to chase millions in criminal profits. Police have seen an outbreak of co-operation as notorious bikie clubs headhunt the best money launderers and drug dealers from rival firms or share their skills and expertise.

In a recent report, the powerful NSW Crime Commission said the highly organised gangs are difficult to police because “much of the organisation is co-ordinated offshore”. Police have seen an outbreak of co-operation as notorious bikie clubs headhunt the best money launderers and drug dealers from rival firms.

Picture: NSW Police

The report found one-time fierce rivals such as the Hells Angels and Comanchero — the two clubs involved in an infamous fatal brawl at Sydney airport in 2009 — had decided it was more lucrative to be in bed together on “significant criminal enterprises”, including international drug shipments.

“Co-operation among organised crime groups is flourishing with traditional animosities between such members or associates as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, the Comanchero Motorcycle Club and the Lone Wolf Motorcycle Club diminishing,” the Crime Commission said.

Bikie clubs are joining forces to gain access to millions in criminal profits.

The NSW Police State Crime Command’s Criminal Groups Squad director Deborah Wallace said bikies remained enemies at low levels while their bosses did business together.

“At the upper level they are quite prepared to work together to progress their criminal activity and they’ll seek out facilitators — that could be accountants, anything at all,” Detective Superintendent Wallace said.

“At the bottom level they rely on that brotherhood, that romantic side, because they need to recruit people to do their dirty work. The whole ethos that you’re a particular chapter forever, is gone. (Bikie clubs) are certainly alive and well, they’re just morphing into a different look, more like organised crime than a group of bike riders.”

Picture: NSW Police

Police have cracked down on bikie gangs across Australia. 

A recent police restructure merged the Middle Eastern Organised Crime and the Gangs squads into the one Criminal Groups Squad, reflecting the merging of bikies with other organised criminals.

Australian Federal Police have discovered the same trend, arresting 12 men in May who they claim were running drug distribution for the Hells Angels, Gypsy Jokers, Descendants and Bandidos in South ­Australia. The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission also found rival gangs sharing drug distributors.

“Many groups that previously operated in isolation now work collaboratively to access broader distribution networks and ultimately maximise profits,” its ­August organised crime report said.
Police have merged the Middle Eastern Organised Crime and the Gangs squads into the one Criminal Groups Squad as bikies join other organised criminals.

Picture: NSW Police

But Western Sydney University organised crime lecturer and former detective Dr Michael Kennedy said police should be under no illusion that the bloodshed between bikie clubs was over.

“They’ll just come together on a business deal,” Dr Kennedy said. “They’re not friends, they’ve got nothing in common and they’ll kill in order to make money. They will walk over each other to get the result they want.”

“They will walk over each other to get the result they want.”

A fatal 2009 brawl in Sydney Airport between the Hells Angels and Comancheros was a turning point in the fight against out-of-control bikies, prompting immediate action from state and federal politicians.
Police have swooped on several bikie gangs this year.

Picture: NSW Police

Hells Angel Anthony Zervas was bludgeoned to death in front of stunned travellers and one-time Comanchero boss Mahmoud “Mick” Hawi was convicted of his murder.

There has not been an all-out bikie war since 2012, after forces such as the bikie-busting Strike Force Raptor smothered the club culture of guns, bikes, tattoos and grimy headquarters.

Raptor has closed more than 60 clubhouses, confiscated more than 1300 firearms and put more than 3700 bikies before the courts.

But bikies are determined to survive as they pursue profits in Sydney’s booming drug market, where there are astronomical mark-ups for drugs like cocaine, particularly in the affluent eastern suburbs.

Quarterly crime figures released yesterday showed cocaine use and possession up an average 160 per cent in each of the last two years in the Waverley LGA.

SOURCE: The Daily Telegraph 

An 'Alleged' Mongols MC member arrested for wearing rings

He was the first to face Queensland's new anti-biker laws

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA  (December 15, 2016) — An alleged Mongols MC club member has become the first to face a charge under the State Government's reworked anti-biker laws, for wearing gold and diamond "biker rings".

Police intercepted a four-wheel-drive at Hamilton on Brisbane's north side early this afternoon, when they say they noticed a man wearing rings inscribed with "1%" and "Mongols".

They conducted a search of the car and found a Mongols-branded vest in his luggage.

The 44-year-old Brisbane man has been issued with a notice to appear in court next month for wearing a prohibited item in a public place.

Confiscated rings that the 'alleged' Mongol member was wearing

It is the first time a person has been charged under the new section of the Summary Offences Act 2005.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said the new laws would further deter outlaw motorcycle gangs.

"My message to outlaw motorcycle gangs, or any crime group, is: if you commit a crime, the police will catch you and you will suffer the full force of the law," he said.

An unidentified Mongol MC member wearing illegal vest

Under the laws passed by the Newman government in 2013, it was illegal to wear bikie colours in a licenced premises and criminal gang members were not allowed to congregate in a public place.

SOURCE:  ABC AUSTRALIA 

Feds Going After MC Colors

Federal Government moving forward to seize club colors

Washington, DC (July 19, 2016) Federal prosecutors are ramping up efforts to seize the trademarks of Motorcycle Clubs in California and possibly the Midwest in a renewed effort to target the groups “patches” that members wear on their jackets and vests.

A First Amendment obstacle course still could lie ahead, experts warn, as officials go after organizations with names like the “Mongols” and the misspelled “Devils Diciples.”

But in new legal filings, prosecutors are keeping alive tactics begun during the presidency of George W. Bush to try to cripple the groups by seizing their assets.

In a July 11 appellate court filing, prosecutors wrote that “A select group of the gang, so-called ‘full-patched’ members,” had obtained federal trademark protection for “Two marks used by the gang to identify members and to terrorize enemies.” The filing called the Mongols’ registration “An audacious, novel move.”

The two trademarks cover a logo and a name that summon the organization’s identity.

“Gang rules . . . broadly recognize that only full-patched members, that is, the constituents of Mongol Nation, have full authority to use the word and rider images,” prosecutors stated in the new 30-page brief.

The filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit seeks to reinstate an indictment dismissed two years ago by a trial judge. If prosecutors succeed, the Justice Department could eventually secure control of the trademarks associated with Southern California-based Mongols Motorcycle Club.

An attorney for the Mongols was in court Tuesday and could not be reached for comment. A Justice Department spokesman could not be reached.

The government’s appeal in the Mongols’ case is the second this year in which the potential seizure of trademarks has figured in federal efforts to curtail organizations that prosecutors contend are criminal enterprises, not just clubs for like-minded motorcycle enthusiasts.

Six weeks ago, a Michigan-based federal judge issued an order suggesting that trademarks claimed by a motorcycle outfit called the Devils Diciples were fair game, following a wide-ranging indictment  issued in 2012.

In his May 31 order, U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland ruled that one of the Devils Diciples’ defendants, who had pleaded guilty, would not be able to contest the potential forfeiture of any of the organization’s trademarks.

But Fritz Clapp, a Beverly Hills, California-based attorney who filed a trademark application for the Devils Diciples, said Tuesday that he was prepared to oppose any federal effort to seize the asset. “It is a subject of controversy,” Clapp said.

Full-patched members of the club identified themselves with patches, tattoos and insignia, including the word and rider images.

Conventional asset forfeiture is a popular tool for law enforcement. Assets worth more than $1.6 billion were deposited in the Justice Department’s Asset Forfeiture Fund during Fiscal 2015, according to the program’s most recent report.

The seized property ran the gamut, from a $1.3 million airplane taken in Denison, Texas, and $1.2 million in currency seized in Miami to $11 million in Bitcoin, the online currency, seized in San Francisco.

Intellectual property, though, has yet to become a common target for law enforcement, and the prospect of the government seizing names and logos raises myriad free-speech issues.

“The majority of Mongols have no criminal record and are not actually accused of anything except being Mongols,” Donald Charles Davis, who blogs under the name The Aging Rebel, said. “It would be both illegal and unfair to deny them of their constitutional rights based on Department of Justice propaganda.”

In 2008, then-U.S. Attorney Thomas O’Brien apparently broke new ground when he unveiled in Los Angeles a wide-ranging indictment of 79 Mongols for a variety of offenses. As part of his campaign, O’Brien sought the Mongols’ trademarks.

“If the court grants our request . . . then if any law enforcement officer sees a Mongol wearing his patch, he will be authorized to stop that gang member and literally take the jacket right off his back,” O’Brien said at the time.

The two trademarks cover the stylized name “Mongols” as well as the figure of a motorcycle rider wielding a sword. All but two of the original 79 defendants were eventually convicted.

A federal court, though, rejected the initial trademark forfeiture effort and ordered the Justice Department to pay $253,206 in legal fees to the attorneys who challenged it. Prosecutors returned with a new indictment of the Mongol Nation, which they described as a distinct legal entity.

A trial judge dismissed the Mongol Nation indictment last September, without getting to the potential trademark forfeiture issue, prompting the Justice Department to appeal.

If the Justice Department now succeeds in reviving the indictment, and eventually wins the criminal case, the trademark forfeiture issue roars back into play.

SOURCE: McClathy DC

Mongols Bike Show 1986

Members of the Mongols MC pose for a group picture in 1986

New video released of Twin Peaks biker shooting

Waco, Texas (April 8, 2016) New video has been released of the Twin Peaks' biker club shooting from a lawyer in Nevada.
Stephen Stubbs who is not representing any of the bikers, he just wants the truth to be told. He also said most of the bikers were there for a political meeting and ran when the shooting began.

WARNING DISTURBING VIDEO 

Vagos and Mongols

Vagos and Mongols sharing a common interest....Motorcycles

Promoter asks Iron Order to stay away from Colorado biker events

 Iron Order members rounded up for safety following shooting

Denver, Colorado - 2/23/2015

The organizer of events that draws motorcyclists to southern Colorado have asked a cop motorcycle club to stay away after they were involved in a fatal brawl in Denver.

Jim Wear, president of Pro Promotions Inc., said he asked the Iron Order to accept a voluntary ban to the company's motorcycle events in Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs as a safety precaution.

The club has agreed to do so, said John Whitfield, a lawyer for the Iron Order. "We are trying to be reasonable. We have got a right to go, but the reasonable and safe thing to do right now is agree not to go," he said.

Members of the Iron Order were involved in a deadly brawl at the Colorado Motorcycle Expo in Denver Jan. 30 that ended with a member of the Mongols MC shot to death, and seven other men shot or stabbed.

Denver police say a Colorado Department of Corrections officer who is a member of the Iron Order fired a shot during the fight.

The Mongols MC and Iron Order blame each other for starting the brawl.

So far no one has been charged in connection with the fatal fight.

Colorado Military officials consider banning Iron Order

 Photo: Staff Sgt. Gregory Brook/Air Force

William Dulaney, a professor at the Air Force Command and Staff College, poses on his Harley in front of an HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant static display at Maxwell Air Force Base.

 Colorado - February 5, 2016

 
Army officials in Colorado say they're considering placing the Iron Order — one of the fastest-growing motorcycle clubs in the country, and particularly popular among military and law enforcement personnel — on an off-limits list of extremist groups and criminal gangs in the wake of a deadly biker brawl in Denver.

“After what happened this weekend, it is definitely under review,” said Lt. Col. Jason Brown, a spokesman for Fort Carson’s 4th Infantry Division.

One man was killed and several others critically injured when dozens of bikers from the Iron Order and Mongol motorcycle clubs collided in a gun and knife fight at a Saturday swap meet in downtown Denver last Saturday.

About half of the Iron Order bikers involved in the brawl were military veterans from the Colorado area, according to a top leader in the club.

The Mongols are among about seven dominant “Outlaw” motorcycle clubs, also known as “1-Percenters” in the biker world and recognizable by the three-piece patches they wear. Self-described as the “baddest 1%er motorcycle club known worldwide” — the Mongols have long had a reputation as one of the most violent gangs in the country and are considered off limits to military personnel by most commands.

The Iron Order is a relative newcomer, started in 2004 by a former Secret Service agent, but growing rapidly. One expert told Military Times the law enforcement-heavy Iron Order has a reputation for starting a fight then being the first to call police. The club's attorney, however, says members of the charitable organization don't want any trouble because they have important careers on the line.

Both the attorney and a report by federal investigators say violence often stems from the Iron Order's choice to wear a certain style of patch.

“The Iron Order is one of the fastest growing motorcycle clubs in the United States,” according to a 2014 Justice Department report. “Members wear a traditional three-piece patch with a State bottom rocker. The fact that they wear the State bottom rocker has infuriated the [Hells Angels Motorcycle Club], Outlaws, Iron Horsemen, Pagans and Bandidos. More importantly, many of their members are police and corrections officers, active-duty military and/or government employees and contractors.”

‘Hold off’

Fort Carson officials say the Iron Order is not on the post’s list of off-limits groups but could be soon as part of the command’s regular assessments with local law enforcement leaders.

“I can guarantee it will be part of that conversation,” Brown said.

Mongols MC - GoFundMe Pages

Condolence To The Mongols Nation For Their Loss

As a courtesy & respect for ALL legit MC's, here are the two "GoFundMe" Pages that we know about for the Mongols MC members involved with the IOMC pukes in Denver.

Mongol MC Member Hercules

From his GoFundMe Site:

"Brother Hercules is in ICU from injuries sustained going above and beyond for his brother's. Hercules is the toughest bro, but we are going to need help with the expenses accrued during this rough time. Anything helps and all is appreciated ML&R MFFM".

His Donation Page: www.gofundme.com/hercdajerk

Mongol MC Member Nubz

From his GoFundMe Site:

 "As many of you know we lost a brother yesterday unexpectedly. He was more than a brother to all of us and gave his life to protect ours. We are putting this together to raise money for his family and a proper burial. Donate what you can to help us help this brother and his family."

His Donation Page: www.gofundme.com/Nubzmffm

Mongols MC Killer On Paid Leave

 People exit the Denver Motorcycle Expo after shooting

The club that fought the Iron Order during a Motorcycle show in Denver say their members acted in self-defense during the brawl that left 1 person dead and 7 others shot, stabbed and/or beaten.

A member of the Mongols MC was killed when he tried to disarm an Iron Order puke who was pointing a gun at a crowd, Las Vegas attorney Stephen Stubbs said Thursday in the latest salvo in the clubs' ongoing dispute over who sparked the fight.

Victor Mendoza, 46, charged toward the gunman and was shot, Stubbs said during what he described as the Mongols' first-ever press conference, held at a VFW hall. Two Mongols who refused to speak or give their names flanked him.

Stubbs had no comment about the 7 others hurt during the Saturday brawl at the Colorado Motorcycle Exposition, where other MC’s from around the country gathered.

Iron Order's lawyer, John C. Whitfield, said a Colorado Department of Corrections officer who belongs to his club opened fire during the brawl in self-defense after its members were jumped by a group of Mongols. Stubbs' account makes absolutely no sense, he said.

Iron Order's members are composed of mostly of law enforcement officers, prison guards and military personnel that get a kick playing weekend biker then go back to their regular jobs during the week.

As of yet no charges have been filed and the Denver cops would not comment on either side's story of the fight, saying that detectives were still interviewing people involved. They have said more than 1 person opened fire, and they were analyzing more than 1 gun to determine who fired the fatal shot.

"Running to the top of the stairs, pointing a gun at a crowd below, and shooting an unarmed man that bravely tries to disarm you cannot be self-defense," Stubbs said.

He also added, "If you are an unarmed man that is charging some intoxicated lunatic at the top of the stairs that is waving a gun at a crowd of people, that is definitely self-defense."

Corrections officer and Iron Order member Derrick Duran was put on paid leave while authorities investigate his story. He did not immediately return calls seeking comment Thursday.

Stubbs called Mendoza a dedicated family man that sacrificed his life trying to save others.

Others involved in the brawl have not been identified.