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Australian bikie clubs heading to Capital

Australian Bikie clubs heading to Canberra because of soft laws 

SYDNEY, AU (January 15, 2017) – Bikie Clubs have declared Canberra a “free for all” zone, with one outfit targeting the nation’s capital because of its lack of consorting laws.

The Dutch Satudarah is among a number of Bikie clubs which have been given legal advice that the ACT would be easier to operate out of rather than other states, where tough anti-bikie laws are in place.

The development is a reflection of the “free for all” declaration — which basically means gangs do not need permission from rival gangs to operate in the area, usually a necessary requirement under loose bikie protocols.

SATUDARAH BIKIE CLUB  | FAST FACTS

* Formally founded in the Netherlands in 1990

* Name originated in Indonesia and translates to “one blood”

* Has 44 chapters with 2000 members in 19 countries

* Established in Australia in 2015

On December 3 and 4 last year the national conference of the Comancheros met and trucked in nearly 70 bikes before riding around Lake Burley Griffin in their colours..

Previously, the Rebels were the only bikie club in Canberra, but now the Nomads and the Comanchero club have established clubhouses and the Finks recently held a national meeting there.

ACT Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay confirmed that while the ACT did not currently have specific consorting laws, it did have a dedicated task force called Nemesis to deal with gangs.

“ACT policing, through Taskforce Nemesis, has executed 131 search warrants across Canberra, seizing weapons, cash, drugs and anabolic steroids,” he said. “As of 30 October 2016, 71 OMCG members had been brought before the court, charged with a total of 217 offences.”

However, NSW Police sources have revealed their exasperation at how the ACT situation is hampering their battle against the bikie menace. “A lot of clubhouses have been closed down and bikies are no longer roaming in packs in NSW but it’s frustrating that they can still operate freely in Canberra,” a senior NSW officer said.

“It means they can have their state and national meetings and plan their criminal activities with less fear of being arrested.”

NSW’s tough consorting laws mean the traditional bikie “runs’’ and wearing colours in public had almost vanished.

On its website Satudarah claims to have chapters in Sydney and Glen Innes but the NSW Gang Squad said the clubs’s presence was nothing more than a “cyber” existence, with no clubhouse or even motorbikes.

“They tried to set up in Sydney and we shut them down. The same in northern NSW,’’ Superintendent Detective Debbie Wallace, head of the Gang Squad, said. “We have not seen physical evidence they are active apart from on Facebook.”

Detective Wallace said NSW’s tough consorting laws mean the traditional bikie “runs’’ and wearing colours in public had almost vanished.

Satudarah’s dream of establishing in Sydney was shattered in November 2015 when police raided a Bankstown garage being used as its first clubhouse.

SOURCE: Daily Telegraph

Iron Horsemen MC Members on Trial

Iron Horsemen MC Members trial to begin Jan 30

GEORGETOWN, Ohio (January 13, 2017) – Almost 10 months after an alleged altercation at an Aberdeen, Ohio, night spot, four of five men charged with alleged gang, assault and riotous activities are heading to a bench trial.

According to the indictments of Wesley A. Gibson, 34 of Hillsboro, Ohio, Robert Bowling, 59, of Cincinnati, John A. McIntosh Jr., 49, of West Union, Ohio, and Franklin Delano Griffith, 36, of Manchester, Ohio, the incident happened on April 17, 2016.

A fifth man is already serving his sentence. Lawrence Wayne Allen Jr. entered a guilty plea to a count of aggravated riot, in August 2016, and was sentenced to two years of probation.

All five are members of the Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club of Cincinnati, who allegedly approached the business doorman at approximately 1:30 a.m., and were denied entry.

The business worker was allegedly assaulted and Aberdeen police and EMS were called to the scene.

The worker and one of the bikers were taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.

Aberdeen police filed the original complaint...

Security camera image from April 17, 2016

“We reviewed the security video and compared the timelines to determine who was doing what,” said Aberdeen Police Chief Fred Hampton, in April 2016. “We then took what we had to the Brown County Prosecutor, who also reviewed the video and decided to move forward with charges.”

According to Ohio Revised Code 2917.11, a riot is considered disorderly conduct with four or more individuals where violence is involved.

In October 2016, Brown County Prosecutors office requested to join the remaining four cases for trial purposes, which was approved by mutual agreement of the defendants' attorneys and ordered by Judge Scott Gusweiler, court officials said.

“The four cases are being tried at one time, in front of the judge, without a jury,” said Brown County prosecutor Zac Corbin. “The trial begins Jan. 30.”

All four are charged with second-degree participation in criminal gang, second-degree felonious assault with a criminal gang activity specification; fourth-degree riot with a criminal gang activity specification; misdemeanor assault; first-degree misdemeanor trespass; and fourth-degree misdemeanor aggravated criminal trespass.

According to police, security video at the scene helped identify alleged participants in the incident. 

SOURCE: The Ledger Independent 

Black Piston MC member jailed

Black Piston Motorcycle Club Member sentenced to nine years

St. Catharines, Canada (January 13, 2017) — Isaac Lucas, the second man in charge of the Black Pistons Motorcycle Club in St. Catharines, has been sentenced to nine years in jail for his involvement in a major drug dealing operation that had links to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club.

Following a lengthy trial last summer, Lucas, 39, was found guilty of three charges, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, conspiracy to traffic in heroin, and trafficking in cocaine.

On Friday, he appeared for sentencing in a Superior Court of Justice in St. Catharines in front of Judge Joseph Henderson.

Lucas was described by the judge as “a distributor and enforcer” for the Black Pistons and “the right-hand man” of leader Randy McGean, who in October was sentenced to 11 years behind bars. Once McGean’s pre-trial custody was factored in to the sentence, he was left with a seven-year, one-month jail term.

Court heard Lucas, who has a lengthy criminal record, was not a cocaine or heroin addict, but was involved in the ongoing commercial enterprise to make money.

“He has very little respect for the law,” said Henderson, noting his criminal record started in 1994 and he has two prior drug-related convictions. In 1998, he was convicted of two robberies and sent to the penitentiary for six years.

Defence lawyer Mike Wendl asked the judge to consider an increased credit for his client’s pre-trial custody because of the harsh conditions he was subjected to during the 10 months he spent at Maplehurst.

Wendl said the facility was on lockdown 70 per cent of the time Lucas was in custody and inmates didn’t get showers or time in the yard.

2013 Stuff seized by cops during various arrest

“You would think we were more advanced than that in Canada,” he said.

Wendl said the network was well established before his client became involved and he simply wanted to be a part of something that was his attraction.

Federal prosecutor Niall Gilks said Lucas never ran a bail hearing and that would have determined if he could be released. The Crown opposed any increase in credit for any pre-trial custody because no evidence was provided to the court, only submissions by the defense.

Gilks pointed out that when a lockdown occurs at a jail, it doesn’t mean every inmate is locked down, it could depend on certain units within the facility. 

“This was a high-level operation and the motivation is purely for profit,” said Gilks. “He should be viewed high up in the chain. If anyone wanted drugs they had to go through him.”

The judge said Lucas was dealing in hard drugs. He described heroin as being a pernicious, dangerous, highly-addictive drug that often ruins the lives of those who use it.

In total, Lucas received a nine-year sentence. However, because of his pre-trial custody he was given a credit of four years and 10 months, which leaves a sentence of four years and two months.

The Pistons had a clubhouse at 80 Page Street in St. Catharines. The future of that property is still in question because it’s under a corporation in the name of Daniel Carley, 35, who is currently in jail serving a two and a half year sentence. Carley was convicted in August for trafficking in crack cocaine.

Stuff seized by cops during Project Resurgence, a 2013 shakeup of Motorcycle Clubs

At age 24, Carley won $5-million on a lottery scratch ticket, but he became a drug addict and lost everything.

This investigation was dubbed Project Resurgence. On Nov. 6, 2013, police officers from across Ontario were involved in executing 30 search-and-arrest warrants in and around Niagara. The clubhouse was part of that raid. Police had received information that some members of the Black Pistons were soon going to be patched over as full-fledged members of the Outlaws. 

SOURCE: Niagara Falls Review