San Antonio, Texas, USA (November 5, 2025) - An alleged high-ranking Bandidos Motorcycle Club member is in custody after sheriff's deputies said they searched a home last week, finding firearms, body armor and thousands in cash. On October 30, 2025, deputies executed a search warrant related to narcotics at a home, according to a news release from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.
While searching the home, deputies say they found a stolen Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a stolen pistol and just over $206,000 in cash believed to be obtained through narcotics trafficking, but found no narcotics. K-9s alerted in multiple areas of the home, indicating narcotics could be present, the release said. Deputies also searched a detached building called the "clubhouse." Between the main house and the clubhouse, authorities found 33 firearms and two body armor vests, according to the sheriff's office.
Anselmo Barrer was arrested and charged with possession of body armor by a felon, a third-degree felony. Additional charges are pending, according to the sheriff's office.
On this day, September 11, 2004, David William Mann died, a day after his 64th birthday. Often called the 'Biker's Norman Rockwell,' Mann, was known for his folksy depictions of the chopper lifestyle. The son of artist Paul Mann, a member of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators of London, David Mann was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1940.
He started sketching custom cars and hot rods in high school and his drawings helped land his first job pinstriping cars for Doug Thompson and Ray Hetrick’s custom car shop in Kansas City. Soon after graduation David and Al Burnett took off for Santa Monica, California, where he landed at Bay Area Muffler.
David Mann
Source: David Mann on Facebook
In California, David was immediately hooked on the custom “Choppers” that had begun dominating the biker culture of the late 1950's. After a short stay in Los Angeles he returned to Kansas City and bought his first motorcycle, a 1948 Harley-Davidson for $350.00. About the same time he created his first painting, “Hollywood Run.” The Harley and the painting were entered in the 1963 Kansas City Custom Car show. David’s was the only custom bike entry in the show, for his innovation the judges created a new class and a trophy.
At the show bike builder and artist Tom Fugle and Harlan “Tiny” Brower of the El Forastero Motorcycle Club in Sioux City took an interest in David’s artwork and showed a photo of Hollywood Run to Ed Roth, who was publishing Choppers Magazine at the time. Roth loved the painting and commissioned 10, or as many as 14 or 20, according to different sources of original posters.
Miller's Tavern Unpublished
Source: David Mann on Facebook
He also bought David’s second painting, The Tecate Run. at Roth’s insistence Dave made another trip to California and visited San Bernardino, where he met several legendary bikers. Throughout the 1960’s Dave painted 14 works for Roth. Ten were published and lithographed for posters.
In 1965, Dave went to work in the mail room at Scheffer Studios in Kansas City, where he met an architectural renderer, Dave Poole, who told him about the crazy, green, metal flaked motorcycle he’d heard of, it happened to be David’s. The next day, he rode the wild Harley to work, and another friendship was born. Recognizing David’s inherent talent, Dave Poole taught him architectural rendering and the proper use of an airbrush, which David incorporated into his art for many years.
Bait Shop, February 1983
Source: David Mann on Facebook
By 1967, David was developing into a full fledged architectural renderer, learning the intricacies of detail, reflection, exacting dimension, and mechanical perspective. He studied at Kansas City Art Institute. In the late 1960’s, Scheffer Studios moved to Clearwater, Florida, and David began allowing his abilities to reach into diverse subjects.
He studied Dali’s surrealism, trompe l’oeil, and fantasy, and he mastered the use of gouache and acrylics. His efforts didn’t go unrewarded. He began collecting "Best of Show" awards in Seminole Springs and Dunedin. His name was mentioned in the company of famous masters such as Rockwell and Leroy Neiman.
In 1971 he answered an advertisement for a “Motorcycle Artist” in the back of a new magazine called Easyriders, which focused on the biker “Lifestyle” as opposed to the the more technical aspects of motorcycles. By 1972 his artwork began appearing regularly in the magazine, and Mann’s relationship with Easyriders would continue for the rest of his life.
His art was reproduced as the magazine’s center spread beginning in 1973 and continued to be the publication’s centerpiece until he was forced to retire in 2003 due to his failing health.
Just before his death a custom motorcycle was commissioned in his honor from Orange County Choppers, to be featured in an episode of the reality television series American Chopper. The "David Mann Bike" featured custom artwork in Mann's style, but Mann died before it was completed.
The motorcycle served as a posthumous tribute to the David Mann, and his work was featured on the show. The episode was dedicated to Mann as well as Indian Larry, who had died about 2 weeks earlier. The episode was dedicated to Mann as well as Indian Larry, who had died about 2 weeks earlier.
Quotes:
"David's depictions of the biker lifestyle have, at times, been the most entertaining images in Easyriders magazine. We have always had David Mann's Easyriders centerfolds and posters adorning our shop, and I don't think I've ever been in a real custom motorcycle shop where I haven't seen at least one." Source: Billy Lane: Chop Fiction: It's Not A Motorcycle Baby, It's A Chopper
"Motorcycle memorabilia was plastered throughout Trader's, with Easyriders pinups, a mural- sized David Mann painting, tools, wrenches, and scooter parts."
A collection of Mann’s work was published in 1993 and updated in 2004: that same year he was inducted into the motorcycle Hall of Fame by artist Billy Lane.
David Mann died a day after his 64th birthday.
Kansas City, Missouri, USA (May 17, 2025) - Three members of the Pagan's Motorcycle Club pleaded guilty this week before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, for their involvement in a series of armed assaults against members of rival motorcycle clubs.
1. Christopher W. McGowen, also known as "Mac", of Platte City, Missouri pleaded guilty on May 13, 2025 to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in air of racketeering, one count of attempting to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
2. Brandon S. Hodge, also known as "Youngblood", of Springfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty on May, 14, 2025 to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.
3. Arthur L. Reynolds III, also known as "Straight Edge", of Independence, Missouri, pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025 to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and one count of felon in possession of firearms.
On May 30, 2022, McGowen and other members of the Pagan's MC and their support club, assaulted a lone rival motorcycle club member at a business in Grain Valley, Missouri. In addition to fists, one Pagan's MC member used an axe, causing physical injury to the victim.
On September 3, 2022, McGowen, Hodge, Reynolds and other members of the Pagan's and their support club, chased and forced a lone rival club member from the road in Blue Springs, Missouri. Various members of the Pagan's MC and their support club were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle.
McGowen, Hodge, Reynolds and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to his knee, thigh, forearms, biceps, buttocks and back of his leg. Following these events, McGowen, Hodge, Reynolds and other present were awarded patches for their participation.
On May 11, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant for Reynolds' residence in Independence, Missouri. Inside, officers located seven firearms, various calibers of ammunition, body armor and Pagan's Motorcycle Club related items.
On January 24, 2005, Reynolds pleaded guilty to felony aggravated robbery in the District Court of Johnson County, Kansas, for which he was later sentenced to 61 months in custody. Under current federal status, McGowen and Reynolds are subject to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Hodge is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in prison without parole.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney's Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith.
It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Missouri Police Department, the Blue Springs, Missouri Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
