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

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

Related | Outlaws MC President gunned down in Florida, suspects arrested

Related | Sheriff: Motorcycle MC member targeted in deadly shooting in Florida

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

Feds Raid Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club

Evansville, Indiana, USA (November 19, 2019) BTN - Federal and local law enforcement agents served a search warrant at the Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club this morning. Agents used heavy equipment to breakdown the building's door.

The warrant was served by the ATF's Special Response Team, which is often deployed for search warrants or high-risk situations, said an agency spokeswoman at the scene. An alphabet soup of agencies assisted the ATF in the raid, which took place around 6 a.m. at the club at 1104 E. Diamond Ave., including the FBI and DEA.

Other law enforcement assisting at the scene included Indiana State Police, Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office and Evansville Police Department. Suzanne Dabkowski, an ATF public information officer at the scene, would not say whether there were any arrests or if the building was occupied when officers arrived. Two motorcycles were taken from the scene.

She did say that the investigation that led to the search warrant had been going on for "quite awhile." The Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club was founded in Louisville in 1965 and a local chapter was organized in Warrick County in the mid-1970s.

In June 1983, the local chapter moved its club to a house on Indiana Street near First Avenue, where it stayed until September 2017. The motorcycle club's current hangout on Diamond Avenue is the former location of the Exotic She Lounge strip club.


This is not the first time the motorcycle club has been targeted by federal investigators.

The Evansville club was raided several times in the late 1990s, culminating in the 1999 indictment of three members on federal criminal charges. The Evansville members were indicted on charges of racketeering, conspiracy and transporting stolen vehicles. Those indictments came just days after agents raided Grim Reapers clubhouses in five states, including the Evansville club.

The three-year undercover operation resulted in a total of 59 indictments and the seizure of guns, drugs, stolen vehicles and other contraband, according to an Evansville Courier report.

SOURCE:

Bikers converge to pay tribute to killed MC member

Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA (September 23, 2019) BTN — The funeral for Eric Voshell, an Oak Bluffs man killed in a shooting at a Fall River bar one week ago, was held Friday morning at St. Augustine’s Church in Vineyard Haven.

The funeral drew hundreds of mourners, including dozens of bikers wearing gear from their motorcycle clubs and breaking the quiet with their motorcycles, slowing traffic on Franklin Street and Vineyard Haven side streets.

Court records indicate that Voshell, a member of the Hell’s Angels affiliate The Sidewinders, was killed during a fight with a rival motorcycle club known as The Outlaws.

There was a heavy police presence outside the church with both Tisbury police and State Police on hand. Tisbury Police Chief Mark Saloio, who could be seen on Franklin Street, could not immediately be reached for comment on who requested the police presence. Many bikers came to the Island on Thursday for Voshell’s wake to pay tribute to him and their presence created a buzz in ferry lines.

After the funeral, about 100 motorcycles followed the procession down Spring Street and into Five Corners headed for the cemetery in Oak Bluffs.

Voshell owned Reliable HVAC Co. and was an Oak Bluffs firefighter before being seriously injured in a motorcycle crash in July of 2018.

Joseph “JoJo” Noe, 25, is charged with murder and various other charges in connection with Voshell’s death. He pleaded not guilty in Fall River District Court Monday and is being held without bail.


Meanwhile, a GoFundMe has been set up for the family of Eric Voshell following the shooting that took his life. The fundraiser, titled “Eric’s Girls,” was set up by Jeremy Borges, who could not immediately be reached for comment. In two days, the fundraiser has gathered more than $2,700 out of its $100,000 goal.

Several people left comments on the GoFundMe page.

Ellen Baronosky, who donated $50, wrote, “Both Dave & I send our deepest condolences to Eric’s family & also to the whole SWMC!!!! RIP Eric!”

Jim Cooper, who donated $100 said, “it’s the right thing to do.”

SOURCE: MV Times

Suspected Outlaws MC members sought in man's death

Davie, Florida, USA (September 21, 2019) BTN — Davie Police Department detectives are still searching for the suspected motorcycle club members responsible for a brutal beating that resulted in a 57-year-old man's death last year.

Detectives released surveillance video Friday showing several possible witnesses and a group of motorcyclists leaving the parking lot after the beating. Detectives suspect they were Outlaw Motorcycle Club members.

Michael Kline was beaten July 4, 2018, outside of the Road Dawgs Saloon at 13010 W. State Road 84. According to Lt. Mark Leone, they left Kline bleeding on the ground.

Davie Fire Rescue took Kline to Broward General Hospital. Officers said Kline suffered a fractured skull, a fractured orbital bone and a subdural hematoma. Kline died as a result of his injuries Nov. 14, 2018.


Kline's son Michael Kline Jr. told police officers that he had been at Road Dawgs earlier in the evening to have a few drinks with his father and decided to leave him there.

Kline's son also told police officers he remembers seeing several Outlaw Motorcycle Club members there, and his father had argued with one of them a few weeks earlier.

Before the beating, Kline left the bar to buy cigarettes at a nearby Exxon gas station. A witness there told police officers that a man with a long beard and long black hair asked Kline for a cigarette.

The witness said Kline gave it to him and walked back with him toward Road Dawgs, police said. Kline never made it back to the bar. Officers found him lying on the ground bleeding.

SOURCE:

Pagan MC member indicted for attempted murder

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA (September 20, 2019) BTN — A Upper Township man accused of running down a motorcyclist in his truck and then speeding away has been indicted for attempted murder. Noah Frost allegedly told police that the damage to his white Dodge Ram’s must have happened while it was parked in the Harrah’s Atlantic City parking garage.

But an investigation found that Frost was involved in the hit-and-run, which witnesses said was the result of what appeared to be a road rage incident.

Both men are members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner previously said. But it was not clear what caused an issue between the two. The victim, identified in the indictment as Benjamin DiPilla, was critically injured in the crash. His current condition was not released, but the defense was expecting medical records to be provided under a protective order.

Frost, 35, pleaded not guilty Thursday, and remains in the Atlantic County Justice Facility. He was indicted on six counts, including aggravated assault, assault by auto and leaving the scene of an accident that caused serious bodily injury.

Frost has been offered a 10-year plea deal, Assistant Prosecutor Christopher D’Esposito told the judge. Defense attorney Carlos Martir was given 11 discs of evidence, according to information given during the brief hearing arraignment before Superior Court Judge Bernard DeLury. Frost is due back in court Oct. 18.

DiPilla was arrested in 2016, as part of an investigation into drugs and guns related to the so-called outlaw motorcycle gang.


He pleaded guilty in 2017 to cocaine manufacturing/distribution and prohibited weapons and was sentenced to a year probation, court records show.

SOURCE: Breaking AC

Star witness in Vagos MC trial lied

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (September 20, 2019) BTN — A star witness for the government has repeatedly lied on the witness stand during a federal racketeering trial in Las Vegas for a group of reputed motorcycle club members.

And in an astonishing twist on Thursday, prosecutors asked a judge to throw out the testimony of Gary “Jabbers” Rudnick after he spent more than three days telling jurors that members of the Vagos Motorcycle Club had plotted to kill a rival biker in Sparks in 2011.

Related | Jury selection begins in Vagos MC case

“We have grave concerns and doubt as to whether this witness will be truthful,” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Han said during the 23rd day of a trial that started in August and is expected to last through the end of the year.

Rudnick, who was ousted from the club after the fatal shooting, cooperated with authorities and testified against his former allies.

Defense attorneys for the eight men on trial immediately asked to have the most serious charges of murder and conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise thrown out, and U.S. District Chief Judge Gloria Navarro allowed Rudnick’s testimony to continue through cross-examination. Should Navarro dismiss the case, it would mark the second time in as many years that high-profile federal charges against multiple defendants were tossed out.

In early 2018, Navarro threw out felony conspiracy and weapons charges against Bunkerville rancher Cliven Bundy, two of his sons and another man.

The most recent possibility of a major trial disruption emerged this week as Rudnick lied about never having met with Mark Fleming, a lawyer for one of the defendants, Albert Lopez, and a private investigator. When he was recalled to the stand Thursday, Rudnick admitted that he had met with the lawyer and investigator, a former FBI agent, for two hours on an afternoon in November 2017.

Defense attorneys accused government prosecutors of persuading Rudnick to lie about the meeting.

“This witness is incapable of telling the truth,” defense attorney Kathleen Bliss, a former federal prosecutor, told the judge. “This trial has become so unfair and so contaminated as to Rudnick and the government’s complicity. They’ve had opportunity after opportunity after opportunity to fix it. You can’t unring the bell of Gary Rudnick.”

In this Dec. 9, 2011 file photo, murder defendant Gary Rudnick enters the courtroom

Lawyers for the other defendants, including Ernesto “Romeo” Manuel Gonzalez, who fired the shot that killed a leader of the Hells Angels, and Pastor Fausto Palafox, the Vagos international president known as “TaTa,” supported Bliss.

The judge asked for arguments from both sides in writing. “I don’t believe the government can prove the case without Rudnick,” said defense attorney Jess Marchese, who represents James “Jimbo” Patrick Gillespie.

Gonzalez’s attorney, Michael Kennedy, called Rudnick a “serial liar,” while Palafox’s lawyer, Amy Jacks, said Rudnick was “completely unreliable.” Han suggested that prosecutors could still prove the charges through other witnesses but added that “obviously there are certain things lost without the testimony of Rudnick.”

More defendants await trial

Prosecutors have said that leaders of Vagos orchestrated the September 2011 killing of a rival Hells Angels leader on the floor of John Ascuaga’s Nugget. Each defendant on trial is from California, ranging in age from 36 to 70.

Thirteen more defendants are awaiting trial in a case that prosecutors allege involves Vagos and crimes in Nevada, California, Arizona, Hawaii, Oregon and Utah.

Prosecutors have written in court papers that Vagos operated as a criminal enterprise and engaged in drug distribution, firearms trafficking, murder, kidnapping, assault, extortion, robbery and witness intimidation.

Video surveillance showed Jeffrey “Jethro” Pettigrew pistol-whipping another man on the casino floor before gunfire broke out.

During the fight, Gonzalez shot and killed Pettigrew, 54, who was known as the “godfather” of the Hells Angels in San Jose, California. Gonzalez was found guilty of murder in state court, but his conviction was overturned, and he was indicted in the federal case while awaiting a retrial.

On Thursday, defense attorneys stopped short of asking for a mistrial before Navarro decided whether to dismiss charges against the defendants.

When Rudnick, who spent time in state prison for his role in the slaying, was called back to the stand, he was cross-examined by Lopez’s lawyer, who asked whether Rudnick ever said the defendant was not part of a conspiracy.

“I know I said something like that to you,” Rudnick testified.

SOURCE: Las Vegas Review Journal 

Hells Angels to build Harley for TV star

Sussex Way, London, England (September 20, 2019) BTN — A Hells Angels ceremony in Greece will be one of several events held in memory of a man who was beaten to death in Islington. Family and friends gathered for Alciveadis Mavredis’s funeral in a Greek Orthodox church in Sussex Way on Wednesday.

The 59-year-old, who was of Greek heritage but lived in Beach­croft Way, Upper Holloway, was celebrating his birthday at the Royal Oak pub near the Elthorne estate when he was knocked unconscious at around 1:00 am on July 13.

He spent 18 days in a coma in an east London hospital before he died.

His sisters Cleopatra and Angela Mavredis flew to the UK to attend the service. Angela said: “His death was senseless and it’s very hard for us. So I don’t think a funeral service can bring you closure, we want justice to be served.” Leon Tayler, 26, of Cornwallis Square, was charged with murder earlier this month in connection with the incident.

As the Tribune previously reported, Mr Mavredis was a skilled mechanic who starred in the MTV hit show Pimp My Ride UK from 2005-07.

Cleo and Angela Mavredis

He owned several Harley Davidson motorbikes. Floral tributes were made by his friends for the funeral – one in the shape of a motorbike and another as the Harley Davidson logo.

He was preparing to move to Greece before he died and he had made contact with the Greek branch of the Hells Angels motorcycle group, according to his sister.

Angela said: “This is all surreal, one moment to another everything is flipped upside down.

“He has a Harley in Greece that he had design plans for, so as a family we decided to fulfil it and complete the build of his bike. The Hells Angels group will design and finish it – he was going to be initiated into the group”

She added: “They are all big guys but they were like mush when they talked about Al.

The Harley Davidson floral tribute

“We have had conference calls and meetings to discuss the design. “They’re going to have a ceremony for him when it is done. There’s nothing traditional about our brother and it’s fitting for him to have a Harley ceremony.”

The Hells Angels is a motorcycle club with chapters in countries around the world that originated in America. The sisters will take Mr Mavredis’s remains back to Greece, where his elderly mother Vassiliky is waiting for a private funeral.

Part of Mr Mavredis’s desire to move to Greece was so that he could be closer to his 87-year-old mother and care for her. Cleopatra said: “Mum is a little broken right now, you can see it physically and emotionally.

“She was waiting for her son to come back and very much looking forward to this.

“We’re doing OK, it feels like I have been hit by a truck and every muscle in my body hurts, but today we put on a happy face. We were treated well by Al’s friends.”

SOURCE: Camden New Journal