Monday, July 11, 2016
Thursday, July 7, 2016
More counts added to indictment -Bandidos MC
In an indictment partially unsealed Thursday, reputed vice president and San Antonio resident John Xavier Portillo - already facing racketeering charges with alleged president Jeffrey Fay Pike of Houston and sergeant at arms Justin Cole Froster of San Antonio -- is charged with murder in the Jan. 31, 2002, shooting death of Robert Lara. Lara, 24, was gunned down Jan. 31, 2002, at a rest stop in Atascosa County.
F.B.I. agents stand by a home located at on San Antonio's South East Side
The new indictment also added a fourth defendant, Fredrick "Fast Fred" Cortez , alleging he was one of the shooters in Lara's killing.
Several years ago, Richard Steven Merla, 41, confessed to shooting Lara at a rest stop in Atascosa County, authorities said. The shooting was said to be in retaliation for the death of one of Merla's fellow Bandidos motorcycle club members three months earlier.
Bandidos MC items confiscated by Texas authorities
Merla is not a named defendant in the new federal indictment.
Merla received 40 years in prison in 2005 after pleading no contest to a murder charge in the death of Robert Quiroga, a retired boxer whom Merla repeatedly stabbed in northwest San Antonio a year earlier. Merla claimed it was in self-defense.
After Quiroga's killing, Portillo and other Bandidos held a press conference distancing the club from Merla and said Merla was not a Bandido, news stories show.
SOURCE: My SanAntonio
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Ten Hells Angels arrested in Edmonton
Edmonton, Canada, (June 8, 2016) Ten people have been arrested after an investigation into the Edmonton’s Hells Angels motorcycle club led by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT).
“Project Al-Wheels” allege the club’s members and associates were involved in theft, re-vinning and trafficking of various stolen trailers and recreational vehicles. Re-vinning refers to the process of giving vehicles false ownership histories and identification numbers.
The investigation dates back to October 2015. A total of 15 search warrants were carried out in Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Alberta Beach, Gunn, Onoway, Morinville, Legal, Ryley, Sherwood Park, Red Deer, St. Albert and Langley, B.C.
Over $1 million in stolen property and 21 firearms were seized in the investigation, including:
- 17 Travel trailers
- 3 Pick-up trucks
- 6 All-terrain vehicles
- 1 Snowmobile
- 2 Dirt bikes
- 18 Rifles
- 2 Shotguns
- 1 Handgun
ALERT spokesman with some of the items seized in the investigation
Officers believe the vehicles were stolen from houses and businesses and then fraudulently registered. They would then be sold amongst Hells Angels members and associates at steep discounts, ALERT said.
Police believe in some cases insurance fraud was also being committed.
Some of the weapons seized during the raids
The 10 people arrested are facing upwards of 300 criminal charges and officers believe more arrests will be made.
The following people were arrested in connection with the investigation:
- Lawrence Cotter, 41,of Alberta Beach
- Bobby Dodman, 42, of Red Deer
- Christopher Escott, 32, of Edmonton
- Mark Funk, 38, of St. Albert
- Laura Hawkridge, 41, of Alberta Beach
- Jacob Jenkins, 38, of Gunn
- Kane Laplante-Racine, 29 of Strathcona County
- Frank Preeper, 42, of Morinville
- Julien Roussel, 58, of Edmonton
- Anthony Shaw, 56, no fixed address, arrested in Grande Prairie
SOURCE: Global News
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Bandido’s Clubhouse shot at - Cops raid it
Officers searched the Bandidos clubhouse in Brunswick after a member of the public reported several shots being fired at the Weston Street property.
It is believed detectives seized several items, including a computer hard drive which is thought to store the clubhouse’s CCTV footage.
Victoria Police spokeswoman Creina O’Grady confirmed: “Police have executed a warrant at a Bandidos OMCG clubhouse in Brunswick following a report of a firearms incident overnight.
The Bandidos clubhouse in Weston St, Brunswick
“Investigators have been told a number of shots were possibly fired into the Weston Street property. “
She added: “It’s believed no one was injured and the investigation is ongoing.”
SOURCE: Herald Sun
Hells Angels pick Ottawa for Show of Strength
Mandatory gathering expected to draw hundreds from across Canada
Ottawa, Canada (June 7, 2016) The event is expected to draw members from across the country, as well as members of affiliated junior clubs including the Red Devils, Gatekeepers, 13th Crew and Iron Dragons from Eastern Canada, and the Tribal and Devil’s Arms clubs from the west.
The gathering is scheduled to run July 21-24.
Ottawa offers a central location for the get-together, and is also close to the Gatineau region of Quebec, where the bikers have a strong presence.
There are currently about 450 members of the Hells Angels in Canada, but about 60 of them are either in custody and restricted from associating with outlaw bikers because of bail or parole conditions.
The bikers have a reputation for tipping large at restaurants and bars during national runs to bolster their image. They also generally leave their wives at home.
Attendance is mandatory at a national run every four years, and that includes this year’s event in Ottawa. Members who don’t attend owe a good explanation and a hefty fine – usually a higher amount than it would cost to attend the run – to the club.
For the Angels, a national run is a chance to socialize and also talk face-to-face, without the worry of police intercepting conversations. For police, they offer a chance to gather intelligence, in part through traffic check-stops. For the public, it’s something of a rolling bike show.
A veteran biker cop said current club members generally aren’t as skilled on motorcycles as their counterparts of the past. “These guys, truly half of them can’t ride,” the police officer said. “They’re slipping their clutches. They’re unsure of their bikes.”
There was a heavy police presence in 2013 around Langley, B.C., for a national run, but no reported incidence of law-breaking by the bikers. That event marked the 30th anniversaries of the chapters in White Rock, Nanaimo and Vancouver.
The last mandatory national run was held in 2012 in Saskatoon. While there was no violence there, the club had local lawyer Morris Bodnar on call, just in case.
Les MacPherson, a columnist for the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, wrote that the bikers were well-behaved during the mass gathering in his city.
“On the first two days of the Craven Country Jamboree music festival last weekend, police arrested more than 80 people for various offences, handed out more than 60 tickets on alcohol-related charges and 150 tickets for traffic offences,” MacPherson wrote. “Here, with 400 Hells Angels assembled, no arrests have been reported.”
The gathering is scheduled to run July 21-24.
Ottawa offers a central location for the get-together, and is also close to the Gatineau region of Quebec, where the bikers have a strong presence.
There are currently about 450 members of the Hells Angels in Canada, but about 60 of them are either in custody and restricted from associating with outlaw bikers because of bail or parole conditions.
The bikers have a reputation for tipping large at restaurants and bars during national runs to bolster their image. They also generally leave their wives at home.
Attendance is mandatory at a national run every four years, and that includes this year’s event in Ottawa. Members who don’t attend owe a good explanation and a hefty fine – usually a higher amount than it would cost to attend the run – to the club.
For the Angels, a national run is a chance to socialize and also talk face-to-face, without the worry of police intercepting conversations. For police, they offer a chance to gather intelligence, in part through traffic check-stops. For the public, it’s something of a rolling bike show.
Quebec Hells Angels arrive in White Rock, B.C., in 2008 (license plates blacked out by BTN)
A veteran biker cop said current club members generally aren’t as skilled on motorcycles as their counterparts of the past. “These guys, truly half of them can’t ride,” the police officer said. “They’re slipping their clutches. They’re unsure of their bikes.”
There was a heavy police presence in 2013 around Langley, B.C., for a national run, but no reported incidence of law-breaking by the bikers. That event marked the 30th anniversaries of the chapters in White Rock, Nanaimo and Vancouver.
The last mandatory national run was held in 2012 in Saskatoon. While there was no violence there, the club had local lawyer Morris Bodnar on call, just in case.
Les MacPherson, a columnist for the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, wrote that the bikers were well-behaved during the mass gathering in his city.
“On the first two days of the Craven Country Jamboree music festival last weekend, police arrested more than 80 people for various offences, handed out more than 60 tickets on alcohol-related charges and 150 tickets for traffic offences,” MacPherson wrote. “Here, with 400 Hells Angels assembled, no arrests have been reported.”
SOURCE: The Star
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Police Follow Bikers on Benefit Run
Cochrane, Alberta (June 3, 2016) A group of bikers, including the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, rode through town last weekend with a heavy police presence following the bikers.Approximately 100 riders from motorcycle clubs throughout Alberta, including Rock Riders Brotherhood, Family Jammin' MC Badlands, Veterans Canada MC Calgary, Unforgiven MC, Los Desperados MC, Calgary Chinook Riders, Apostles Motorcycle Society, and the Hells Angels MC stopped in Cochrane for ice cream Saturday.
The riders and members of the community noted the heavy police presence as RCMP from Cochrane, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Calgary Police Services – with some from the Special Tactical Operations Unit/Team – escorted the ride.
“Every year Hells Angels does a ride somewhere in Alberta and in preparation we wanted to ensure public safety. Anytime there is a large group that comes to town, there is an increased police presence and given the club’s criminal history we want to show law enforcement presence,” said Cochrane Sgt. Jeff Campbell.
A police officer monitors Bikers at the Dairy Queen in Cochrane.
Campbell said to his knowledge, the annual ride in Alberta has never resulted in any violent crimes but the RCMP like to “err on the side of caution.”
“If something does happen and we don’t have the numbers to handle the situation then we get criticized,” Campbell said.
“Our main job is to keep the peace and making sure everyone is safe and following the rules.”
While the Hells Angels MC has officially been listed as a criminal organization in Manitoba, Alberta has not given the club any formal designation.
While eating ice cream on Saturday one Hells Angels MC member jokingly asked if some called the cops on him because he just “murdered his chocolate dipped cone.”
The Eagle attempted to contact members from Hells Angels MC Southland chapter but no one was able to respond with a comment at press time.
SOURCE: Cochrane Eagle
Rebels MC killing their own?
But it appears this sense of brotherhood may have faltered in his final hours: police are investigating whether his comrades were behind his execution.
Mr Davey – nicknamed Ruthless – was gunned down on home turf in Sydney's west on March 30.
He had been a well-known member of the Rebels MC, members of which flocked in droves to pay their respects at his funeral.
Michael Davey in happier times
Davey had been on the police radar since his late teens and was facing trial for drug supply when he was killed.
Tattoos across his body pledged an allegiance to the club but Fairfax Media understands Mr Davey wanted to leave.
Homicide detectives are looking closely at a few potential motives for his death, including that Mr Davey was shot and killed under direction from his own club when he wanted to patch out.
However, police can't discount the possibility that a conflict between the Finks and Rebels motorcycle clubs in the city's north-west, or a disagreement stemming had something to do with his death.
Sources say he was close to Mark Easter, who held a level of seniority as sergeant at arms of the Rebels Sydney chapter.
Easter was executed nine months before his younger brother. Both men left behind young sons, whom friends say they cared for.
While the killings are thought to be unrelated, it is understood police believe Easter's murder was plotted from within the club after he put someone "off side".
Easter, remembered by friends as a "loving father and honest man", left his Little Bay home after having dinner with his partner Biancha Simpson in June 2015, and was not seen alive again.
Investigators say there wasn't anything out of the ordinary about him leaving the house that night, but they believe he was killed shortly afterwards.
Rebels MC at a glance
His body was dumped a few days later just off the Pacific Highway at Cowan, north of Sydney.
Police believe Easter's murderer didn't act alone.
"He is a fair-sized man and in order to dump his body, it would have required more than one person," Homicide Squad Detective Chief Inspector David Laidlaw said in April.
The club has been plagued by internal conflicts and patch outs ever since their national leader, Alex Vella, was left exiled in Malta when his Australian visa was cancelled.
SOURCE: The Sydney Morning Herald
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Road Rats MC
Road Rats MC
Based in London, England. Tracing it's roots back to the early 1960's, it has never disbanded or shut down and restarted and the name has remained the same.
Hells Angels Member shot in Lachute, Canada
The man was riding in Bethany Rd. about 10:30 a.m. when multiple gun shots were heard, the Surete du Quebec confirms.
A resident who lives nearby and who did not want to be named says he heard bangs and then a series of rapid fire shots. He ran to the road and found the biker in pain and lying on the road with a woman at his side.
A Transport Quebec truck brings cones to block off Bethany Rd. in Lachute Saturday, April 16, 2016, after a member of the Ontario Nomads Hells Angels bikers club was shot there.
A second motorcyclist who was riding with them came and dragged the victim away to a ditch, the resident says. About the same time at least one person was seen speeding away in an SUV.
The resident spoke to the victim - an anglophone - who told him he is a member of the Hells Angels.
A source confirms the victim is a member of the Ontario Nomads Hells Angels bikers club.
Residents say they are shocked by the randomness of the drive-by shooting, although one man noted the Lachute area has a long history of biker activity.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
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.
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
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Bandidos rocker feels discriminated against - action
This post was originally in German..this is the translated version
Patched members of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club
Dachau, Germany (March 10, 2016) - Because he had to give up his shotgun, a Bandidos rocker from the district Dachau (54) feels discriminated against - and complains before the District Court.
For 20 years a 54 year old marksman from the district of Dachau had a gun control bill - to a pistol, a revolver and a shotgun in the closet. But the district administration Dachau has him 2014 withdraw his gun license and confiscate the weapons. The sport shooter who needed the gun for his professional services in the security sector, namely a member of the Bandidos biker club - and so it is noisy office "weapons legally unreliable".
The previously completely innocent 54-year-old feels discriminated against by the behavior of the authorities. Therefore he complains before the administrative court in Munich. Poor opportunities. The 54-year-old, who hails from Lower Bavaria, was only a member of the Bandidos MC in Regensburg. After this so-called Chapter officially disbanded in November 2014 he was a member of the MC sheet.
"I am a motorcyclist," said the biker who likes to travel with his Harley Davidson or Suzuki. "I have never had anything to do with crime. But I will here interpreted that I am in a criminal organization and that I could use weapons offenses. "
In fact, his Bundeszentralregister is empty, it does not even have points on their license, he says. "It makes me a criminal, just because I'm at the Bandidos. It is all thrown into one pot. "Once he has committed his life long no offense, he wonders why he should now start with 54 so. "I am strengthened by my in character so that I take my command no offense."
He has since been sold, as recovery would have cost too much money him his arms.
The Landratsamt Dachau but has a very different view than the marksman. The Bandidos there is a hierarchy, and in this hierarchy crimes were being committed, an employee of the authority said in court. "It is simply the risk."
Closer look at the scene of the rocker clubs were then a police officer of the State Criminal Office. The Rocker Club "Bandidos" is a so-called "Outlaw motorcycle club," he explained. He also laid emphasis on the statistics. So there was 2014 in Bavaria more than 300 methods for organized crime, of which 23 are in force range, ie extortion, assault, Robbery and Firearms. Of which in turn 17 of rocker clubs were committed. "This corresponds to 74 percent," said the detectives.
"Are most often of criminal proceedings concerned the Hells Angels, but then come right the Bandidos." However, the lie only because the Bandidos have fewer members.
The applicant's lawyer protested against these remarks: "You have to decide individually thing." His client was "absolutely reliable".
But the chances of the 54-year-olds from the district Dachau are bad. "The weapons law strictly," said the presiding judge. Who leads weapons, must prove that he is personally suitable and reliable. It had already been decided by the highest courts, that it was lawful, if you withdraw the weapons permit solely because of belonging to a Rocker Club as the Bandidos.
"According to that case the members are weapons legally unreliable, even if they themselves are not yet made its appearance." The Administrative Court will today speak an opinion
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Fire breaks out in former Hells Angels Clubhouse
Fire caused $75,000 in damages
Building at the corner of Beach Road & Gage Avenue North with fire crews
HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA (March 8, 2016) No injuries are being reported following a structure fire at the former Hells Angels clubhouse in Hamilton.
Fire crews were called to the building at the corner of Beach Road and Gage Avenue North early Tuesday morning at around 3:07 a.m.
Claudio Mostacci, spokesperson for the Hamilton Fire Department, said the two-story building was venting out heavy fire and smoke when crews arrived on scene. The residence east of the building was evacuated, but the fire was contained to the 105 Beach Road address.
Mostacci said investigators are not considering the cause of the fire to be suspicious in nature.
The fire started between the floor joists between the first and second floor. Eventually, the fired burned through the floor and spread to the second floor. Mostacci said an electrical issue between the floors caused the fire.
The original call brought in six units from the fire department, but when the fire threatened a residence beside the structure, additional units were called in. Gage Avenue North was closed until just after 6 a.m.
The fire was knocked down quickly, but not before causing around $75,000 worth of damage.
Former home to the Hells Angels
Hells Angels MC Clubhouse prior to eviction
The motorcycle club was evicted from their clubhouse at the end of January because the owner of the property reportedly owed three years worth of back taxes.
At the time of the eviction, a local lawyer representing members of the Hamilton chapter said the issue was not about the club paying rent. The conflict was between the landlord and the person who holds the mortgage on the property.
The clubhouse was home to about a dozen Hells Angels members and was shared by a handful of Red Devils MC members.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Two Dead - Six-Hour Standoff in Sydney
Two Dead After Dispute Between Australian Bikers Leads to Six-Hour Standoff in Sydney
SIDNEY, AUSTRALIA (March 7, 2016) — On Monday morning, an apparent rivalry between motorcycle clubs became violent when one club member entered a sign-making shop in Sydney and opened fire. After an hours-long standoff with police, the gunman — who has since been identified as Wayne Williams, 33 – shot himself dead.
Local news reports said Williams entered the factory, which is in an industrial suburb southwest of Sydney, around 10.45 am. Police say he was carrying a long firearm.
Mick Bassal, 43, died at the scene. Detective Inspector Mark Brett said at a press conference that when they arrived, they found "three males, one deceased and two others with gunshot wounds." The two injured are Bassal's brothers. They were transported to a nearby hospital, where one underwent emergency surgery.
Williams, the gunman, reportedly belongs to the Finks Motorcycle Club, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Bassal, the victim, owned the sign business and had ties to the Rebels Motorcycle Club.
Police say they surrounded the factory upon arrival and began negotiations with Williams. One man was arrested at the scene for allegedly hindering police operations. Three people reportedly left the building shortly before Williams shot himself, but it is not clear whether they were hostages.
The area surrounding the sign factory was reportedly on lock down. Police evacuated businesses, and escorted employees to shelter under police protection.
Rogan Burns, an employee at a nearby entertainment agency, said that police were treating the situation very seriously.
"My colleague actually left to go and get the boss a cake for his birthday," Burns said. "The police came screaming in the vehicles and just told everyone to get back inside."
Police say they don't believe the siege was terrorism related.
According to the Australian Crime Commission (ACC), motorcycle clubs or "bikie clubs" as they're known locally are "the most identifiable components of Australia's criminal landscape." The ACC says there are clubs active throughout the country – 44 clubs are on their radar, with a grand total of 179 chapters and 4,483 members. About 25 percent of those members reportedly belong to the Rebels – the same club that Mick Bassal reportedly had ties to.
In December 2014, a hostage situation in Sydney made international headlines when self-described sheikh, Mar Haron Monis, entered a cafe with a gun and declared allegiance to the Islamic State. A tense 16-hour standoff ensued, with Monis holding 18 customers and employees hostage.
Monis had reportedly tried to join the Rebels Motorcycle Club, but his application was rejected because the club decided he was unstable and untrustworthy.
A member of the Finks MC in Australia
SIDNEY, AUSTRALIA (March 7, 2016) — On Monday morning, an apparent rivalry between motorcycle clubs became violent when one club member entered a sign-making shop in Sydney and opened fire. After an hours-long standoff with police, the gunman — who has since been identified as Wayne Williams, 33 – shot himself dead.
Local news reports said Williams entered the factory, which is in an industrial suburb southwest of Sydney, around 10.45 am. Police say he was carrying a long firearm.
Mick Bassal, 43, died at the scene. Detective Inspector Mark Brett said at a press conference that when they arrived, they found "three males, one deceased and two others with gunshot wounds." The two injured are Bassal's brothers. They were transported to a nearby hospital, where one underwent emergency surgery.
Williams, the gunman, reportedly belongs to the Finks Motorcycle Club, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Bassal, the victim, owned the sign business and had ties to the Rebels Motorcycle Club.
Police say they surrounded the factory upon arrival and began negotiations with Williams. One man was arrested at the scene for allegedly hindering police operations. Three people reportedly left the building shortly before Williams shot himself, but it is not clear whether they were hostages.
The area surrounding the sign factory was reportedly on lock down. Police evacuated businesses, and escorted employees to shelter under police protection.
Rogan Burns, an employee at a nearby entertainment agency, said that police were treating the situation very seriously.
"My colleague actually left to go and get the boss a cake for his birthday," Burns said. "The police came screaming in the vehicles and just told everyone to get back inside."
Police say they don't believe the siege was terrorism related.
According to the Australian Crime Commission (ACC), motorcycle clubs or "bikie clubs" as they're known locally are "the most identifiable components of Australia's criminal landscape." The ACC says there are clubs active throughout the country – 44 clubs are on their radar, with a grand total of 179 chapters and 4,483 members. About 25 percent of those members reportedly belong to the Rebels – the same club that Mick Bassal reportedly had ties to.
Members of the Finks MC rolling on their Motorcycles
In December 2014, a hostage situation in Sydney made international headlines when self-described sheikh, Mar Haron Monis, entered a cafe with a gun and declared allegiance to the Islamic State. A tense 16-hour standoff ensued, with Monis holding 18 customers and employees hostage.
Monis had reportedly tried to join the Rebels Motorcycle Club, but his application was rejected because the club decided he was unstable and untrustworthy.
Hells Angels growth in Ottawa and Gatineau concerns cops
The Red Devils MC has three branches in the Ottawa-Gatineau Region, according to police
Recruitment up for biker clubs affiliated with the Hells Angels in the national capital region
OTTAWA, CANADA (March 7, 2016) — The Hells Angels MC is expanding its presence in the National capital region with the help of the Red Devils MC.
According to police, the Red Devils now have three branches here — one in Ottawa and two in Gatineau — and members are actively recruiting throughout the region, drafting newcomers from local biker club Dark Souls Outaouais.
Sgt. Len Isnor of the Biker Enforcement Unit
The Red Devils MC wear a jacket with the name Ottawa, but there are three sections," said Ontario Provincial Police Detective Sergeant Len Isnor, who works in the control unit against biker clubs.
The Ottawa North and Ottawa East sections of the Red Devils are based in Gatineau, and the third section is based in Ottawa itself, according to Isnor. Most of the clubs's Ontario members live in the Cornwall area.
Police say that in its role as a sort of "farm team" for Hells Angels, the Red Devils do the dirty work in the region — dealing drugs, prostitution, and extortion — funneling money up to the Angels.
"It's the motive of every Red Devils member to become a member of the Hells Angels," said Isnor.
In Quebec, the Hells Angels were effectively pushed out of the province in 2009, when police enacted a stunning sweep of the organization, arresting 156 people, including 111 full patch members.
Ever since those raids disrupted operations, the Angels' leaders and members have become far more cautious, according to Sylvain Tremblay, a former investigator with Sûreté du Québec and expert on organized crime.
Former Outlaws MC Clubhouse Sold
Former Outlaws clubhouse to become yoga studio
Crews remove the Outlaws sign off the building
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (March 7, 2016) — The owners of a former motorcycle clubhouse in Fort Wayne are working to transform the two-story building into a yoga studio.
Outlaws Motorcycle Club’s former local clubhouse was purchased last month for $36,000. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports that the property was listed for $49,900 late last year after the federal government seized it in September following an FBI raid in May 2013.
Previous Story: Outlaws Motorcycle Clubhouse Raided
The former Outlaws Clubhouse at 1202 West Main Street with a 'For Sale' sign
Luke Messmann, who will manage the business, was preparing the building last week for an extensive remodel. He plans to spend about $25,000 on new windows, doors, floors and paint.
The 4,000-square-foot, 115 year old two-story building sits on a lot zoned for restaurant, cafeteria or bar use. Messmann hopes to create a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor where visiting yoga instructors can stay overnight for a few weeks.
The still-unnamed yoga studio is set to open in June or July.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Outlaws MC might take fight to Supreme Court
Illinois 3/3/2016
Members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club might appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court in their lengthy quest to get back their cuts confiscated after a bar fight.
The fight was in 2012, when a group of Outlaws wearing their colors got in a brawl with other customers at the Lizard Lounge near Wonder Lake. Three members who were arrested and charged with aggravated battery.
"It basically boils down to whether it's an effort worth making," Joel Rabb, an attorney for the Outlaws, tells me. "The patches are exceptionally important to my client. Just because they've been seized doesn't mean the organization ceases to exist."
Court says they are a “Street Gang”
The 2nd District Appellate Court in Elgin sided last week with a McHenry County judge who ruled the vests were used "to facilitate street gang activity" in the bar fight.
The appellate panel cited testimony from a McHenry County sheriff's detective who said while their vests didn't directly cause the violence, they contributed to it and enabled the Outlaws members to show dominance by "violent means, if necessary."
Rabb calls that a "stretch." The Outlaws' primary concern, Rabb says, is "the setting of precedent that allows for seizure and confiscation of club paraphernalia."
Source: Daily Herald
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Two identified as Hells Angels facing charges
Hells Angels Back Patch
Canton, Ohio Feb. 27, 2016 - Local officials say the Hells Angels, Pagans and Outlaws are active in Northeast Ohio but have a limited presence in Stark County.
Local men identified as Hells Angels members are facing several criminal charges, accused of having machetes, knives and other weapons at the biker clubs’s New Jersey gathering.
Canton resident Justin D. Morris, Massillon resident Kerry K. Kester and two other Northeast Ohio men are accused of stowing the weapons in a car trunk Aug. 22, according to a news release from the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey. Officials observed their actions in the parking lot of a restaurant — the site of an “End of Summer Bash” hosted by the Hells Angels of Newark, New Jersey.
The news release identifies the men as Hells Angels members, but a spokesman from the prosecutor’s office did not elaborate on their ties to the organization.
Surveillance was conducted by New Jersey State Police, Clinton and Readington township police and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office Gangs, Guns and Narcotics Task Force.
The prosecutor’s office reported that Kester rented the Chevy Malibu involved in the traffic stop and arrest in Clinton Township, which is about 50 miles west of New York City. He is charged with one count of possession of a prohibited weapon, 12 counts of unlawful possession of a weapon and 13 counts of certain persons not to possess a weapon, having previously been convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Morris is charged with 10 counts of unlawful possession of a weapon.
Joshua R. Woods, of Akron, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of cocaine and 12 counts of unlawful possession of a weapon.
Rocco P. Gullatta, of Aurora, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, 11 counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, and 11 counts of certain persons not to possess a weapon, having previously been convicted of attempted murder.
They were indicted by a grand jury in December and were scheduled to appear in court Friday for a status hearing, according to the prosecutor’s office.
TJ Legg, the attorney representing Morris in New Jersey, declined to comment.
Anthony Iacullo, who is representing Kester in New Jersey, did not return messages seeking comment.
PRESENCE IN NORTHEAST OHIO
Local officials say the Hells Angels, Pagans and Outlaws are active in Northeast Ohio but have a limited presence in Stark County.
“None of the major outlaw motorcycle clubs has an official chapter here or clubhouse here at this time, but there are people that are present that live here and are part of other chapters or charters,” said Mark McMurtry, special agent with the Canton FBI office.
