Hells Angels Club President Released

Oakland California, USA (September 10, 2020) BTN - A federal magistrate judge signed off on the release of a high-ranking Sonoma Hells Angels member, who is facing charges that he participated in a plot to murder a fellow club member who had fallen out of favor with the club.

But the Thursday morning order by U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia K. DeMarchi is not the end of the debate; the U.S. Attorney’s office is appealing the release order, meaning that the defendant, Jonathan “Jon Jon” Nelson, will remain at Santa Rita Jail for the time being.

If Nelson’s release is approved, he will be required to adhere to certain conditions; he is forbidden from interacting with other Hells Angels members or going to clubhouses. He will also be forbidden from using a computer or the internet and be limited to a flip phone.

Nelson, named by federal prosecutors as the president of the Hells Angels Sonoma Chapter, was indicted in 2017 as part of a large-scale investigation into the Hells Angels. Eleven club members — most of whom were tied to the Sonoma Club — were charged with racketeering and engaging in serious violent crimes, including murder.

But Nelson’s attorneys have painted him as a “father, son, coach, and small business owner” who is well-respected in the Sonoma area. One of the biggest defense points in favor of releasing Nelson was that he spent several months out of jail after the 2017 indictment.

He was detained in September 2018, when prosecutors filed new charges that made Nelson eligible for the death penalty. When the government decided not to pursue death in this case, Nelson’s attorney have moved for him to be released from jail.

“I believe one important fact in Mr. Nelson’s favor was his previous good performance while released in this case for over nine months on the previous indictment,” said Jai Gohel, one of Nelson’s lawyers. “Also, it is clear that the fact that Mr. Nelson no longer faces the death penalty was enough to tip the balance towards his release.”

Nelson is facing charges that he conspired with several other Hells Angels to murder Joel Silva, a former Hells Angels sergeant-at-arms who prosecutors say had fallen out of favor with his fellow club members. Prosecutors allege that Nelson lured Silva to the Fresno clubhouse, where another member shot him in the head. Silva was illegally cremated at a nearby funeral home, according to prosecutors. Brian Wendt, the president of the Fresno Hells Angels chapter, is alleged to have pulled the trigger.

SOURCE: The Mercury News

Roar To The Shore Event Canceled

Wildwood, New Jersey, USA(September 10, 2020) BTN - Members of the Pagan's Motorcycle Club are expected to be in the resort this weekend, police said, even though an annual motorcycle event they frequent has been canceled.

Police are aware that members of the club will be in the city this weekend, police Chief Robert Regalbuto said Thursday, adding he doesn’t know what they’ll be doing as there’s no event attached to their visit.

“Everybody’s welcome here; anyone who rides a motorcycle is welcome to come to town,” Mayor Pete Byron said. “We just hope that they remain respectful and regard the rules on the governor’s orders. We welcome everyone to town.”

The Pagan's are a fixture at Roar to the Shore, an annual motorcycle event in the city, as it’s a “mandatory run” for club members in the state. However, the event was canceled this year after the city denied organizers necessary permits, according to the event’s website.

The city paid about $40,000 for police overtime at last year’s Roar to the Shore, according to previous reports. In a Facebook post, police listed 26 arrests during the event for charges ranging from possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose to possession of a controlled dangerous substance, but it was unclear whether all the charges listed were filed against Roar participants.

SOURCE: The Press Of Atlantic City

Hells Angels Member Denied Parole

Quebec, Canada (September 8, 2020) - A founding charter member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Quebec has been denied parole on a drug-trafficking sentence — in part because he remains loyal to the motorcycle club.

Michel (Sky) Langlois, 74, also told the Parole Board of Canada he is not interested in being transferred to a halfway house because he fears contracting the coronavirus. He was denied both full parole and day parole. During a hearing held last week, Langlois’s case management team recommended day parole was acceptable in his case but full parole would be “premature.”

Langlois was arrested in April 2018 in Project Objection, a probe led by the Escouade nationale de répression contre le crime organisé (ENRCO). The investigation alleged a few Hells Angels based in Quebec, including Langlois, controlled drug networks in specific locations across the province.

An undercover agent met with Langlois and another Hells Angel on Aug. 9, 2017 at restaurant on Drummond St. in downtown Montreal to discuss the distribution of drugs in the Outaouais region. The agent learned Langlois claimed to have title over drug trafficking in Petite Nation, a regional county municipality, and was partners in the distribution of nearly 300,000 meth pills and several kilos of hashish.

On Oct. 3, 2018, Langlois pleaded guilty at the Montreal courthouse to charges of drug trafficking, conspiracy and gangsterism charges. His sentence left him with a prison term of just under 33 months. At the time, Langlois agreed with a summary of facts that were read into the court record. But he told a different story to the parole board last week — that he was merely helping a friend by selling meth and never saw the drugs being sold.

A written summary of the board’s decision indicates Langlois worked on a farm as a teenager before he left for Montreal. In 1963, he began to hang around with the Popeyes, another of Quebec’s motorcycle club at the time.

In 1977, Langlois and several members of the Popeyes were recruited into the Hells Angels and formed the clubs’s first chapter in Canada, based in Montreal. In 1997, he became a founding member of the club’s South chapter, based on the South Shore.

Langlois does not deny he is a Hells Angel but, he told the board he “never committed an offence at their incitation,” according to the summary.

“You do not consider the Hells Angels to be a criminal organization and you adhere to this group solely out of a love for motorcycles and that the group does not recommend to its members that they commit crimes,” it says.

The parole board noted Langlois has been a model inmate who worked in the penitentiary’s library before it was forced to close because of the pandemic. But the board could not overlook the fact Langlois continues to meet with organized crime figures while behind bars.

Langlois will become eligible for a statutory release sometime next year.

SOURCE: Montreal Gazette

Hells Angels Host Charity Event

Akron, Ohio, USA (September 8, 2020) BTN - An annual lemonade stand that raises money for children battling cancer is coming to a local Hells Angels Motorcycle Club this year. Kiely’s Lemonade Stand helps raise money each year for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Akron with children who are battling cancer.

The fundraiser, which usually is held in Streetsboro, will take place this year in Akron. Brandy Taylor said the Akron Hells Angels Motorcycle Club volunteered space this year to host the seventh annual event.

Taylor said the lemonade stand started after her daughter Kiely’s two cousins, Ryland and Jocelyn, were diagnosed with brain cancer. Taylor said the brother and sister were diagnosed in 2011 and 2012, and are now cancer free.

Kiely's Lemonade Stand

She said the Ronald McDonald House was amazing with helping out the family, which inspired the family to organize the stand each year.

The event will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13. Rather than selling lemonade and cookies for a fixed price, patrons can choose their donation, Taylor said. The club is at 560 N. Howard St. in Akron.

Taylor said they’ll also hold raffles for gift cards and other items donated before the stand opens up. Since the fundraiser started, she said they’ve raised close to $18,000. Taylor said they’ve donated to 17 families so far.

Part of the proceeds also go to making goodie bags each Christmas for children battling cancer. Last year, 50 bags were given to children in the hospital over the holidays.

People interested in learning more can visit facebook.com/KielysLemonadeStand