two bomb victims, Vahe Hacopian, 31, of Munno Para West, and a Hells Angels nominee member, 23, of Walkley Heights, died accidentally while transporting a bomb meant to kill a rival gang member

 feud stems directly from the bitter fallout of the 35-year-old Enfield man with a senior member of the Hells Angels North Crew almost four years ago.As the investigation into the two Enfield deaths gathered pace yesterday, police revealed a team of 10 from Major Crime, Crime Gangs, Drug and Organised Crime detectives and Holden Hill CIB had been formed to tackle it.The task force will determine if the two bomb victims, Vahe Hacopian, 31, of Munno Para West, and a Hells Angels nominee member, 23, of Walkley Heights, died accidentally while transporting a bomb meant to kill the rival gang member, or in any other scenario.The pair died when a bomb detonated in a Holden Commodore in Truscott Rd, Enfield, about 5.20am on Thursday - just a short distance from the Learmouth Tce home of the rival New Boys gang member.The Hells Angels member, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was before the courts on serious drugs charges.He was due to face trial in the District Court in April on charges of possessing methamphetamines.He was also facing charges in Adelaide Magistrates Court of taking part in the manufacture of a commercial quantity of a controlled drug.Those charges arose last May following the discovery of an amphetamines laboratory at Mawson Lakes.He was also facing charges of unlawful possession.Major Crime officer-in-charge Detective Superintendent John Venditto yesterday said police were keeping "an open mind" in the investigation as it unfolded.While the conspiracy to murder theory is a major line of investigation, other scenarios have not yet been discounted - including the possibility the deaths of the pair may not have been accidental.

"There is no evidence that at this point can rule out a double murder, so we cannot discount that as yet," Supt Venditto said. "The investigation will obviously look at any conspiracy to damage property, cause harm or murder. It is still the early stages of the investigative and evidentiary process."On Friday, detectives raided the Enfield home of the New Boys member, who cannot be named for legal reasons. He was spoken to by police on the day of the bombing, and on Friday his home was searched for any evidence that may be connected to the incident. It is likely many other properties will also be searched in coming days as part of the inquiry.

Members of the Hells Angels and the New Boys have been feuding for some time with numerous incidents last year heightening police concerns over the likelihood of more violence.The most recent public incident occurred in August when three houses at Edwardstown, Lewiston and Andrews Farm were sprayed with more than 80 bullets from a 7.62mm assault rifle.The properties were linked to Hells Angels members, although two houses had occupants not connected with the gang.Although the Enfield New Boys member was not believed to have been involved in those shootings, Thursday's abortive attempt on his life is believed to be direct retribution for those incidents.Sources said the animosity between the Enfield man believed to have been the target and the Hells Angels stems from his falling out with the gang, of which he was a member, several years ago. The man is now a senior member of the New Boys street gang, which is strongly linked to the man's city tattoo parlour.Members also spend considerable time at a North Adelaide restaurant.Meanwhile, Munno Para West man Andrew Harrison, 30, who was charged with firearms, drug and explosives offences on Thursday, was yesterday remanded in custody after appearing in Elizabeth Magistrates Court. Police searched his house, which he shared with Hacopian, and discovered pistols, drugs and an explosive material.

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Jason William Brown, 35 Red Scorpion gangster facing new gun and drug charges was a Hells Angels associate

Red Scorpion gangster facing new gun and drug charges was a Hells Angels associate when he was arrested and charged in July 2005 as part of the massive police undercover probe that targeted the notorious biker gang.

Abbotsford police are now looking for Jason William Brown, 35, after he was formally charged Tuesday with two counts of possession for the trafficking of both cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as possession of a restricted weapon and possession of a firearm while prohibited.

Brown was convicted in 2007 of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and handed a four-year sentence. He also got a 10-year ban on owning a firearm, which was still in effect when police found a 9 mm handgun and ammunition at his Aldergrove residence during a raid last week.

Brown was described by police after his arrest in the "E-Pandora" biker investigation as "an associate of the East End Hells Angels."

But his current affiliation is with the Red Scorpions, a mid-level drug gang involved in a deadly war that has seen eight of its associates killed since May 2008.

Also charged with Brown Tuesday is 24-year-old Terra Lynn George. Neither has surrendered into custody though police have heard from their lawyer.

George was charged in Kelowna in August with refusing to provide a breath sample.

Brown has a lengthy history with police, according to the provincial court data-base. He has several convictions for driving while prohibited and impersonation, as well as his E-Pandora conviction.

Abbotsford Const. Ian MacDonald said that during the search on Nov. 12, police found two kilograms of cocaine with a value of $80,000, about a kilo of methamphetamine with a value of $25,000, a 9 mm handgun, a loaded magazine, boxes of ammunition, two bullet-proof vests, Red Scorpion paraphernalia and approximately $12,000 cash.

The fact that someone once associated to the Hells Angels is now a Red Scorpion is not surprising, Sgt. Shinder Kirk, of the Integrated Gang Task Force, said Tuesday.

"The allegiances often shift within the gangs," Kirk said.

And those involved in organized crime are usually willing to take advantage of opportunities when they arise, regardless of gang affiliation.

Despite some high-profile arrests last spring, including charges against five Red Scorpions in the Surrey Six slayings, police say the gang is still active.

In September, two others with links to the Scorpions -- Michael O'Brien and Mohamed Amarhoun -- were charged with trafficking after a police raid on their Mission house.

Police found a jacket with a huge Red Scorpion logo on the back over a map of the world -- the same logo was discovered on clothing in Brown's house last week.

The Red Scorpion gang was founded in 2000 by a number of teens in a youth detention centre. It has evolved as a mid-level gang running crack cocaine lines across Metro Vancouver.

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Member of the Misfits motorcycle gang

 Member of the Misfits motorcycle gang told an investigator that the two male defendants were part of the gang, the investigator testified to Friday.Lt. David Bertocchini of the San Joaquin County District Attorney Investigations Office testified in the case against Joseph Henri Deshetres, Thomas Loyd Dudney and Cheryl Ann Reese for charges of intimidating a witness and participating in the criminal street gang, the Misfits.Dudney, 59, of Fulton, Deshetres, 62, of Santa Rosa and Reese, 56, of Lakeport allegedly conspired in November to intimidate a witness in the attempted murder case against Dudney.Special allegations that the crimes were committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang accompany the first charge. The charges with special allegations carry a life sentence.Dudney, Joshua Isaac Wandrey of Rohnert Park and Deborah Ann James of Windsor allegedly shot, tortured and hogtied Ronald Greiner Oct. 20 at the Lakeport man's home on South Main Street behind the Record-Bee building.Dudney and Wandrey, 35, are charged with premeditated attempted murder, aggravated mayhem, torture, home invasion robbery in concert with another, first-degree burglary, assault with a firearm, assault with a blunt force object, assault likely to produce great bodily injury, serious battery, simple mayhem and participating in the criminal street gang, the Misfits.Three of the 11 charges carry life sentence.Women associated with the Misfits used to be given patches that say "property of" but now would not likely receive anything signifying the gang unless it was given as a gift, Bertocchini said."A Misfit is a male," Bertocchini said. "You can't be a female to be in the Misfits."Bertocchini said Reese said she had "no love" for the Misfits because they didn't come see her when she was sick and that after 35 years of knowing Dudney, he involves other people in his trouble.Bertocchini testified the crimes alleged against the defendants would benefit the Misfits."I do believe intimidating a witness does benefit the Misfits gang," Bertocchini said. "Success allows the gang to prosper, it makes the patch carry more weight."Bertocchini said if the Misfits brought someone close to the gang and that person informed on them they would be targeted for possible violent retribution.He testified that stealing about 10 pounds of marijuana could also benefit the Misfits to make money off sales and to pay members' $40-a-month dues.Bertocchini explained that 1-percent branding signifies the Misfits criminal society. He said if Dudney had carved 1 percent into the door of his cell at the Lake County Jail that the defendant likely still supports the Misfits."He's still so loyal to the Misfits," Bertocchini said. "He's marking his area."

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Pagans feared retaliation from the Hells Angels.

"I'm kind of concerned there's going to be a loss of life," Welebir says in the recording. man accused of torching Bad Water Bill's Bar-B-Q Barn in Strasburg in 2003 was heard on a recording played in U.S. District Court on Wednesday saying if motorcycle gang members found out he was talking to investigators, they'd murder him."I will help you as much as I can, but I don't want to stick my head out on a chopping block," William Wardell "Cozmo" Welebir says on the 2003 phone call.Welebir, 56, of Port Richey, Fla., faces a single count of arson. His trial started Wednesday morning.Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Mott called to the stand Domingo Perez, who now works part time for the Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office, but at the time of the Oct. 25, 2003, fire was an intelligence analyst with the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force.A man who identified himself as "Mr. Wagner" had called a state police tip line, and Perez was put in touch with him in November 2003. Public Defender Andrea Harris said Welebir was "Mr. Wagner."

A chatty Welebir starts the conversation by saying he had been in a veterans' motorcycle club called the Free Patriots that did charity runs, but eventually disbanded.While in that club, he met a couple of members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, including the Northern Virginia chapter's president, referred to as "Blacksmith."Welebir also met Pagans and members of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club -- subject of a regional multi-jurisdictional takedown several months before -- while working at a Bunker Hill, W.Va., club, he tells Perez.Bad Water Bill's was a popular hangout for Warlocks members and other bikers, its owner, Mary Fisher, testified on Wednesday.On the recording, Welebir says he contacted the crime hotline because the man who'd been president of the Free Patriots had recently joined the Pagans and was exhibiting some disturbing behavior.That man owned the Redwood Motel in Stephens City, he says in the recording, and the motel was being used for drug activity, including making "bathtub crystal meth." Welebir says the man was being told what to do by the Pagans.Welebir says it became clear the new Pagan's assignment was to burn down Bad Water Bill's. He said it was because the Titans Motorcycle Club, which was sponsored by the Warlocks, was going to have a charity bike show there later on the day of the arson.In the recording, Welebir also refers to a man known as "Coop" who had started a motorcycle club in Leesburg called the Red Devils, which he says was a Hells Angels support club. He says the Pagans had been trying to get 'Coop' to join them instead, and "Blacksmith" was trying to let him know the Pagans weren't going to allow the Hells Angels to move into Virginia."At this Halloween party, there was talk of murdering this guy for no other reason than the fact he joined another club," Welebir says. "At this point, I had to say something."He says he was also angry because someone had vandalized his motorcycle. Welebir says the motorcycle gang-related crime was escalating."There's already been two drug-overdose deaths at the Redwood Motel last year," he says. "It's out of hand. Somebody needs to stop it."Complicating matters were connections area motorcycle gang members had with police officers and emergency dispatchers, Welebir says in the recording. He says he tipped off law enforcement to a party where large amounts of drugs would be present."They had the information before the party began that the police were investigating their party," Welebir says. "I can't have anything tied with [the investigation]. These people will kill me. I can't risk being a witness. They will stop at nothing. They're capable of doing anything on a whim."In the recording, Welebir says that bulletproof glass was being installed at "Blacksmith's" house in Front Royal because the Pagans feared retaliation from the Hells Angels."He said because we're going to get blamed for that fire over at Bad Water Bill's," Welebir says.Some motorcycle gang members tried to get him to join a club, but he wasn't interested, he says.

"I don't need to have a patch on my back to know who I am," Welebir says on the recording.

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Assault and torture charges against four members of the Bandidos motorcycle gang have been mentioned in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.

Police allege Gary Thomas Williams, 50, Jeffrey Wayne West, 39, Mark Williams Genrich, 44, and Craig Thomas Gorman, 38, held former club member David Joseph Beddow against his will at the Bandidos' Ipswich clubhouse in February last year.It is alleged Beddow was attacked because he had used the Bandidos name and colours to intimidate people.The four accused men will face court again in Ipswich later this month.

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“Nomads” of the Hell’s Angels are kind of a combination elite corp/death squad that operate independent of any particular Chapter authority and are known to do the hits for the club if need be.

 “Nomads” of the Hell’s Angels are kind of a combination elite corp/death squad that operate independent of any particular Chapter authority and are known to do the hits for the club if need be. Though the Hell’s Angels aren’t known to be as brutal in their treatment of women as clubs like The Outlaws or The Pagans they have a deserved reputation for brutality that people who aren’t affiliated with the group can sometimes use to their advantage:An Ottawa man who claimed to be an outlaw biker and the nephew of a notorious Hells Angels boss used fear to rape, extort and repeatedly beat two women, an Ottawa court heard Friday.Peter Guido, 31, admitted that he pretended to be a member of the elite Hells Angels Nomads and routinely told the two women he dated that their lives would be at stake if they didn’t submit to his demands for money and sex.Assistant Crown attorney Marie Dufort said the women were afraid to talk to the police out of fear Guido or his associates would harm them or their families.Court heard Guido, who frequently wore “Support Nomads” T-shirts, told one of the women he was the nephew of Hells Angels Nomads president Paul “Sasquatch” Porter, had shot a man and his wife, as well as murdered others and spent time in prison.He pleaded guilty to 15 charges, including sexual assault, assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon, choking, extortion, uttering threats and criminal harassment.According to an agreed statement of facts, Guido assaulted the women often during the two relationships, which occurred between August 2006 and November 2008.During one incident, Guido grabbed one of the women by the throat and strangled her before forcing her into a Jeep and driving toward Manotick, said Dufort.Dufort said the woman feared for her life when Guido made a call to someone requesting they bring shovels to the area and told her she was going to die.Guido pulled out a clump of the second woman’s hair and punched her repeatedly in the head during one argument, and assaulted her 15-year-old son during another. Guido told the woman, whom he met on an online dating site, that if she reported the incident the Hell Angels “have a way of making bodies disappear and they will not find her body.”When the two women broke up with him, Guido went to their homes and forced himself on them, pulling off their pants and having sex with them.Dufort said the women, fearful of what Guido might do, gave him a total of $27,000.

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Black Pistons MC

The Black Pistons Motorcycle Club (Black Pistons) is the official support club for the Outlaws Motorcycle Club (Outlaws). Established in 2002 with the backing of the Outlaws, the Black Pistons have expanded rapidly throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. The Black Pistons have an estimated 70 domestic chapters in 20 states and an unknown number of foreign chapters in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Norway and Poland. The exact number of Black Pistons members is unknown but the figure is estimated to be more than 200 in the U.S. The Outlaws use the Black Pistons chapters as a recruitment source for prospective Outlaws members. The Outlaws also use the Black Pistons chapters to conduct criminal activity, especially for the transportation and distribution of drugs. Members of the Black Pistons are also known to engage in assault, extortion, fraud, intimidation and theft.

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Hunter S. Thompson Remembered: Hunter Thompson was More than Gonzo, He was a Cultural Force

Hunter S. Thompson was the notorious journalist, politician, social commentator, rebel, sports enthusiast, doctor and icon behind some of the greatest American literary works of the late twentieth century. Thompson is perhaps most often associated with being the founder of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting wherein the writer becomes so involved in the story that they become their own lead character in the resulting work. But behind the madcap lifestyle Thompson gained public attention for was a man driven by curiosity and the hunt for the real story, often at his own peril. This is a fan’s tribute to HST to commemorate his life during the fifth anniversary of his passing.

Thompson’s Early Disregard for Authority

Hunter Stockton Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1937. While excelling academically, it was clear that Thompson was a clever eccentric with an attitude that rubbed many people the wrong way (or perhaps the right way, depending on individual perspective). Thompson started his journalistic career writing sports copy for local papers and also joined the Air Force for two years. After being released from the military, Thompson joked that his Air Force superiors had given him a “totally unclassifiable” status. Fired from his many jobs throughout the country in his early years for “insubordination,” Hunter aggressively denounced imposed rules and constantly defied any and all authority. But these were traits that would gain Thompson social notoriety, journalistic accolades, and hordes of fans in the years and decades to follow.

When the Going Gets Weird, ask “Well, why not?”

In 1960, Thompson moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico to work for a local newspaper. While residing in San Juan, he penned what is considered his first novel, The Rum Diary, which was not published until 1998. Thompson temporarily moved to Aspen, Colorado in 1964 with his wife, where they gave birth to a son, Juan Fitzgerald Thompson. Colorado would later become the site of Thompson’s compound, his hideaway from the world, and his place of death. But for now Thompson was offered to cover a story for The Nation, wherein he followed the California-based Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang for an entire year to report on the innermost happenings of the secretive and troublesome group. The article was published in 1965 and resulted in numerous book deals for Thompson, though the Angels turned against him when they realized they would not share in the profits. The novel, Hell’s Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga was published by Random House in 1966 and was widely acclaimed for its up close and honest account of life among the traveling outlaws. Thompson remained active as a journalist and wrote bluntly about the Hippie culture in San Francisco. Himself a fan of both the Beat Generation authors and psychedelic drugs, Thompson scorned the burgeoning Hippies for lacking political aspirations and artistic spirit while existing without any perceived direction other than obtaining drugs.

On a Mission to Chronicle “the Death of the American Dream”

By 1967 Thompson received a royalty check for his Hell’s Angels novel and paid for his “fortified compound” outside of Aspen, Colorado, where he would live for the rest of his life. It was at this time that Hunter became further intrigued by politics and ran for sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado in 1970. Thompson and his fellow citizens ran under the “Freak Power” ticket, with aims to decriminalize drugs (for personal use only); gaining increasing notoriety due to the coverage Thompson received from Rolling Stone magazine. Thompson even shaved his head which enabled him to refer to his Republican rival for office as “my long-haired opponent,” in a brilliant and comical political move. Thompson and the “Freak Power” ticket narrowly lost the election. Thompson’s most famous literary work, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream was published by Random House in 1971. The novel focused on the wild travels of Raoul Duke, an alias for Thompson, and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo as they sped across Las Vegas ripped on drugs and alcohol in order for Duke to cover the Mint 400 Desert Race while searching for the American Dream. Neither of the assignments is fully achieved as the deranged duo evades authority and corrupts consumerist’s Americana. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is still heralded as an achievement in poetic prose narrative and made Hunter S. Thompson a rebel icon with a literary gift.

Read more at Suite101: Hunter S. Thompson Remembered: Hunter Thompson was More than Gonzo, He was a Cultural Force http://lifestylepopculturebooks.suite101.com/article.cfm/hunter-s-thompson-remembered#ixzz0fk6tXH9s

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JOSEPH ROBERT GUSTAFSON 54-year-old former Hell's Angel with a gray ponytail, an Angels tattoo on his chest, and motorcycle boots

Gustafson—a 54-year-old former Hell's Angel with a gray ponytail, an Angels tattoo on his chest, and motorcycle boots—was furious. The federal agents descended upon his house, the house of his daughter-in-law, and a third house where a friend of theirs lived, all for no good reason, he says. "To be honest with you, I'm kind of in the dark about it, you know? I believe it's unjust and uncalled for, you know what I mean?"
Gustafson says it's just like the raid several years ago, when the cops came to his house accusing his son of title fraud and tax evasion, or when they investigated him for dealing in stolen Harleys as part of a Hell's Angels chop shop. They couldn't pin him with anything then, he says, and they won't this time, either.
"I'm licensed as a bail bonds business, I do bounty-hunting work, all my guns are legal, I have a license to carry," he says. "Totally, this is some bullshit, you know what I mean?"
A federal grand jury is expected to hand down indictments of Gustafson, his son, and their underlings soon—possibly within weeks. Federal prosecutors are arguing that Gustafson and son are the masterminds of an organized crime ring specializing in arson, fraud, extortion, drugs, and kidnapping. Subpoenas are circulating, even if few people involved in the case are willing to talk publicly.
"I can confirm that we executed a search warrant at that location in support of an ongoing investigation," is all that E.K. Wilson, an FBI spokesman, would offer.
"We aren't really able to comment about an ongoing situation," says Janet Oakes, special agent and spokeswoman for the IRS.
But several Minneapolis police officers confirm that the case is now with federal prosecutors.
"He's been a figure on the North Side for probably 30 years, if not more," says Minneapolis Police Inspector Mike Martin, commander of the Fourth Precinct. "He's one of these guys that wasn't accepted within the biker culture and was therefore excommunicated from the Hell's Angels, and yet wants to still portray this image that he's affiliated with them, and use that to intimidate people."
   

JOSEPH ROBERT GUSTAFSON got his first serious criminal conviction, for felony aggravated assault, in 1979, when he was 23. A man named Donald Peterson was moving furniture for his ex-wife outside a home in north Minneapolis when Gustafson, accompanied by his older brother James, showed up carrying a heavy pipe.

The beating was so vicious that Peterson was left with a fractured skull and jaw and lost 14 teeth.

When police asked Gustafson about it, he told them he was under the influence of medication and didn't remember anything. Big brother James dummied up as well.

All the Gustafson boys got in trouble, but none more than Joe's younger brother Harold. Like Joe's, Harold's fists could deliver devastating blows. After one night of drinking in 1976, Harold beat a man so badly that he was left mentally incapacitated, unable to speak or feed himself. At 19, Harold was headed to prison for five years.

He'd been out of St. Cloud penitentiary for just over a year when, in October 1982, he put on a mask and stormed the basement pharmacy of a hospital in St. Paul. Harold and two other men tried to rob the cashier. When the security guard, an off-duty Oakdale cop, tried to intervene, someone shot him dead.

The family jumped to Harold's defense. They said that on the evening of the murder, Harold was at his parents' house, eating chili and giving the family tattoos.

The jury didn't buy it. In 1984, Harold got life in prison.

Around the same time, Joe got arrested on felony drug charges. He was sitting on his motorcycle, blocking traffic, jawing away at someone in a parked car near the intersection of 26th Street and Sheridan Avenue North, according to court records. When a Minneapolis cop told him to move along, Gustafson refused.

The officer asked for his name—Joe gave a fake one—and patted him down. Gustafson had six and one-quarter grams of cocaine attached to a beeper in the inner pocket of his black leather jacket.

But Joe had a plan. On March 1, 1985, he took a man named Andrew Carey Beggs for a drive in his pickup truck, according to court records. Gustafson steered past a 1972 Pontiac Ventura parked in a north Minneapolis alleyway, and dangled some keys. If Beggs claimed the blow, the car would be his, Gustafson promised.

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East End Hells Angels pleaded guilty Monday to cocaine trafficking and conspiring to produce methamphetamine.

Two members of the East End Hells Angels pleaded guilty Monday to cocaine trafficking and conspiring to produce methamphetamine.The Crown has set aside two weeks in January for the sentencing hearings of John Virgil Punko and Randy Potts, who were arrested four years ago as part of a $10-million police investigation that targeted the East End Hells Angels.

“For this I'd sit on Christmas Day,” said B.C. Supreme Court Justice Peter Leask.

“This is the get-things-done courtroom.”

Punko will be sentenced the week of Jan. 18 and Potts will be sentenced Jan. 25.

Last month, Leask dealt a devastating blow to the Crown’s case at the pending drug trial when he ruled the Crown was prohibited from proceeding on criminal-organization charges against two Hells Angels members. Justice Peter Leask granted a defence application that the Crown cannot proceed at trial on charges that allege the East End chapter of the Hells Angels is a criminal organization.

The defence argued that a jury at another trial that ended last summer acquitted Potts and Punko of the criminal-organization charges, so they should not be punished twice. Crown prosecutor Martha Devlin Devlin argued that the criminal-organization charges should not be dropped because the judge could not speculate on why the jury came to the verdict it did on the criminal organization charges.

The judge agreed with the defence. “My decision is the Crown is estopped from leading evidence that the East End charter Hells Angels is a criminal organization,” he ruled.

The Crown plans to appeal the judge’s ruling but is awaiting the judge’s reasons. Potts and Punkoi had faced a total of nine charges at trial, including two that alleged they directed the production and distribution of methamphetamine in association with or for the benefit of a criminal organization, namely the East End charter of the Hells Angels.

Punko pleaded guilty Monday to three charges on the indictment (Count 2, 3 and 4) and Potts pleaded guilty to four charges (Count 6, 7, 8 and 9), including two of cocaine trafficking in Surrey and New Westminster.

The case marked the third failed prosecution on criminal-organization charges against the Hells Angels arising from the police investigation code-named E-Pandora, which ended in 2005 with the arrest of six Hells Angels and a dozen associates.

A 10-month trial ended last July with the jury convicting Potts and Punko on weapons charges. The judge found Potts held the arsenal of weapons for the East End Hells Angels, including grenades, a loaded semi-automatic pistol and three other guns.

Potts, 49, was sentenced to a seven years but effectively received a sentence of time served after being granted double credit for four years served in pre-trial custody.

Punko, 43, was convicted of the unauthorized possession of a loaded semi-automatic pistol and sentenced to 15 months in jail, plus a consecutive sentence of four years for counselling a police agent to do damage to a Surrey home where Punko was trying to collect a large amount of money from a man.

It was effectively a sentence of time served but Punko was recently denied bail by Leask. Potts is free on bail.

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shoulder-bumping" members of the Hells Angels and the Throttle Lockers

shoulder-bumping" members of the Hells Angels and the Throttle Lockers puppet gang inside the nightclub, provoking a street fight outside.

Cpl. Annie Linteau said the officers charged, Const. Chris MacDonald of Prince Edward Island, and Const. Kiel Samotej of Alberta, remain on duty though they are also the subject of an internal code of conduct review.MacDonald, 40, and Samotej, 25, were in the Okanagan with others on vacation. They are due to make their first appearances in a Kelowna courtroom April 22.

Kelowna resident Errol Milsom-Gardener, 25, will appear in court April 8 for allegedly striking Mac-Donald, who ended up in hospital.Linteau said the fight outside the night club involved 15 to 20 individuals wearing Hells Angels and Throttle Lockers colours and about seven members of MacDonald's group."This alleged assault involved a 'shoulder bump' inside the nightclub and is believed to have instigated the much larger altercation that later took place outside," she said.

Linteau said a shoulder bump would constitute an assault if it was done intentionally, which is what the evidence showed in this case. The shoulder bump did not result in anyone being injured, she said.

After the incident inside, the Mountie group left the bar and the biker group followed them.

"The group of 15 to 20 tracked them down the street for about half a block and that's where the altercation happened," Linteau said.

While the Mounties could identify the bikers, Linteau said she didn't know if the bikers knew there were police officers in the opposing group.

She said others with Mac-Donald sustained minor injuries that did not require hospitalization. Mac-Donald was held overnight at Kelowna General Hospital and then released.

Kelowna RCMP investigated the fight and sent the findings to Crown counsel for consideration of criminal charges, Linteau said. Those charged were approved Feb. 5.

The Hells Angels established a Kelowna chapter in the summer of 2007, and several members of the notorious biker gang have moved to the Okanagan.

The Throttle Lockers are one of several puppet clubs that have surfaced across B.C. over the past year. Police say these clubs have a direct relationship to the Hells Angels. The Throttle Lockers club is based in 100 Mile House and has about 10 members and ties to the Kelowna Hells Angels.

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motorcycle gangs played any role in the shooting death of a tattoo parlor owner.

 Police say Ferraiolo was ambushed Tuesday night outside his parlor, A Touch of Color, on Dixwell Avenue. The medical examiner's office says he died of multiple gunshot wounds. gangs played any role in the shooting death of a tattoo parlor owner.Chief Thomas Wydra said Wednesday that police are investigating whether the victim, 64-year-old Joseph Ferraiolo, had any affiliation, membership or involvement in any motorcycle gang, and whether his killing may have been retaliation for something.Wydra declined to say why police were looking at motorcycle gangs and wouldn't say if any suspects had been identified. Investigators are looking for a black truck they say was connected to the killing.

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Police have charged the wife of former Coffin Cheater Troy Mercanti with stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a trust fund

Police have charged the wife of former Coffin Cheater Troy Mercanti with stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a trust fund set up for the benefit of the children of slain gang member Marc Chabriere.In an attempt to ward off violence between the Cheaters and Mercanti's new gang the Finks, police and the Australian Crime Commission launched an investigation into the allegations last year.Yesterday they charged Tammy Cherie Kingdon with four counts of stealing and one of property laundering.It is understood that police are also investigating the theft of money from a trust fund set up by Mercanti in 2000 after the death of his close friend Richard Vickers.Police would not confirm last night whether any of the four stealing charges related to the Vickers trust.It is believed the property laundering charge flows from using the allegedly stolen funds in the purchase of the Finks' Balga clubhouse in Ms Kingdon's name last year.Ms Kingdon was at home when gang crime squad officers raided the family's Duncraig house yesterday.
She was released on bail to appear in Joondalup Magistrate's Court on Thursday. Mercanti, who is in jail for assault, is understood to have been charged with offences related to the same investigation.Mr Chabriere was shot dead in a hail of bullets in 1998 at the height of the gang war between the Coffin Cheaters and Club Deroes.Andrew Wayne Edhouse was charged but acquitted of the murder.After Mr Chabriere's funeral, the Coffin Cheaters organised a trust fund to help provide for Mr Chabriere's children.Senior gang members were put in charge of the trust, including Mercanti, who was sensationally expelled from the gang in 2008 on "bad standing" after being bashed by up to 15 members.Within months, Mercanti joined the Finks bikie gang and a Finks member was shot in the shoulder as he rode his motorcycle with three other men near Wooroloo, sparking fears of a new and deadly gang war.
The Finks Balga clubhouse was then bought in Mrs Mercanti's name.Mercanti was refused parole this month and is not due for release until next year.

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Red Deer has a 12 to 20-member chapter of the Nomads, a Hells Angels puppet club

Police say the man is a member of the outlaw motorcycle gang, and the women, neither of whom was seriously injured, had no prior connection to the bikers."There's no believed connection between them at all. It's not a domestic relationship or anything," said RCMP spokeswoman Const. Sabrina Grunow.Red Deer has a bylaw banning any sort of gang identification clothing, and Grunow said the man wasn't wearing anything to identify himself as a biker.But around 2:37 a.m. police were called to the Urban Rodeo in the 4700 Block of Gaetz Avenue on Jan. 24 where it was reported that a group of women were involved in an altercation with several members of the Hells Angels.Grunow said that by the time cops arrived, much of it had broken up.They're still trying to piece together what happened, but Grunow acknowledged that it's pretty unusual to find several macho members of a bike gang fighting with women on the street.It's even more unusual to find plenty of witnesses when outlaw bikers are involved."It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the long run," Grunow said. Red Deer has a 12 to 20-member chapter of the Nomads, a Hells Angels puppet club. Grunow said investigators are still trying determine whether the suspect is a member of that club, or another chapter.

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fight outside of a downtown nightclub has landed a Hells Angels member in jail.

A 58-year-old man from Spruce Grove was charged with two counts of assault after Red Deer City RCMP responded to multiple complaints of a large disturbance outside of Urban Rodeo shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 24. It was alleged that a physical altercation was ongoing between members of the Hells Angels and a number of women, according to an RCMP news release. The man was arrested without incident. Two women, ages 20 and 21, suffered minor injuries as a result of the altercation. The man, whose name isn’t being released pending the charges being sworn, was released from custody with conditions and is set to appear in Red Deer provincial court on March 23.

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80 motorbikes accompanied the coffin of popular Hells Angel Mike Bugler to his funeral on Tuesday.

Starting at Mr Bugler’s home in The Friary, the procession went around the ring road and on to Salisbury crematorium where scores more mourners were waiting to pay their last respects.
The coffin was carried in a sidecar and Mr Bugler’s wife Myra travelled on his Harley Davidson, with a police escort accompanying the bikers. Mr Bugler, 60, died at Salisbury Hospice on January 19.
He had been diagnosed with cancer in 2008. Born in Portsmouth, he moved with his
family to Herbert Road in Salisbury and grew up in the city. From an early age, he was an avid motorcycle fan and became Master of Arms in the Hells Angels. He made friends all over the country, and many of them travelled on their bikes to attend his funeral.
Mr Bugler’s family said he was known for his “happy, big personality” and he has been described as a “gentle giant”. They said he would do anything for anyone and played a huge part in the community.
Mr Bugler worked as a lorry driver and loved listening to the music of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Beatles. After the funeral, the mourners went to the Five Bells pub where Mr Bugler and his wife received a blessing last October.

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three members of the motorcycle gang known as the Hells Angeles were arrested under the suspicion of drug crimes in Ventura County

three members of the motorcycle gang known as the Hells Angeles were arrested under the suspicion of drug crimes in Ventura County. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Gang Unit reported the arrests over the weekend.Two of the men were arrested last Friday, one on the suspicion of transporting methamphetamine and the other under the suspicion of being under the drugs influences.They were stopped by gang unit officials who noticed them weaving in and out of traffic on Highway 101 at speeds over 85 miles per hour. David Olivares, the man who was under suspicion for transporting methamphetamine, was released from the Ventura County jail after he posted $55,000 bail. The other man was cited and released.A few days before this incident, another man known to be an associate of the Hells Angels, Martin Kada, was arrested under the suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. Mr. Kada was released on $20,000 bail.Drug crimes are extremely serious charges. A drug crime conviction can drastically change the course of your life after resulting in large fines, a felony record, and even jail time. If you find yourself in a situation where you have been accused of crimes such as these get in touch with Ventura County criminal defense lawyer Robert Helfend, he has the experience you need in your corner.Three members of the Hells Angels were arrested recently on suspicion of drug crimes, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Gang Unit said Saturday.On Friday, investigators arrested David Olivares, 39, of Carpinteria on suspicion of transportation of methamphetamine, and James Ivans, 37, of Carpinteria on suspicion of being under the influence of methamphetamine.
They were among six motorcyclists stopped by gang investigators who saw them weaving in and out of traffic at more than 85 mph on Highway 101 near Del Norte Boulevard, officials said.
Olivares was released from Ventura County jail after posting $55,000 bail. Ivan was cited and released. The others were cited for traffic violations.
Martin Kada, 37, of Ventura was arrested Jan. 22 near Saticoy on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. He was jailed and released on $20,000 bail, sheriff’s officials said.

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most brutal news report surrounding the Hell’s Angels Australian member

most brutal news report surrounding the Hell’s Angels Australian member dates back to 2007 June. On that fateful day one of the members of the Hell’s Angels Australia chapter shot a gentleman who was trying to assist one of the gang member’s girlfriends and the six shots fired at passers-by resulted in two more people being injured. The 2007 Melbourne CBD shootings have angered this Australian city. The motorcycle gang also went on to further tangle with members of another motorcycle club in Australia known as The Comanchero Motorcycle Club. The Hell's Angels Australia has a very disreputable and negative public image and recent legislation has outlawed motorbike gang activity. The reason for the negative publicity is primarily because of the continued turf and gang wars that are leading to violence that spills out over to the general public.

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Kadir P’s “Centro” chapter has proven particularly brutal in this ongoing feud, and difficult to control. Its members have repeatedly made savage attacks on rivals in the Hell’s Angels

Officials believe that Frank H., the head of the Hell’s Angels club in Hanover, hammered out the details of the defection last week with “Centro” leader Kadir P. Likewise, Peter M., one of the highest-ranking Bandidos in Europe, confirmed to SPIEGEL ONLINE that the crossover took place on Tuesday evening. However, when questioned about the matter, Hell’s Angels member Rudolf “Django” T. declined to confirm that the defectors had been accepted into his organization yet, saying only: “We’ll let you know in the next few days.”While the defecting members of “Centro” — both notorious and feared in the biker scene for their violence — have cut ties with their old group, it appears that their membership in Hell’s Angels has not yet been finalized. But the bikers have stripped their club house in Berlin’s northern Reinickendorf district of all Bandido insignia.Recent months have seen an uptick in violence between the rival motorcycle gangs — particularly in Berlin, the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein and eastern Germany. And the attacks have been escalating, from knife assaults to shootings to explosives. The reason: the Bandidos have managed to recruit hundreds of young men, many of them from immigrant families in Germany’s east, and put the Hell’s Angels on the defensive.Kadir P’s “Centro” chapter has proven particularly brutal in this ongoing feud, and difficult to control. Its members have repeatedly made savage attacks on rivals in the Hell’s Angels camp, which has close ties to the far-right fan club of a local football club. Indeed, one newspaper article recently reported that the Hell’s Angels in Berlin refuse to allow foreigners into their ranks.Now, however, the brutality would appear to have been forgiven and forgotten — the avowed enemies may soon become brothers in arms.
In the meantime, police units have taken up positions in front of the Bandidos’ clubhouse in Berlin. Investigators also say that biker-related properties have been kept under observations in Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg since Tuesday evening. “We want to see whether a war breaks out,” one investigator told SPIEGEL TV.Nobody knows, after all, how the Bandidos will react to this mass defection. Revenge and retaliation? Do the “traitors” now have to fear for their lives? In short, what does the defection mean?
“That they’re gone,” says Peter M., the number-two man in Europe’s Bandidos organization, before hanging up the phone.

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76 members and supporters of “Centro,” as the Berlin chapter of the Bandidos is known, are reportedly trying to defect to the Hell’s Angels camp.

There has never been a shortage of brutality between the biker gangs Bandidos and Hell’s Angels. But after 70 members of a Berlin club defected to their erstwhile rivals, police in the German capital are bracing for violence.It’s only been a few months since a group of Bandidos allegedly ambushed and assaulted a group of Hell’s Angels, their arch-enemies in the biker gang world, in Finowfurt, a small town northeast of Berlin. Investigators and prosecutors say that at least half a dozen Berlin-based Banditos chased down a group of Hell’s Angels from the city, resulting in a savage fight.
When all was said and done, a gravely wounded Hell’s Angels hanger-on named Enrico K. was lying on the street — with an axe in his leg. When the police questioned him about what had happened, he attributed his gruesome wound to “a traffic accident.”In the biker system of values, there have always been two constants. One is the sacred “code of silence.” The other is the hatred for enemy biker clubs. As such, a recent development in the Berlin biker scene — first reported by SPIEGEL TV and SPIEGEL ONLINE on Wednesday — is as unprecedented as it is explosive.A total of 76 members and supporters of “Centro,” as the Berlin chapter of the Bandidos is known, are reportedly trying to defect to the Hell’s Angels camp. Investigators say the would-be defectors have already appeared in public wearing brand-new red-and-white Hell’s Angels garb, and that they have seen André S., the head of the local Hell’s Angels club, speaking with members of the rival club. The 45-year-old S. was recently stabbed — likely by Bandidos.

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massacre of Bandidos Motorcycle Club members sheds more light on the lives of several York Region residents connected to the club.

The Bandido Massacre: A True Story of Bikers, Brotherhood and Betrayal, was compiled after three years of interviews and trial coverage said author and Toronto Star crime reporter Peter Edwards. The book published Tuesday.massacre of Bandidos Motorcycle Club members sheds more light on the lives of several York Region residents connected to the club. The outlaw biker club is perhaps best known publicly in Ontario for a mass murder and subsequent trial, which concluded late last year with the conviction of six men, after the bodies of eight bikers were found near Shedden, ON.
Among those murdered in 2006 were York residents Paul "Big Paul" Sinopoli, 30, of Jackson's Point, the secretary-general of the Bandidos Toronto chapter and Jamie "Goldberg" Flanz, 37, of Keswick.
The book offers a rare glimpse into the often insular biker realm. But rather than just its seedy, dark image, Mr. Edwards paints a different picture of some of the men.For instance, Mr. Flanz, owned a computer business and was a Bandido prospect for six months before his death, and Toronto's George Kriarakis, who reportedly had a strong marriage, likely wanted camaraderie, according to Mr. Edwards.In late October, six men, Wayne Kellestine, Frank Mather, along with Winnipeg residents Marcelo Aravena, Brett Gardiner, Michael Sandham - a former police officer - and Dwight Mushey were found guilty for their roles in the killings.The Texas headquarters of the club was upset with the Canadians for breaching club rules. The night of the murder, there was an attempt to rescind the membership of several men, Mr. Edwards wrote.Even before the Bandidos massacre, Mr. Flanz's home was connected to another violent incident.In December 2005, a 20-year-old woman, who is now in witness protection and who Mr. Edwards referred to as Mary Thompson, was in a home on Hattie Court, in Gerogina, owned by Mr. Flanz.Ms Thompson had experienced a rough home life and a car accident and a high school friend of hers recommended Flanz's home as a good place to stay, he said.
She got a room upstairs and had been there a few weeks when Keswick resident Shawn Douse, who Mr. Edwards described as a husband, father and drug dealer, arrived at the home. Mr. Flanz was not home at the time.After a confrontation about drugs, Mr. Douse was taken into the basement. Upstairs, Ms Thompson could hear Mr. Douse screaming, Mr. Edwards wrote.
Mr. Douse's body was later found in a north Pickering field.Four men, who Mr. Edwards has described as connected to the Bandidos, including Keswick resident Cameron Acorn, a Bandido, and former Keswick resident Bobby Quinn as well as Randy Brown of Jackson's Point, were later convicted in connection with Mr. Douse's death. An Oakville man was also convicted.Mr. Flanz had nothing to do with the death of Mr. Douse, according to Mr. Edwards.Mr. Flanz's home was simply a "good place to meet", Mr. Edwards said.Mr. Flanz had a good rapport with Ms Thompson, the book states."He was like a big brother," Mr. Edwards said. "(Ms Thompson) was terrified the next day, she listened to the beating, which was really traumatic and then the next morning she has to clean up the blood. Her reaction was more emotional more than anything else. There was also a real fear for her life ... that she's a witness and not really part of the group."In the book, Mr. Edwards thanks Mr. Douse's father for reminding him of the human toll the murder took.
Meanwhile, Mr. Edwards said Mr. Sinopoli weighed several hundred pounds and constantly fretted about his health. Mr. Edwards describes Mr. Sinopoli, a former security guard, as having "dabbled in selling drugs".However, he was well like, Mr. Edwards said.While acknowledging the men were outlaws, Mr. Edwards said it was important to show that they were also people."A lot of them are like people we went to high school with," he said. "They might not have been on the honour roll but they were still human. A lot of them, if they stayed around a little bit longer, they probably would have floated out of it. Sometimes it's the situation that makes people the way they are."
York Regional Police is monitoring the activities of outlaw biker groups in the region, investigative services Insp. Richard Crabtree said.Today, there are two outlaw biker clubhouses in York, including one in Keswick and one in King Township, York police said.Meanwhile, Mr. Edwards also writes about Francesco "Cisco" Lenti, a Vaughan man who court records show was the subject of a Hells Angels plot to curb his attempts at Bandidos expansion. In 2008, Mr. Lenti pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of David John "Dread" Buchanan the sergeant at arms for the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club West Toronto chapter and aggravated assault for the wounding of another Hells Angel and a then-prospect member of the club. The shooting took place at a Vaughan club."He's what someone would call a one-percenter's one-percenter," Mr. Edwards said of Mr. Lenti, referring to the term by which some motorcycle riders identify themselves or are identified as being outlaws."If Lenti had been listened to, the massacre probably wouldn't have happened," Mr. Edwards said. "Lenti had a really strong, uneasy feeling about Sandham. There was something in his antennae about Sandham that he didn't trust."Mr. Edwards said he finds it unlikely that the Bandidos will make a push to expand into Ontario again soon. According to Mr. Edwards, the club is headquartered in the United States.
"The best of them were murdered and the worst of them went to prison for the murders," he said

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Sylvain Boulanger openly described to Police how he had murdered someone

Sylvain Boulanger was also granted immunity from prosecution, despite admitting to Police that he'd actually murdered someone himself. His defection from the notorious biker gang led to more than 150 arrests during Operation SharQc in 2009.The three-year operation saw Boulanger, an Angels member for over 20 years, spill the beans over murders, attempted murders and other crimes committed by his former associates.
Boulanger openly described to Police how he had murdered someone:
"The door was open, I come up on the side and I shoot. I hear 'Ow! Ow! Ow!' I see him there and in my head, he's dead. So I get out of there running," he told police in a videotaped conversation obtained by Radio-Canada.Boulanger initially asked for over £5 million but the request was turned down.

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