13:10
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Martin Robert, who police say has been linked to Hells Angels activity
Neil Purves, 27, of Cockburnspath, was detected by police as he travelled at 166mph
Neil Purves, 27, of Cockburnspath, was detected by police as he travelled at 166mph on a 60mph stretch of the A702 near West Linton in the Borders. He had admitted a charge of dangerous driving in a previous appearance at Peebles Sheriff Court. Graham Walker, representing Purves, said he had been "seduced by speed". In addition to his jail term, Purves has also been disqualified from driving for five years. Mr Walker told the court: "It is fair to say superbikes have a seductive appeal to them. "It is fair to say he was seduced by speed." 'Deeply ashamed'However, Sheriff John Horsburgh said there was no alternative to a jail term.
He said: "The speed at which you were travelling means a custodial sentence is the only option I have."
The court heard that Purves, who has since sold his Suzuki GSX-R 1000 motorbike, covered 0.7 of a mile in just 16 seconds on 13 May this year. His lawyer said he was "deeply ashamed" of the offence.
Procurator Fiscal Morag McLintock told a previous hearing: "We believe this is the highest speed that the police have ever recorded in Scotland. "A police speed check was taking place when officers were alerted by a high pitched whine from the motorcycle's engine." Last year more than 20 motorists were caught travelling at more than 100mph on the Dolphinton stretch of the A702. It has sparked calls for permanent speed cameras in the area.
He said: "The speed at which you were travelling means a custodial sentence is the only option I have."
The court heard that Purves, who has since sold his Suzuki GSX-R 1000 motorbike, covered 0.7 of a mile in just 16 seconds on 13 May this year. His lawyer said he was "deeply ashamed" of the offence.
Procurator Fiscal Morag McLintock told a previous hearing: "We believe this is the highest speed that the police have ever recorded in Scotland. "A police speed check was taking place when officers were alerted by a high pitched whine from the motorcycle's engine." Last year more than 20 motorists were caught travelling at more than 100mph on the Dolphinton stretch of the A702. It has sparked calls for permanent speed cameras in the area.
Cameraman filming the police stopping of a car full of AK81 gang members
Cameraman filming the police stopping of a car full of AK81 gang members, has been threatened and pushed by one of the gangsters during the incident late yesterday afternoon, reports broadcaster TV2.Police had been on alert as a court case involving Hells Angels spokesman Jørn ‘Jønke’ Nielsen was taking place in the Eastern High Court in the central city.He and AK81 member Esben Hertz were yesterday acquitted of charges implicating them in a stabbing.Not long after the trial’s conclusion, the car carrying the members of AK81, a Hells Angels support group, was stopped on Store Kongensgade, a street near the court house, just outside The Copenhagen Post offices. When a TV2 cameraman began filming the incident, one of the gang members walked over to him, told him to shut off the camera and pushed him away.’Luckily nothing happened to me or the camera, but I can thank the police’s quick intervention for that,’ said the TV2 employee.It is unclear if the police will charge the temperamental gang member.
Saturday, 24 October 2009
"Ballroom Blitz" - Security Footage.
"Ballroom Blitz", which occurred in the packed grand ballroom of the Royal Pines resort at Carrara on March 18, 2006? Police have now released the dramatic television camera footage showing a melee quickly erupting, with chairs and glasses thrown and tables overturned. Gunshots can then be heard.
Gary Watson, 63, remained in critical but stable condition early this week after he was shot last week in his pickup truck at the entrance to the Hells Angels clubhouse on Route 23
Gary Watson, 63, remained in critical but stable condition early this week after he was shot last week in his pickup truck at the entrance to the Hells Angels clubhouse on Route 23, said Lt. Gary Wright of the Maine State Police Criminal Investigation Division. "We're still continuing with the investigation," Wright said. "We have some leads, and we're following up on those ... We have evidence collected on scene, which needs to be evaluated ... None of these types of cases are easy.So far, no one has been charged with Watson's shooting. As of Friday late afternoon, Watson remained at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where his condition was still being monitored, said Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland.Wright explained that just because Watson is affiliated with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club does not mean the crime had anything to do with the group. However, all angles must be covered. "We have to look at every possibility," he said.When asked about the challenges of conducting an investigation that involves an organization that historically has been hesitant to talk with police, Wright said, "It's a quandary. When dealing with groups like that, it's difficult to get information. We're hopeful we might overcome this obstacle. We're certainly not certain we'll overcome it. Hopefully we develop enough information to be able to proceed ... In the end, you can't force people to talk to you."As of Tuesday, police had not yet spoken with Watson. "We're hoping that when he's physically able to speak with us, that he does," Wright said.
Watson is the only eyewitness to the shooting, he said, but "it's possible that he didn't see anything."
When asked if police are on alert for any indication of retaliation, he said, "We certainly have to be open to that possibility. We're going to be looking for anything related to this incident."Somerset County Sheriff Barry DeLong said there have been few incidents involving even a mention of Hells Angels in the past few years. "There's been complaints here and there but nothing major in the past three or so years," he said.A woman who lives near the clubhouse -- known locally as the Slaughterhouse -- said she heard about six gunshots around 5:30 p.m. last Thursday. When she looked out her window, she saw Watson's pickup truck reverse out of the clubhouse's driveway and into the middle of the road, perpendicular to the flow of traffic. When she went to Watson, there were bullet holes in his back window and side mirror, she said. One bullet appeared to have passed through his seat and entered his neck.An ambulance took Watson to the Canaan Fire Department where a LifeFlight helicopter took him to the hospital in Bangor. He underwent surgery there, McCausland said.Hells Angels members in Canaan declined to talk about the incident on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 10. Scores of motorcyclists arriving at the clubhouse during the group's Fall Roundup Chowder, Stew & Chili Cook-Off Saturday drove past a reporter seeking comment outside the entrance. A Maine State Police trooper could be seen driving past the clubhouse on Route 23 during the afternoon and was later parked just off the road, less than a half mile away.
Watson is the only eyewitness to the shooting, he said, but "it's possible that he didn't see anything."
When asked if police are on alert for any indication of retaliation, he said, "We certainly have to be open to that possibility. We're going to be looking for anything related to this incident."Somerset County Sheriff Barry DeLong said there have been few incidents involving even a mention of Hells Angels in the past few years. "There's been complaints here and there but nothing major in the past three or so years," he said.A woman who lives near the clubhouse -- known locally as the Slaughterhouse -- said she heard about six gunshots around 5:30 p.m. last Thursday. When she looked out her window, she saw Watson's pickup truck reverse out of the clubhouse's driveway and into the middle of the road, perpendicular to the flow of traffic. When she went to Watson, there were bullet holes in his back window and side mirror, she said. One bullet appeared to have passed through his seat and entered his neck.An ambulance took Watson to the Canaan Fire Department where a LifeFlight helicopter took him to the hospital in Bangor. He underwent surgery there, McCausland said.Hells Angels members in Canaan declined to talk about the incident on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 10. Scores of motorcyclists arriving at the clubhouse during the group's Fall Roundup Chowder, Stew & Chili Cook-Off Saturday drove past a reporter seeking comment outside the entrance. A Maine State Police trooper could be seen driving past the clubhouse on Route 23 during the afternoon and was later parked just off the road, less than a half mile away.
Saturday, 17 October 2009
David "Bart" Barbeito is too dangerous to free pending trial.
David "Bart" Barbeito is too dangerous to free pending trial, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Stanley ruled after FBI testimony about an allegedly violent confrontation involving the club's ruling panel and renegade West Virginia bikers in 2003. She also heard a recording of a conversation involving Barbeito and other Pagans leaders in Pittsburgh four years ago.Barbeito, who's led the club since 1989, is the lead defendant in a 44-count indictment returned against 55 Pagans and associates from West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Florida. The charges include two murder conspiracies, kidnapping, weapons violations and drug dealing.Barbeito pleaded not guilty to one charge stemming the 2003 confrontation and three gambling counts. The Pagans' trial is set for Dec. 15.Barbeito, 49, of Myersville, Md., also faces state kidnapping and conspiracy charges in West Virginia.
The 2003 incident centers on a dispute between national vice president Floyd "Diamond Jesse" Moore and six or seven members of the club's Charleston chapter. Moore also is being held pending trial.
A Pagans member who has become an informant says Barbeito told him to retrieve a shotgun that he held on six or seven cohorts at the club's South Charleston clubhouse, said FBI agent Chris Courtright, who conceded the informant's version of events was not corroborated."He (Barbeito) and the other members who traveled to West Virginia were going to solve this problem," Courtright said. Those members comprised the Pagans' so-called mother club, which investigators say functions as a sort of board of directors for the organization. "He was on the side of Jesse and the mother club members that were present."The dispute was resolved without injuries, though the local members quit the Pagans, Courtright said.Defense attorney Stanley Needleman argued the dispute centered on drug dealing by the Charleston members, who were booted for selling speed."It was Mr. Barbeito who outlawed it," Needleman said.Federal prosecutor Steve Loew also surprised Pagans member William Grayson by calling him as a witness. Grayson has attended earlier arraignments and was in the courthouse but not the courtroom Thursday.Grayson repeatedly invoked his right against incriminating himself and refused to answer questions about his membership in the club and whether he has replaced Moore as national vice president.He did, however, say Moore probably isn't vice president because he's in custody. Grayson also acknowledged two federal convictions for his role in a deadly 2002 brawl with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in New York. Seventy-three Pagans were convicted of federal charges stemming from the fight. One died.
The 2003 incident centers on a dispute between national vice president Floyd "Diamond Jesse" Moore and six or seven members of the club's Charleston chapter. Moore also is being held pending trial.
A Pagans member who has become an informant says Barbeito told him to retrieve a shotgun that he held on six or seven cohorts at the club's South Charleston clubhouse, said FBI agent Chris Courtright, who conceded the informant's version of events was not corroborated."He (Barbeito) and the other members who traveled to West Virginia were going to solve this problem," Courtright said. Those members comprised the Pagans' so-called mother club, which investigators say functions as a sort of board of directors for the organization. "He was on the side of Jesse and the mother club members that were present."The dispute was resolved without injuries, though the local members quit the Pagans, Courtright said.Defense attorney Stanley Needleman argued the dispute centered on drug dealing by the Charleston members, who were booted for selling speed."It was Mr. Barbeito who outlawed it," Needleman said.Federal prosecutor Steve Loew also surprised Pagans member William Grayson by calling him as a witness. Grayson has attended earlier arraignments and was in the courthouse but not the courtroom Thursday.Grayson repeatedly invoked his right against incriminating himself and refused to answer questions about his membership in the club and whether he has replaced Moore as national vice president.He did, however, say Moore probably isn't vice president because he's in custody. Grayson also acknowledged two federal convictions for his role in a deadly 2002 brawl with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in New York. Seventy-three Pagans were convicted of federal charges stemming from the fight. One died.
Guns may belong to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang
Dredger-operator working to clean up a bush-laden area in the city’s Amager district yesterday got a serious shock when he heard a loud bang.The blast came from a sawn-off shotgun – one of two the dredger had inadvertently dug up, along with some compatible shells in a plastic bag. Police suspect the guns may belong to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, whose clubhouse is just around the corner from the site.The items have been handed over to the police’s forensic unit.
Member of the East End Hells Angels convicted on four weapons counts in July was ordered freed on bail Tuesday on his next round of charges.
Member of the East End Hells Angels convicted on four weapons counts in July was ordered freed on bail Tuesday on his next round of charges.
Zavisa Drecic, 45, of Buchner Road, was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday in a Toronto courtroom.
Zavisa Drecic, a former member of the Niagara Hells Angels, had been transferred to the Woodbridge chapter of the gang when he was swept up in a provincewide police crackdown in 2007. Zavisa Drecic, 45, of Buchner Road, was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday in a Toronto courtroom. He was credited a year for pretrial custody and restricted bail conditions. Project Develop was an OPP-led investigation into the gang that used one of its members as an informant. Drecic was one of 31 people arrested in pre-dawn raids on April 4, 2007, in Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick. He spent 30 months under house arrest at his Welland home. Drecic, who facilitated drug transactions through a third party, pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking illegal substances, but not guilty to trafficking in association with a criminal organization. He was found guilty of the criminal association charge earlier this month. Prosecutor Tanit Gilliam said Drecic brokered a $500 deal via a third party on May 16, 2006, for 279 grams of gamma hydroxybutyrate acid (GHB), commonly referred to as the date-rape drug. On May 25, 2006,, he facilitated the sale of 136 litres of GHB for $25,000. On Sept. 22, 2006, he sold a kilogram of cocaine for $29,500 and one kilogram of ephedrine for $1,500. He also sold a kilogram of cocaine on Feb. 1, 2007, for $36,000. Two other locals arrested during Project Develop have already been through the courts. Kevin Skuta of Welland was sentenced in May to five years and nine months in jail after pleading guilty to trafficking more than 100 litres of GHB and trafficking a kilogram of cocaine.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Hells Angels support club known as the Jesters has opened a new clubhouse in the 10600-block of Scott Road in Surrey
Hells Angels support club known as the Jesters has opened a new clubhouse in the 10600-block of Scott Road in Surrey, and another group with links to the Angels -- the Shadow motorcycle club -- took over a Whalley clubhouse off King George Highway earlier this year that had been run briefly by the Outcasts puppet club. Police have seen other biker clubs started in recent months in Ashcroft, Fort St. John, Campbell River and 100 Mile House, most of whom have made appearances at events with the Hells Angels.
"This is also a phenomenon we are seeing across Canada," Insp. Gary Shinkaruk, of the RCMP's Outlaw Motorcycle Gang unit, said Wednesday. "There are more of these support puppet clubs springing up right everywhere, even in the Maritimes."Police say puppet clubs are being used as a survival tool by the Hells Angels after a series of recent convictions of high-profile members and the growth of violent rival mid-level drug gangs such as the United Nations and Red Scorpions. The puppet gangs -- so-called because the Hells Angels are thought to pull their strings -- create a much larger network that HA members can use criminally, while insulating themselves from law enforcement. Just this summer, as the Haney chapter of the Hells Angels celebrated its anniversary, police saw bikers wearing a three-piece patch for the fledgling "Devil's Army" motorcycle club. Shinkaruk said the Devil's Army is headed by long-time Hells Angel associate Ricky Alexander, 54.The patch shows the puppet club as operating out of Campbell River, although Alexander is a Lower Mainland resident who owns an acreage in Mission and condos in Burnaby and Pitt Meadows. "They came out of the Haney (Hells Angels) clubhouse sporting those colours. That certainly indicates they have the approval," Shinkaruk said. "It is certainly my belief that they are going to be subservient to Haney and at their beck and call." He said the Haney chapter has "had internal strife and difficulty with the Red Scorpions," two reasons why they might want to expand their circle of friends.The new Devil's Army head visited the RCMP in Campbell River to tell them the group was not criminal, Shinkaruk said. Alexander was convicted in April of 2001 of possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition after being stopped in Vancouver with what police believed was a hit list in the glove box of his rental car and a loaded pink handgun in his waistband. The first name on the hand-written list was "John Suspect" who Vancouver police said was a person of interest in the murder a month earlier of full-patch Angel Donald Roming. Also on the list were three of John Suspect's associates, including a man later gunned down at a Vancouver gas station.
Rick Ciarniello, spokesman for the Hells Angels, denied Wednesday that his club has any puppet or support groups. "We don't have any of those," he said. "I have nothing to say about any of that. It has nothing to do with us." Asked about the Devils' Army being present at the Haney party this summer, Ciarniello said: "Everybody who comes to our event doesn't necessarily have anything to do with us."
"This is also a phenomenon we are seeing across Canada," Insp. Gary Shinkaruk, of the RCMP's Outlaw Motorcycle Gang unit, said Wednesday. "There are more of these support puppet clubs springing up right everywhere, even in the Maritimes."Police say puppet clubs are being used as a survival tool by the Hells Angels after a series of recent convictions of high-profile members and the growth of violent rival mid-level drug gangs such as the United Nations and Red Scorpions. The puppet gangs -- so-called because the Hells Angels are thought to pull their strings -- create a much larger network that HA members can use criminally, while insulating themselves from law enforcement. Just this summer, as the Haney chapter of the Hells Angels celebrated its anniversary, police saw bikers wearing a three-piece patch for the fledgling "Devil's Army" motorcycle club. Shinkaruk said the Devil's Army is headed by long-time Hells Angel associate Ricky Alexander, 54.The patch shows the puppet club as operating out of Campbell River, although Alexander is a Lower Mainland resident who owns an acreage in Mission and condos in Burnaby and Pitt Meadows. "They came out of the Haney (Hells Angels) clubhouse sporting those colours. That certainly indicates they have the approval," Shinkaruk said. "It is certainly my belief that they are going to be subservient to Haney and at their beck and call." He said the Haney chapter has "had internal strife and difficulty with the Red Scorpions," two reasons why they might want to expand their circle of friends.The new Devil's Army head visited the RCMP in Campbell River to tell them the group was not criminal, Shinkaruk said. Alexander was convicted in April of 2001 of possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition after being stopped in Vancouver with what police believed was a hit list in the glove box of his rental car and a loaded pink handgun in his waistband. The first name on the hand-written list was "John Suspect" who Vancouver police said was a person of interest in the murder a month earlier of full-patch Angel Donald Roming. Also on the list were three of John Suspect's associates, including a man later gunned down at a Vancouver gas station.
Rick Ciarniello, spokesman for the Hells Angels, denied Wednesday that his club has any puppet or support groups. "We don't have any of those," he said. "I have nothing to say about any of that. It has nothing to do with us." Asked about the Devils' Army being present at the Haney party this summer, Ciarniello said: "Everybody who comes to our event doesn't necessarily have anything to do with us."
Friday, 25 September 2009
Sentenced Nicholas Frank "Shonky" Cassidy, 46, and James Scott Parnwell Knight, 41, to two years and six months in jail for assaulting two men in the brawl at the Airport Hotel
sentenced Nicholas Frank "Shonky" Cassidy, 46, and James Scott Parnwell Knight, 41, to two years and six months in jail for assaulting two men in the brawl at the Airport Hotel in December, 2007.
Cassidy and Knight were found guilty by a jury earlier this week.Knight was also found guilty of going armed in public with a claw hammer, and of a breach of a suspended sentence for not answering questions of the Australian Crime Commission.Cassidy was given a non-parole period of 15 months, and Knight was given 20 months.
Justice Riley said the attack "was of a kind which causes disquiet in the community".
Cassidy, Knight and four other men attacked two brothers after Cassidy was knocked out in a fight started over a "fat" joke at Cassidy's expense.
"chop shop" being run out of a Phoenix home by members of the Hells Angels.
Police arrested six people Thursday in connection with a "chop shop" being run out of a Phoenix home by members of the Hells Angels.A search warrant was served at 3054 West Redfield Road, near 31st Avenue and Thunderbird Road.Police said two of the people arrested were members of Hells Angels motorcycle club and two other are associates of Hells Angels.Police said they found stolen motorcycles parts and 10 altered or scratched of VIN numbers when they searched the home.They said they served the search warrant after conducting a three-month long investigation.Phoenix police have yet to release the names of the people they arrested.They face various several charges including own or operate a chop shop, theft of means of transportation, altered or manipulated VIN, illegal control of an enterprise, participating in a criminal street gang and possession of marijuana.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Arizona jury labeled the Hells Angels a criminal street gang when they convicted a gang member in an assault case at a Scottsdale bar.
A Maricopa County Superior Court jury handed down the precedent-setting verdict in the trial of Nathaniel Sample, 32.Sample was convicted of aggravated assault and of acting for the benefit of a criminal street gang.
Trouble broke out when members of the Hells Angels support group AK81 and immigrant youths arrived at the courthouse on Nytorv in Copenhagen.
“Café tables and chairs were thrown but no-one was seriously injured and we have not arrested anyone,” the Duty Police Officer tells Ritzau.Friends of those on trial also threatened journalists sent to cover the trial, but a police operation prevented the situation developing.According to an eyewitness, a group of some eight young immigrant youths were waiting in front of the courthouse when five aggressive and vociferous bikers rounded the corner.“The biker-types went straight onto the attack at the group in front of the courthouse with a baseball bat, chairs and tables – but the youths counterattacked,” Ritzau quotes the witness as saying.After a short battle, both groups are reported to have run off.Inside the courthouse, the first major case in the Copenhagen gang war had come to trial.Two young gang members are accused of shooting at a Hells Angels-related clothing and tattooist business in Nørrebro last September. The young men shot through the window of the shop from a scooter, grazing the manager’s neck.
Full-patch member of the Nanaimo Hells Angels, will go on trial in January in B.C. Supreme Court on charges of assault, kidnapping, extortion and uttering threats.
A trial date had been set in provincial court for Hells Angels member Lea Sheppe, 57, and Dean Madill.
While the pair were in court on Sept. 2, the trial instead became a preliminary hearing and they were ordered to stand trial in B.C. Supreme Court on Jan. 18.They have chosen trial by judge alone.Both are charged with assault, uttering threats and extortion on March 21 and forcible confinement on March 23 in Errington. Madill is charged with aggravated assault on May 23 against a man who suffered serious head injuries that required surgery in Victoria. A ban on publication prevents the victim from being publicly identified or evidence heard at the preliminary hearing being reported.
While the pair were in court on Sept. 2, the trial instead became a preliminary hearing and they were ordered to stand trial in B.C. Supreme Court on Jan. 18.They have chosen trial by judge alone.Both are charged with assault, uttering threats and extortion on March 21 and forcible confinement on March 23 in Errington. Madill is charged with aggravated assault on May 23 against a man who suffered serious head injuries that required surgery in Victoria. A ban on publication prevents the victim from being publicly identified or evidence heard at the preliminary hearing being reported.
Striker force was established days after a fatal bikie brawl at Sydney airport between members of the Comancheros and Hells Angels.
Mr Daley said police had since seized firearms, motorcycles, cars, cash, drugs, drug manufacturing equipment and had also dismantled large-scale drug manufacturing and distribution networks."Each day police from local area commands are targeting bikies with simple but effective measures, routine firearms inspections, premises inspections, traffic stops, bail compliance checks, they're driving them crazy," Mr Daley told NSW Parliament on Tuesday.But Mr Daley said he was concerned about a police raid at the Bandidos clubhouse in Petersham, in Sydney's inner-west, on Saturday after drunk children as young as 13 were seen leaving the venue.Alcohol and cigarettes were seized in the raid, as well cash and a 30cm hunting knife, police said."It's pretty clear what the marketing strategy here is - kids, come and get your smokes and drinks from us now, come back in a few years time for your ecstasy and methamphetamine," Mr Daley said."It won't be tolerated and police will jump on top of it, we all hold that sort of behaviour in contempt."
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Full Throttle Motorcycle Club 37-year-old Kenon Macon, of Bakersfield, was killed outside Clem's, on Muscat and Valentine.
37-year-old Kenon Macon, of Bakersfield, was killed outside Clem's, on Muscat and Valentine. Investigators say there was a large party there, with several hundred bikers in attendance. Two other people were also shot, but they are expected to recover. Macon was a member of the Full Throttle Motorcycle Club. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information to come forward.
Saturday, 12 September 2009
Gang war between the Hells Angels and the immigrant Muslims fighting for drug turf.
'The witness testimonies are contradictory. Some are talking about two perpetrators, others saw three. And ,at the moment, I'm unable to give a detailed description of them," said detective Knud Hvass.
Monday, 17 August 2009
Bandidos Boss, identified only as Michael B., was shot to death following his alleged defection from the Hells Angels
Leader of the Bandidos, identified only as Michael B., was shot to death following his alleged defection from the Hells Angels as reported by Bild: "the Bandidos and Hells Angels are bitter rivals and have been waging a bloody war with each other in Germany for years with contract killings and assaults." Michael B., was a leading member of the 'Bandidos' rocker gang.But he had just switched from the rival 'Hells Angels' gang - was he executed for his defection?The shots were fired from a black delivery van as Michael was walking along the street at midnight. A bullet hit him directly in the heart and an artery in his thigh was also badly damaged.Residents in Hohenschönhausen in the east of the city heard shots around midnight, according to a police spokesman. The gang member was found lying in the street outside an apartment block.The victim was 33 and lived in the area, and was familiar to police from the rocker scene. He managed to drag himself about 200 metres before he collapsed and died.A doctor tried to resuscitate him but it was too late. An autopsy should be carried out later today to find out the exact cause of death.The investigation has been taken over by the State Office of Criminal Investigation and a murder commission. No suspects have been identified yet but they are the hunt for the black delivery van.An eyewitness reported that the area was flooded with police. The entire block was closed off.
Initial reports that the victim was the leader of a rock group called ‘Bandidos’
have not been confirmed. Some rocker gangs, such as the ‘Bandidos’ and ‘Hells Angels’, are bitter rivals and have been waging a bloody war with each other in Germany for years with contract killings and assaults.
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Christopher Bryan Ablett, 36, a reputed member of the Mongols motorcycle gang, is accused of killing 46-year-old Mark "Papa" Guardado outside a bar
Christopher Bryan Ablett, 36, a reputed member of the Mongols motorcycle gang, is accused of killing 46-year-old Mark "Papa" Guardado outside a bar in San Francisco's Mission District on Sept. 2, 2008.Federal murder charges have been filed against an alleged biker gang member accused of shooting to death the leader of the San Francisco chapter of the rival Hells Angels gang last year, making for a potential death penalty case.Ablett, of Modesto, was declared a fugitive shortly thereafter, and turned himself in to police in Oklahoma in October. He was later extradited back to San Francisco to stand trial on murder charges filed by the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.Ablett was scheduled to begin a preliminary hearing in the state case this week, but a federal indictment handed down July 23 in San Francisco charged him with murder in the aid of racketeering and use of a firearm in a murder. Both charges are eligible for the death penalty.He is also charged with use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a maximum punishment of life in prison.Ablett pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in federal court Wednesday and remains in federal custody.A detention hearing scheduled for today was postponed until Aug. 12, when Ablett will also be appointed a new attorney.
The Mongols gang operates across the United States and is believed to have 500 to 600 members in chapters throughout California, as well as in Oklahoma and several other states, Mexico and Canada, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.The indictment calls the gang "a criminal organization" engaging in murder, drug trafficking, robbery, extortion, money laundering and witness intimidation.State murder charges remain against Ablett, pending resolution of his federal case, according to the district attorney's office.
The Mongols gang operates across the United States and is believed to have 500 to 600 members in chapters throughout California, as well as in Oklahoma and several other states, Mexico and Canada, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.The indictment calls the gang "a criminal organization" engaging in murder, drug trafficking, robbery, extortion, money laundering and witness intimidation.State murder charges remain against Ablett, pending resolution of his federal case, according to the district attorney's office.
