First Mongols member sentenced in deadly Nevada biker brawl


Published: 4 Jan 08
A MONGOLS motorcycle club member was sentenced yesterday to two-to-five years in Nevada state prison for his part in a deadly casino brawl with rival Hells Angels during a biker rally in 2002.

Under terms of his plea deal and sentence, 28-year-old Pedro Martinez Jr. could be freed by summer, after already serving time while waiting to be sentenced.

Martinez became the first of six current and former Mongols members to be sentenced after all took plea deals to avoid trial in the casino fight left three dead in April 2002.

Six Hells Angels members also have been sentenced after taking plea deals in separate federal and state cases. Most got around 30 months in prison. Martinez pleaded guilty last month to felony battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily harm. He was accused of shooting and wounding a Hells Angels member.

Biker gets 28 years for fatal bar shooting

By MARTIN C. BRICKETTO
STAFF WRITER

The Pagans biker gang member who pleaded guilty to the 2005 shooting death of a Hillsborough man at Gatto's Bar & Grill in Manville was sentenced to 28 years in prison Monday.

William E. Martin Jr., 35, of North Plainfield, must serve 85 percent of that term before he becomes eligible for parole, Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest said.

The sentence handed down by Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman followed the terms of a plea agreement Martin accepted in September.

The proceeding came more than two years after John Grover, 40, was gunned down on April 17, 2005, in what witness testimony suggested was a case of mistaken affiliation.

Martin admitted that he saw Grover wearing a Hells Angels T-shirt at Gatto's and thought he might be affiliated with the rival motorcycle gang, Forrest said.

Accompanied by Peter J. Ciarletta of Warren, Martin said he was leaving the bar when he made a derogatory comment as he passed Grover's seat.

Martin said he heard someone follow him out of the bar and allegedly make a threatening comment. He fired a 9mm handgun from the sidewalk, hitting Grover in the lower torso area, Forrest said.

Shot twice, Grover died from his wounds. Martin admitted to knowing that Grover was unarmed, Forrest said.

Witnesses testified that Grover was only asking what the two men had said when he moved toward the doorway.

Witnesses also said Grover was not a member of any motorcycle gang and didn't even own a motorcycle, according to Forrest.

Martin didn't have a permit for the gun and was also barred from owning or carrying such weapons because of prior convictions, Forrest said. Ciarletta, a reputed Pagans member as well, was carrying a .22-caliber revolver for which he didn't have the necessary permits.

Ciarletta and Martin fled the scene in a Jeep Wrangler that Ciarletta had borrowed from a friend, traveling toward Hillsborough, police said at the time. Hillsborough police pulled the Jeep over, but Martin jumped out of the car and ran. Officers arrested him in a wooded area behind a housing development.

Martin pleaded guilty on Sept. 19 to first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and third-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

Martin also pleaded guilty to a separate indictment charging second-degree certain persons not to have weapons.

Ciarletta pleaded guilty to second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and third-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

Ciarletta's sentencing, originally scheduled for Monday as well, was adjourned to a later date.

Before the plea agreement, Martin and Ciarletta had each been charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder. They faced maximum sentences of life in prison

More Evel links

Iconic daredevil Evel Knievel dies at 69

By MITCH STACY, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Evel Knievel, the red-white-and-blue-spangled motorcycle daredevil whose jumps over crazy obstacles including Greyhound buses, live sharks and Idaho's Snake River Canyon made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69.
ADVERTISEMENT

Knievel's death was confirmed by his granddaughter, Krysten Knievel. He had been in failing health for years, suffering from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable condition that scarred his lungs.

Knievel had undergone a liver transplant in 1999 after nearly dying of hepatitis C, likely contracted through a blood transfusion after one of his bone-shattering spills.

Longtime friend and promoter Billy Rundel said Knievel had trouble breathing at his Clearwater condominium and died before an ambulance could get him to a hospital.

"It's been coming for years, but you just don't expect it. Superman just doesn't die, right?" Rundel said.

Immortalized in the Washington's Smithsonian Institution as "America's Legendary Daredevil," Knievel was best known for a failed 1974 attempt to jump Snake River Canyon on a rocket-powered cycle and a spectacular crash at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. He suffered nearly 40 broken bones before he retired in 1980.

"I think he lived 20 years longer than most people would have" after so many injuries, said his son Kelly Knievel, 47. "I think he willed himself into an extra five or six years."

Though Knievel dropped off the pop culture radar in the '80s, the image of the high-flying motorcyclist clad in patriotic, star-studded colors was never erased from public consciousness. He always had fans and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years.

His death came just two days after it was announced that he and rapper Kanye West had settled a federal lawsuit over the use of Knievel's trademarked image in a popular West music video.

Knievel made a good living selling his autographs and endorsing products. Thousands came to Butte, Mont., every year as his legend was celebrated during the "Evel Knievel Days" festival, which Rundel organizes.

"They started out watching me bust my ass, and I became part of their lives," Knievel said. "People wanted to associate with a winner, not a loser. They wanted to associate with someone who kept trying to be a winner."

For the tall, thin daredevil, the limelight was always comfortable, the gab glib. To Knievel, there always were mountains to climb, feats to conquer.

"No king or prince has lived a better life," he said in a May 2006 interview with The Associated Press. "You're looking at a guy who's really done it all. And there are things I wish I had done better, not only for me but for the ones I loved."

He had a knack for outrageous yarns: "Made $60 million, spent 61. ...Lost $250,000 at blackjack once. ... Had $3 million in the bank, though."

He began his daredevil career in 1965 when he formed a troupe called Evel Knievel's Motorcycle Daredevils, a touring show in which he performed stunts such as riding through fire walls, jumping over live rattlesnakes and mountain lions and being towed at 200 mph behind dragster race cars.

In 1966 he began touring alone, barnstorming the West and doing everything from driving the trucks, erecting the ramps and promoting the shows. In the beginning he charged $500 for a jump over two cars parked between ramps.

He steadily increased the length of the jumps until, on New Year's Day 1968, he was nearly killed when he jumped 151 feet across the fountains in front of Caesar's Palace. He cleared the fountains but the crash landing put him in the hospital in a coma for a month.

His son, Robbie, successfully completed the same jump in April 1989.

In the years after the Caesar's crash, the fee for Evel's performances increased to $1 million for his jump over 13 buses at Wembley Stadium in London — the crash landing broke his pelvis — to more than $6 million for the Sept. 8, 1974, attempt to clear the Snake River Canyon in Idaho in a rocket-powered "Skycycle." The money came from ticket sales, paid sponsors and ABC's "Wide World of Sports."

The parachute malfunctioned and deployed after takeoff. Strong winds blew the cycle into the canyon, landing him close to the swirling river below.

On Oct. 25, 1975, he jumped 14 Greyhound buses at Kings Island in Ohio.

Knievel decided to retire after a jump in the winter of 1976 in which he was again seriously injured. He suffered a concussion and broke both arms in an attempt to jump a tank full of live sharks in the Chicago Amphitheater. He continued to do smaller exhibitions around the country with his son, Robbie.

Many of his records have been broken by daredevil motorcyclist Bubba Blackwell.

Knievel also dabbled in movies and TV, starring as himself in "Viva Knievel" and with Lindsay Wagner in an episode of the 1980s TV series "Bionic Woman." George Hamilton and Sam Elliott each played Knievel in movies about his life.

Evel Knievel toys accounted for more than $300 million in sales for Ideal and other companies in the 1970s and '80s.

Born Robert Craig Knievel in the copper mining town of Butte on Oct. 17, 1938, Knievel was raised by his grandparents. He traced his career choice back to the time he saw Joey Chitwood's Auto Daredevil Show at age 8.

"The phrase one-of-a-kind is often used, but it probably applies best to Bobby Knievel," said U.S. Rep. Pat Williams, D-Mont., who grew up with Knievel. "He was an amazing athlete... He was sharp as a tack, one of the smartest people I've ever known and finally, as the world knows, no one had more guts than Bobby. He was simply unafraid of anything."

Outstanding in track and field, ski jumping and ice hockey at Butte High School, Knievel went on to win the Northern Rocky Mountain Ski Association Class A Men's ski jumping championship in 1957 and played with the Charlotte Clippers of the Eastern Hockey League in 1959.

He also formed the Butte Bombers semiprofessional hockey team, acting as owner, manager, coach and player.

Knievel also worked in the Montana copper mines, served in the Army, ran his own hunting guide service, sold insurance and ran Honda motorcycle dealerships. As a motorcycle dealer, he drummed up business by offering $100 off the price of a motorcycle to customers who could beat him at arm wrestling.

At various times and in different interviews, Knievel claimed to have been a swindler, a card thief, a safe cracker, a holdup man.

Evel Knievel married hometown girlfriend, Linda Joan Bork, in 1959. They separated in the early 1990s. They had four children, Kelly, Robbie, Tracey and Alicia.

Robbie Knievel followed in his father's footsteps as a daredevil, jumping a moving locomotive in a 200-foot, ramp-to-ramp motorcycle stunt on live television in 2000. He also jumped a 200-foot-wide chasm of the Grand Canyon.

Knievel lived with his longtime partner, Krystal Kennedy-Knievel, splitting his time between their Clearwater condo and Butte. They married in 1999 and divorced a few years later but remained together. Knievel had 10 grandchildren and a great-grandchild

19/11 Bikers to plead guilty in deadly riot

Nevada - --Three of six Mongols charged in the deadly 2002 Laughlin River Run riot with the Hells Angels rival biker gang are expected to accept plea deals Monday in District Court.

Alexander Alcantar, who is accused of killing two Hells Angels, and Roger Pinney and Victor Ramirez have agreed to plead guilty in exchange for lesser sentences, according to their attorneys.

Prosecutor Chris Owens declined to speak about the charges the Mongols will plead to until after the hearing.

He said the three other Mongol defendants -- Benjamin Leyva, Pedro Martinez and Kenneth Dysart -- are contemplating whether to accept plea agreements or go to trial Nov. 26 before District Judge Michelle Leavitt.

The men are accused of taking part in a deadly riot at a Laughlin casino. When the violence broke out, multiple members of the gangs brandished weapons and shot, stabbed and bludgeoned one another.

When the fighting ended, three people were dead: Hells Angels Robert Emmet Tumelty, 50, of Stockton, Calif., and Jeramie Dean Bell, 27, of Hughson, Calif., and Mongol Anthony Salvador Barrera, 43, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

Alcantar's defense attorney, Dominic Gentile, said his client will plead guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter if the judge will agree to sentence him to 18 to 45 months in prison.

Owens has called Alcantar, 34, the most culpable of all the defendants in the case because he is accused of killing two people. Gentile has argued the killings were self-defense.

But Gentile said Friday that Alcantar did not want to take that argument to a jury, where he might face multiple prejudices because the riot occurred in a casino and he "happens to be a motorcycle enthusiast."

"If we're wrong, we're looking at four consecutive life sentences, which means he'd definitely spend the rest of his life in prison," Gentile said. "This way, he'll be home in two years."

If Leavitt does not agree to the sentence, Gentile said, Alcantar will proceed to trial.

He would then be accompanied by at least Leyva, whose attorney, Amy Chelini, said will not accept a plea deal.

The group is facing 12 charges, including two counts of murder with use of a deadly weapon with the intent to promote a gang.

The men had been facing more than 70 charges, but in March 2006, the Nevada Supreme Court stole much of prosecutors' thunder when justices threw out most of the conspiracy charges filed against the bikers.

"The Nevada Supreme Court changed 130 years of Nevada law in liability, which being applied retroactively resulted in the dismissal of a number of charges," Owens said.

He said the plea deals offered were similar to the plea deals the district attorney's office reached with Hells Angels members, who received little or no prison time.

Many other biker gang members involved in the Laughlin melee already have been sentenced in both state and federal courts on a variety of charges.

John Bowers, a biker who loved kids


PA - JOHN T. "Maverick" Bowers, a member of the Pagan Outlaw Motorcycle Club who was devoted to sick children, will have a viewing tonight at Anton Urban Funeral Home in Ambler. Bowers, 60, of Oreland, Montgomery County, was riding side-by-side with another Pagan on their Harley Davidsons past the the Blackhorse Tavern near Norristown Friday night when they collided with a car. Bowers' fellow cyclist and the other motorist remain hospitalized, police said.

Dozens of Pagan bikers are expected from California, Florida and other states to attend the funeral services.

Bowers, a member of the Pagan's Montgomery County chapter for more than 30 years, was "widely respected" in biker circles for his charitable work with children, according to his son, Matthew Bowers, 30, also a biker.

He was affiliated with Bikers against Child Abuse, helped to organize Toys for Tots motorcycle runs in Montgomery County and held numerous 50-50 fundraisers, especially for children with cancer.

"Every year, he'd let his hair grow long, then he'd cut it and take it over to 'Locks of Love.' They'd make wigs for children who had cancer," said his son.

"Everyone he knew would do the same thing," he added. "The last time he did it was in June."

Matthew Bowers described his father as "very warm and friendly who touched a lot of people."

Photos of him with his wife, Cynthia, are posted on patriotsmcpa. com, a Web site for a motorcycle club in Lansdale, where viewers can post comments for his memorial.

Born in Philadelphia, Bowers was raised in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, where he graduated from Springfield High School in 1965.

Two years later, he married the former Cynthia Campbell, also a motorcycle enthusiast. Bowers had been riding motorcycles since he was 17 and didn't own a car.

But when the couple began to raise a family of five children, they bought a house in Oreland, and dropped out of biker activities.

Matthew said that as a 5-year-old he was stricken with Guillain-Barre syndrome, in which the body's immune system attacks the neuromuscular system causing paralysis. Doctors warned that he may never walk again.

At Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for 15 months, Matthew said, his father never left his side. He quit his job and stayed in a bed next to him.

"He never flinched an eye. He was a strong-minded guy, a tough guy," he said. "I was supposed to die."

With medical treatment, eventually, the infection wore off, said Matthew, and he entered physical therapy to learn to walk again.

After the near-death scare of his son, Bowers began his charitable activities.

"He just had a thing for kids. He really feels for these people. He's always the first one there, and he brought a lot of people with him.

"This had nothing to do with who he was riding with," said Matthew. "They just respected him."

Bowers spent his career as a truck driver for construction companies, most recently for Danella Construction Corp. for nearly 10 years. Bowers also owned J.T. Embroidery, a T-shirt business, for several years in Oreland.

Beside his wife and Matthew, Bowers is survived by four other children, John P. Bowers, Kelly Wilsbach, Linda Bowers and Jennifer Hamilton; and five grandchildren.

After the burial, Pagan members will "backfill" by hand the grave in St. John Neumann Cemetery in Chalfont, filling it with soil and Pagan memorabilia, said Matthew Bowers.

The viewing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Urban Funeral Home, 1111 S. Bethlehem Pike, Ambler.

A second viewing will be from 9 to 10:45 a.m. tomorrow followed by an 11 a.m. Funeral Mass at Holy Martyrs Catholic Church, 121 Alllison Road, Oreland. *

Threat sways witness at trial of outlaw bikers

By KITTY CAPARELLA

caparek@phillynews.com 215-854-5880

The government lost two key witnesses against the president of the Pennsylvania Breed Outlaw Motorcycle Club this week when one refused to testify and another suddenly lost his memory in a federal drug trial.

Without the jury present, Thomas Burke, an ex-Breed prospect, testified on Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III that he had received a telephone threat warning him not to testify about his 2003 beating.

Burke blamed the threat on a Daily News article published on Sept. 21 in which Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Foulkes recounted his assault in her opening statement.

Foulkes had told the jury that in January 2003, Burke refused an order by chapter president John "Junior" Napoli to deliver a sack of methamphetamine to a New Jersey customer.

Two months later, Breed members pummeled him so badly that his eye socket was fractured, and Napoli allegedly used a power tool to drill a drywall screw in his arm, she added.

As Burke lay in a pool of blood, Napoli allegedly tried to set the victim on fire, she said. Burke required surgery to reconstruct his eye socket and his face.

As National Breed president Salvatore "The Wop" DiLullio and New Jersey chapter president John "Shameless" Kovaks sat among Breed members and associates in court, Burke testified that he was willing to go to jail to avoid testifying.

Burke told the judge that his daughter moved back home and that he did not want to leave the Bucks County area, where family lived. "I gotta protect my family."

Asked if anyone in the room was responsible for the threats, Burke replied, "I'm not going to disclose that."

In a wiretapped call in the case, Napoli and another biker laughed about how they intimidated witnesses.

Napoli, William "Tattoo Billy" Johnson and Thomas "Fuzzy" Heilman are charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Napoli and Johnson are also charged with committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering, multiple firearms violations and forfeiture.

Sources close to the investigation said the call allegedly had come from an intermediary of co-defendant Charles "Ruthless" Kulow.

"He just got scared and did not want to testify," said Napoli's attorney, Jack McMahon, yesterday. "I just think he made it up for his own reasons.

"If he was truly scared, he could have gotten the assistance of law enforcement."

Two days ago, another government witness, John Evancho, testified that he could not identify Napoli as the the knife-wielding assailant who stabbed a man during an Oct. 4, 2003, fight.

Evancho said the man was trying to break up a brawl after Breed members in their colors - denim vests with their logo - were asked leave the Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge in Fairless Hills, Bucks County.

According to court observers, Evancho stared directly at Napoli when he said he could not identify him. Recently, Evancho picked Napoli out of a photo spread.

"He was honest and didn't see the guy in the courtroom," said McMahon.

"How can you identify someone you saw once in a bar fight four years later?" he asked.

In another attack, Jacqueline Graber testified yesterday how her husband, James, a 25-year Breed member and chapter president, was beaten on Nov. 24, 2005, after a brief meeting at the biker clubhouse.

Then their house was ransacked, she said.

Graber spent four days in intensive care with puncture wounds of his head and a lung and "bruises head-to-toe" with an imprint of a foot on his back, she said.

Her husband continues to suffer memory loss, she said, leaving court in tears.

After Graber's beating, Napoli became president of the chapter, according to earlier testimony.

Biker beatings described to jury

By KITTY CAPARELLA

caparek@phillynews.com 215-854-5880
Two months after Thomas Burke refused to deliver meth for the president of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Breed Outlaw Motorcycle Club, the biker recruit nearly paid with his life.

On March 8, 2003, chapter president John Napoli allegedly used a power tool to drill a drywall screw into Burke's arm.

Then, Napoli and his members allegedly beat Burke so severely that his eye socket had to be replaced and his face surgically reconstructed.

As Burke lay in a pool of blood, Napoli allegedly tried to set him on fire.

In her opening statement yesterday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Foulkes outlined a series of gruesome beatings, stabbings and near-death experiences suffered by Napoli's own bikers who dared to cross him, or refused to carry out his orders.

Amid the violence, intimidation and gun-toting dealers, more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine were distributed - at $200 per gram - by the Breed in the Bristol-Levittown area in Bucks County.

Napoli's reign of terror against his club members and "hang-arounds" was intended to insulate him from law enforcement and protect the Breed's multimillion-dollar crystal-methamphetamine operation during 2003-06, said Foulkes.

In return, Napoli expected their silence and loyalty, she added. But his management style - marked by "greed, power and arrogance" - backfired.

Ten ex-Breed members or associates will testify against Napoli: His sergeant-at-arms and accused meth supplier, William "Tattoo Billy" Johnson, and Thomas "Fuzzy" Heilman, a member, or "flagholder," for 30 years and an admitted addict who allegedly sold meth.

Napoli's attorney, Arnold Joseph, called the turncoat witnesses "homicidal maniacs," and insisted that Napoli was not one.

"You are not going to see Mr. Napoli in a single drug transaction, or with drugs," he added. "All these people are facing a lot of criminal exposure: sticks of dynamite, fleeing to Florida, murder convictions stealing from Mr. Napoli."

The three are on trial in an meth-trafficking conspiracy case before U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III. The trial is expected to last four weeks.

Besides drug conspiracy, Napoli and Johnson are charged with committing violent acts in the aid of racketeering and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. Napoli was charged with illegal possession of a machine gun and, Johnson, with using a firearm in a drug trafficking offense.

Yesterday, Napoli's appearance - short brown hair, a moustache and dressed in an oxford blue shirt with his olive green jacket hung on a chair - was in sharp contrast to the mayhem that Foulkes described.

In 2004, Napoli was appointed Pennsylvania Breed president by New Jersey Breed president John "Shameless" Kovacs, after ousting his predecessor.

James Graber, 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, was beaten so severely by Napoli and others, he spent four days in an intensive-care unit, said Foulkes.

After beatings, Napoli often took the victim's motorcycles, guns, ammunition and personal belongings such as an $8,000 Harley Davidson 100th-anniversary toolbox, which Napoli sold for $2,500.

Napoli thought he couldn't be touched because he decentralized his operation and did not touch drugs, Foulkes said. He kept a money-counter at home, and used the names of friends and relatives for gun registrations and to hide illicit drug proceeds in safe-deposit boxes, Foulkes said.

His machine gun, rifles, sawed-off shotgun, guns and high-power ammunition were stashed in two storage bins, maintained by an underling, she added.

In a final transaction on June 5, 2006, Napoli's top lieutenant, Johnson, sold five pounds of crystal meth for $99,900 in cash. During a search, drug agents with the state Bureau of Narcotics Investigation found the money in a "Sopranos" video box.

Johnson's attorney, Noah Gorson, warned jurors that the evidence became "tainted" by "overzealous investigators."

Heilman, who allegedly was supplied meth for resale, only had a quarter-ounce when his home was raided, Foulkes said.

Afterward, Heilman told Napoli in a wiretapped call, he was pleased that drug agents didn't find his Breed vest, called his "colors," which was wrapped around a scale used to weigh drugs, Foulkes said.

Heilman's attorney, John Fiorvanti, separated his client from others by focusing on his drug habit and $530 monthly disability payments he received for nearly three years.

After Graber, Napoli's predecessor was beaten, Fiorvanti said, "Heilman took Graber to the hospital and talked to him to keep him from losing consciousness." *

20/9 Biker pair get special courtroom attention

By KITTY CAPARELLA

So you want to be a tough guy, and a big mouth, too?

Shout epithets at drug agents on the witness stand during a break?

Laugh about intimidating witnesses at trial?

Boast about stabbings, beatings and fracturing a victim's eye socket?

Well, the U.S. government has something for you: shackles in federal court.

Just ask tough-guy bikers John "Junior" Napoli and William "Fuzzy" Johnson, who were hiding the shackles on their ankles under a black skirt, er, curtain, attached to the defense table yesterday during jury selection in their federal drug-trafficking trial.

Today, attorneys will deliver opening statements in the expected four-week trial.

U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III authorized the restraints on Napoli, president of the PA Breed Outlaw Motorcycle chapter, and Johnson, a Breed member. Both have a history of violent-crime convictions and outbursts in court.

The defendants made direct and indirect threats against state drug agents in pretrial hearings in the case, according to the motion filed Sept. 10.

Yesterday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Foulkes said that behavior caused "anxiety" for deputy U.S. marshals, responsible for security in the courtroom.

The marshals, who expect uncharged Breed members and associates to attend the trial, asked the U.S. attorney's office to file a motion seeking the restraints, she said.

To prevent prejudice against the defendants, the government asked for the "modesty curtain" to hide the shackles, and proposed "escorting defendants in and out of the courtroom outside of the jury's presence," which is the practice, the court document showed.

Napoli and Johnson allegedly taunted a prison guard and law officers, and threatened witnesses and their families, according to wiretapped conversations and state prison reports.

In one taped conversation, Napoli threatened: "Maybe they'd be so lucky to have someone come, f------, break into their house in the middle of the night and rape their f------ mothers with a hot curling iron."

Yesterday was the first day the pair wore the shackles. "They did not have the same level of hostility" compared to earlier proceedings, said Foulkes.

No restraints were asked for the third co-defendant, Thomas "Fuzzy" Heilman, also a Breed member, although the government reserved the right to do so, according to court records.

All three defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.

Napoli and Johnson are also charged with violent crimes in the aid of racketeering, extortion and firearms offenses. Both are facing from 30 years to life in prison, if convicted.

Bikers plead guilty in Manville killing
by Nyier Abdou
Wednesday September 19, 2007, 2:58 PM

                      

William "Rodent" Martin                   Peter Ciarletta

A reputed member of the Pagans motorcycle gang pleaded guilty today in the shooting death of a 40-year-old man who allegedly drew his ire by wearing a Hells Angels T-shirt to a Manville sports bar.


William "Rodent" Martin, 35, of North Plainfield pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and weapons offenses and will be sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Martin's co-defendant, Peter Ciarletta, 30, of Warren, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a gun, but murder and conspiracy charges were dropped by the state. Investigators found the .22-caliber handgun in his car during his arrest. It was not used in the crime. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

Their guilty pleas came on the second day of testimony in the Somerset County trial stemming from the death of John Grover, of Hillsborough, who was not a member of the Hells Angels and did not even own a motorcycle. A friend had given him the Hells Angles T-shirt as a gift.

He wore it to Gatto's Sports Cafe in Manville on April 17, 2005, where he drew glares from Martin and Ciarletta, police said.

The men then left the bar, cursing the Hells Angels as they passed Grover, prosecutors said. Grover followed and Martin opened fire with a 9mm handgun, striking him in the groin and stomach, police said. He died shortly after.

Hells Angels sue over police stop
By Felisa Cardona
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 09/05/2007 07:25:40 PM MDT

As several Hells Angels rode motorcycles in formation along Sheridan Boulevard in Denver, a Mountain View police officer stopped them, ordered them to keep their hands in view and called for backup, a federal lawsuit says.

Dozens of police officers arrived, including the Denver SWAT team and a police helicopter, said the bikers' attorney, David Lane.

The men, Mike Dire, Donald R. Dilling, Dustin Ullerich, Jeffery R. Heley, Nikolas Pew, Paul Frederick Smith, Shiloh Frazier and Todd Zahn were held at gunpoint and handcuffed during the Sept. 2, 2005 stop, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court.

Frazier was speeding in the city limits of Denver, but pulled over by the Mountain View police officer.

Frazier and Zahn were in possession of handguns at the scene and arrested.

Zahn has since pleaded guilty to possession of weapon by a previous offender and charges against Frazier were dismissed.

The rest of the Hells Angels were released after sitting in handcuffs for one hour, the suit says.

The lawsuit is not the first time the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has sued the city and county of Denver.

In 2001, the group received $50,000 and a letter of apology from the city over a police raid at their clubhouse.

"This is the second time the Denver Police Department has decided that the Fourth Amendment does not apply to the Hells Angels," Lane said.

Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said Thursday that he would not be able to comment on the lawsuit because the city had not been served with it.

The Hells Angels are also suing the Mountain View Police Department, claiming that the officer who stopped the bikers had no legal authority to do so in the city of Denver.

A separate lawsuit over the constitutionality of the traffic ticket issued to Frazier has also been filed in federal court.

Mountain View Police Chief Eric Gomez did not return a call for comment.

Lane says the traffic stop was made for the purpose of gaining information about the group, the same reason for the 2001 clubhouse raid.

"The scope of the searches far exceeded any permissible pat-down for weapons and included taking papers from plaintiffs such as address books and other personal papers which were copied by the police, presumably in order to gain intelligence about the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club," the suit says.

Police Bust 15 Members Of Mass. Biker Gang


- BOSTON Fifteen members of the Outlaw motorcycle club currently face drug, weapons and fraud charges following a two year investigation dubbed "Operation Roadkill."

"Extremely loud. Eleven o'clock at night they'd be out here smoking, laughing, yelling, fighting, all kinds of stuff," said Mary Dias.

Mary won't have to worry about her neighbors anymore. The Outlaws motorcycle gang has been decimated.

"A team of almost 200 law enforcement officers arrested 15 members and associates of the Outlaw motorcycle gang," said acting U.S. Attorney Mike Loucks.

The two year investigation came to head Monday when undercover agents sold two kilos of cocaine to two gang members.

Investigators said the gang was also extremely violent, involved with beatings and carjackings.

"These elements run back and forth from one city to the next, many times we feel that they are armed," said Brockton Police Chief Bill Conlon.

At one point police managed to insert an undercover officer into the motorcycle gang and it went smoothly, even at the point when gang members decided to strip search their new member.

"Extraordinary bravery for an agent to do something like that," said Loucks.

Mary said she wasn't about to challenge her neighbors. "I was too afraid to say anything. They were intimidating," said Mary.

"People who live in the cities affected by these defendants have the right to walk down the street, sit on their porch, and let their children ride their bicycles without fear or intimidation," said Loucks.

The Outlaws clubhouse was equipped with surveillance cameras and displayed the gang logo. But it's now a gang with little leadership.

Here's a list of the arrested gang members:

Joseph Noe, aka Joe Doggs, of Taunton.

Jose Espada, aka Roe, of Taunton.

Mark DiRenzo, aka Chooch, of Hyde Park.

Chris Sullivan, aka Yogi, of Dedham.

Edward Bullio, aka Eddie, of Bridgewater.

Tony Lima, of Bridgewater.

Steven O'Brien, aka Obie, of East Bridgewater.

John Agresta, aka Johnny, of Bridgewater.

Catherine Larkin, of East Bridgewater.

Brian DeLaveag, aka Clothesline, of Holbrook.

Scott Bulgar, aka Black Scott, of Brockton.

John Pombriant, aka Bones, of Dorchester.

Scott Towne, of Brockton.

Timothy Silvia, of Taunton.

Todd Donofrio, of Stoughton.

If convicted, the gang members face up to life imprisonment, with a 10 year minimum mandatory sentence.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New England Field Division, Massachusetts State Police, Brockton Police Department, Taunton Police Department and Plymouth County Sheriff's Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney's in Sullivan's Strike Force Unit.

Six Charged In Beating Of Bandidos
Police: One Man Still In Critical Condition
This article was published on Monday, July 30, 2007 7:34 PM CDT in News
By James Bowie
THE MORNING NEWS



EUREKA SPRINGS -- Three Texas men remained hospitalized Monday, one in critical condition, after a fight Sunday between rival motorcycle clubs in Eureka Springs, where the Hells Angels met last week, police said.

One man injured in the fight was released from the hospital Monday, but three others are still being treated, said Eureka Springs Police Chief Earl Hyatt.

Police arrested six men, including five who are Hells Angels, Hyatt said. All were being held Monday in the Carroll County Jail awaiting bond hearings, each on a charge of first-degree battery.

Police said an off-duty Eureka Springs police officer, Shelley Summers, reported seeing several Hells Angels beating people with baseball bats as she drove past the Gingerbread Antique building on U.S. 62 about 2:25 p.m. Sunday. The Hells Angels fled east on U.S. 62, at least three riding motorcycles, a news release said.

Summers found four injured men, some with stab wounds, wearing Bandidos motorcycle club insignia in the parking lot near their motorcycles, the release said.

The injured men were Isidro Savala Zerrata Jr., 49, of Lubbock, Texas; David Thomas Wood, 38, of Amarillo, Texas; Keith Allen Miller, 60, of Lubbock and Thomas Goodnight, age unknown, of Lubbock.
*

Representatives of four hospitals where police said the men were taken said none of the men's names appear in their patient directories. The hospitals are Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, Northwest Medical Centers in Springdale and Bentonville, and St. John's Medical Center in Springfield, Mo.

Witnesses told police that six Bandidos were leaving the home of a local Bandidos member to return to Texas when they met three Hells Angels on motorcycles, the release said. The Hells Angels waved at them and the Bandidos members pulled into a parking lot because they thought they wanted to talk. Two Bandidos members quickly left the parking lot when they noticed a red Ford pickup was attempting to block the exit, the release said.

The two men witnessed the attack begin as they left the lot. When they returned with weapons, the Hells Angels were gone and the four remaining Bandidos were on the ground, the release said.

Witnesses said the suspects left the parking lot in a red pickup with Massachusetts license plates and on three black or dark motorcycles. Police then received information from a 911 call that someone threw a club or bat out the window of a red truck at a motorist driving east on U.S. 62., the news release said.

Berryville police stopped the men about one mile west of Berryville, which is about 10 miles east of Eureka Springs.

Six people were arrested on charges of felony first-degree battery: Jason David Gallo, 36, of Peabody, Mass.; Eric Claudio Franco, 32, of Lynn, Mass.; Christopher Michael Sweeney, 37, of Lynn, Mass.; Robert Thomas Reynolds, 37, of Sandown, N.H.; Manny R. Monteiro, 33, of Danvers, Mass.; and Derek Jeffery Roy, 21, of Lisbon Falls, Maine.

About 300 to 400 Hells Angels were in Eureka Springs last week for their 2007 USA run, said Bill Sadler, a spokesman for the Arkansas State Police, which stationed 60 officers in Eureka Springs last week.

Agents from several federal agencies, including the FBI, were also monitoring the Hells Angels, Hyatt said.

Most of the Hells Angels were gone when the fight happened Sunday, said an employee of the 1876 Inn and Restaurant, which catered to the club. The employee said he didn't know what caused the incident, but he saw members of the two clubs exchange friendly waves a day earlier.

Hyatt said there were no other serious problems while the Hells Angels met in Eureka Springs.

"It's just unfortunate. This is a quiet little town. We don't need this," Hyatt said.

At A Glance

Deadly Encounters

Dec. 6, 1969 -- A Hells Angel fatally stabs a gun-wielding fan in the front row of a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, Calif. Local chapters of the club were hired by the band to work security at the concert.

April 27, 2002 -- A gunfight between Hells Angels and members of rival motorcycle club Bandidos inside a Laughlin, Nev., casino leaves three Bandidos dead during a motorcycle rally there.

Source: Staff Report
 

Four Stabbed as Biker Gangs Rumble in Eureka Springs

July 31, 2007 06:08 AM


EUREKA SPRINGS, AR - Four members of a rival motorcycle gang of the Hells Angels were stabbed as the motorcycle gang's days-long meeting in Eureka Springs was breaking up yesterday.

A spokesman for the Arkansas State Police says an altercation between members of the Hells Angels and the rival Bandidos gang broke out on hotel property on Highway 62. Four members of the Bandidos were stabbed. Two of them suffered critical injuries and were taken to a Washington County hospital. The other two were taken to hospitals in Springdale and Eureka Springs. All of the victims were from Texas. Eureka Springs Police Chief Earl Hyatt says six suspects were taken into custody. The names of those involved were not immediately available.

Eureka Springs Police Chief Earl Hyatt identified the victims as: 49-year-old Isidro Savala Zerrata Junior of Lubbock, Texas;38-year-old David Thomas Wood of Amarillo, Texas; 60-year-old Keith Allen Miller of Lubbock, Texas; and Thomas Goodnight of Lubbock. The Hell's Angels arrested on battery charges were identified by Hyatt as: 36-year-old Jason David Gallo of Peabody, Massachusetts; 32-year-old Eric Claudio Franco of Lynn, Massachusetts; 37-year-old Christopher Michael Sweeney of Lynn, Massachusetts; 37-year-old Robert Thomas Reynolds of Sandown, New Hampshire; 33-year-old Manny R. Monteiro of Danvers, Massachusetts; and 21-year-old Derek Jeffery Roy of Lisbon Falls, Maine. Hyatt said police don't know yet what led to the attack.

Almost 60 additional troopers had been assigned to Eureka Springs and Carroll County in anticipation of some trouble with the arrival of Hells Angels members last week. The troopers were returning to their normally assigned stations yesterday and today

U.S. grand jury indicts biker gang
Drug, other charges carry life sentences

By KITTY CAPARELLA

John "Junior" Napoli's vicious rise from vice president to president of the Pennsylvania Breed Motorcycle chapter was marked by beatings, murder threats and allegedly punishing a biker by using an electric drill to bore into his arm.

Breed drug dealers used a machine gun, assault rifles and other high-powered weapons to protect their multi-million dollar methamphetamine trafficking operation from January 2003 to June 2006, an indictment charges.

The violence and drug trafficking by the hierarchy of the PA Breed was so bad that the Attorney General's state drug agents and the Bucks County District Attorney's office referred the worst offenders to the feds last December, after charging 15 Breed members with drug offenses.

Yesterday, a federal grand jury handed down a 34-page superceding indictment that slammed Napoli and five Breed members with drug charges that carry sentences of up to life in prison upon conviction.

The grand jury found that the bikers distributed 125 pounds of crystal meth in Bucks County, New Jersey and elsewhere.

"This was an organization that used physical assaults, threats, and intimidation to protect its secrecy," said U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan.

Napoli, onetime board member Thomas "Fuzzy" Heilman and Frederick "Pan-Head Fred" Freehoff face up to life in prison if convicted.

Napoli's right-hand man, William "Tatoo Billy" Johnson, faces up to 22 years under sentencing guidelines - instead of an eight-year state mandatory prison term.

Breed sergeant-at-arms and enforcer Christopher Quattrocchi, known as "Slam," faces up to 16 years in federal prison if convicted, instead of a five-year mandatory state prison term.

And Eric "Kicker" Loebsbach, a Breed member who admitted selling 100 pounds of crystal meth at Napoli's direction in the state case, is expected to cooperate in the federal case and possibly win a lower sentence.

All six defendants are facing the forfeiture of more than $3 million, four Harley-Davidson motorcycles, four trucks, four cars and two properties.

And Napoli and Johnson are charged with having 24 weapons, including a machine gun, assault rifles, shotguns and automatic handguns.

In the first six months of 2006, with Napoli's approval and money, Johnson allegedly bought multi-pound quantities of meth from his drug sources.

One-pound quantities or less of meth were then dispersed among mid-level distributors, such as Quattrrocchi, Heilman and Freehoff, who sold it in smaller quantities, according to the indictment.

Napoli and Johnson also attempted to obtain chemicals needed to manufacture crystal meth.

To prevent encroachment by rival drug dealers, Napoli threatened physical harm if they sold drugs on Breed turf.

Freehoff was the keeper of the records and equipment, such as digital scales, plastic baggies and a copy book that recorded the "owe list" - with the customer's names, amount owed and the weight of the drug sold.

In June 2006, Napoli told Loebsack, who collected the drug proceeds, that if he cooperated with investigators, his family would be killed.

The six defendants were charged with conspiring to distribute approximately 125 pounds of crystal methamphetamine.

* Napoli, Johnson and Quattrocchi were charged with the commission of violent crimes in aid of racketeering;

* Napoli and Quattrocchi, with extortion;

* Napoli and Johnson with possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon;

* Johnson, with possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense;

* And Napoli, with unlawful possession of a machine gun. *


 

Biker rides till he dies


California - Sheriff's homicide detectives believe a Palmdale man who was shot and mortally wounded while riding his motorcycle continued going about a half-mile before falling in the street and dying.

Investigators Wednesday said they came to that conclusion after an exhaustive search the day before of the quiet residential neighborhood where the shooting took place. They enlisted about 40 sheriff's deputies and volunteers to comb closed-off streets, searching for clues in the shooting death of 35-year-old William Perez.

Several major streets including 5th Street West (between Palmdale Boulevard and Tierra Subida Avenue) and Tierra Subida Avenue (north of 5th Street West) were closed for hours, sheriff's homicide investigator Bob Harris said.

Perez's body was found by a motorist on the southwest corner of Tierra Subida Avenue and Cactus drive at about 2 a.m. on Sunday, Harris said. The shooting occurred on Tierra Subida Avenue, about 2,000 feet south of where the body was found.

Harris said Perez, a painter, was probably shot at about 1 a.m.

Perez was a member of the Vagos, a motorcycle gang, but Perez had no significant criminal history, Harris said. Harris said interviews with friends, relatives and neighbors suggest Perez was well liked. Perez had two young children from a previous marriage who do not live in the Antelope Valley.

"(Neighbors) were familiar with his (Vagos) affiliation, but they said he never bothered anybody," Harris said. "No problems, no parties, no noise."

Harris said investigators have few clues and no solid leads.

"There's so many possibilities out there, we can't rule anything out," Harris said. "We don't know if this was designed for him personally, another club, or some random act of road rage."

Harris said detectives are trying to narrow the scope of the investigation, noting that they're now focused on developing a more accurate timeline.

Harris said Perez was involved in a collision at the intersection where his body was found. He said other vehicles may have been involved in the crash.

BY GIDEON RUBIN

Biker dead after strip-club gunfight

RIP Lil Frank

By Daniel Silliman

dsilliman@news-daily.com



No one saw the bikers argue. No one, in a crowded Forest Park strip club on a Saturday night, saw anything between the bikers they would describe as an altercation. As far as witnesses could tell, the bikers from the two motorcycle clubs didn’t even talk.

Out in the parking lot of the Crazy Horse Saloon, however, the bikers allegedly exchanged gun fire.

Frank Rego Veal, a 44-year-old from Roberta, Ga., died outside the 3950 Jonesboro Road strip club, early Sunday morning in what Forest Park Police are saying was a shootout between members of rival motorcycle clubs, the Outlaws and the Renegades.

Forest Park Police found Veal dead of a single gunshot wound and found two other bikers shot multiple times and bleeding in the parking lot.

Maj. Chris Matson said police also found two shotguns, three semi automatic handguns and one revolver, all believed to have belonged to the bikers.

“Nobody has been able to tell us that there were words exchanged,” Matson said, “[A rivalry] is pretty much the assumption.”

The two wounded bikers were taken to area hospitals. Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening. Both will face charges of murder, Matson said.

Police are not revealing the name of the hospitals where they are being kept, nor the names of the wounded bikers, out of concern for the safety of hospital staffs.

None of the people involved in the gunfight was from the area, according to Matson.

He said he has heard of the motorcycle gangs, over the years, but the department had never had any dealings with them until Sunday morning.

Veal’s death was the second homicide connected to the strip club in the last six months. On Dec. 1, a four-month pregnant dancer and a McDonough man were killed on their way home from the Crazy Horse Saloon. A 22-year-old man has been charged with the deaths, and detectives believe he was angry at the woman for ignoring him on his birthday.

Matson said most of the people at the strip club were locals, and that police are not often called there.

“This is highly unusual,” he said. “We just don’t have problems out of this club ... It’s a regular clientele, like any place.”

The two wounded bikers, currently in the hospital, will have to face charges as soon as they are well enough to travel, Matson said.

Biker club leader indicted in slaying of romantic rival
Waterford man accused of stabbing Troy man to death in alley fight

By BOB GARDINIER, Staff writer

First published: Saturday, June 23, 2007

TROY -- A grand jury handed up a single second-degree murder count Friday against a biker club president accused of killing a romantic rival in a South End alley a week ago.


Edward J. Jidoun, 44, of 4 Hill St., Waterford, was indicted in connection with the stabbing death of Douglas Berben, 47, of Fourth Street.

According to police, Jidoun, president of the Troy Chapter of the 69'ers bike club, and Berben went to Frear Alley between 1st and 2nd streets near Nature's Pub, a well-known bikers' hangout at First and Jackson streets, after they ran into each other inside the bar.

Berben had been trying to reach Jidoun by telephone to straighten out a dispute over a woman both men were seeing, according to court records.

Jidoun told Berben to come with him to the alley, according to a witness statement. They then began arguing and were quickly surrounded by six 69'ers who formed a circle around their president and Berben.

"I walked over because I heard Doug say stop," said a woman who also gave a witness statement to police. "I went to go over to pull Eddy off of Doug and I saw Eddy stabbing Doug with a silver folding knife. Doug backed up and I saw blood all over his pants and tank top. Eddy grabbed him again and he bent over Dougy and was leaning over Doug's back and just kept stabbing."

The victim's brother also was present and described for police what he saw. Eric Berben, 21, said he saw the attack and ran to his brother but the other bikers held him back. "The ones around me were wearing masks and were blocking me from following my brother. I saw the biker with my brother. He hit my brother and my brother, Doug, went to the ground. I held pressure on my brother's wound. The biker who hit my brother pulled up next to us on his motorcycle and picked up what I thought was a knife."

Police said Jidoun then rode away on his motorcycle with the rest of his club.

Police said they are investigating possible criminal actions of the other bikers during the attack and further charges are possible.

The Berben brothers rode together in an ambulance to Samaritan Hospital where Douglas Berben was pronounced dead at 10:19 p.m., less than 30 minutes after the fight.

Jidoun is in jail without bail pending arraignment on the county charges.

Bob Gardinier can be reached at 454-5696 or by e-mail at bgardinier@timesunion.com.
 

Biker gangs deny they are criminal groups

Paul Egan / The Detroit News



America's best-known outlaw motorcycle gang, the California-based Hells Angels, has never established a foothold or chapter in Detroit, likely because of the strong presence by the Highwaymen and the Outlaws, officials say.

The Highwaymen are the largest area club designated an outlaw motorcycle gang, or criminal organization, by the FBI, said Bill Grills, supervisory special agent for the FBI's gang criminal enterprise program in Detroit.

Next largest in Detroit is the Chicago-based Outlaws, Grills said.

Two notable smaller outlaw gangs are the Toledo-based Iron Coffins and the east side Liberty Riders, but there are others, he said.

Spokesmen for both the Iron Coffins and the Liberty Riders denied Wednesday their clubs are criminal organizations, saying the clubs are brotherhoods of men who like to ride motorcycles and socialize and who also do significant charitable works.

The Outlaws did not respond to an e-mail request for interviews, and nobody answered the door Tuesday night at the Warren Avenue clubhouse. On its Web site, the club denies it is a criminal organization.

The Detroit Iron Coffins president, who would give only his nickname, "Harddrive," acknowledged then-president David Schwarz, now 52, was sent to federal prison in 1998 as a felon in possession of a firearm and two other Iron Coffins members were convicted of separate homicides involving young women in the 1970s.

But he said those events occurred many years ago and the club has changed. Also, he asked, if a member of the Kiwanis Club was convicted of murder, would that result in the entire club being branded a criminal organization?

Club bylaws prohibit criminal acts while wearing club colors, and the national president has ordered that they not be involved in any kind of criminal activities.

The club is increasingly known for its charitable works, such as contributions to Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor and a recent campaign that raised more than $20,000 for a Toledo-area accident victim, he said.

In wiretapped telephone calls that are part of the government's case against 40 members of the Highwaymen, Aref "Scarface" Nagi of Sterling Heights, a former Highwaymen vice president and current honorary member who is jailed awaiting trial, talks about a dispute between the Highwaymen and the Liberty Riders. He discusses cracking a bottle over the head of a Liberty Riders member at an east side bar, after which Nagi said on the tape that he pistol-whipped the Liberty Rider, FBI Special Agent Edward Brzezinski testified.

The FBI could point to no notable convictions involving the Liberty Riders, but the group has been involved in turf battles with the Highwaymen and the FBI maintains it is an outlaw gang, not a social club, Special Agent Dawn Clenney said.

The president of the Detroit Liberty Riders, who would give only his nickname "T," said club members like to ride bikes and drink beer but are not involved in crime.

He, too, cited charitable works by his club, including involvement in Toys for Tots and Coats for Kids.

"T" did not want to comment on the Highwaymen, but said he was not aware of the incident Nagi described in the recorded phone conversation.

Former Outlaws national president Harry "Taco" Bowman was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List when he was arrested in Sterling Heights in 1999 and is now serving a life sentence on racketeering and conspiracy charges.

Biker charged with using counterfeit money

Bill Morlin
Staff writer
June 6, 2007

A Spokane member of the Gypsy Jokers motorcycle club was ordered held without bond Tuesday after being arrested on federal charges stemming from the alleged use of a counterfeit $100 bill at Northern Quest Casino.

Ronald Jaymax Klump poses a danger to the community and therefore doesn't meet conditions of release prior to trial on four federal felony charges, U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Imbrogno ruled.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Harrington argued that because of his criminal record going back 30 years, Klump doesn't qualify for release on bond.

Advertisement
"There's no question Mr. Klump is violent and a danger," Harrington said.

The 49-year-old suspect was arrested Thursday at his home at 720 S. Dishman Road in Spokane Valley by agents of the Washington State Gambling Commission, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Washington State Patrol.

Gambling Commission agents identified Klump as a potential suspect after security cameras and employees at Northern Quest identified him as the man who passed a counterfeit $100 bill at the casino May 13.

According to documents filed in U.S. District Court, Klump first attempted to use the bill to buy casino playing tickets from an employee who suspected it was counterfeit. The employee used a counterfeit detecting pen, which left a brown mark on the bill, the documents say.

"Klump then grabbed the counterfeit $100 bill from this same employee and stated, 'It went through the laundry,' " the documents say.

Approximately 90 minutes later, Klump successfully passed the same bill when he bought a gaming ticket from another employee.

After Gambling Commission agents were notified by tribal gambling officials, U.S. Secret Service agents were consulted and they confirmed the bill was counterfeit, matching the description of at least two other counterfeit $100 bills previously passed in the Spokane area, the documents say.

When state and federal agents searched Klump's home and arrested him on the counterfeiting charge, they also found ammunition, a body armor vest and a half-ounce of methamphetamine.

The illegal drug was found in a "cap with lettering depicting 'Gypsy Joker' affiliation," the court documents said.

In a four-count complaint, Klump was charged with passing a counterfeit Federal Reserve note, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of ammunition and body armor.

Klump was in prison from 1993 to 2003 after pleading guilty to involvement in two murder conspiracies.

81-Felon faces ammo charge( bullshit still rules supreme...)

WORCESTER - A member of the Hells Angels was indicted in U.S. District Court this week on a charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

If convicted, Russell Sinkis, 36, of 45 Oxford St., Auburn, faces more prison time - more than 5 years - than he has served because of the state felonies on which he previously was convicted.

He is in custody pending trial because Magistrate Judge Timothy S. Hillman ruled that he would be a danger to the community and a threat to obstruct justice if released. Mr. Sinkis is a particular threat to attempt to intimidate witnesses, Judge Hillman said.

Mr. Sinkis was arrested April 24 on a complaint by Special Agent Michael P. Curran of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. That resulted in the indictment Wednesday on a charge that he purchased ammunition Oct. 28 at Boston Gun Range in Worcester.

Judge Hillman noted that while Mr. Sinkis has not been charged with a crime in connection with his membership in the motorcycle group, two sources told law enforcement officers that he severely beat a man who falsely claimed to be a member of the Hells Angels while at a tattoo convention in Worcester.

The magistrate judge also said that the mother of a former girlfriend of Mr. Sinkis was threatened after she told him that she planned to talk to ATF. In the month before his most recent arrest, Mr. Sinkis lived with his parents in Auburn and was a part-time disc jockey at Centerfolds strip club after serving a month in jail.

He is divorced and pays child support, although he is $2,600 in arrears, the magistrate judge noted. His former wife and two girlfriends have taken out restraining orders against him after he allegedly hit each of them, Judge Hillman said.

Mr. Sinkis was convicted in 2005 in Dudley District Court of two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault and battery. He was sentenced to two years on probation, but served 60 days after violating probation.

Mr. Sinkis also was placed on two years' probation after being convicted Feb. 12 of assault and battery and threatening. The magistrate judge noted that he was on probation both when he committed those crimes and while allegedly possessing ammunition at Boston Gun Range.

After initially denying it, Mr. Sinkis admitted to shooting a 9 mm Smith & Wesson pistol Oct. 28 at the gun range with his girlfriend and another woman, Judge Hillman said. Because the Smith & Wesson was manufactured in Massachusetts, while the ammunition was not, and proof of the weapon crossing state lines is a requirement for a federal weapons charge, Mr. Sinkis is charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition, but not in possession of a firearm.

Lee Hammel
www.telegram.com

Officer justified in shooting of Derek Hale,


Deleware - Wilmington Police Lt. William Browne was justified when he shot and killed Derek Hale, a member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, and will not be subject to criminal prosecution, Delaware Attorney General Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III concluded in a report released today.

In his report, Biden spelled out that the sole purpose of his investigation was to determine whether Browne committed a criminal act when he shot and killed Hale Nov. 6, on the steps of a Wilmington home.

It is up to the Wilmington Police Department, the report states, to determine whether Browne broke department policy, rules or regulations, or "with the benefit of hindsight, the officer could have proceeded differently."

Biden's report, like one issued earlier this month by the deputy attorney general defending the state police named as defendants in a civil suit brought by Hale's widow, says the 25-year-old Iraq war veteran was shot as he "continued to keep a hand in his pocket as if holding a weapon and was turning in a threatening manner toward an officer armed with an empty Taser."

Both reports differ substantially from the accounts of some eyewitnesses who told The News Journal that Hale was seated, had just vomited and was shaking violently from several Taser blasts when killed, and he posed no threat to the officer who shot him outside the Wilmington home of a fellow Pagan.

Biden's report said Hale stood up at one point during the confrontation with officers and Browne felt he was threatening a fellow officer

Biker club's insignia ruled not free speech

CA - A ban on motorcycle club insignia at the Gilroy Garlic Festival didn't violate the free-speech rights of a group of bikers because they couldn't agree among themselves what their symbols meant, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

Four members of the Top Hatters Motorcycle Club sued the festival and the city of Gilroy for damages after their admission prices were refunded and they were ordered to leave in 2000 when they refused to remove their vests. The vests had patches with the club insignia, showing a skull, wings and a top hat. An unwritten dress code at the festival, enforced by security staffers, prohibited motorcycle club insignia and gang colors.

In upholding a judge's dismissal of the suit, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco cited the four men's varying interpretations of the insignia.

One man said the skull signified that everyone was the same under the skin. A second man said it represented death. Both said the wings represented freedom and the top hat represented original club members.

A third man said that only the top hat meant anything, and that it was a reference to the club's name. The fourth man said the insignia meant "whatever you want."

Banning the insignia did not suppress any constitutionally protected idea or expression, because "even amongst themselves, the plaintiffs could not agree on a common theme or message," Alfred Covello, a visiting federal judge from Connecticut, said in the 3-0 appeals court ruling. He also said it was unlikely that anyone who saw the insignia would get a specific message.

"There is no evidence that the plaintiffs' club engaged in the type of expression that the First Amendment was designed to protect," Covello said. He said the purposes stated in the Top Hatters' articles of incorporation -- to ride motorcycles, raise money for charity and promote goodwill -- were not hampered by the men's exclusion from the fairgrounds.

The ruling dismayed Randolph Hammock, lawyer for the club members.

For each member, he said, the insignia proclaimed the common message that "I'm a proud member of the Top Hatters Motorcycle Club." He said it was contradictory for the garlic festival to exclude patrons because the symbols they wear might affect other people, and then to deny that those symbols conveyed any message.

"My clients are all law-abiding citizens who just like to ride Harley-Davidsons," Hammock said. "This is just rank discrimination."

But Greg Simonian, a lawyer for the festival, said the court correctly found that the right to free speech protects only words or actions that convey a message. He said the festival's dress code was intended to "present a family-friendly atmosphere."

Laughlin River Run revs up today

By JIM SECKLER/The Daily News
 

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 8:25 PM PDT
Advance guard: A group of bikers roars into the Tri-state as the 25th annual Laughlin River Run begins. The big party lasts until Sunday. Bikers are reminded that Nevada enforces its mandatory helmet law. JEFF MANGUM/The Daily News

KINGMAN - More than 70,000 bikers are expected to descend on the Tri-state for the 25th annual Laughlin River Run.

What started as a weekend ride organized by the owner of a San Bernardino Harley-Davidson dealership in March 1983 has turned into the largest motorcycle run on the West Coast.

During the five-day motorcycle run starting today, motorcyclists from around the country - and even the world - will roar into Laughlin and the Arizona towns of Bullhead City, Oatman and Kingman.

Local law enforcement has tightened in recent years following a deadly brawl at a Laughlin casino during the 2002 Laughlin River Run that left three bikers dead and dozens injured.

Las Vegas Metro Lt. Tom Smitley said he expects the largest number of bikers to show up because of the quarter-century run of the event.

Similar to enforcement on New Year's Eve, uniformed and undercover Metro police officers will be assigned specific areas of Laughlin to ensure the safety of guests, residents and casino employees. Smitley also warns outlaw bikers not to break the law.

Smitley said a task force formed to combat the problem of motorcycle thefts has reduced the number of thefts from 27 in 2004 to 13 thefts in 2005 to just three motorcycle thefts during the 2006 River Run.

“Steal-me” motorcycles with GPS tracking devices will be placed in areas that will be monitored to act as bait to catch motorcycle thieves. Retired law enforcement officers will also supplement casino security in patrolling the casino's parking lots.

Mohave County Sheriff Tom Sheahan said all his deputies will be on duty with heavy patrols along the river including Highway 95 and the side roads especially to Oatman.

“You never know what to expect,” he said. “You prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

Mohave County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Don Bischoff said for the first time in years, sheriff deputies will conduct sobriety checkpoints Friday and Saturday at multiple locations in the county. The sheriff's office will also increase manpower in its enforcement during the weekend.

Bullhead City Police Lt. Steve Smith said he expects 70,000 to 75,000 bikers to show up this year based on the area's hotel occupancy.

With all training and vacations postponed, Bullhead City police officers will be also be out in force, many in high profile areas in an effort to deter criminal activity.

Smith said the small percentage of outlaw bikers coming to the Laughlin River Run has declined since the 2002 shooting.

His officers also work with highway patrol officers of all three states as well as the county's multi-agency task force, Gang Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission.

Arizona Department of Public Safety Sgt. Tom Kern said his office has canceled days off during the River Run, adding another squad of officers to patrol Highways 95, 68 and 93.

All of the district's 35 highway patrol officers will be out on patrol.

Kern said most of the problems are traffic-related with most accidents involved motorcyclists not paying attention to roadways, especially the curving roads to Oatman. Being more vulnerable than cars, most motorcyclists don't drink and drive, he said.

With three states converging just south of Laughlin, motorcyclists should also be aware of the helmet laws. In California and Nevada, motorcyclists must wear helmets, but they are not required in Arizona.

700 celebrate Hells Angels icon
 

ARIZONA - Sonny Barger, an iconic figure in the Hells Angels motorcycle club, looked frail Sunday as he stood, slightly hunched, autographing wine bottles specially labeled to commemorate his 50th anniversary as a member.

Despite his short-cropped hair, tanned skin and toned biceps showing through a sleeveless shirt, Barger's slow, careful movements betrayed his 68 years of age, and that of the club he helped establish.

Organizers estimated as many as 700 people, with Hells Angels from as far away as Europe and motorcycle clubs from around Arizona, participated in the day-long commemorative ride and party. Sunday afternoon at the Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse in Cave Creek, many sported grizzled beards and long, salt-and-pepper hair.

Hells Angels members in attendance declined to be interviewed, but other riders who turned out for the party admit they have learned a thing or two about life as they and their subculture have aged. But they are quick to add that they still live much the same as when they were younger.

"I think we get smarter at knowing how to treat people," said Ed Hebner, a 43-year-old Valley high school teacher and founder of the Unidos Motorcycle Club. "The younger (people) have a lot to learn."

The wild image of motorcycle clubs, particularly the Hells Angels, is perhaps not undeserved.

The Hells Angels in recent years has had a major run-in with federal law enforcement. A two-year long sting operation resulted in 16 Arizona club members, including three chapter presidents, and associates being indicted in 2003 with racketeering, conspiracy, murder and drug dealing.

Hebner said people outside the motorcycle club world fail to understand the culture is about treating people as you would like to be treated.

Younger club members may not understand that and reflect poorly on the group as a whole, but as riders age they are better able to stay out of conflicts that stem from disrespect, he said.

"You're going to find more common decency here than anywhere, besides a military base," Hebner said.

At 50, Sober Riders' Road Captain Virgil K. Rouse, of Avondale, admitted he is less likely to lose his temper than when he was younger. But, he added, the lifestyle as a rider for the last 35 years remains largely unchanged.

"Other than the alcohol and drugs, I do everything I did as a young man," Rouse said.

Kevin S. Voigt, 50, of Glendale, and president of the Sober Riders Motorcycle Club added that freedom is the key part of the rider lifestyle, and he has learned that without that freedom the lifestyle is non-existent.

"You can't ride a motorcycle in jail," said Voigt, whose club requires members be active in a 12-step program

Breed case moves to federal court

New Jersey - Prosecutors in the "Breed on a Wire" sting that targeted an alleged outlaw motorcycle gang accused of trafficking methamphetamine in Bucks County, are moving the case to federal court, where the jail terms are much longer.

Following a series of conferences in county court in Doylestown Monday, Senior Deputy Attorney General Kishan Nair said at least four of the suspects set to stand trial in county court now will face federal prosecution.

The indictments mean the alleged Breed members could face possible life prison terms. They are: John W. "Junior" Napoli, 33, of Bristol Township; Thomas E. "Fuzzy" Heilman, Jr., 53, of Bristol; and William A. "Tattoo Billy" Johnson, Jr., 30, of Philadelphia

Another alleged member, Christopher "Slam" Quattrocchi, 35, Bristol, is looking at 19 to 22 years if found guilty in federal court.

Had their cases been settled in county court, the suspects faced an average jail term of five to eight years.

Nair said the move to federal court reflects the seriousness of the charges, and it's easier to protect witnesses in the federal system.

Security has been an issue since 15 reputed Breed members were arrested last summer. During a preliminary hearing in October, rumors of death threats caused officials to post extra deputies in the courtroom and police snipers lined the streets around county courthouse in Doylestown.

Nair wouldn't comment on how witnesses are being protected, or whether any of the alleged gang members have cut deals and now are testifying against their former cohorts.

"While the state can afford some protection for witnesses, the federal government has more resources," he said.

Prosecutors claim The Breed operates in Bucks, Philadelphia and parts of New Jersey and has a clubhouse on Spruce Street in Bristol.

Following an intensive wiretap investigation, detectives raided the suspect's homes in June, seizing more than 22 pounds of crystal meth, nearly $500,000 in cash, 44 firearms, including one sub-machine gun and 10 homemade bombs.

Numerous vehicles, including 24 motorcycles, were seized. Prosecutors say many of the cycles were stolen.

Napoli is the Pennsylvania Breed Chapter president and reputed ringleader of the gang, prosecutors said.

At a prior hearing, 159 wiretapped phone calls between Napoli and other Breed members were played. Prosecutors said the tapes contained evidence of the gang's drug dealing.

None of the alleged Breed members were called to the stand Monday. Nair said the move to federal court shows that law enforcement is serious about stopping what he called the gang's illegal activities.

By LAURIE MASON
Bucks County Courier Times

Police prepare for Hell's Angels' 'festive' bash


From CNN.com

OAKLAND, California (AP) -- Even with some of its members old enough to collect retirement pay, a party at Hells Angels headquarters is no celebration for the police.

As the Oakland chapter planned to mark the 50th anniversary of its founding this weekend, police put extra officers on duty Thursday, even as they downplayed the chance of trouble from a club with a long history of run-ins with the law.

"I anticipate it's going to be one of the biggest events the club has had," said George Christie, the group's Ventura chapter president. "I just think everybody's in a festive mood."

Christie said the event, which kicks off Friday with a concert, is drawing members to Oakland from all over the world.

The motorcycle club's Oakland chapter, best known for providing security at the 1969 Altamont Free Concert where a fan was killed by a Hells Angel, is expected to have 600 to 800 bikers at the event, police said.

The group has secured the necessary permits, but officers will patrol the events to make sure nothing gets out of hand, police said.

The Hells Angels were formed in Fontana in 1948. By the 1960s, the club had become synonymous with outlaw biker counterculture.

Today, the group organizes motorcycle runs all over the world and takes part in charitable events such as Christmas toy drives. But the group's history includes links to methamphetamine distribution, prostitution and violence.

The Oakland chapter was founded by Ralph "Sonny" Barger, 68, who served time in federal prison for conspiring to blow up the clubhouse of a rival biker gang, the Outlaws.

Barger has since become a best-selling author, but his lawyer said he was unavailable to comment and refused to give details of the weekend's events, describing it as a "private party."


Memories of Altamont concert linger

Even so, the stigma of the Altamont concert still follows the group, he said. The Hells Angels, including Barger, were given free beer in return for helping to keep fans from rushing the stage.

When a shouting match erupted as The Rolling Stones played, fan Meredith Hunter pulled a gun and was stabbed by Hells Angel Alan Passaro. The killing was captured in the 1970 documentary film "Gimme Shelter."

Passaro, who died in 1985, was acquitted after claiming self-defense.

Besides the chapter's golden anniversary, another reason for celebration was the resolution earlier this month of a lengthy criminal trial involving the group.

Eleven members were sentenced to prison in connection with a deadly brawl with members of rival biker gang the Mongols in a Laughlin, Nevada, casino in 2002.

However, federal charges against three dozen other members were dismissed after prosecutors failed to prove the club was a criminal enterprise similar to the Mafia.
Police on alert for trouble from Mongols

Police have their guard up, in part, because the Mongols are particularly active in nearby San Jose.

Christie, for one, said he has no interest in trouble. He said he's bringing his wife, 14-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son to the event. Another son, a 30-year-old chef, will be there as a member of the group.

Christie said the Hells Angels were recently banned from the Ventura County Fair. He said the group is fighting the ban in court.

"They said we fell under the category of a gang and they were banning all gangs," he said. "It's a shame."
 

Family of Ex-Marine Killed by Police Make Claims

WILMINGTON, Del - The family of a former Marine who was given multiple electric shocks and then shot to death by police sued Friday, claiming the officers used excessive force and violated the man's constitutional rights.

Police were investigating a motorcycle gang when they encountered Derek J. Hale, 25, housesitting for a fellow member who had been arrested there earlier, according to the lawsuit.

Hale's widow and parents allege that although Hale posed no threat and police had no warrant for his arrest, they shocked him with a Taser gun three times Nov. 6.

The lawsuit alleges that when Hale, left incapacitated and vomiting, was unable to comply with police commands to raise his hands, a Wilmington police officer shot him three times in the chest.

Attorney Thomas Neuberger said the family hopes to restore the reputation of Hale, who served two tours of duty in Iraq. The plaintiffs are seeking damages and an injunction to force Wilmington and state police to properly train their officers in the use of Tasers and deadly force.

Asked what she hoped to get out of the lawsuit, Hale's widow, Elaine, said "it would be a murder conviction that would make me most happy."

The officer accused in the shooting, Lt. William Browne, is on administrative duty while an investigation continues.

Browne, Wilmington Chief Michael Szczerba and the state police superintendent, Col. Thomas MacLeish, are among those named in the lawsuit.

Spokesmen for the agencies had no immediate comment on the lawsuit. A message left with the attorney general's office, which is investigating the shooting, was not immediately returned.

Police have said Hale did not comply with orders and resisted arrest after investigators saw him moving items from inside the residence to a vehicle, and believed he was preparing to flee.

Two officers used a Taser on Hale, according to police, who said Hale, while on the ground, still refused to remove his hands from his pockets and "continued to struggle" before he was shot. Police have said they found a can of pepper spray and a knife in his pants pockets.

Hale, of Manassas, Va., was a member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club and traveled to Wilmington to participate in a Toys for Tots ride, and there was no probable cause for his arrest, according to the lawsuit.

An 18-month investigation of the Pagans led to the arrests of a dozen people just two days before Hale was shot.

Hale, who police previously had labeled a "person of interest," was described as an unindicted coconspirator two weeks after the shooting when a grand jury indictment accused 16 Pagans of being involved in criminal racketeering and criminal street gang offenses, as well as drug trafficking. Sixteen other individuals were indicted on drug and weapons charges.

By RANDALL CHASE, Associated Press Writer
Gulf Coast News, NWFL

Bike builder Lane avoids lawsuit questions


VIERA,Florida - A Brevard Circuit judge Monday upheld motorcycle builder Billy Lane's refusal to answer questions in a civil case filed by the family of his alleged drunk driving victim because those answers could influence the criminal case against him.

"Our thought was that he very well could have not invoked the Fifth (Amendment) and made things easier," said S. Sammy Cacciatore, attorney for victim Gerald Morelock's family. "We were trying shortcut things (and) get some basic things admitted from him. But if he won't, we'll call witnesses and prove it up and show how bad his conduct was."

Lane, 37, faces 15 years in prison if convicted of DUI manslaughter in connection with the Labor Day crash, in which, police said, Lane crossed a double-yellow line and hit Morelock's mini-Yamaha motorcycle.

In the civil suit, Lane has refused to say whether the accident took place or whether anyone died as a result because those are elements that prosecutors must prove in the criminal case. He also refused to say when or where he met Erin Derrick, the 22-year-old passenger in his Dodge pickup the night of the crash, or what they were doing immediately before the crash.

"The circumstances under which they met could definitely be a link in the chain of evidence," said Gregory Eisenmenger, Lane's criminal lawyer.

Judge John Dean Moxley Jr. agreed, saying the state must prove any negligence by Lane in court.

Lane's attorneys said they will disclose Lane's prior driving citations -- including one in which North Carolina authorities in June charged Lane with driving a motorcycle while intoxicated and revoked his license after he refused to take a breathalyzer test -- because Lane no longer faces a revoked license charge in Florida.

Lane was cleared of the North Carolina charges in October.

Brevard prosecutors could not pursue the suspended license charge, initially filed by the Florida Highway Patrol, because North Carolina authorities never reported Lane's refusal to take a breath test to Florida, which would have suspended his Florida license for a year, said State Attorney's spokeswoman Lynne Bumpus-Hooper.

The FHP also charged Lane with a DUI causing serious bodily injury charge, but Bumpus-Hooper said Derrick, the passenger, declined to pursue charges against Lane for her injuries.

Florida law allows prosecutors to proceed without the woman's consent, though it is unlikely they will do so, she said.

Monday, March 19, 2007
3 TRIGGER HAPPY COPS CHARGED OVER THE FATAL SHOOTING OF SEAN BELL
Indictments unsealed for 3 cops in Bell case
Sharpton Reacts: "All five officers shot, all five should have been charged"

(New York - WABC, March 19, 2007) - Three NYPD officers have been formally charged in the shooting death of Sean Bell. DA Richard Brown laid out the specifics on the charges for detectives Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Mike Cooper who have been charged in the 50-shot NYPD killing.
The three surrendered around 7:00 a.m. to the NYPD's Bureau of Internal Affairs. This, as the Reverend Al Sharpton says the charges fell short.

During an 11:00 news conference, DA Richard Brown laid out the specifics of the indictments against the officers. The grand jury concluded it's deliberation last Friday but released today.

"We interviewed more than 100 witnesses and we reviewed over 500 separate exhibits and then over a period some three weeks, we presented the evidence from our investigation," Queens DA Richard Brown said.

Queens DA Statement on Grand Jury's investigation in Sean Bell Case(click here)
Full Text of the Indictments for all three detectives(click here)


Today manslaughter indictments were handed down for detective Michael Oliver who fired 31 times and detective Gescard Isnora who fired 11 bullets. Eyewitness News has learned that they were each charge on an eight count indictment with the top charge being First Degree Manslaughter. This carries a maximum of 25 years in jail and mandatory prison sentence upon conviction.

Detective Mike Cooper who fired four shots, was charged with reckless endangerment. His bullets nearly hit police and passengers at the nearby Airtrain terminal on the morning Sean Bell died.

Complete list of Indictments:

Oliver:
# First Degree Manslaughter
# Second Degree Manslaughter
# First Degree Assault (2 counts)
# Misdemeanor Reckless Endangerment (2 Counts)

Isnora:
# First Degree Manslaughter
# Second Degree Manslaughter
# First Degree Assault
# Second Degree Assault
# Misdemeanor Reckless Endangerment

Cooper:
# Misdemeanor Reckless Endangerment

Mike Carey, who fired three times, and Paul Headley, who fired once, were not indicted.

Just 23-years-old Bell was leaving his bachelor party at a Queens nightclub. He was being followed by plainclothes police detectives who say they thought someone in Bell's group had a gun.

Five officers opened fire killing Bell and injuring two of his friends, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield.

DA Brown went on to say, "I believe that this office and this grand jury got the result that was most appropriate. And now we've got to try this case and it's gotta be tried, in my judgement, by the jury here in Queens County. It should not be moved to any other jurisdiction."

In an exclusive Eyewitness News interview Sunday night, Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives' Endowment Association said, "we will examine all of our options, including a change of venue."

The three officers will be arraigned at 2:00 p.m. and it is likely that they will get out on bail. Of course, then comes all the legal manueverings down the road.

Meanwhile, Reverend Al Sharpton kept a close watch on the proceedings from his National Action Network in Harlem.

Eyewitness News reporter Marcus Solis is live in Harlem.

"All five officers shot, all five should have been charged", that is the reaction from Rev. Al Sharpton as he watched the Queens DA outline the charges for the three indicted officers.

Sharpton was joined by Nicole Bell and shooting victim Joseph Guzman. Although we did not hear from the two directly, you could see that Nicole Bell was visibly upset and crying at times as she listened to the charges.

Sharpton feels the charges fall short.

Sharpton went on to say, "It is insulting to the intelligence of the public and it is insulting to the courts. what is not being discussed is that the detectives union bought full page ads in public newspapers and radio ads and did what they could to raise public support for the officers. They also fully participated in the grand jury proceedings when they were not forced to."

A battle seems to be brewing between Al Sharpton and the detectives union. As for the mention a possible change of venue in the case as it is tried, Sharpton says "no way, no how", will they cooperate with any prosecution that is moved outside of Queens.

Sharpton says he wanted to see murder charges and attempted murder charges.

The Bell family will now discuss things in a meeting with their attorneys and then they will proceed to the Queens County courthouse for the 2:00 p.m. arraignments.

Hells Angels used Spokane firm as a front


SEATTLE - The Hells Angels purchased a Spokane business, American Motorcycle, and used it as a front to "conceal and facilitate crimes of enrichment" over the past decade, a federal prosecutor told a jury Monday.

The business was used to manufacture false titles to motorcycles that were stolen, then re-registered in Oregon where titling procedures are lax, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman told the jury.

American Motorcycle, which is no longer in business, once was a legitimate motorcycle repair shop, jurors were told. When business waned, however, the company ceased working on motorcycles for the general public and began using the same address as the Hells Angel clubhouse. Gorman's comments came in opening remarks in the racketeering trial of Richard "Smilin' Rick" Fabel, the president of the Washington Nomad chapter of the Hells Angels, based in Spokane. Also on trial are Angels member Ricky Jenks and ex-members Josh Binder and Rodney Rollness.

The four defendants, who face the possibility of life in prison if convicted, engaged in "crimes of enrichment and crimes of punishment" for the Hells Angels club, which has an estimated 2,000 members in the United States, Gorman told the jury.

The opening of the trial came in a capacity courtroom packed with friends of the defendants and police investigators, other Hells Angels, journalists and the curious.

Federal marshals and court security officers thoroughly screened spectators who had to pass through two metal detectors and remove their shoes before entering the courtroom.

Fabel, who has been in custody since February 2006, was wearing black horned-rimmed glasses and a white, long-sleeve shirt with the Hells Angels "death head" logo above the left pocket. His black hair pulled back into a ponytail, he smiled and waved to spectators after being led into the courtroom with the three other defendants.

Kristine Costello, one of two attorneys defending Fabel, said in her opening remarks to the jury that the government's case lacks evidence to convict her client, who's been a Hells Angel for 20 years.

"The truth is Rick Fabel is not guilty," Costello told the jury. "There is no evidence Rick Fabel committed any crimes, just the words of informants."

As charged, Fabel in his capacity as chapter president is accused or ordering various crimes to develop revenue for the club and punish those thought to be informers or falsely claiming to be a Hells Angels. One of the specific crimes listed in the indictment is the July 2001 shooting death of Michael "Santa" Walsh, who falsely boasted he was a Hells Angel.

Costello said the government has no evidence to back up its claim that Fabel ordered the murder of Walsh or other crimes listed in the indictment.

The prosecution has no wiretaps, no fingerprints, no videotape and no eyewitnesses only the expected testimony of two informers "who have serious credibility issues," Costello told the jury.

The jurors were identified by number during the selection process as a method to ensure they won't be intimidated or otherwise bothered during the trial, expected to last into May.

State settles lawsuit in raid on Outlaws clubhouse


Connecticut - The state has agreed to pay $160,000 to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit filed in the wake of a raid on a Waterbury biker clubhouse in 2003.

The payment settles the lawsuit filed after the state police raid of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club's clubhouse.

Five club members and three of their wives sued the state, claiming the December 2003 search during a Christmas party violated their constitutional rights. The lawsuit alleged police handcuffed every partygoer, used excessive force and exceeded the limits of a search warrant they had received for the clubhouse.

State police had a search warrant after getting a tip that a club member had six guns at the clubhouse. No guns were found in the raid.

Documents filed in the case indicate state police believe the Outlaws are a criminal organization and keep tabs on the club.