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(USA) Hollister cutting off booze at midnight for 2015 bike rally

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HOLLISTER, Calif. —Bikers and booze don’t always mix, so Hollister city leaders are trying to control one by limiting the other.

With the annual Fourth of July motorcycle rally less than three weeks away, the City Council approved an emergency ordinance that forces bars and liquor stores in the downtown area to stop selling drinks and alcohol at midnight.

Hollister bar owners are, not surprisingly, unhappy.

"Some instances of violence increase, (more) DUI’s, obviously. We are trying to figure out a way to sort of quell that and make it a safer downtown," Police Chief David Westrick.

Westrick said he made the midnight cut off recommendation for three reasons.

The 2014 motorcycle rally ended violently after three bikers were shot by a rival biker gang at a gas station outside of the rally. Secondly, most violence and drunkenness at the rally occurs after midnight. And the final straw was last month’s bloody biker brawl in Waco, Texas, that left nine dead.

Bar owners say they understand the chief’s motives, but argue that the bike rally is one of their busiest weekends of the year.

"Monetarily, it's going to be a good size hit. My main concern is people being so disappointed, especially if they drove all day to get here. That's going to be really kind of sad," said Charisse Tyson, owner of Johnny’s Bar.

Johnny's Bar is one of the most popular spots during the 3-day event.

The emergency ordinance also applies to beer gardens, which will now have to stop selling alcohol at 8 p.m.,

The police chief said, "I understand their concerns. At the end of the day, public safety is always going to trump that."

http://www.ksbw.com/news/hollister-city-council-decides-booze-and-bikers-after-midnight-dont-mix/33636946

(UK) Hundreds expected at the funeral of legendary North-East biker, Jungle

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HUNDREDS of motorcyclists are expected to descend on a North-East town tomorrow (Friday, June 19) for the funeral of one of the region’s most legendary bikers.

The funeral of Jungle, the former head of the Darlington Hell’s Angels chapter, will take place at 1.30pm at St Cuthbert’s Church, in Darlington.

The proud grandfather, formerly known as George Pamler, died just days after his 65th birthday.

Scores of bikers are expected at the funeral and will follow the funeral procession to the church, before parking up in the market square.

http://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/13340875.Hundreds_expected_at_the_funeral_of_legendary_North_East_biker__Jungle/

(CAN) Killer given restricted freedom

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He has spent the past 13 years behind bars for committing a high-profile homicide that had far-reaching implications -- including the later suspected revenge killing of his innocent brother.

Now, Daniel Tokarchuk is about to take some major steps toward a full-time return to the community.

Tokarchuk, 42, was granted a package of unescorted temporary absences following a hearing earlier this week before the National Parole Board. The Free Press obtained a written copy of the decision, which gives insight into how Tokarchuk has apparently earned the trust of prison officials.

Tokarchuk was convicted of second-degree murder for shooting his former friend, Hells Angels associate Trevor Savoie, on a street in River Heights in May 2002. He fought the case at trial, claiming the killing was done in self-defence as he feared his family was in danger. Jurors rejected that bid.

Tokarchuk was given a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for at least 12 years. He has now reached that stage of being eligible, but has yet to apply. Instead, Tokarchuk has been awarded the unescorted temporary absences that will allow him to leave his minimum-security facility for up to two days per week, 60 days in total.

"The board notes the need for a gradual reintegration in your case," the decision reads in part.

Tokarchuk was moved to a minimum-security prison in 2013, and there have been no concerns with his behaviour, according to the parole board. He has also completed several key programs aimed at anger management, violence prevention and "pro-social" problem solving.

He has been deemed a low risk to reoffend and has strong support from family and friends. There remain some lingering concerns, including potential relapse of drug and alcohol abuse along with his history of a "major depressive disorder."

"You also spoke of the repercussions of your offence indicating that you do not believe there will be further issues. However, you do have trepidation about returning to the community where your index offence occurred," the parole board wrote.

There is good reason for that trepidation. Tokarchuk's killing of Savoie is believed to have triggered the slaying of Tokarchuk's brother, Kevin, exactly one year later.

No arrests were ever made in that case, which saw the innocent young man gunned down outside his family's home. But the case did result in a major controversy within the Winnipeg Police Service over allegations officers failed to warn the Tokarchuk family about a possible revenge plot.

Six officers were removed from their jobs -- then returned to different duties months later after an independent report recommended no criminal charges be laid against them. The move came amid allegations members of the force ignored warnings Kevin Tokarchuk had been targeted for death.

The officers claimed they were wrongly placed on paid leave by then-police chief Jack Ewatski, and their careers and personal lives suffered because of it. They eventually settled the matter outside of a bitter Manitoba Labour Board arbitration hearing. Specifics weren't disclosed because of a gag order, leaving hanging the question of whether police could have prevented Kevin Tokarchuk's slaying.

At his trial, jurors heard Daniel Tokarchuk had been selling drugs for Savoie, but began using the product and fell nearly $15,000 in debt.

Savoie had come looking for Tokarchuk several days before the murder, speaking with his brother, Kevin. Savoie brought along his friend, Tyler Cascisa, who had been convicted of killing one of Kevin's friends years earlier.

In a videotaped statement prior to his death, Kevin told police Savoie even mentioned speaking to their mother if Daniel -- who was hiding out in Ontario -- didn't surface soon.

Defence lawyer Greg Brodsky claimed Savoie's actions were meant to intimidate Tokarchuk and left him fearing for his life. In a police interview, Tokarchuk explained how he felt there was no choice but to kill Savoie upon his return to the city.

Savoie collapsed and died after being shot four times, including one bullet through the heart.

"You believe you have done everything you can to rehabilitate yourself, indicating that you have made efforts to do your time peacefully," the parole board wrote this week. "You were unable to identify current risk factors, indicating that you have no interest in anything to do with your past."

http://www.thecarillon.com/provincial/killer-given-restricted-freedom-308953741.html

(USA) SORRY, BUT BLACK AND SILVER ARE TAKEN

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One Year Later, Black Pistons Motorcycle Gxxxg Rides For Slain Member (And Contemplates Masculinity?)

Black Pistons Motorcycle club member Zachariah Tiptonwas shot during a brawl outside Nippers Bar in Jacksonville Beach

The bottom of the invitation listed the rules: “No guns, no drugs, no bad attitude.”

To my mind, the necessity of including this prohibition means flat out that someone in attendance is likely to be violating all three of those No’s, though it might not all be the same person. However, I can’t claim I’m conversant with the norms and prohibits of motorcycle gangz, errrrrrrrr … clubs.

Yesterday (Saturday, June 20) The Black Pistons Motorcycle Club Jax mourned the death and celebrated the life of fellow member Zachariah ‘Nas-T GBNF” Tipton. Last year on June 24, Tipton, 40, a father of three, died from a single gunshot wound to the head inflicted during a violent fist fight and body pummeling between Black Pistons and a recruit of the Iron Order motorcycle club in the parking lot of Nipper’s in Jacksonville Beach. Black Pistons members met at the their clubhouse at 1675 Pasadena Street in Jacksonville near Beaver Street and Lane Avenue at noon, planned to ride to Tipton’s grave at 2 p.m. and then return to the clubhouse to celebrate Tipton’s life.

“Covered dishes and sides welcome.”

To me, this sounded like trouble. Not the covered dishes, but the caravan to the grave and the party afterwards. I called Lauri-Ellen Smith, special assistant to Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford, to find out if they would be monitoring it. I also asked if JSO considered the Black Pistons a gang.

I had not heard back by press time.

The Black Pistons are affiliated with the much-feared Outlaws Motorcycle Club. The U.S. Justice Department reports that the Outlaws use the Black Pistons to conduct criminal activity. The feds also say the Outlaws produce and distribute meth as well as cocaine and marijuana and commit a bunch of other crimes like money laundering and robbery and prostitution in competition with the Hells Angels for members and territory.

The Iron Order aren’t Hells Angels. Law enforcement officers, members of the military are attracted to their ranks. But I thought if members of Iron Order showed up, like at the graveyard, it could be a Whacko in Waco-like melee all over again.

Black Pistons’ member Jason Brown laughed at both the idea of violence and the Justice Department description of his club as a criminal enterprise. He said he is an electrician and that he is not earning money from his Black Pistons’ association. If he was, he said, he wouldn’t fret over how to pay his mortgage each month and his other bills.

“To the government it is perceived as a threat because they’re not buying into the system and are still keeping that warrior mentality, that tribal mentality,” he said.

Although he described the Iron Order as provocateurs, he said they wouldn’t do something visible or that public to start a problem with the Black Pistons.

“The one thing I will say,” Brown said, “I’m more afraid of bad drivers texting on their phones. I ride all of the time and I, literally, look into other cars and someone looking down at their phone while they drive by at 90 miles an hour. . . . I think people are licensed to drive way too easily.”

When Folio Weekly writer-at-large Derek Kinner reported on Tipton’s death, he pieced together an explanation of what led to the fight by speaking to members of both clubs and others who were on the scene. There was little information from law enforcement.

Kinner reported that the fight started over the club patch worn by the Iron Order. It uses Black Pistons colors: black and silver. In an ancient code that governs motorcycle clubs, and elementary school children, only one person in the group or sibling in a family or motorcycle club can claim a color. Ignoring this rule seems to be a thing with the Iron Order. News stories from Kentucky, Texas, Maryland and Mississippi in the past five years describe knifings and beatings with axe handles and baseball bats that seem related to either the colors or the design of the patch the Iron Order wears. It’s a three-piece patch that has the state affiliation on the bottom third, which other clubs object to, and apparently, it also uses colors already claimed by the Black Pistons.

I can understand that competing criminal enterprises having turf wars over their trade routes or their customer base. I can understand if the Outlaws and the Hells Angels fought over their territories like the Sinaloa and the Juarez cartel in Mexico or the Crips and the Bloods in Los Angeles or the way the Trafficante family offed rivals to take over the criminal underworld in Tampa.

But the Nippers brawl was over embroidery.

Pardon me and respect to the dead and all that, but Zachariah Tipton father-of-three and all-around-joyously boisterous guy died because of something along the lines of a Boy Scout patch sewn onto a motorcycle jacket? Because of the colors black and silver? With all the very real and horrible things going on in the world and the evil – like Dylann Roof at Sunday bible class in Charleston – grown men are dying over embroidery?

I admit, there was a time colors seemed like life and death thing to me, too . . . When I moved to Florida in 1964 and entered the warped world of a Florida junior high school. Thankfully, Suzi Bellows took me under her wing: Don’t wear green and yellow on Thursdays. It means you’re queer, she told me. I had a cotton shift dress that my Mom made for me that I adored with a seam down the middle. One half was olive green and the other half golden yellow. I was so afraid I would forget and wear it on a Thursday. Mortified. You didn’t wear blue on Mondays, either, but I forget why.

But nobody could convince me now to obey any such sartorial sanctions. White after Labor Day? Bring it on, suckers. I’m just not going to ever take colors that seriously.

But among motorcycle clubs, it seems, Iron Order member spawn life-and-death Faustian brawls worthy of a session of Jungian archetyping because of their patch. The Iron Order is relatively new among motorcycle clubs so one might understand they might balk at the limitations. Black and Silver is taken. So is the bottom third of the patch. What’s left?

Friends and family describe Tipton as an all around good guy who celebrated the small miracles in life, like a flower blooming, or spreading cheer by playing a song his guitar. He liked to rib his fellow Pistons with outlandish tomfoolery, like pulling down his pants to his Speedos and offering to perform a lap dance for a bud (a guy thing, I guess).

Kinner described the anguish of the Tipton’s family as they waited for answers. The titles of his stories, spanning July to November last year, tell the story: “What Really Happened at Nipper’s?” http://bit.ly/1Fp6MQI); on August 4, “An Open Letter to Angela Corey” http://bit.ly/1GZMrXC) castigating her making it difficult to obtain information or even public records on Tipton or anything else her office handles; on October 22, “The Nippers Shooting Victim’s Family is Waiting for Answers” http://bit.ly/1Fp8zp7); and on November 12 “Angela Corey Says Nipper Shooting Justified” http://bit.ly/1GZNWFw. Corey ruled U.S. Army combat medic Kristopher Stone had stood his ground under Florida self-defense law and was justified in using deadly force against Tipton because he believed he imminent death or great bodily harm.

Brown was fun to talk to, but I kind of forgot to ask him a bunch of stuff because of the way he talked.

I was taken with his explanation of why the Iron Order provoked other clubs. He said the emulated the look of the traditional motor cycle clubs, the scary biker look, and appropriated the symbols without the codes of the culture. He described it as kind of a feminization. That’s because he regards the military order and the culture of self-governing and settling disputes outside of societal institutions like the police or the courts as a kind of a barbaric masculinity. He said the Iron Club is trying to “change the narrative.” I enjoy that kind of talk. I asked him about the masculine identity the club affiliation confers on its members.

“To my mind that has always been the appeal. It is much like a military organization. It’s a different kind of organization, “ he said. “But’s it’s like a silent revolt against society. You are not going along with the trend. You don’t agree with the way society is run, so you find your own tribe.”

Only after reading my notes, did I realize that every time he explained why the Iron Order undermined biker codes, I should have said,

So a guy died over black and silver?

http://folioweekly.com/SORRY-BUT-BLACK-AND-SILVER-ARE-TAKEN,12880


(CAN) Sister of greek victim call his attackers monsters

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The sister of a Greek man clinging to life after three Canadian Hells Angels allegedly beat him called his attackers “monsters” who were drunk and looking for trouble.

The woman, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, contacted The Vancouver Sun about the June 7 attack, saying Canadians need to know the truth about what happened.

“We will do everything we can in our power to make them pay for what they did to our brother because it was wrong. It was injustice. It was unfair. He did nothing. He was innocent,” she said.

“I think these people shouldn’t be allowed to leave their country. Why does the government allow these monsters to go around the world?”

She said her brother, who’s 41, had just been in the family’s village, comforting their mother after the death of their father May 24.

He decided to return to his home in Corfu where he had dogs that needed to be fed, she said.

When he arrived, he went to a nearby restaurant owned by a friend “to grab a bite.” It was about 6 a.m.

He came out a few minutes later to find men wearing Hells Angels vests around his motorcycle. One was sitting on it.

“My brother told them sorry you’re on my bike and I want to go home,” she said.

“They said OK. But when my brother went to his bike and leaned in, they attacked him from behind. After the first hit, he fell on the ground. Then they started kicking him in the head. All the witnesses saw it, but they are afraid for their lives. They were hiding behind the windows and inside the cars like mice, who are afraid of the cat who will catch them.”

Before the attack, the bikers had already been making a scene in the area, which is full of bars, restaurants and strip clubs, she said.

“They were partying. They were drunk. They had been smashing windows, throwing bikes around. All the witnesses there saw what they had been doing and what their intention was. They were ready to fight and ready to do harm and no one called the police.”

After her brother was attacked, however, one witness did contact local authorities. They put out a warning to taxis with a description of the suspects.

A driver contacted police and said he had three men in his car wearing Hells Angels vests and covered in blood, she said.

“The police told the taxi driver where to take them,” she said. “He was shaking while he was talking to the policeman.”

Three Alberta Hells Angels are now in custody in Greece, facing attempted murder charges. Two are from the Westridge chapter in Alberta and one is with the Nomads, based in Red Deer.

The three were part of a group of Canadian Hells Angels who attended the world meeting of more than 2,000 bikers in Greece earlier this month.

The names of the accused have not been released, which is normal under Greek law, the victim’s sister said.

Her brother’s prognosis is bleak, she said.

“His condition is very serious. He’s fighting for his life. He has brain and skull injuries. They almost smashed his head with kicking and blows. The doctors told us he is almost brain-dead,” she said.

“He will undergo another test tomorrow or Sunday but the doctors said it is highly unlikely that he will survive.”

She added: “If the inevitable happens, I think the charges will change to murder.”

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2015/06/19/sister-of-greek-victim/

(UK) Three men arrested after bike club member is shot

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Friends and fellow bikers have left sympathy messages online after a biker was shot dead in the Republic.

Andrew O'Donoghue, nicknamed Odd, died after he was gunned down at the Road Tramps Motorcycle Club in Co Limerick yesterday afternoon.

It is understood he was shot in the head.

Among messages left on the club's Facebook page was one which said the father-of-one had gone to the club to feed cats.

Gardai said the 51-year-old was shot at Mountfune, Murroe, a rural part of Co Limerick, on Saturday afternoon at about 3pm and he died later in hospital.

One note on the club's social media page read: "There is one little girl this morning with no father because he was executed yesterday while going to feed clubhouse cats."

Another read: "My brother odd gunned down today by scum. Words cannot explain how gutted I am. My best mate gone."

Gardai said three men were arrested last night in the Limerick area over the killing, two in their late 40s and one in his 20s.

They can be held for seven days.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/three-men-arrested-after-bike-club-member-is-shot-31319118.html

(AUS) Legal team fights against deportation of Rebels bikie AJ Graham

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FORMER Rebels bikie AJ Graham has assembled a high-powered legal team to fight his deportation.

Graham, 48, was arrested by Department of Immigration and Border Protection officers during a major operation at Kingston last week.

He is being held in NSW’s Goulburn Prison pending deportation.

The Mercury understands Graham has retained the services of four senior lawyers to prevent him being sent home to his native New Zealand.

They are preparing an appeal to Federal Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to reverse his decision in the case.

Graham has lived in Australia for 38 years, and has a wife and children in Hobart.

There is also the possibility of an appeal to the Federal Court.

The legal push comes as a Facebook page opposing Mr Graham’s deportation has reached more than 1200 followers.

Organisers of the “Keep Aaron Joe Graham (AJ) in Tasmania” site are organising a fundraiser for him.

Tickets for a traditional Maori feast and auction are set to go on sale within days.

The New Zealand-born bikie was a founding member of the Rebels in Tasmania and former president of the club’s Kingston chapter.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Mark Mewis said outlaw motorcycle gangs were not welcome in Tasmania.

“The New Zealand national who was detained last week in a joint operation with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection has a significant criminal history including drug, firearms and assault offences,” he said.

“He is a fully patched member of the Rebels OMCG and former president of the Kingston chapter.

“While OMCGs may seek to ingratiate themselves into the community though various means, the truth is OMCGs — particularly the Rebels — in this state are linked to the importation and distribution of drugs.

“OMCGs are not motorcycle clubs they are well-organised criminal gangs and they are not welcome here.”

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/legal-team-fights-against-deportation-of-rebels-bikie-aj-graham/story-fnjj6012-1227415147399

(AUS) Bandidos bikie associate jailed for Brisbane nightclub stabbing

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A FORMER Bandidos bikie associate who stabbed two other men in a Fortitide Valley nightclub has been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years’ jail.

Justice Debra Mullins ordered that James Peter Arapeta Holt be eligible for parole on March 11, 2018.

Brisbane Supreme Court was today told Holt stabbed another man seven times in the “space of seconds” after a brawl erupted at Brisbane’s Hot Gossip nightclub.

An agitated-looking Holt, now 24, had later been seen outside the Fortitude Valley premises, yelling “I’m going to smash those coconuts” as he punched the air.

Holt pleaded guilty today to two counts of a malicious act with intent and one count each of unlawfully possessing a stun gun and unlawfully possessing drugs.

Prosecutor Phil McCarthy said Holt wounded two men — Leo Salesa and Geoffrey Talavave — with a fold-out knife after a fight broke out in the early morning of September 1, 2013.

The court heard Holt had gone to the nightclub with alleged members of the Bandidos, Brett Pechey and Anthony Toumpas.

Following an earlier confrontation between the groups, which Holt was not aware of, a fight had broken out between the men about 4.30am.

“The fight seemed to be initiated between Salesa and Pechey,” Mr McCarthy said.

“Witnesses at the scene heard words exchanged between the pair across the nightclub and Salesa is described as moving with pace from the dance floor directly at Pechey, punching Pechey in the face and knocking him off his feet through a freestanding metal barrier.”

Mr McCarthy said as the brawl escalated, Holt was seen reaching into his pocket and unfolding a knife “to come to the aid of defending Pechey”.

The court heard Holt struck Talavave once with the knife from behind and into the lateral chest. The wound was found to be 5cm in length and 10cm deep, Mr McCarthy said.

“It is accepted the defendant was aiding in self-defence of another at that point in time but it was accepted the response in defending his companion Pechey was excessive in those circumstances with the use of the knife,” he said.

The court heard bottles were thrown, glasses were broken, tables overturned and young patrons ran from the nightclub “in a panic”.

Mr McCarthy said Holt then went to the corner of the nightclub where security guards were trying to pull a brawling Salesa and Toumpas apart.

He said Holt moved in towards Salesa, delivering a “number of blows” with the unfolded knife to Salesa’s upper body.

“Salesa was struck and wounded seven times by the defendant over the space of seconds,” he said.

After Salesa fell to the ground, Pechey and Toumpas continued to attack him.

An agitated Holt was observed by police outside the nightclub repeatedly yelling “f---ing coconuts”. He was patted down, however no weapons were found at that point and he was let go.

He was later arrested at the home he shared with his girlfriend.

The sentencing hearing continues.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/bandidos-bikie-associate-jailed-for-brisbane-nightclub-stabbing/story-fnii5v6y-1227414866760

(AUS) Queensland police 'decimate' Mongols bikie gxxg with drug arrests

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Queensland police say they have dealt a “defining blow” to the presence of the Mongols bikie gang in the state after arresting 10 Mongols bikies on suspicion of trafficking ice.

More than 280 police swooped on 50 properties across Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Gladstone and the Gold Coast on Tuesday morning in what was the culmination of an 18-month investigation.

Charges have been laid against 111 people – including the club’s alleged Queensland president Nick “the Knife” Forbes, 45, its 26-year-old treasurer and a 29-year-old man police will allege was the club’s enforcer.

The trio was among 10 patched members to be charged with drug trafficking, and police will allege they were each selling $100,000 worth of the drug a week.

Taskforce Maxima Detective Superintendent Mick Niland said: “The hierarchy of the Queensland chapter are all arrested and charged.

“We consider at this time we have decimated the Mongols’ Gold Coast chapter.”

Niland said 16 of the club’s 100-plus members were known to be in Queensland.

When asked how many were yet to be arrested, he replied: “There might be a couple.”

Under Queensland’s anti-gang legislation, a club’s office bearers can be sentenced to an additional 15 or 25 years behind bars if found guilty of serious offences such as trafficking.

The latest operation resulted, police say, in the seizure of $900,000 worth of various drugs including ice, cannabis, cocaine, MDMA pills and steroids.

Police allegedly uncovered hydroponic cannabis set-ups, a pill press and a meth lab hidden inside a poker machine at various properties.

Forbes’ steroid supply was allegedly found in a chicken run at his house.

His arrest was significant because a club’s highest-ranking members typically let others take the fall and kept their own hands clean, Detective Inspector Terry Lawrence said.

“We will allege we have evidence he has been pulling the strings in the distribution, sale or trafficking of that drug,” he said.

Officers have referred four properties to the state’s corruption watchdog for a proceeds-of-crime investigation and seized a jet ski and $30,000 in cash.

Niland said more than 320 bikies had severed ties with their clubs to date, and offered blunt advice to those who remained: “Disassociate. Have nothing further to do with the club.”

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jun/23/queensland-police-decimate-mongols-bikie-gang-after-drug-arrests

(USA) Police reinforced ahead of gxxg visit

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PASO ROBLES — Two Paso Robles downtown Street blocks were closed Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20, to provide extra parking and a staging area for several county police agencies that were called in as a precautionary measure by Paso Robles police due to a report of possible biker gangs’ increased activity in the area.

The Paso Robles Police Department and the San Luis Obispo County Gang Task Force received reports earlier in the week that the Vagos motorcycle club, a Federally documented outlaw motorcycle gang according to the PRPD, and other motorcycle clubs would be gathering in Northern San Luis Obispo County over the weekend.

http://www.pasoroblespress.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=11810

(CAN) Project Forseti accused seeks release, cites delay 17 of 18 arrested now out of jail

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Six months after the early morning raids that saw alleged Hells Angels and Fallen Saints members in Saskatoon led away in handcuffs, only one of them remains in custody and no trial dates have been set on the hundreds of charges.

The one man still behind bars, Ryan Hillman, was in Saskatoon Court of Queen's

Bench this week applying for release based on the delay so far in the case - and further delays that are anticipated before it's finally heard in court.

"My argument was that nothing has really happened (since the arrests) and there's been a delay, and that delay should give Mr. Hillman a right to another bail hearing," his lawyer, George Combe, said outside court.

On Jan. 14, at the culmination of an investigation dubbed Project Forseti, police in Saskatchewan and Alberta raided 19 locations in seven cities and arrested 14 men, including two fullpatch Hells Angels members and the president of the Fallen Saints motorcycle club. Four more men were arrested in the following weeks, bringing the total to 18.

Police said they seized $8 million worth of drugs in the raids, including fentanyl pills of the same type as those that killed three Saskatoon teens last year. They also seized cocaine, marijuana, heroin, Dilaudid pills, methamphetamine and 200 guns.

Police touted the fact that the bikers were taken off the streets, but as of this week, 17 of the 18 accused are out on bail. Many of them are on conditions so strict that their lawyers are regularly in court to get exceptions for a weekend trip out of town, for example, or to make sure a condition is worded to allow the accused to be in his detached garage if police come to check whether he's in his "approved residence."

The most recent court appearance for the 17 who are out of custody was on Wednesday; their cases were adjourned another month, to July 27.

Hillman was in court on Tuesday to argue he should be released, too. Evidence presented at the bail hearing is subject to a publication ban, including details about the allegations against him.

He's charged with conspiracy to traffic marijuana, trafficking marijuana, aggravated assault, possessing weapons for a dangerous purpose and unauthorized possession of prohibited weapons. In May, police laid more than two dozen additional weapons-related charges against Hillman.

Lawyers for all the accused are still receiving and reviewing disclosure from the Crown, which includes recordings of more than 30,000 telephone calls relating to Hillman alone, Combe said.

The lawyers will all need to co-ordinate their schedules to select preliminary hearing dates, which Combe said he doesn't expect to happen until the fall - meaning it's possible the preliminary hearing could be scheduled sometime in 2016. Before a trial begins, numerous Charter applications related to the way the police gathered evidence in the case are likely to be filed.

Justice Ron Mills reserved his decision on Hillman's release to an unspecified future date.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Project+Forseti+accused+seeks+release+cites+delay/11165036/story.html

(AUS) SA bikie laws: Liberals to oppose crackdown

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A BIKIE crackdown that would use legislation to declare 27 gangs as criminal groups will be opposed by the Liberal Party as it demands greater court oversight of anti-association laws.

The Advertiser can reveal a majority of the Liberal partyroom has agreed to move amendments to the State Government’s latest anti-gang laws when debate resumes.

The most significant change is opposing Labor’s plan to use legislation to declare bikie groups — including the Mongols, Hells Angels and Rebels — as organised crime gangs.

Opposition Deputy Leader Vickie Chapman said the Liberals supported a system where the Government could make regulations outlawing gangs that were subject to judicial review.

Regulations are submitted to Parliament by ministers and can be rejected by vote of either house.

Ms Chapman conceded this system could mean some of the 27 gangs the Government wishes to outlaw, particularly those which operate outside SA, would not be declared.

Ms Chapman said a judicial review would ensure proper process was followed by the minister.

“We will not accept an autocratic list at the command of (Attorney-General) John Rau, that he wants us to just rubber stamp and bypass even any process rules,” she said.

“With a strengthened regulation procedure, they can still achieve their objective.

“But we won’t give a statutory endorsement blind.”

Under current laws, police must convince a Supreme Court judge that a particular group has been formed with the purpose of carrying out acts of organised crime or violence.

Once the court outlaws a gang, further controls can be placed on its members to ban them from meeting or associating. Police have not yet sought a declaration from the Supreme Court.

The Government says the current system is too complex and getting the evidence required for a declaration is impossible. It says Parliament should instead declare the gangs as outlaws itself.

The Opposition is also demanding Parliament’s crime and public integrity committee be given access to police intelligence used to justify gang declarations made by the Government.

Mr Rau last night said the Liberals were opposing the most important part of his crackdown.

“They’re trying to have their cake and eat it too,” he said. “They’re trying to appear like they’re supporting this, but they’re gutting the Bill so that the only thing that is the same is the name.

“They’re opposing it, but they don’t want to say that because they haven’t got the guts.

“They are so internally split, that the only decision they can take is a non-decision.”

The legislation was debated in the Lower House a fortnight ago, when former Liberal leader Isobel Redmond revealed a split in the party and pledged to oppose the legislation.

Several other Liberals including Ms Redmond’s former deputy Mitch Williams also voiced concerns about Parliament declaring gangs illegal with “no proof”.

The Government says debate on the crackdown may resume in the Upper House this week.

Under Labor it would be illegal for:

Bikie groups to recruit.

For members to be out in public with two or more others from their group.

To enter licensed premises wearing club colours or logos.

Meetings to be held at prescribed locations.

Parliament would pass a law banning 27 groups and police could then apply to the court for powers to stop members from meeting.

The Liberals propose:

Groups not be banned using legislation.

Instead, the Government would provide a regulation to Parliament naming a gang.

The regulation could be voted down by either House.

It would also be subject to a judicial review and could be rejected if the court found the Government did not have enough evidence that the gang was involved in organised crime.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/sa-bikie-laws-liberals-to-oppose-crackdown/story-fnii5yv8-1227420849770

(USA) Five arrested as Upper Darby cops lead Meth raids in Drexel Hill

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UPPER DARBY >> Methamphetamine reared its ugly head this week during raids on a barber shop and two residences Friday afternoon.

Upper Darby Narcotics Unit joined forces with the Delaware County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force for the almost simultaneous raids in Drexel Hill.

Calling meth worse than heroin, police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said officers are seeing it more and more.

Five people were arrested, three for drug trafficking and two for drug possession, after search warrants were served at Marturano’s Barber Shop, 812 Concord Ave., and an apartment on the first block of South State Road, at 3:55 p.m., and an apartment on the 3800 block of Berkley Avenue, 90 minutes later.

Besides seizing methamphetamine, police confiscated two handguns, two motorcycles, a Warlocks Motorcycle Club jacket, a total of $2,209 and brass knuckles.

Michael Marturano, 32, of the first block of South State Road, and his girlfriend, Gina Whittaker, 25, of the 2500 block of Stoneybrook Drive, Drexel Hill, were arrested during the first raid.

John McCauley, 45, and Margaret Guinan, 43, both of the 3800 block of Berkley Avenue and Charles Halfpenny, 36, of the 3900 block of Dennison Avenue, Drexel Hill, were taken into custody after the late afternoon raid on Berkley.

“We have received neighborhood complaints about the barber shop and the apartment on Berkley,” Chitwood said. “Marturano was cutting the meth up for selling when we went in and Whittaker came into the barber shop while we were there. McCauley was dealing out of his apartment. These raids were a joint effort because of the time frame. We wanted to hit the barber shop and his apartment (on State Road) at the same time.

“You very, very rarely see Methamphetamine but all of a sudden we’re seeing it more and more. Meth is really bad. Users get whacked out. It makes them very violent and very aggressive. We’re starting to see it more and more. Methamphetamine is raising its ugly head and it’s the ugliest you can see.”

According to Chitwood, one of the guns was seized from the barber shop and the other from the Berkley apartment. Continued...

http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2015/06/29/region/doc55915b1b77485066029773.txt

(CAN) RCMP quiet on first anniversary of Dale Porter's murder

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It's now been a year since a shocking murder in the tiny Conception Bay North community of North River spread fear and disbelief throughout the area, and despite some signs of progress, there still haven't been any arrests in the killing of Dale Porter.

Porter, 39, was brutally and violently killed on his property during the early hours of June 29, 2014.

When contacted Monday, RCMP Staff Sgt. Boyd Merrill said there was nothing new he could report on the investigation.

"I have been given no updates nor comments for media purposes," Merrill wrote in an email to CBC News.

Hopes of a breakthrough in the case were raised nearly three months ago when the RCMP said results from DNA evidence collected at the scene put investigators in "a position to act on these results."

CBC News also reported in February that investigators believe two associates of the Vikings Motorcycle Club, Allan Potter and Daniel Leonard, are leading suspects in the case.

But the weeks and months have slipped by, and family members and friends of Dale Porter continue to wait for justice.

Porter's death came after a night of drinking and partying at a nightclub in nearby Bay Roberts.

Sources say a group planned to continue the party at Porter's house, but revelry turned to shock after Porter was discovered lying in his driveway, taking his dying breaths.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/rcmp-quiet-on-first-anniversary-of-dale-porter-s-murder-1.3131642

(AUS) Hells Angels deny 'shoot on sight' order

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THE Hells Angels Motorcycle Club have spoken out to deny they are on a bloody mission of revenge involving a "shoot on sight" order being issued from America.

The media-shy motorcycle club has rarely spoken publicly since being formed in Australia in 1975. But the Herald was contacted yesterday by a senior member of the Sydney chapter after a report in a Sydney newspaper yesterday that claimed the club had been issued "a shoot Comanchero on sight" edict from America.

"No Hells Angels member or delegate - USA, worldwide or in Australia - has ever ordered its members to shoot Comanchero, or any other person, on sight," a senior member of the Hells Angels Sydney chapter said.

The refutation comes after several months of heightened tension between members of motorcycle clubs, with the NSW Government recently creating new laws that will allow the police to declare some motorcycle clubs as criminal gangs.

A police operation, Strike Force Raptor, was formed to combat bikie violence, with the high-profile unit making 52 arrests since being created last month.

In an organised meeting with the Herald, a senior Hells Angels member spoke out against what he said were "lies in an attempt to produce public hysteria".

The article published yesterday stated "the gang's American leaders" had ordered Australian chapters to shoot Comanchero members on sight in "a deadly bid to repair the gang's shattered image".

It stated that the Big Red Machine, as the club is known, had a long-held policy of "instant retaliation". But the senior member, authorised to speak to the Herald, denied the allegations.

"Hells Angels USA or worldwide have not and never would order Australian chapters to address any issue in Australia, especially would never order to shoot anybody on sight."

He also said the club has never had a policy of instant retaliation, nor had the international club ever expressed concerns regarding its reputation in Australia. Nor had the Australian chapters been banned from the world run, he said.

The Hells Angels were concerned the "lies" in some media reporting could incite a bikie war and helped to support the new legislation.

The club had not been contacted to verify yesterday's story, he said.

http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/840244/hells-angels-deny-shoot-on-sight-order/?cs=4067

(USA) Lawsuit filed against cafe owners after biker dies at Twin Peaks biker gang shootout

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Victim's family sue cafe owners following the death of biker

The family of one of the bikers shot dead during a horrific biker gang shootout in the car park of a Texas cafe in May are suing the cafe owners.

The shootout which took place on 17 May, ocurred after Twin Peaks cafe in Waco went ahead with hosting a meeting between rival motorcycle clubs, despite receiving warnings from the police of tension between two biker gangs, as previously reported on MotorbikeTimes.

According to a suit filed concentrating on the death of one of the bikers, Jesus Delgado Rodriguez, Rodriguez' widow and plaintiff, Mary Rodgriguez, is seeking undetermined damages from the cafe's parent company for negligence, as well as a trial by jury on the basis of negligence.

Authorities say the incident derived from an apparent confrontation between the Cossacks and the Bandidos, both of whom are classified as gangs by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Along with the nine fatally shot, 18 others were injured and 177 people were arrested and held on bonds, charges of engaging in organised criminal activity.

It is not known who fired the shots that struck the nine who died and the results of the autopsies and ballistic analyses have not been made available to the public.

Of those who were arrested, four have been released, mostly on released bonds and no prosecution.

Vietnam War veteran, Rodriguez, had no past criminal history. According to a preliminary autopsy report, the 65-year-old man, otherwise known as Mohawk, died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso.

Widow, Mary, told the Associated Press that her late husband's death was "something that shouldn't have happened."

"I think the police should have stopped it," she said.

In March, Waco police became aware of the increased tension between the Cossacks and the Bandidos, according to spokesman police sergeant, Patrick Swanton.

Twin Peaks cafe had failed to cancel the event, according to the lawsuit, despite police authorities raising concern with Twin Peaks regarding the restaurant hosting a meeting of the Confederation of Clubs and Independents, which is a coalition of motorcycle clubs that advocates riders safety.

http://www.motorbiketimes.com/news/people/human-interest/lawsuit-filed-against-cafe-owners-after-biker-dies-at-twin-peaks-biker-gang-shootout-$21385491.htm

(USA) To biker lawyer, outlaw not the same as criminal

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To an outsider, it might not make much sense that a group of motorcycle riders can call themselves outlaws, yet be offended at being called gangsters or criminals.

But the words have a world of difference contends a lawyer who has represented the Houston-born Bandidos Motorcycle Club, which law enforcement authorities consider a criminal gang that has an alleged hand in drug trafficking and other crimes.


"It is a slander, it is a word used by law enforcement to paint them as something they are not," said Las Vegas based lawyer Stephen Stubbs. "They are doing it in a way that says, 'These people are bad. Listen to us.'"

The Bandidos, which law enforcement says is among the largest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang in the United States, have been in the spotlight since some Bandidos were among 177 arrested following a Waco shootout that left nine people dead and 18 wounded.

Authorities have said the Waco incident was sparked by a gang rivalry between the Bandidos and a lesser known group, the Cossacks, and that they came to Waco to settle a score.

Stubbs has said repeatedly that the Bandidos were not the aggressors during a clash that broke out in the parking lot of a Twin Peaks restaurant, and is among many lawyers who have called on authorities to release surveillance videos that will let the facts be known to the public.

Stubbs said it is completely different for a person to refer to himself as an outlaw biker than it is to say he lives outside the law.

He said back when outlaw motorcycling began decades ago, it was a term used to describe riders who did not fit into the norms of society because they preferred long hair, piercings and tattoos and maybe not being as polite as some people might have preferred.

The Bandidos began in the Houston area in 1966 and have held a strong presence here ever since.

He pointed back to the American Motorcycle Association requiring riders joining its motorcycle runs to wear suits. Young veterans who were coming back from World War II wanted instead to wear blue jeans, white T-shirts and black leather jackets.

In separating himself from those who rode in T-shirts and jeans, the association's president said decades ago that 99 percent of the nation's motorcycle riders were law abiding.

"People made patches that said One Percenter," Stubbs said, "and afflictively gave the bird to the American Motorcycle Association and said, 'We are not you.'"

He said being an outlaw biker is not about breaking the law, but living free.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/To-biker-lawyer-outlaw-not-the-same-as-criminal-6374053.php

(USA) Las Vegas bikers battle a bum rap

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LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) –We hear them rev their engines and see them drive in packs.

"Bikers," are all around us on our valley roads.

They are a part of an inner circle few get to know. They reject the stereotype that they're criminals to be feared. Terms such as "outlaws" and "gangs" are offensive to most of them. In reality, they say the biker world is all about brotherhood.

There are the Bandidos, Regulators, The Vegas Flare, Crazy 88's and High Rollers. These are just some of the Las Vegas Motor Clubs cruising our valley roads.

"It's exciting. It's exhilarating. It's a lot better than being in a car," says Big Red, a member of the Las Vegas Regulators.

"Aw! It's a beautiful thing. It's all about a brotherhood and a camaraderie," he says.

The togetherness brings a wealth of characters.

"As Marines we are always a part of our country and our community," says Ghost, the president of the Marine Riders Las Vegas Chapter.

"I'm a biker...but I'm also a business owner. I'm also a retired individual. I'm also 100-percent disabled. I hate being classified as a biker," he adds.

Then there are outlaw motorcycle clubs – these are clubs that make their own rules, don't conform to mainstream culture and are not sanctioned by the American Motorcyclists Association.

Like the Pissed Off Bastards of Berdoo. "Gator" is his name-- at six-five and over 300-pounds he's the ambassador for his club. "Bikers get a bad rap because we look scary with our tattoos," says Gator.

"Ghost" is set on shedding the negative stereotypes the public has linked to motorcycle clubs.

"Because I ride a motorcycle and long beard and I have tattoos it doesn't make me less of a community," he says.

Earlier this year in Texas, a biker fight turned deadly outside a restaurant leaving nine dead. "Ghost" believes this does not represent what motor clubs are all about. "In every one of those organizations you could potentially have a bad egg--and that bad egg doesn't represent what that organization is about," he says.

Stephen Stubbs is a biker enthusiast.

"People are scared what they don't know," he says.

Stubbs feels motorcycle clubs are misunderstood. "Motorcycle clubs are not gangs. You compare a street gang with a motorcycle club they are so vastly different."

While many bikers may prefer the term club member, under law enforcement's watchful eye, many are seen as simply gangs.

Charles Falco, a law enforcement consultant and former DEA agent who wanted to keep his cover, spent five years infiltrating the Vagos, Mongrels and Outlaws motorcycle groups and urges caution.

"They're very sophisticated. They're structured like the military, a lot of members are ex-military so they're highly trained for combat," says Falco.

Duane Chapman, also known as dog the bounty hunter, was once a member of the motorcycle club the Devil's Disciples.

"A lot of these guys are very intelligent and they were trained by the military. These are brothers with different mothers. This is like blood. They are thick," says Dog the Bounty Hunter.

"Lucy Loo" with the Las Vegas Red Riders does not know where she'd be if it wasn't for her involvement in a bike club. The real estate administrative assistant wishes people got to know bikers first hand.

"We are good people. It's about charity. It's about supporting people," says Loo.

And big bucks, the bikers we talked to claim they are big gifters, raising cash and donating their time to fundraising for various community causes. A Bandidos attorney confirms the generosity.

"They do provide help for people that need help and you know the government can try to attribute some sort of sinister version in order to make these guys look bad saying they're trying to look good," says Kent Schaefer.

Back in Las Vegas, "Chewwy" as everyone knows him with the Marine Riders stresses all he rides with our good people.

"Really these are some of the best -- but whole hearted guys and woman that you could ever imagine," says Chewwy.

Beyond the beards and tattoos there's a lesson to be learned.

"It's the old adage don't judge a book by it's cover."

http://www.news3lv.com/content/news/story/Las-Vegas-bikers-battle-a-bum-rap/sUoa-I6q_EW5ocm9Eafz9A.cspx

(AUS) Son of Hells Angels bikie Peter ‘Skitzo’ Hewat jailed

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THE son of Hells Angel enforcer Peter “Skitzo” Hewat is back behind bars.

Beau Hewat was locked up on remand on Tuesday after being charged with fresh drug and dishonesty offences.

Police allege in a detailed remand summary, seen by the Herald Sun, the 26-year-old is a chronic drug user who has no regard for the law and no interest in reforming his bad-boy ways.

A magistrate hoped that stringent conditions, including supervision and drug treatment, would keep Hewat out of trouble.

When police raided his home on Tuesday they allegedly found drugs and a large cache of drug paraphernalia including a glass pipe, electronic scales and ledgers.


They detailed in court documents that they also allegedly found cash and tools, and seized items they allege are evidence of trafficking methylamphetamine.

Defence lawyer George Balot earlier told the court his client was recovering from an ice addiction and needed medical attention in custody.

Hewat will return to court later this month where it is expected an application for bail will be made.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/son-of-hells-angels-bikie-peter-skitzo-hewat-jailed/story-fni0fee2-1227435892265

(AUS) Alleged president of Queensland's Mongols outlaw bikie gxxg denied bail

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Queensland's police investigation into the alleged state president of the Mongols motorcycle gang has been criticised by a Brisbane Magistrate when denying the man bail.

Nick Forbes, 45, was arrested last month alongside 50 others with police alleging he was in charge of a large operation trafficking drugs including methamphetamine, steroids and cocaine.

He was charged with possessing 16 MDA tablets and 100 vials of steroids, disobeying a court, and trafficking methamphetamines, cocaine, steroids, MDMA and cannabis.

The court heard police had 200,000 telephone intercepts, and a former gang member has alleged Forbes personally supplied him with a significant quantity of methamphetamine.

Magistrate Stuart Shearer noted there had been a lengthy police surveillance operation but criticised the quality of information in police affidavits submitted for the bail proceeding.

"They really didn't put a lot of efforts into these affidavits," he said.

"They've been doing a lot of these VLAD [Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment] applications for a while, I'd have thought they'd have gotten the hang of it."

Before denying bail, Mr Shearer said the decision would be in spite of police efforts, not because of it.

He said Forbes was an unacceptable risk.

His criminal history includes a number of convictions for serious violent offending.

Forbes is on bail for aggravated affray in South Australia, aggravated assault in Darwin, and was recently charged with assaulting a Gold Coast police officer, the court was told.

He is due to face a committal hearing mention at Southport Magistrates Court on September 8 though his lawyers have indicated they will again apply for bail.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-09/alleged-queensland-mongols-president-nick-forbes-denied-bail/6608400
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