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(HOL) PROSECUTOR: 3 YEARS IN PRISON FOR MOTORCYCLE GANG’S EXTORTION RACKET

February 25, 2016, 11:31 am
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The Public Prosecutor demanded a 3 year prison sentence against a member of the Amsterdam chapter of motorcycle gang No Surrender on Wednesday. The suspect, 42-year-old Mike H., stands accused of extortion, instigation, arson, money laundering and possession of a cannabis plantation.

H. was the owner of a collection agency that collected debts on behalf of clients in the real estate sector. According to the Prosecutor, he used his position in the motorcycle club to intimidate debtors by showing up at their houses in his No Surrender Jacket.

The suspect sent debtors photos of their mailbox or car, presumably to indicate that he knows where they live. And he maintained favorable rates for himself – he kept 20 percent of the amount collected, and if the person does not pay, the debt was increased by 35 percent.

According to the Public Prosecutor, H. extorted, or attempted to extort, six businessmen. One of them had an outstanding debt of 470 thousand euros. His threatening tone can clearly be heard on tapped telephone conversations.

“The suspect worked in a refined manner in his extortion. He kept constant pressure on the victims and appropriated large amounts for himself. Extortion belongs to the category of crimes that constitute a serious breach of privacy, the victims often long suffer the emotional consequences.”, the prosecutor said during her closing argument. “During the hearing the suspect demonstrated that he does not see his conduct as reprehensible and he tried to deny and minimize his actual share in this collection practice.”

http://www.nltimes.nl/2016/02/25/prosecutor-3-years-in-prison-for-motorcycle-gangs-extortion-racket/
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(CAN) Osoyoos man pleads guilty for his role in massive drug trafficking ring

February 25, 2016, 11:34 am
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An Osoyoos man involved in of one of the largest drug busts in recent B.C. history has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cocaine.

Kevin Van Kalkeren, 47, will be sentenced on March 18.

The trial for accused drug traffickers and Kelowna-based Hells Angels’ David Giles and Brian Oldham, as well as biker gang associates Michael Read, James Howard and Shawn Womacks, started Monday in Vancouver.

Three other accused in the case – Murray Trekofski, Orhan Saydam and Van Kalkeren – have pleaded guilty to some of the charges filed after they were arrested in 2012 following an RCMP sting operation targeting the Hells Angels chapter in Kelowna.

In July of 2013, Van Kalkeren was denied bail in the B.C. Supreme Court. Justice Gregory Bowden denied Van Kalkeren his release following a two-day bail hearing.

Bowden’s reasons, as well as submissions at the bail hearing, were covered by a publication ban.

However, that publication ban was lifted last Friday after it was revealed all five men now on trial had opted to have their case heard by a judge alone, meaning no jury would be selected.

Details of the huge 2012 undercover police investigation were revealed Friday through numerous media reports.

Court documents revealed the RCMP arranged a “reverse sting sale of 500 kilograms of cocaine for $14.8 million dollars.”

RCMP undercover officers obtained approximately $4 million in cash in exchange for 200 kilograms of cocaine during a series of meetings with the principal conspirators.

Three of the Hells Angels associates – Trekofski, Saydam and Van Kalkeren – have all pleaded guilty over the past few months, but details of those proceedings were covered by the publication ban that has now been lifted.

Giles, Oldham, Read, Howard and Womacks announced last Friday they have opted to have their case heard by a judge alone, which led to B.C. Supreme Court Justice Carol Ross to reverse the publication bans on the earlier proceedings.

Federal Crown prosecutor Chris Greenwood has severed the criminal organization charges, meaning Monday’s trial will only be on the drug charges all five accused are facing.

The criminal organization charges will be tried at a later date.

Saydam, who pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking in 2014, has admitted he provided counter-surveillance during the delivery of 200 kilograms of cocaine to a Burnaby warehouse on Aug. 25, 2012.

He was given a three-year penitentiary sentence.

Trekofski, a lifelong friend of Saydam’s, also pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of a loaded prohibited firearm.

He was sentenced to an eight-year penitentiary term.

Media reports said Trekofski rented the warehouse where the cocaine was to be stored after delivery and recruited a team of workers who would provide security for the site, but he was not one of the principal conspirators or involved in negotiating the huge drug deal.

Trekofski was caught by police carrying a Glock 9 mm pistol loaded with 10 rounds.

According to court documents, between January and June of 2012, undercover police officers met with Giles and Van Kalkeren in Vancouver, Montreal, Mexico City and Panama City as the officers posed as a Miami-based South American drug trafficking organization.

Media reports state Giles and Van Kalkeren met with undercover officers at a Vancouver hotel and handed over $2 million as a down payment for the 200 kilograms of cocaine.

Two weeks later, Van Kalkeren and Howard met with undercover officers at a Vancouver restaurant and a deal was made to purchase the final 300 kilograms of cocaine at a price of $10.8 million.

On Aug. 25, court documents reveal Van Kalkeren and Giles met with undercover officers once again at a casino in Burnaby, where they planned the cocaine exchange.

While Van Kalkeren and Giles were at the casino, police delivered 190 kilograms of fake cocaine and one kilogram of the real thing to the warehouse.

Van Kalkeren and Giles were arrested at the casino, while Howard, Trekofski, Womacks and Saydam were arrested near the warehouse.

According to a report in the Vancouver Sun on Monday, federal prosecutor Greenwood laid out his case against the five accused in a trial that is expected to last several months.

Greenwood said intercepted conservations and surveillance of meetings held in Vancouver, Montreal and Panama would prove that Van Kalkeren and Giles were responsible for organizing the huge drug deal, said the Sun.

“Kevin Van Kalkeren and David Giles were the principal negotiators and each of them brought different things to the table,” said Greenwood in his opening statement to the judge. “Mr. Van Kalkeren provided the money for the down payment, as well as his experience in the drug trade. Mr. Giles lent his name to the deal, including the fact he was a Hells Angel.”

Van Kalkeren has remained in custody, along with Giles, since their arrest on Aug. 25, 2012 after a 21-month undercover RCMP investigation dubbed E-Predicate.

http://www.osoyoostimes.com/osoyoos-man-pleads-guilty-for-his-role-in-massive-drug-trafficking-ring/
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(AUS) Rebels bikies plead guilty over role in Belconnen mall brawl

February 29, 2016, 2:47 pm
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Two members of the Canberra branch of the Rebels bikie club have pleaded guilty to their role in an attack on two members of a rival club.

Dean Reid, 26, and Kirk Newman, 27, have admitted to charges of causing actual bodily harm to one of the men, and to a charge of affray.

The incident in October 2014 was captured on CCTV, which shows three Rebels waiting outside the Belconnen Westfield for two members of the Finks bikie club, and then attacking them.

Reid and Newman were initially charged with aggravated robbery.

But both have pleaded guilty to updated charges in the ACT Supreme Court of causing actual bodily harm and affray.

During the incident the Finks' T-shirts were taken from them, prompting the initial robbery charges.

A third man, Lupe Ngata, was sentenced to three years in jail last year for his part in the attack.

Reid and Newman will be sentenced in May.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-29/two-bikies-plead-guilty-over-role-in-belconnen-mall-brawl/7207816
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(AUS) Warnings to stay away from former bikie's home 'being built as fortress'

February 29, 2016, 2:53 pm
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Southern Adelaide suburbs locals have been urged to stay away from the home of a notorious former gang member amid rumours he is setting up his own bikie-style fortress.

The local council has accused him of building unlawfully, but former bikie Jamie Brown says he simply making his dream home.

The Aldinga property has been the talk of the town since Brown and his family moved in last year.

An aerial shot shows how quickly the renovations have taken shape.

Some locals think the "BF" stands for "bikie fortress". But the owner says it means "Brown Family".

Police have confirmed they are monitoring the property with crime gang detectives paying it a visit on Monday.

Onkaparinga City Council urges residents to stay away for their own safety.

But Brown's friend Tony Centofanti told 7 News the warning is "ridiculous".

"If you actually meet them they are lovely people. I suppose like anything it's their property, they want to make it nice and safe, they've got kids," he said.

In 2011 Brown was the first bikie to be banned from associating with other club members under the state's "anti-bikie laws".

The police commissioner revealed those tough laws have led to bikies meeting secretly in private homes.

Brown says he is no longer affiliated with any outlaw motorcycle gang and the security's for his family's safety.

But the council claims the building works have been completed without approval.

Seven News was given a walk around the home without camera and it appears to be a family home, but council said it would visit the property Monday.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/sa/a/30973430/warnings-to-stay-away-from-former-bikies-home-being-built-as-fortress/
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(USA) Grand jury will consider remaining biker shootout cases later this month

March 4, 2016, 8:54 am
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WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A McLennan County grand jury will convene on March 23 to consider the cases of at least some of the 80 bikers who are charged, but not yet indicted in the deadly May shootout at Waco’s Twin Peaks restaurant, officials familiar with the situation confirmed Thursday.

On Nov. 11, 2015, a grand jury returned indictments charging engaging in organized criminal activity against 97 of the 177 bikers arrested after the deadly shootout between rival motorcycle gangs and police and also handed up sealed indictments against nine other bikers who weren’t among those arrested at the scene.

Accounting for the nine sealed cases, 80 cases remain from the original arrests that have yet been presented to grand jury.

The May 17, 2015 shootout left nine bikers dead and 20 more injured.

Police arrested the 177 bikers after the melee; all of whom were charged with engaging in organized crime and all of whom were initially ordered held in lieu of $1 million bonds.

http://www.knoe.com/home/headlines/Grand-jury-will-consider-remaining-biker-shootout-cases-later-this-month-371061951.html
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(AUS) Bandido Bradley Azzopardi to fight hit-run death charge

March 4, 2016, 9:01 am
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SEVENTEEN witnesses will give evidence in the committal of a Bandido bikie for the hit-run death of cyclist Gordon Ibbs.

Bradley Azzopardi, 25, of Whittington, on Friday briefly appeared in Geelong Magistrates’ Court after the prosecution and defence agreed to reduce the original witness list.

Both asked for a contested committal of three days, which was challenged by Magistrate Ron Saines.

Prosecutor Kim Swadesir said the case had many complexities and if Mr Azzopardi decided to apply for bail that alone could take hours — as it did in December when he was refused bail.

But Mr Saines set the matter down for a two-day contested committal starting June 20.

Mr Azzopardi is charged with culpable driving causing death after Mr Ibbs, 77, was hit by a car in Anakie on Mother’s Day last year.

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/crime-court/bandido-bradley-azzopardi-to-fight-hitrun-death-charge/news-story/d8ec5c3833c08c1aaa7c7496d36bf5f2
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(USA) More guilty pleas in Hell’s Angels case

March 4, 2016, 9:04 am
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ROCHESTER — Two more people linked to the Hell’s Angels have pleaded guilty in federal court in a widespread investigation that focused on several Genesee County residents.
Robert W. Moran Jr., 63, of Rochester pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering activity. He faces up to three years in prison.
Gina Tata, 52, also of Rochester, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to the crime of conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. She faces up to 18 months in prison.
Moran, a Hell’s Angel officer, in 2006 assaulted a man with a baseball bat at Spenders Bar in Rochester, where Tata worked. The man was beaten for making disparaging remarks about motorcycle clubs, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Harvey said.
Tata contacted Hell’s Angels members after hearing the man make the remarks and attempted to help Moran evade prosecution.
She also led Timothy Stone into the bar after the attack. Stone, a former Stafford resident, removed video surveillance tape and the baseball bat from the bar. He is serving a one-year term in federal prison.
The pleas by Moran and Tata followed last week’s pleas by
James McAuley Jr., 66, and his wife, Donna Boon, 50, both of Oakfield. McAuley was a Hell’s Angel vice president. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and maximum life in prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to sell. Boon faces up to 20 years for similar charges.
Sentencing for Moran and Tata was scheduled for May 25.
Tata and Moran were the last defendants to accept deals in the case, which began in Genesee County in 2009 with the theft of valuable scrap metal from a railyard in Batavia.

http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/bdn01/more-guilty-pleas-in-hells-angels-case-20160304
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(USA) Holyoke police say 2 stabbed at biker 'social club'; suspects sought may be Hell's Angels

March 7, 2016, 11:47 am
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HOLYOKE - Holyoke police are investigating a stabbing Sunday night at a biker social club on Race Street that left two people injured, police said.

Detectives are on the scene and investigating and little information was available.

Lt. Isaiah Cruz said one victim was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and the other is being treated at Holyoke Medical Center.

Information on their condition was not available.

The two suspects may be members of the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang, he said.

The stabbing occurred at an establishment on Race Street called the Nocturnal Social Club.

Holyoke has several social clubs for groups with common interests or ethnic backgrounds. Cruz said it was his understanding that the Nocturnal Social Club was a meeting place for bikers. It does not have a liquor license, he said.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/holyoke_police_say_2_stabbed_a.html
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(AUS) Two charged after deadly Sydney siege

March 7, 2016, 11:49 am
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A man and a woman have been charged following a deadly siege at a signage business in a southwest Sydney industrial estate.

The stand-off on Monday ended with the 33-year-old gunman taking his own life, six hours after tactical response officers swarmed Ingleburn business Inline on Monday just before 11am when three brothers were shot, one fatally.

A 52-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were charged overnight, police said on Tuesday.

The gunman, who was thought to be armed with an assault rifle, held hostages in the factory unit as negotiators tried to get him to surrender.

Three hostages were released just after 5pm before officers found the gunman's body, named by media as 33-year-old Finks bikie gang associate Wayne Williams.

It's believed he fatally shot 43-year-old Michael "Mick" Bassal and injured his two brothers, aged 41 and 34, who were taken to Liverpool Hospital.

The older brother is in a serious but stable condition and the younger brother has minor injuries, police said.

During the first few hours of Monday's siege, a 30-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man were led from the building by police.

The man was later charged with discharge firearm in a public place and conceal serious indictable offence.

He has been refused bail to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on Tuesday.

The woman was charged with conceal serious indictable offence. She's has been granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear in the same court next month.

Nearby local businesses and surrounding streets were sent in lockdown during the six-hour siege, with police telling people not to go near windows.

Three male hostages were released from the factory building in Heald Street just after 5pm and officers then found the gunman's body.

"(Police) located three persons, factory workers, hiding in that unit," Acting Commander Mark Brett said.

"A further search of that unit located a male deceased.

"It's believed that person died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound."

He would not say when the man died, and said it was now a matter for the homicide squad, though it's understood he may have died several hours before police entered the building.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/03/08/two-charged-after-deadly-sydney-siege
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(USA) Former Outlaws clubhouse to become yoga studio

March 7, 2016, 11:52 am
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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — The owners of a former motorcycle clubhouse in Fort Wayne are working to transform the two-story building into a yoga studio.

Outlaws Motorcycle Club’s former local clubhouse was purchased last month for $36,000. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports that the property was listed for $49,900 late last year after the federal government seized it in September following an FBI raid in May 2013.

Luke Messmann, who will manage the business, was preparing the building last week for an extensive remodel. He plans to spend about $25,000 on new windows, doors, floors and paint.

Messmann hopes to create a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor where visiting yoga instructors can stay overnight for a few weeks.

The still-unnamed yoga studio is set to open in June or July.

http://wane.com/2016/03/07/former-outlaws-clubhouse-to-become-yoga-studio/
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(USA) Group Of Bikers Flip Stereotype On Its Head And Help Local Teen

March 14, 2016, 10:42 am
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Ben Martinez practically bragged to reporters that he and his bike friends frightened an onlooker. Now before you go judging this group of tough-looking, hard-edged bikers, remember: looks can be deceiving. A local biker group in Bakersfield, CA, decided to do a very good deed for Ben, a teen who is battling alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. The condition is an aggressive cancer that affects the torso, arms, and legs. Ben always dreamed of being a biker, and for one day he got to be. The group gave him his own personalized vest and dubbed him with the new name “Giant Slayer.” The teenager then hopped on a member’s bike and led a group of nearly 100 bikers around the neighborhood. Ben was ecstatic and certainly felt like the coolest kid in town that day.

“It felt great. I like to feel the wind,” Ben told ABC KERO as he joked. “And we scared some other guy. Nothing better. It felt great.”

This just goes to show that while many saw the bikers and thought they were scary, they couldn’t have been more wrong. These men and women clearly have some of the biggest hearts out there. Some do good wearing a badge. Some do it in scrubs. Some do it in a pair of tattered sweatpants as they juggle a household full of kids. Others do it in leather.

http://www.littlethings.com/bikers-for-ben/
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(USA) Fort Worth Police Investigate Claim Officer Sprayed Bikers With Mace

March 14, 2016, 10:46 am
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Fort Worth police are investigating a video posted to YouTube that motorcycle riders allege shows an officer spraying mace on them as they ride past.
"An investigation was begun immediately upon receipt of the video this morning. At this time, detectives are trying to locate witnesses and identify the officer involved," said Cpl. Tracey Knight.

The video was posted to Chase Stone's YouTube channel with the caption, "MUST WATCH!!! This is how our law enforcement chooses to "protect and serve."
Based on what can be seen in the video, it appears the Fort Worth police officer stopped a red pickup truck with a passenger in the bed.

As a group of motorcycle riders pass the traffic stop, video recorded on a camera worn by one of the riders was slowed down and zoomed in to show the officer exit his patrol car and spray a yellow mist into the air in the direction of the riders.
An incident report obtained by NBC 5 confirms the traffic stop took place Sunday at about 3 p.m. along the 1500 block of U.S. 287/Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway and that the driver of the pickup, Brittany Botella, and her passengers, "were cited after they were blocking traffic to rocord [sic] motorcycles driving recklessly." The report lists the officer's name as W. Figueroa.

In the video, the pickup truck can be seen off of the highway and stopped in the emergency lane.
On Facebook, several commenters said the mist blew toward the stopped pickup where it affected a pregnant passenger and a little girl. The child, the post said, required medical treatment afterward. It is not known if any other motorists were affected by the incident and the statements posted to Facebook have not been independently confirmed by NBC 5.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Fort-Worth-Police-Investigate-Claim-Officer-Sprayed-Bikers-WIth-Mace-372004372.html
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(AUS) Kiwi kicked out of Australia over links to motorcycle gxxg

March 14, 2016, 10:50 am
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The New Zealand-born father of an Aussie rules football star is being booted out of Australia over his links to the Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang.

Shane Martin, father of AFL Richmond Tiger's player Dustin Martin, has been detained and is awaiting deportation after the Australian Government launched a fresh crackdown on bikie gangs.

Last week Australia's Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton put all foreign-born members or associates of motorcycle gangs on notice warning they could face removal under the country's beef-up visa cancellation laws.

Already 81 bikie gang members and associates have had visas cancelled or refused under Section 501 of the Migration Act.

Today Canterbury University sociologist Jarrod Gilbert confirmed one of those detained by authorities in the latest sweep included Shane Martin.

He had spoken earlier to his Australian-based brother to confirm the deportation.

Mr Gilbert tweeted: "I know Shane Martin well. He was in a documentary I worked on in Aus. I feel sick for him now."

Under Australian law Mr Martin, who is alleged to be a top-ranking official with Rebels Motorcycle Gang, has failed to meet the minimum character requirements to remain in his adopted country.

Mr Gilbert was concerned ex-pat Kiwi's decision to criticise the Australian Government over its tough visa measures in a Ross Kemp: Extreme World documentary which was aired in the United Kingdom had cost his freedom.

"I've worked very, very closely with him and I'd be deeply concerned if him appearing in that documentary and speaking out against the laws in any way contributed to him finding himself in this predicament.

"Obviously it's pretty troubling consequences for free speech.

"He trusted me to work on that film and I'd feel a bit sick if that contributed to the problems he's faced," he said.

He did not know when Mr Martin was due to arrive back in New Zealand.

According to Australian media Mr Martin was taken in to custody at his trucking business in Camden, in southwest Sydney, on Thursday morning.

Despite his father's unexpected detention son Dustin took to the field for his football club that same night.

It was not known if Mr Martin would appeal his deportation.

Mr Dutton said the Australian Government was committed to targeting and disrupting the operations of outlaw motorcycle gangs by removing key figures from gangs.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11605365
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(CAN) Alleged biker freed on $2K bail

April 25, 2016, 5:08 pm
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A Greater Sudbury man police say is a member of the Bacchus Motorcycle Club was released on bail Monday afternoon.

Christopher Casola, 46, is now facing 11 charges, including breach of trust and weapons offences after a “complex” 16-month investigation, Greater Sudbury Police Service said.

Casola, who has no prior criminal record, was released on $2,000 bail and must follow a number of conditions, including having no contact with local members of the Bacchus bike gang, nor anyone involved in the case.

Police said the lengthy criminal investigation led them to charge Casola, a former employee of the Canada Revenue Agency, with counts that include breach of trust, unauthorized use of a computer, committing a criminal offence to benefit or in association with a criminal organization (two counts), unauthorized possession of a firearm, careless storage of a firearm and possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition.

The police's Criminal Investigations Division conducted the investigation. They allege he is a member of the Bacchus MC, an organization that represents itself on its website as a so-called “1%” club, something police allege indicates it is an outlaw, or criminal organization.

Police allege the man unlawfully accessed confidential records of Greater Sudbury residents between November and December of 2014. Those whose records were accessed are being notified.

That's around the same period when the former Red Devils MC was folded into the Bacchus MC.

Police have not said why Casola was accessing the records, or whether there's a connection between the charges and the motorcycle club.

https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/alleged-biker-freed-on-2k-bail-286162?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook&dlvrit=2040685
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(USA) Meet the OC Bikers Hellbent for Justice for Abused Children

May 19, 2016, 9:01 am
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If you plan on cruising down PCH on Sunday May 21st, you may find yourself suddenly eating the dust of dozens of leather clad, patched up bikers riding shoulder to shoulder along the Orange County Coastline. Their mission: to bring protection, awareness, and advocacy to abused children in Orange County.

Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA for short) identifies as a body of bikers who empower abused children not to live in fear of the world in which they live. Founded in 1995 by a Utah biker-turned-therapist named Chief, BACA has grown from a small crew to an international organization with dedicated volunteer members in 46 states and 13 countries, working to protect child victims of abuse.

The Orange County chapter started in 2014 after an alarming increase in the number of reported cases of child abuse. “[In 2014] Orange County alone had 46,000 reports of child abuse and in 2015 they went up to 53,000,” says Fester, local biker and vice president of BACA’s Orange County chapter. “There was a need for us in Orange County.”

The connection between bikers, child survivors, and recovery isn’t as much of a stretch as it may seem. Since abused children often feel scared and alone, providing them with a tough looking, trustworthy and accessible support system can be transformational in the way they are able to recover from trauma and fear, and if necessary, participate in legal proceedings.

When BACA responds to a report of child abuse, their primary concern is creating a bond to restore the child’s feeling of safety, filling what they perceive is a gap in a system that is packed, overworked, and underfunded. “Our chapter and surrounding chapters come together [to] bring [the] child into our family,” Fester explains, noting how new kids get their own biker vest, road name, blanket and teddy bear. “Before we give them the teddy bear we all hug it, every single person that’s there, we hug it and we fill it with encouragement, sweet dreams, hope, love, anything encouraging for the child. We tell them, if your bear ever runs out of hugs, you call us we’ll come back and fill it up.”

Each kid gets phone numbers of two bikers they can call anytime for any reason. “If a child calls us at 2a.m. and says ‘I just had a bad dream, I’m scared!’ We end up talking to them about it and re-encourage that they’re ok.” If a child feels threatened or is being harassed, a “Level 2” is broadcast to the entire chapter, setting up 24/7 biker security detail at the child’s home. California chapters have responded to calls as short as a few days, and as long as 7 weeks. “If it requires us to take the child to school, we take the child to school, if the kid wants to go to the mall, we take them to the mall, wherever the child needs to go, we are with that child. That way, nobody can intimidate [them].”

Bikers will also escort child survivors to court, driving them to courthouses on motorcycles, surrounding the survivor and their families so they feel protected in the presence of the perpetrator. “We actually go in with the child when they have to testify, because [often] the defense attorney will subpoena everyone who is with the child, [leaving just] the child, maybe a court advocate, the detective, and the lawyer. A lot of times the child is scared and might not want to do it alone.”

Some OC residents have misperceived BACA because of their biker aesthetics. “A lot of the time parents are more afraid of us than children,” Fester says, mentioning that kids are drawn to the bikers because they look cool, and that their tough exterior can be empowering in the presence of an attacker. In addition to the hands on work BACA does, they provide informational and professional resources, such as funding for therapy and activities like karate, swimming, or horseback riding.

This weekend's 100 Mile Ride will stretch from San Juan Capistrano, to Long Beach, all the way to Cooks Corner in Trabuco Canyon. Orange County will be in good company, with chapters riding all over the US and internationally in locations like Reno, Australia, and Canada.

“It’s pretty heartwarming you know,” says Fester reflecting on two years of working as a youth advocate. “Knowing I’m helping these little abused heroes, and seeing their smile on their face again, and knowing they can go out and play like a kid and not be afraid of the world keeps me doing it, I can’t see myself stopping.”

http://www.ocweekly.com/music/meet-the-oc-bikers-hellbent-for-justice-for-abused-children-7201801
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(USA) Lawyer: Waco prosecutor should be removed from biker case

May 19, 2016, 9:03 am
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The district attorney overseeing the prosecution of more than 150 bikers charged in a melee in Waco last year should be disqualified from the case because he took charge of police officers trying do their jobs that day, a Houston lawyer contends.

A motion filed in court Tuesday - the one-year anniversary of the May 17, 2015, melee that left nine people dead - asked that McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna be removed from the case, along with two assistants, Michael Jarrett and Mark Parker.

Their actions made them potential witnesses who could be subpoenaed to testify at trial, according to the motion filed by lawyer Abigail Anastasio of Houston.

Reyna did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment on the motion before state District Judge Matt Johnson.

Anastasio, a former Harris County prosecutor, represents Ray Nelson, a Central Texas biker who like others arrested that day is charged with engaging in organized crime. Prosecutors said the shootout began as part of a turf war between the Bandidos and Cossacks motorcycle clubs. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison, but so far, no trial dates have been set.

Prosecutors have said the bikers were planning violence when they met up at the restaurant in a sprawling outdoor shopping mall. Defense lawyers say the overwhelming majority of the bikers were acting in self defense or trying to flee from harm as angry words escalated to gunfire.

The motion filed by Anastasio contends that investigative decisions at the crime scene were not made by police but by prosecutors. Waco police detectives were told that anyone who was a member of the Bandidos or Cossacks - or who showed any support or affiliation with either group - was to be charged with engaging in organized crime as described in an affidavit prepared by the district attorney.

Houston lawyer Paul Looney, who is representing another biker charged in the case, said that while it is "appropriate and helpful" for prosecutors to be at a crime scene to advise officers, it is another matter when they take control of the investigation and direct the officers.

If Reyna and the others are disqualified from the case it would simply mean that other prosecutors, who were not directing the actions of police that day, present the case to the jury, Looney said.

"This isn't a reach, it isn't a stretch, it is basic law," Looney said.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Lawyer-Waco-prosecutor-should-be-removed-from-7689928.php
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(AUS) Former bikie 'forgot to report to police because he was high on the drug fantasy' after moving in with his boss when his wife kicked him out for 'bringing ladies home'

May 19, 2016, 9:07 am
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A former senior member of the outlaw Lone Wolf motorcycle gang forgot to report to Gold Coast police as part of his bail conditions because he had overdosed on the drug 'fantasy'.
Shane Treloar, 42, who was once sergeant-at-arms of the bikie gang, has been on bail for a string of previous offences but was too high to remember he had to turn up at the local station.
Lawyer Jodi Allen told the Southport Magistrates Court that Treloar had taken the illegal substance and simply forgot.
A report in the Gold Coast Bulletin said the former rugby league player is addicted to drugs.

'When police attended the address, he told them he had overdosed on fantasy so he couldn’t attend for reporting conditions,' Ms Allen told the court.
The court also heard he had breached the conditions placed against his home residence by moving in with his boss.
It's believed his partner had refused him entry to the home because he had taken 'ladies home', the magistrate heard.

The heavily tattooed Treloar played rugby league for Parramatta, Penrith and Souths for a number of years, mainly in reserve grade.
He moved to the Gold Coast to pursue his sporting career but that was cut short by injury.
Treloar was also answering charges of being in possession of the drug 'GHB' and a packet of methamphetamines after being questioned by police at Surfers Paradise in December last year, and being under the influence of 'ice' after driving through a McDonald's at Oxenford.

Magistrate Catherine Pirie imposed concurrent sentences of nine months for drug possession, six months for the driving offence and the bail breaches incurred four month convictions, according to the Bulletin.
Treloar was granted immediate parole.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3597791/Former-Lone-Wolf-bikie-forgot-report-police-high-drug-fantasy-partner-kicked-home-bringing-ladies-home.html#ixzz497tOSTrJ
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(USA) A hell of an escort

June 2, 2016, 9:18 am
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A group of bikers, including the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, rode through town last weekend with a heavy police presence following.
Approximately 100 riders from motorcycle clubs throughout Alberta, including Rock Riders Brotherhood (a Maritime heritage club), Family Jammin' MC Badlands, Veterans Canada MC Calgary, Unforgiven MC, Los Desperados MC, Calgary Chinook Riders (Christian community group), Apostles Motorcycle Society, and the Hells Angels MC stopped in Cochrane for ice cream Saturday.
The riders and members of the community noted the heavy police presence as RCMP from Cochrane, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Calgary Police Services – with some from the Special Tactical Operations Unit/Team – escorted the ride.
“Every year Hells Angels does a ride somewhere in Alberta and in preparation we wanted to ensure public safety. Anytime there is a large group that comes to town, there is an increased police presence and given the club’s criminal history we want to show law enforcement presence,” said Cochrane Sgt. Jeff Campbell.
Campbell said to his knowledge, the annual ride in Alberta has never resulted in any violent crimes but the RCMP like to “err on the side of caution.”
“If something does happen and we don’t have the numbers to handle the situation then we get criticized,” Campbell said.
“Our main job is to keep the peace and making sure everyone is safe and following the rules.”
While the Hells Angels MC has officially been listed as a criminal organization in Manitoba, Alberta has not given the club any formal designation.
While eating ice cream on Saturday one Hells Angels MC member jokingly asked if some called the cops on him because he just “murdered his chocolate dipped cone.”
The Eagle attempted to contact members from Hells Angels MC Southland chapter but no one was able to respond with a comment at press time.

http://www.cochraneeagle.com/article/A-hell-of-an-escort-20160602
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(CAN) Imprisoned Hells Angels could be out of jail by next week

June 5, 2016, 3:04 pm
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Over a dozen members of the Hells Angels arrested during 2009's biker crackdown could be released from prison next week.

The Journal de Montreal indicates 18 Hells Angels members will be allowed to withdraw their guilty pleas following negotiations between the Crown and defense attorneys.

Last October, a judge ruled the Crown delayed on providing evidence favourable to the defense in the case of 5 bikers in Sherbrooke. The ruling led to appeals for a total of 36 members of the gang who were arrested as part of Operation SharQC.

http://www.cjad.com/cjad-news-crime-punishment/2016/06/04/imprisoned-hells-angels-could-be-out-of-jail-by-next-week
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(USA) Third person arrested in May 26 Hooters incident

June 5, 2016, 3:06 pm
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A third person was charged Saturday in an assault and robbery at Hooters on North McPherson Church Road on May 26, an arrest warrant said.

Anthony Mark Minor, 46, of the 5800 block of Sunningdale Lane, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy robbery with a dangerous weapon and larceny of a firearm, the arrest report said.

Bail was set at $100,000, according to the arrest report.

Two members of the Fayetteville Hells Angels chapter were previously charged in the incident at Hooters.

Officer Antoine Kincade, a spokesman for the Fayetteville Police Department, said he could not verify late Saturday night if Minor was a member of the motorcycle club.

On May 29, Timothy J. Zylstra, 48, of the 100 block of Mickey Rouse Lane in Cameron, was charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault, conspiracy, larceny of a firearm and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the incident, according to the arrest report.

The warrant said Zylstra is a member of the Fayetteville Hells Angels chapter.

Bail was set at $25,000, according to the report.

Two days before, on May 27, Fayetteville Hells Angels chapter president Daniel Silcose III, 58, of the 6300 block of Mabe Road, was charged with the same crimes as Zylstra in connection with the assault and robbery, the warrant said.

Saturday's arrest warrant in the magistrate's office said Minor assaulted Matthew Ryan Brinkley with a deadly weapon - beer mugs, beer bottles and a knife. Brinkley was struck "numerous times in the head and body with the beer bottles and beer mugs" before "brandishing the knife to intimate and commit robbery," the document said.

Brinkley, 31, of the 6500 block of Bailey Lake Road, is one of two men at the bar identified in an earlier incident report. Pedro Galvan, 55, of the 16000 block of South San Lewis Drive in Gustine, California, was also identified.

Fayetteville police were dispatched to Hooters in the 500 block of North McPherson Church Road just before 7 p.m. on May 26 in reference to a fight among bikers. After police were called, the attacking bikers left.

The warrant was unclear as to whether there were five or six assailants.

Witnesses and surveillance footage showed that men wearing clothing with Hells Angels symbols entered the restaurant from the side door and the front door, the warrant said. After entering Hooters, the men wearing Hells Angels clothing "immediately locked eyes with the two victims sitting at the bar," a warrant said.

The warrant said that witnesses and surveillance footage showed that the two men sitting at the bar - Brinkley and Galvan - were wearing clothing associated with the Mongols Motorcycle Club.

http://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/midtown-tavern-biker-bar-no-more/article_33c40944-29bd-11e6-8049-5b9bfbbb8211.html
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