Outlaw Bikers

Police allege Bandidos in exortion racket

2014-07-24T07:21:00.001+01:00

A FIGHT over a woman has landed several alleged participants of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang on extortion and wilful damage charges. Detectives from Taskforce Maxima staged simultaneous raids throughout Brisbane and Logan and arrested three participants of the Bandidos criminal gang, including the former President of the Gold Coast chapter. The operation, codenamed Mike Groundspeed, targeted Bandidos participants who were allegedly extorting money.

The extortion began when two men became involved in an altercation over a woman, police said. The altercation escalated with a number of other people becoming involved, including victims and offenders with an association with the Bandidos criminal motorcycle gang. Victims were then allegedly threatened with violence if a $5000 fine per person wasn't paid. During the extortion attempt, a victim's car windscreen was smashed with a baseball bat. To date police have identified four victims but investigators are confident there are others and ask for them to come forward.

During Thursday morning's raids three search warrants were executed, and as a result five persons have been arrested on 22 charges including 12 charges of extortion, wilful damage and drug charges. Three of these offenders have been charged as vicious lawless associates under the provisions of the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act 2013. These arrests include: A 26-year-old Carindale man has been arrested and charged with four counts extortion with circumstance of aggravation that he is a vicious lawless associate, with an additional circumstance that he is an officer bearer of the association and one charge of wilful damage. It is alleged he is the ex-President of Gold Coast Chapter and a participant of the Bandidos. A 22-year-old Shailer Park man has been arrested and charged with four counts of extortion with circumstance of aggravation that he is a vicious lawless associate, wilful damage and possession of dangerous drug and possession of a drug utensil. It is alleged he is a participant of the Bandidos. A 22-year-old Eight Mile Plains man has been arrested and charged with four counts of extortion with circumstance of aggravation that he is a vicious lawless associate, wilful damage and possession of dangerous drug and possession of a drug utensil. It is alleged he is a participant of the Bandidos. A 21-year-old Shailer Park man has been arrested and charged with possession of dangerous drug and possession of a drug utensil. A 36-year-old Shailer Park man has been arrested and charged with possession of dangerous drug and possession of a drug utensil. Detective Inspector Brendan Smith of Taskforce Maxima said that this operation clearly reveals the true nature of these gangs. "They work together to standover and bully people as a group. "The actions of these gang members are why the crackdown on criminal gangs is necessary. These offences were committed in public places and targeted everyday Queenslanders, threatening victims with violence for money. "They have done this as group, using their criminal gang association to further intimidate victims to both comply with their demands, but also to discourage them from complaining to authority. "Today's results show how the new laws and the on going enforcement action are changing things for the better. "People now have the confidence to come forward, they making complaints, they are providing information, and I suspect we will see a lot more of it," he said. The five men were expected to face the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday morning. Investigations are on going and additional charges are expected.

Rebels attacked in clubhouse

2014-07-22T16:26:00.001+01:00

TWO Rebels bikies are fighting for their lives and another is recovering from a gun shot wound after armed men stormed their clubhouse in Sydney's south on the weekend. Wearing balaclavas and armed with baseball bats and at least one gun, a group of men forced their way into the clubhouse at Huskisson and attacked members inside late Saturday night. Shots were fired at the group before the intruders fled. Three victims were rushed to the Shoalhaven Hospital in a critical condition.Two men, aged 39 and 37 suffered such serious injuries, police originally thought they had been shot in the head but doctors determined they had been brutally bashed. A 27-year-old man was shot in the leg and underwent surgery on Sunday. A fourth man, aged 43, was also treated for head and back injuries. Police are guarding the clubhouse.

Police searches target bikie drug networks

2014-07-22T16:24:00.001+01:00

POLICE executed a series of search warrants today in the Sunshine Coast District targeting bikie drug distribution networks. Detectives from Taskforce Maxima and the Sunshine Coast Gangs Squad executed six search warrants at addresses in the Coolum, Yandina, Maroochydore, Mountain Creek and Castaways Beach areas. Police said the searches resulted in the location of cannabis, methyl-amphetamines, $3,900 cash and drug paraphernalia. As a result, Police took action against nine people on 29 charges including supplying dangerous drugs, possession of dangerous drugs, possession of property used in a crime, stealing and a return to prison warrant. Detective Acting Superintendent Brendan Smith of Task Force Maxima said the results were an example of how Taskforce Maxima and Regional detectives work together to disrupt the networks of criminal gangs. "Everyday we continue to find evidence of these networks being used to distribute dangerous drugs within the Queensland community," Detective Acting Superintendent Smith said. "Illicit drug distribution has far reaching consequences within the community, including the links to property crime and the impost on the health system. "Accordingly, Task Force Maxima and the QPS will use every available resource to target criminal gangs and their networks; we will target them for any form of criminal activity, anywhere in Queensland."

Ku Klux Klan hands out candy in South Carolina

2014-07-16T16:41:00.001+01:00

residents in northwestern South Carolina say they found bags of candy on their street containing a piece of paper asking them to join the Ku Klux Klan. Residents in an Oconee County subdivision found the bags Saturday night or Sunday morning. The paper said "Save Our Land, Join the Klan." It had a phone number that led to an automated message discussing KKK efforts against illegal immigration. Robert Jones told WHNS-TV (http://bit.ly/Uc9N7p) that he's the imperial klaliff of the Loyal White Knights and said the effort was part of a recruiting event they hold three times a year. Jones said the telephone number gets about 20,000 calls a day. Oconee County resident Bo Morris said he thought it was "unacceptable" to see the bags and fliers in his neighbourhood.

Large numbers of police will shadow the club's "Good As Gold Poker Run" south of Brisbane tomorrow, vowing to crack down on "blatant life-endangering offences" such as speeding and running red lights en masse.

2013-03-01T23:03:00.001+00:00

But leading civil libertarian Terry O'Gorman, who along with three lawyer colleagues is engaged by the bikies to act as observers, said the club would complain to the corruption watchdog if police used "mass intercepts" that held up riders for hours.

The Hells Angels, setting off from their Hillcrest clubhouse at 12.30pm and heading south, will lead a procession of up to 250 riders, most of them not members of an outlaw motorcycle club that has been accused of providing a worldwide network for organised crime.

Acting Detective Superintendent Garry Watts of Task Force Hydra said the size of the Hells Angels' run made it potentially "more dangerous" than other bikie runs.

"Unfortunately past events have seen blatant life endangering offences committed; such offences included the mass running of red lights, crossing double white lines, and riding at excess speed," he said.

"The participants of the run have also at times conducted their own traffic control at intersections. This places all road users at risk."

Police, who warned of traffic disruptions and urged caution from both participants and motorists who crossed their path, released footage of a previous run showing those offences.

EN MASSE: Hells Angels bikies arrive on the Gold Coast as part of their national run. FILE PICTURE

Mr O'Gorman said he understood the footage was from five years ago and that the Hells Angels and police including Hydra had since worked together to manage the event.

As an observer last year, he said "the only thing I can recall was one bloke charged with speeding because he overtook an unmarked police car".

"As of tomorrow, we'll make it clear that anyone who breaches the traffic laws as part of the run gets pinched just as anyone else does in any other scenario," he said.

Mr O'Gorman said he and Hells Angels Brisbane President Mark Nelms had a "productive" meeting on Wednesday with police, who agreed to facilitate the riders' entry to the Ipswich motorway from near their clubhouse "to minimise any potential traffic dangers".

But the club had previously written to police to advise they would complain to the Crime and Misconduct Commission "if police powers are misused for the sake of just causing a go-slow".

He said the Hells Angels engaged his firm last year after other outlaw clubs reported that mass intercepts of similar rides had held up riders for an "unreasonable" two hours.

"There is a concern emerging in a number of the (outlaw) clubs that these sort of rides are being stopped en masse while everyone is breath-tested, drug-tested, bike-tested and we've indicated in a letter sent to police that we regard that sort of mass intercept without any factual justification as a breach of law," Mr O'Gorman said.

"It's to be hoped that both sides hearing out each other at the meeting, can work together tomorrow."

Acting Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Morrow of State Traffic said police were focussed on enforcing road rules "impartially and fairly".

"Clubs want to bring lawyers with them, that's entirely a matter for them - irrelevant to us, we will be focussing on the road safety issues at hand," he said.

The Hells Angels have also engaged St John Ambulance for the event, an organiser said.

Seven members of the Hells Angels gang have been sentenced following a brawl in a pub in the canton of Aargau.

2013-03-01T23:00:00.001+00:00

They were convicted of assault and damage to property for the 2011 fight in Baden.

The guilty were handed fines of up to 3,300 francs.

Eight people were wounded in the fight.

Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang member gun found in bikie's vehicle

2012-09-17T16:25:00.001+01:00

police found a stun device inside the vehicle of an outlaw motorcycle club member during a routine vehicle stop. The Mistubishi Pajero was pulled over by officers attached to the dog squad on the Pacific Highway on Friday about 9.35pm. Police said the four-wheel-drive contained two men, a 22-year-old male Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang member and a 25-year-old man, also alleged to be associated with an OMCG. A subsequent search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered an electronic stun device disguised as a 'mobile phone'. The device was seized for forensic analysis.

Two bikie gang members shot in Sydney last night are refusing to cooperate with police.

2012-09-17T16:22:00.001+01:00

Locals heard several shots ring out on Priddle Street in Westmead just before 11:00pm. Soon afterwards two men turned up separately to Westmead Hospital, both with gunshot wounds. Police went there to speak with the men and established a crime scene on the street, which is only a few hundred metres from the hospital. Officers with torches searched overnight for bullet casings and examined the front door and brick wall of a unit block. Police say the men, both aged in their 20s, are associates of rival bikie gangs. One of the men has been discharged from hospital, while the other is still being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

AUSTRALIA'S home-grown "outlaw" bikie gangs are aggressively expanding overseas

2012-09-10T02:59:00.001+01:00

AUSTRALIA'S home-grown "outlaw" bikie gangs are aggressively expanding overseas, establishing networks beyond the jurisdiction of national crime fighting authorities. Warning: contains violence Bikie crackdown The Rebels, Australia's largest club, founded by millionaire businessman Alex Vella, and the Comanchero Motorcycle Club are opening chapters in South East Asia and Europe. The Rebels now boast chapters in New Zealand, Malta, Thailand, England and Spain, while rival gang the Comancheros are in Bosnia and Spain. Australian office bearers belonging to international club the Bandidos are also branching into Bali and Thailand. The Hells Angels are also active in South East Asia.

Two people have died after a Harley Davidson tricycle crashed in the Highlands.

2012-08-26T09:31:00.001+01:00

Two dead in Harley trike crash

The driver and pillion passenger on the Harley Davidson both died

The one-vehicle collision took place on the A9 Inverness-Perth road near Tomatin, at about 17:20 on Saturday.

The victims of the crash were the driver and pillion passenger of the motor tricycle.

Northern Constabulary said they want to speak to the occupants of a number of vehicles which stopped at the scene but had left before officers arrived.

Bike gang allegedly swats man with bat

2012-08-03T23:01:00.001+01:00

A man was taken to the hospital after he reportedly was hit in the head with a baseball bat, according to a Des Moines police report. The man told police a biker gang was responsible for the attack. When police arrived at the 4100 block of Maple Street, Ronnie McDonald was about to be taken to Mercy Medical Center with an “obvious injury to his head,” according to the report. Police spoke to a woman who reported the incident. She told police McDonald was riding in a car that pulled into the parking lot, according to the report. McDonald talked for a short time with the driver while standing in the lot. As McDonald walked toward a nearby apartment, he stumbled. The woman asked if he was OK, and McDonald responded with a no, took off his hat and showed her his head wound. McDonald told the woman the man in the car had done it. McDonald did not cooperate with medical personnel or police, according to the report, but did tell police “it was gang related.” His condition was listed as stable on the report. The woman who reported the incident, who police said later “changed her story,” told police both McDonald and his girlfriend know who assaulted McDonald. However, they said they wouldn’t tell police because the suspect knows where they live and the couple have two kids, according to the report.

Three men faced explosives and other weapons charges Wednesday in what German police say is a spreading war between Scandinavian biker gangs.

2012-08-03T22:59:00.001+01:00

A Swede, a Macedonian and an Iranian were arrested in the northern German city of Rostock shortly after they got off a ferry from Denmark, The Local.de reported. Police said nearly a kilo of explosives, detonators and bullet-proof vests were found in their vehicle.

The arrests, which occurred last month, were announced Wednesday. Two of the men are alleged to be members of the Bandidos, who have been battling the Hells Angels for territory.

German police have been cracking down on motorcycle gangs, closing clubs, raiding gang addresses and banning the Berlin City chapter of the Hells Angels. The ban has caused some gang members to switch allegiances, including the head of the Berlin chapter of the Bandidos.

Violence between the groups has escalated in recent months. The Hells Angels have declared no other gangs will be allowed in Berlin. The leader of the Hells Angels was shot in early June and last month two Bandidos were shot.

Comancheros bikie gang has been charged after the seizure of more than half a million dollars in cash

2012-08-01T10:47:00.000+01:00

DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder

CASHED UP: A man is in custody after police found more than $500,000 in his car during a search last night in Noranda. Source:PerthNow

AN associate of the Comancheros bikie gang has been charged after the seizure of more than half a million dollars in cash found during a routine traffic stop in Perth's northern suburbs last night.

Police say the seizure is a massive blow to the Perth chapter of the bikie gang.

It will be alleged the money was found in a bag in the boot of a car pulled over by police on Bramwell Road in Noranda last night.

At the wheel of the car was a 52-year-old man who police say is an associate of the Comancheros bikie gang.

A subsequent search of the man’s Burns Beach home also allegedly uncovered a loaded 9mm semi automatic pistol and ammunition.

The man will appear in court on August 16 charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of unlawfully obtained money.

Detective Senior Sergeant Jeff Christmass of the Gang Crime Squad said the seizure was a massive win for police and the community, but a big blow to the bikie gang.

He said police believed the money was obtained through the sale of drugs by members of the Comancheros, adding it was a "major disruption" to the gang's criminal activities.

“This just puts credence into the intelligence that we receive all the time about outlaw motorcycle gangs that they are involved in organised crime,” Det-Sen-Sgt Christmass said.

“It goes to show you the scale that they are working at.

“The impact on this particular gang would be severe, I can tell you this is a huge dent in their operation and (it) will take quite some time to recover from this.”

Det-Sen-Sgt Christmass said while the cash seizure was significant in its amount, it was not a WA record.

“Its obviously a substantial amount of cash…it goes without saying it’s a big win for WA Police to take this money out of the system,” he said.

“If you intend on becoming involved in criminal activity it doesn’t matter what level, WA Police will do everything we can to target you and bring you to justice.”

Langford traffic stop, drug bust

South East Metropolitan Traffic Officers apprehended and charged a 20-year-old man of Thornlie overnight when he failed to stop for them on Ruby Avenue in Langford.

At around 8.40pm, the man was riding a Yamaha motorcycle, which allegedly accelerated heavily away from police.

As the rider turned into Nicholson Road, he lost control of his bike and hit traffic islands and a stationery vehicle before coming to rest. The rider then allegedly fled into nearby bushland.

He was pursued and located a short time later with the help of Police Dog Squad.

A personal search located a quantity of methylamphetamine.

The man has been charged with fail to stop, reckless driving, no authority to drive and possess methylamphetamine with intent to sell/supply. He will appear before the Perth Magistrates Court today.

His motorcycle was also seized.

Police raid Hells Angels HQ Ball bearing Hells Angel Founder arrested

2012-08-01T10:36:00.000+01:00

Ball bearing Hells Angel Founder arrestedPolice seize drugs and firearms at the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang's headquarters in Melbourne's east

DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

DEA agents pretending to be members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club

2012-07-28T07:17:00.001+01:00

The Drug Enforcement Administration's nationwide "synthetic drug takedown" led to the arrest of five Valley men this week.

Two of the men were uncovered by DEA sources, two were busted by DEA agents pretending to be members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, and the fifth man was caught because NBC's Chris Hansen had already caught him before.

Seventeen search warrants were reportedly served in Arizona, but the U.S. Attorney's Office says just five people in the Phoenix area have been arrested -- all for manufacturing and selling the chemicals known as "bath salts."

According to federal court documents, the five men were not dealing in chemicals that are explicitly illegal, but the feds are going after them with the Federal Analog Act, since the chemicals are "substantially similar" to drugs that are actually illegal.

Even an affidavit submitted by a Phoenix DEA agent in the case explains that at least two of the five men "...discussed, in substance and among other things, the fact that their distribution of the various products is purportedly legal, that they do not allegedly ship or send such products to states where they believe their products to be illegal, and that they have purported to have received legal counsel and advice indicating that their activities are legal."

Too bad. Clinton Strunk, 42, of Mesa; Michael Lane, 51, of Cave Creek; Andrew Freeman, 25, of Tempe; Nicholas Zizzo, 25, of Phoenix; and Joshua Lowenstein, 25, of Phoenix could each spend years behind bars.

According to the DEA agent's affidavit, the agency started investigating an unidentified person for drug trafficking through a New Hampshire port at some point in 2011.

The two DEA agents posing as Hells Angels gangsters had numerous meetings with this person, who eventually revealed he was a partner in a Phoenix bath salts operation with Zizzo, manufacturing a product called "Eight Ballz."

This story was confirmed by another person, according to the affidavit, and both of the unnamed partners agreed to go into business with the fake Angels, under the guise that they were going to help sell it under the Angels' protection at New Hampshire's Loconia Motorcycle Week -- which just happened last month.

Arizona Corporation Commission documents list only Zizzo and an accountant on filing documents for the company, Consortium Distribution LLC.

The investigation then shifted to Phoenix, where the DEA agents -- still going along with the Hells Angels plot -- were introduced to Zizzo and Lowenstein.

According to the feds, Lowenstein agreed to ship 20 kilograms to New Hampshire for the biker rally.

Again, the DEA agent's affidavit says Lowenstein believed they were "utilizing chemicals or substances that weren't scheduled or analogues." In other words, he believed what he was doing was legal.

The affidavit also says Lowenstein was describing the effects of the chemicals on the human mind, so the DEA makes it sound like that throws the "not for human consumption" argument out the window.

When the agents met up with Zizzo, he said essentially the same things.

"[E]veryone who works for me, every day they show up to work they put themselves on the line, cause any day the government, the DEA, could come in, they could arrest every single one of us, they can drag us out, put us in a cell, and hold us there," the feds quote Zizzo as saying. "God knows we aren't doing a damn thing illegal."

The agents posing as Hells Angels continued to follow Zizzo and Lowenstein around, meeting with them, trying to make deals with them, and watching what they do.

On July 12, they allegedly completed the deal.

The agents negotiated to buy chemicals totaling 133.2 kilograms of chemicals, and sold the recipe for "Eight Ballz Ultra-Premium Glass Cleaner -- for which the "Hells Angels" would have to pay royalties to Zizzo and Lowenstein for their sales.

In another Phoenix-area case, Andrew Freeman had already been busted by NBC's Chris Hansen -- and not on the pedophile-busting show.

Yep, the TV gotcha-guy already got Freeman during an NBC show on bath salts.

The DEA affidavit claims agents saw Freeman and Michael Lane -- who owns a Tempe company called Dynamic Distribution -- drive large boxes from their warehouse and drive it to drop them off at a FedEx location.

The DEA got a search warrant for those boxes, and they were filled with bath salts of a very similar mixture (same active ingredient) to Zizzo and Lowenstein's.

Clinton Strunk, the other man arrested, is accused of being somewhat of a middle-man between manufactures and retailers of bath salts.

While the DEA's "confidential sources" were carrying audio recorders with them during some of Strunk's deals, he pretty much explained how he operates his business and makes money, as described in the federal court documents.

Strunk was allegedly a buyer of Dynamic Distribution's products.

In the DEA agent's affidavit, he notes yet again that the "DEA has opined" the main chemical in all the bath salts in these arrests, alpha-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone, is an analog of a controlled substance.

The five men, if convicted, face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both.

Hells Angels associate, another man charged with cocaine trafficking

2012-07-24T17:16:00.001+01:00

undercover police investigation has led to cocaine trafficking charges against a Hells Angels associate and a Chilliwack man. Kristopher Pfeifer, 31, who police believe was working for the bikers' Haney chapter, and Constantinos Anthony, 48, made their first court appearance July 20 and have been released on conditions. They are due back in Port Coquitlam Provincial Court Sept. 7. Both were first arrested by investigators with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. CFSEU's probe, dubbed Project E-Nuptial, targeted drug brokers and traffickers with links to the Hells Angels' Haney chapter. "The objective was to disable drug-based trafficking activity in the Lower Mainland and in particular in the Maple Ridge area," Sgt. Bill Whalen said. The investigation dates back to March 2011 when one of the accused was seen exchanging a package with another man in Pitt Meadows. Police arrested the individuals and seized one kilogram of cocaine. "Biker gangs are no different from other organized crime groups that often distance themselves from direct criminal activity by using associates to facilitate their crimes," Whalen said. "Even though these groups use non-members to conduct their criminal business, it's the members of these groups that benefit the most." Both Pfeifer and Anthony have previous history with police. Pfeifer was charged with assault in Whistler in 2007. The case was resolved with a 12-month peace bond. Anthony, who lives in Chilliwack, was charged with trafficking in Vancouver in 2003, along with Sean Doak. Anthony was later acquitted. Doak was convicted of trafficking and is still wanted in the U.S. in a separate drug smuggling case.

Dozens arrested in crackdown on second motorcycle gang

2012-07-18T18:26:00.001+01:00

Forty-one members of the Michigan-based Devils Disciples have been charged with crimes including attempted murder and drug trafficking in this week's second crackdown on a Midwest motorcycle gang, federal prosecutors said on Friday. Agents seized more than 60 firearms, ammunition, and dismantled eight laboratories producing methamphetamine operated by the gang, the Department of Justice said in a statement. Of the 41 gang members indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan, 31 were arrested and five were already in custody, the statement said. Five others were at large. "For years, according to the indictment, the Devils Diciples have spread fear in cities throughout Michigan and around the country," Assistant U.S. Attorney General Breuer said in a statement. On Wednesday, law enforcement agents arrested 42 members of the notorious Outlaws Motorcycle Club in raids across the Midwest. Agents seized their Indianapolis clubhouse along with 2.2 pounds (a kilogram) of cocaine, guns and $15,000 in cash. The Outlaws are rivals of the infamous Hells Angels motorcycle gang. Among the Devils Disciples arrested on charges that included attempted murder, robbery, extortion, and racketeering were the National President Jeff Smith, known as "Fat Dog," and the group's vice president, Paul "Pauli" Darrah. Smith was charged with Darrah and another member of using a metal pipe to assault member Scott "Scotty P" Perkins. Members also administered beatings to rival gangs, the statement said. The Disciples' headquarters are in Clinton Township, Michigan. They have chapters throughout Michigan, Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

Devils Diciples Motorcycle gang members indicted

2012-07-15T22:25:00.001+01:00

It would seem that Friday the 13th was not a lucky day for the Devils Diciples Motorcycle gang members as law enforcement agents arrested thirty-one members in Michigan and Alabama, including National President Jeff Garvin Smith and National Vice President Paul Anthony Darrah, five members were previously in custody. More than 60 firearms and more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition were seized, in addition to, the eight methamphetamine manufacturing laboratories that were dismantled during the investigation. Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade for the Eastern District of Michigan and FBI Acting Assistant Director Valerie Parlave, announced today that an indictment was unsealed today charging 41 members and associates for their alleged participation in a variety of criminal offenses. The indictment alleges that the 41 Devils Diciples members and associates, including Smith and Darrah, participated in violent crimes in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking, illegal firearms offenses, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling and other federal offenses. Eighteen of the defendants, including Smith and Darrah, are charged with violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act by conducting their illegal enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity which included murder, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice and other federal and state offenses. According to the indictment, the Devils Diciples is a criminal enterprise with its national headquarters in Clinton Township, Mich. The Devils Diciples operates regional chapters located in cities throughout Michigan, Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and elsewhere. The Devils Diciples engage in criminal activities for financial gain, including distribution of narcotics, theft, transportation and sale of stolen motorcycles, conducting illegal gambling businesses, robbery, extortion and acts of violence. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Combination picture shows a member of motorcycle club "Hells Angels" as he takes part in the "Crime City Run" in Frankfurt

2012-07-15T01:58:00.001+01:00

A combination picture shows the front (top) and back views of a member of motorcycle club "Hells Angels" as he takes part in the "Crime City Run" as a protest against the ban of Westend and Frankfurt chapters of the Hells Angels motorcycle club in Frankfurt July 14, 2012. About 1,000 motorcyclists took part in the demonstration.

Man with alleged bikie ties arrested

2012-07-15T00:44:00.001+01:00

A man with alleged links to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang has been arrested over a brawl at a Brisbane restaurant. The 37-year-old was arrested and charged with affray on Saturday in relation to the vicious bashing of another man, also believed to have bikie ties, at the Mt Gravatt shopping centre on April 17. Police say the charged man, from Moorooka in Brisbane's south, has links to the Hells Angels and is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday. Two 25-year-old members of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang were charged with affray in May over the same incident.

Last of Outlaws motorcycle gang surrenders during manhunt

2012-07-14T02:28:00.001+01:00

Last of Outlaws wanted in raid surrenders The last of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club suspects who evaded authorities during a raid Wednesday turned himself at 4 a.m. today, authorities said. Terrell Lamont Adams, 28, was wanted in connection with a plan to sell cocaine as a member of the Indianapolis chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. He made arrangements to turn himself in at the Indianapolis City-County Building this morning, said Tim Horty, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office. "He was influenced by family and friends to turn himself in," Horty said. Fifteen U.S. marshals pursued Adams for nearly 48 hours after the FBI and other law enforcement agencies raided the Outlaws’ clubhouse on East New York Street on Wednesday morning. Forty-one people associated with the gang were arrested on federal charges ranging from mail fraud to money laundering. They likely will have detention hearings next week. -- MIchael Boren Earlier -- U.S. marshals seek Outlaws motorcycle gang member who got away after raid U.S. marshals are still looking for one member of a motorcycle gang after his cohorts were arrested Wednesday. Terrell Lamont Adams, 28, is wanted in connection with a plan to sell cocaine as a member of the Indianapolis chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies raided the Outlaws’ clubhouse on East New York Street on Wednesday morning. Forty-one people associated with the gang were arrested on federal charges ranging from mail fraud to money laundering. They likely will have detention hearings next week, said Tim Horty, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Indianapolis. Adams was the only one who evaded authorities. The law enforcement agencies tried to arrest everyone at dawn in hopes that no one would get away, said Kerry Forestal, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana, which includes Indianapolis. “They were hit simultaneously,” he said, “so before people are out of bed they’re in custody.”

TATTOO parlour linked to Sydney's Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim was approved in error by a council planner because an 11-page objection letter from senior police was attached to the wrong folder.

2012-07-10T14:24:00.001+01:00

Police objections ... John Ibrahim. Picture: Damian Shaw Source: The Daily Telegraph

A TATTOO parlour linked to Sydney's Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim was approved in error by a council planner because an 11-page objection letter from senior police was attached to the wrong folder.

The application should have been debated at a full council meeting amid fears of an outbreak of bikie warfare but the administrative mistake meant the briefing note was never issued.

Superintendent Sue Waites sent a lengthy objection letter, revealing police intelligence alleged the applicant, Kings Cross Ink owner Mark Alexander-Erber, a business partner of Mr Ibrahim's, was known for bikie affiliations though it was "unclear" at what level.

Mr Alexander-Erber has denied any bikie links.

"Granting late-night trading permits will exacerbate all incidents of anti-social behaviour," Supt Waites said.

"Kings Cross is a well-known spot for OMCG (outlaw motorcycle gang) activity. Drive-by shootings, serious assaults, extortion and drug-related offences have been tied to OMCG members who have links to businesses within Kings Cross.

"Kings Cross police believe the opening of yet another business type which attracts such a criminal element will undoubtedly lead to an increase in crime, a strain on police resources and a heightened sense of fear by residents and community members visiting the area.

"Police were contacted and informed that residents were too afraid to make official comment relating to the opening of this tattoo shop due to fear of reprisals."

Emails reveal senior council staff apologised for the error, describing the incident as "extremely rare and regrettable" and that the planner "accidentally attached the hold tag to the wrong folder cover".

Lord Mayor Clover Moore defended the council's approval in a letter to a local resident, stating: "Criminal and anti-social behaviour is not a planning consideration.

"I share your concerns about the recent reports of violence associated with gangs in Kings Cross. The city is required to assess DAs on planning merit only."

Mr Alexander-Erber said: "Kings Cross Ink stands up to say we are not affiliated, we are not part of organised crime, nor will I ever be.

"I'm sick of this Underbelly talk and rubbish. There are good people running business in the Cross. This is bringing the glitz and glamour from the '50s to the Cross.

"This will change people's perception of tattoo parlours. I urge them to come up and look at what I have created.

"You can't get further away from organised crime. It's a world-class establishment."

Mr Alexander-Erber said Mr Ibrahim was an investor in the business that would "lead the industry in its clean-up".

Mr Ibrahim's lawyer Stephen Alexander did not return calls yesterday.

Fears of violence as Berlin biker war escalates

2012-07-10T10:33:00.001+01:00

"We have to assume that, alongside the well-known edged and blunt weapons, firearms and explosives will be used," a memo to all the city's police stations said. “All engaged forces are requested to particularly check vehicles from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland,” it said, according to the BZ newspaper on Monday. A police crackdown on Hells Angels and Bandidos - the biker gangs involved in organized crime across Germany - has thrown the scene into chaos, the paper said. A new "Rocker Task Force" has been set up to make life as difficult for them as possible. "Our line is zero tolerance," state prosecutor Jörg Raupach, who leads the task force, said on Saturday. "Whether it's abuse, driving without a license, drink driving - we will prosecute every crime. No investigation into the bikers - no matter how small - will be given up." The Hells Angels "Berlin City" chapter was banned by state Interior Minister Frank Henkel in May, though that has done little to prevent the increasing violence. Former Hells Angels leader André Sommer was gunned down in June, and several gang members subsequently appeared at the entrance to Berlin's Charité hospital to guard the 47-year-old as he lay in an artificial coma. Two Bandidos were have also been shot at in the past few days. Police believe that Berlin is home to between 400 and 500 Hells Angels, and slightly fewer Bandidos, and that the two groups are currently locked in a deadly power struggle over the city. The gangs are thought to be involved in a number of organized criminal activities, including protection rackets, drug and weapons dealing, and human trafficking for prostitution. But police have struggled to solve the crimes, because victims are reluctant to speak. "As long as no victim talks, we won't get much further," said Raupach. "We have to get a foot in the door." Investigators are also hoping to help gang members get out of the scene. "We're trying to break one or two out," the prosecutor added. "And we have managed, but there are no quick successes." "But our signal to the criminal scene is clear," he concluded. "We're watching you. We're always on your heels." A former Hells Angels associate was jailed for more than four years in the northern city of Kiel last month. He was placed in a witness protection scheme after revealing details of regional biker gangs. His testimony prompted huge raids across three states in May – and the destruction of a warehouse where police hope to find the remains of a missing man in the building's concrete foundations.

A Kurdish biker gang has emerged in Cologne, Germany

2012-07-07T01:18:00.001+01:00

COLOGNE, Germany — A Kurdish biker gang has emerged in Cologne, Germany. The group calls itself MC Median Empire, after the ancient Medes, who some believe were the forefathers of the modern Kurds. “MC” stands for a type of powerful horse used by the Medes.

The Kurdish group has posted on their website that the Medes were warriors and mighty knights, and that the only difference between them and the prehistoric tribe is that they ride motorcycles instead of horses. Members wear leather jackets stamped with the MC Median Empire logo.

The most notorious biker gangs in Germany are the Hells Angels and the Bandidos. Members of these gangs are known for their violence, which has terrorized entire cities in Germany. Often these rival clubs are involved in organized crime including robbery, arms dealing, drug trafficking and prostitution.

German police expect trouble between the MC Median Empire and other biker gangs in the country. The Hells Angels are known to not accept other gangs operating in their territory.

At the beginning of this year, four people were injured when a dispute broke out between the Hells Angels and the Bandidos. Four months later, a member of the Bandidos was gunned down by the Hells Angels.

The MC Median Empire has not yet been involved in any illegal activities, though the group is under police surveillance.

A spokesperson for the German police said, “We will continue to watch this group just like other gangs.”

The Hells Angels were formed in 1948 in California and expanded into Europe in the 1960s. It has 32 branches around the world. The German branch in Hamburg was established in 1973, after which other biker gangs such as the Bandidos set up in the country.

Gold Coast bikie a 'persistent' serial offender

2012-07-04T07:41:00.001+01:00

senior member of an outlaw motorcycle gang has been refused bail by a Gold Coast magistrate who described him as a "totally unacceptable risk". Shane Treloar, 38, the sergeant-at-arms of the Lone Wolf motorcycle gang, appeared in Southport Magistrates Court today on 19 charges including possession of drugs and a high-powered automatic assault rifle. Treloar was arrested at his Upper Coomera home on Thursday by officers from Task Force Hydra - set up to combat outlaw motorcycle gangs in Queensland. Advertisement: Story continues below In refusing bail, Magistrate John Costanzo brushed aside submissions by lawyer Darren Mahony about the strength of the case against his client. "The prosecution case does not appear to be weak to me," he told the court. He said Treloar had appeared 11 times for sentencing matters in the past 10 years. "Rather than show a stable personal life he has displayed an unpreparedness to comply with court orders and to respect the law," he said. "He is a recidivist offender, and quite a persistent one. "He is a totally unacceptable risk." The heavily tattooed Treloar, with the word "Revenge" inked across one side of his face, sat quietly in the dock during the proceedings. He was remanded in custody to appear in court again on September 5 by video link from prison. Treloar played rugby league for Parramatta, Penrith and Souths for a number of years, mainly in reserve grade, and moved to the Gold Coast to pursue his sporting career but was thwarted by injury.