Category: Gangs in the news…

Leader, Members of Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club Indicted for Criminal Racketeering Enterprise
Friday, June 21, 2024
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri

Among Seven Area Residents Charged with Violent Crime, Drug Trafficking, Firearms Violations

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Seven area residents, including the leader and several members of the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in an ongoing criminal enterprise that involved acts of violence, drug trafficking, and illegally possessing firearms.

Tonka Way Con Ponder, 53, and his wife, Carolynn L. Ponder, 47, both of Preston, Mo., and Tretch Lucius Lawrence, also known as “Travis Dewain Shankle,” 48, Keith Dewayne Nolen Jr., also known as “Seg,” 34, Paul Leon Gardner, 52, Daniel Scot Kurtzenborn, 41, and Robert Russell Warren, also known as “Russ,” 54, all of whom have unknown addresses, were charged in a 25-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City on Tuesday, June 18.

That indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of six of the defendants (with the exception of Warren). Tonka Ponder, Lawrence, Nolen and Kurtzeborn remain detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Tuesday, June 25. Gardner and Carolynn Ponder were released on bond.

The federal indictment alleges that Tonka Ponder, Lawrence, Nolen, Gardner and Kurtzeborn are members of the Lake of the Ozarks chapter of the Galloping Goose outlaw motorcycle gang, an organized criminal enterprise. Members of the Galloping Goose, says the indictment, engaged in acts of violence, including assault, attempted robbery, and extortion.

According to the indictment, Tonka Ponder was the leader of the local chapter of the Galloping Goose, which has a clubhouse in Camdenton, Mo.

The federal indictment charges Tonka Ponder, Lawrence, Shankle, Nolen, Kurtzeborn and Gardner with committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering. They allegedly assaulted another person with a deadly weapon on Dec. 12, 2020.

The federal indictment charges Tonka Ponder, Lawrence, Nolen, and Kurtzeborn with committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering. They allegedly conspired to assault members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club and the Iron Celtics Motorcycle Association, resulting in serious physical injuries, on July 15, 2021.

Tonka Ponder is charged with two counts of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering and two counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Tonka Ponder allegedly shot two persons, resulting in serious physical injury, on July 15, 2021.

Kurtzeborn is charged with one count of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Kurtzeborn allegedly attempted to assault a victim by shooting at him on July 15, 2021.

Tonka Ponder and Lawrence are charged with one count of attempted extortion. The indictment alleges that, from July 1, 2020, to July 15, 2021, they attempted to obtain the property of the Iron Celtics Motorcycle Association by threatened use of force, violence, and fear.

The federal indictment charges Tonka Ponder, Carolynn Ponder, and Warren with participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Camden and Miller Counties from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31, 2022. Tonka Ponder is also charged with five counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and four counts of traveling across state lines to facilitate the illegal distribution of methamphetamine.

Tonka Ponder is charged with two counts of using his cell phone to facilitate a drug-trafficking conspiracy. Carolynn Ponder is charged with one count of using her cell phone to facilitate a drug-trafficking conspiracy.

Kurtzeborn and Nolen are each charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kurtzeborn allegedly possessed a Taurus .357-caliber revolver on July 15, 2021. Nolen allegedly possessed a Taurus 9mm handgun on Aug. 24, 2023.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron M. Maness and Cecily L. Hicks. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., Police Department, the Miller County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Camden County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Updated June 21, 2024

UPDATE: 6th man arrested in relation to Marion County Pagan Motorcycle Club murder

By WDTV News Staff June 21, 2024
https://www.wdtv.com/2024/06/21/update-6th-man-arrested-relation-marion-county-pagan-motorcycle-club-murder/

FAIRMONT, W.Va (WDTV) – A sixth man has been arrested this week in relation to a Marion County Pagan Motorcycle Club murder.

Ryan Lane, 36, of Fairmont, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder on Tuesday, according to Marion County Sheriff Jimmy Riffle.

Deputies served a search warrant at Lane’s residence Tuesday morning in regard to an ongoing investigation into Henry Silver’s 2022 murder, Riffle said.

Silver was shot and killed on September 9, 2022 in the Carolina area of Marion County. John Wolfe, a member of the Pagan Motorcycle Club who was found guilty of Silver’s murder in April, learned of a hidden relationship involving Silver and his girlfriend. Deputies allege that Wolfe conspired with other members of the club to murder Silver.

Lane texted Wolfe about the situation multiple times. In one text, Lane tells Wolfe they need to “handle that f——,” according to court documents. Ten minutes prior to the murder occurring, Wolfe texted Lane and told him “keep ur phone on I might need bail money.” After that text, deputies said Lane continued to communicate with Wolfe and traveled to where he believed he would be to discuss the events that occurred.

In June 2023, four other men were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy in relation to the murder. Jonathan Biller, Derek Clem, Dane Hull and Austin Mullins were arrested at that point of the investigation, deputies said.

The investigation is still ongoing, Riffle said.
Copyright 2024 WDTV. All rights reserved.

Alamogordo Man Sentenced for Federal Firearms Offense
Friday, June 14, 2024

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – A member of the notorious Bandidos Motorcycle Club was sentenced to 21 months in prison for unlawful possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to publicly available court records, on August 31, 2023, the FBI and local law enforcement partners executed dozens of search warrants around New Mexico targeting the Bandidos Motorcycle Club. During the search of Jonathan Bivins, 42, home, agents discovered thirteen firearms in a safe located in his bedroom.

As a previously convicted felon, Bivins knew that he was prohibited from owning firearms or ammunition.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Bivins will be required to serve 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and New Mexico State Police led the investigation as part of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph M. Spindle and David B. Hirsch are prosecuting the case.
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New Mexico Bandidos Motorcycle Club member sentenced to prison after FBI investigation

by: Curtis Segarra KRGE Weslaco, TexasJune 16, 2024
https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/new-mexico-bandidos-motorcycle-club-member-sentenced-to-prison-after-fbi-investigation/

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The U.S. Attorney’s Office says a member of the Bandidos is set to serve 21 months in prison after investigators found illegally-owned guns in his home. The Bandidos member, 42-year-old Jonathan Bivins, was prohibited from owning firearms as a previously convicted felon, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says.

In the fall of 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local law enforcement agents executed search warrants on multiple people they say have ties to the Bandidos. The massive statewide raid came in response to a fatal shooting in Red River, New Mexico. The DOJ calls the Bandidos a “notorious” club with 75 to 100 members across the state.

The DOJ says the raid uncovered 13 firearms in Bivins’ bedroom. Bivins pled guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. Now a judge has handed him a 21-month sentence followed by three years of supervised release, the DOJ says.

Vagos’ Outlaw motorcycle gang member arrested, 1 outstanding: KCSO
by: Luis Garcia KGET Updated: June 18, 2024
https://www.kget.com/news/crime-watch/vagos-outlaw-motorcycle-gang-member-arrested-1-outstanding-kcso/

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A member of the “Vagos” Outlaw motorcycle gang was arrested Friday after deputies executed a search warrant and found a firearms including an automatic machine gun. Another member is at large as of Tuesday, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.

On June 14, KCSO deputies received reports of several “Vagos” Outlaw motorcycle gang members harassing customers at a business in Tehachapi. Deputies with the Community Oriented Policing Project later searched Angela Vasquez’s, 37, of Tehachapi home in the 20,000 block of Dawn Avenue.

During the search, KCSO found gang paraphernalia and a firearm inside a “Vagos” vest. Investigators also found another firearm hidden in a motorcycle, a fully automatic machine gun, and a 40mm launcher, the office said through a news release.

Vasquez was taken into custody for multiple felonies including, firearm charges, child endangerment, and participating in a gang.

Deputies also obtained a $305,000 Ramey warrant for Ulisses Navarette of Tehachapi for numerous felonies and participating in the “Vagos” Outlaw gang. Navarette has not been located and is considered armed and dangerous, according to KCSO.

The Sheriff’s office is asking for the community’s help locating Navarette. He is described as standing five-feet eight-inches tall, weighs around 212 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Three Hells Angels sentenced to life in case that centered on murder, betrayals and deeply-guarded secrets
Sentences loom for second trial group

NATE GARTRELL | ngartrell@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group June 15, 2024

Three Hells Angels sentenced to life in case that centered on murder, betrayals and deeply-guarded secrets

SAN FRANCISCO — Three prominent members of the Hells Angels motorcycle club have been sentenced to life in prison in a case full of murder, mayhem, clandestine cremations and secret government informants.

Santa Rosa residents Jonathan “Jon Jon” Nelson, 46, and Russell “Rusty” Ott, 70, along with Brian Wendt, 45, of Tulare, were all given life sentences for their roles in the murder of Joel Silva, a Hells Angels sergeant-at-arms who disappeared 10 years ago. Prosecutors contend Silva was lured to Fresno, shot in the back of the head by Wendt and illegally cremated at a nearby funeral home.

The three men were convicted in 2022 in a trial that rested on the word of two former Hells Angels who left after receiving beatings that have become emblematic of the biker gang. Other key government witnesses included former associates and members of subsidiary biker clubs, as well as the Fresno funeral home director who claimed he was intimidated into burning multiple bodies of murder victims at the behest of a Fresno Hells Angel.

Nelson, the former president of the club’s Sonoma chapter, was convicted of helping lead the plot to kill Silva, whose increasingly erratic behavior and drug use was becoming a source of concern among the club. The tipping point came when Silva threatened a friend of Salem/Boston chapter president Christopher “Rain Man” Ranieri, who was convicted of his role in the murder plot in a separate trial last year.

Wendt — a Fresno Hells Angel who has a “Filthy Few” tattoo that prosecutors claim is a symbol of murder — shot Silva inside the Fresno clubhouse under the guise of showing him some marijuana, according to prosecution witnesses. He allegedly later called it “one of my better kills.” Before Wendt was sentenced, a friend of his named James Arce wrote a letter to the court describing him as a warm and generous man, full of empathy for others.
“Brian’s caring nature has created a positive ripple effect in my life, and I am immensely grateful for his presence. In both good times and bad, Brian stands as a pillar of reliability and warmth,” Arce’s letter says. “His friendship is a treasure, and I feel fortunate to have him by my side.”

Ott was convicted of helping lure Silva to his death, since he was one of the only men Silva trusted at that point. His defense, in a nutshell, was that he was too drunk to have been involved in a murder conspiracy.
Last year, a Fresno chapter member named Merl Hefferman was sentenced to four years in prison for cremating Silva’s body. Prosecutors contended that he was in charge of disposing of murder victims’ bodies for the Hells Angels and was responsible for extorting the funeral home director. They blamed him for three other clandestine cremations of missing persons: Robbie Huff, Arthur Carasis and Juan Guevara, who were all fellow club members. Hefferman denied he’d taken part in more than one.

Ranieri, along with Raymond “Ray Ray” Foakes, are still awaiting sentencing. Foakes was convicted of racketeering and mayhem for beating a former member who later testified for prosecutors, but was not involved in the plot to kill Silva.

The U.S. Attorney’s office announced the sentences in a news release Friday.

“The record in this case describes a brutal brotherhood whose deeds should shock the conscience of us all,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey in a written statement. “While the life sentences cannot reverse the harm done to the defendants’ victims, it should bring some comfort to our communities to know these three defendants will never again have the ability to continue their destructive activities on our streets.”

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Bay Area Hells Angels sentenced to life in prison for violent crimes

June 15, 2024 / 9:31 AM PDT / CBS/Bay City News Service
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/bay-area-hells-angels-sentenced-life-prison-violent-crimes/

SANTA ROSA — Three men were sentenced to life in prison for murder in aid of racketeering as part of their membership in the Sonoma County chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, federal prosecutors said Friday.
The sentencings of Jonathan “Jon Jon” Nelson, Brian Wayne Wendt and Russell Taylor “Rusty” Ott followed a jury trial in June of 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney for Northern California.

The jury concluded that the trio participated in an enterprise that engaged in a broad array of violent crimes including murder, assault, robbery, extortion and witness intimidation, prosecutors said in a press release.
Nelson, 46, of Santa Rosa, Wendt, 45, of Tulare, and Ott, 70, of Santa Rosa, were convicted of murder related to the killing of Hells Angels member Joel Silva.

Nelson, who was then the president of the Sonoma County chapter, arranged for Ott to take Silva to Fresno. At the Hells Angels Fresno clubhouse, Wendt, then president of the Fresno chapter, shot Silva in the back of the head, prosecutors said.

Silva’s body was then cremated. The three and other Hells Angels threatened the lives of witnesses and their families to keep anyone from cooperating with law enforcement.

Five other defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 84 months.

Tobias Sahlstorfer jailed for at least 23 years over the bashing murder of Mark Boyce in 2017

By Jordanna Schriever Australian Broadcasting Corporation June 13, 2024
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-13/tobias-sahlstorfer-jailed-23-years-mark-boyce/103972862

• In short: Tobias Sahlstorfer, 35, has been jailed for life over the “tragic, brutal and totally unnecessary” bashing murder of Mark Boyce.

• Sahlstorfer was found guilty of the January 2017 crime earlier this year after a Supreme Court trial in the absence of a jury.

• What’s next? He will be eligible to apply for release on parole in August 2043.

A Hells Angels bikie has been jailed for at least 23 years for the “tragic, brutal and totally unnecessary” bashing murder of “innocent bystander” Mark Boyce, whose death has inflicted “unimaginable grief” upon his family.

Tobias Sahlstorfer, 35, was found guilty of the January 2017 crime earlier this year after a Supreme Court trial before Justice Laura Stein, in the absence of a jury.

In sentencing on Thursday, Justice Stein said Sahlstorfer, of Gulfview Heights, was the first of three men to attack Mr Boyce, using his “fists and feet as weapons”.

She said the three men inflicted a “flurry of punches and kicks which continued after Mr Boyce was on the ground”.
“The beating was short and brutal and rapidly rendered Mr Boyce unconscious,” Justice Stein said.
“Mr Boyce did not fight back.”

She said Mr Boyce, 36, was not the intended target of the attack and that Sahlstorfer and two other men were instead looking for Mr Boyce’s friend when they drove to Hill Street, Elizabeth South, on the night of the bashing.
“Mr Boyce was an innocent bystander who became a victim of your attack when you could not locate[the intended target],” Justice Stein said.

She said Mr Boyce had “fled down the street” after an initial interaction with Sahlstorfer, but one of the other men present chased down and captured Mr Boyce.

They rendered him “incapable of defending himself”.

Justice Stein said Sahlstorfer, who briefly shook his head as the sentence was handed down, had not shown any remorse for his actions.

“The tragic, brutal and totally unnecessary killing of Mr Boyce has inflicted unimaginable grief, loss and anguish upon his parents who have lost their only child.”

Their profound suffering is still palpably raw seven years later … it will continue for the rest of their lives.”
She said Sahlstorfer, who was born in Germany, was a member of the Hells Angels at the time of the attack.

“Your association with the Hells Angels is relevant to your prospects of rehabilitation and consideration of general and personal deterrence,” she said.

Justice Stein said she accepted Sahlstorfer had not intended to kill Mr Boyce, but it was “brutal and blows were delivered with sufficient force to cause a fracture and brain injuries which ultimately resulted in Mr Boyce’s death”.

‘He was the only child I had’

Mr Boyce died after a week in hospital on February 8, 2017.

In 2019, another man, Joshua Roy Grant, was found guilty of murdering Mr Boyce after an earlier trial and was sentenced to 20 years’ jail.

A third man believed to be involved has yet to be arrested.

Police have previously said a vehicle involved in the attack was found cut up, burned and buried more than 4 metres underground on a Hells Angels Club property at Ponde in the Murraylands.

As he left the court after Sahlstorfer was sentenced Mr Boyce’s father, Malcolm Boyce, gripped a framed photo of his son.

He has previously said his son “was no angel, but he was my son” and had been “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.

“I miss my son every day, he was the only child I had,” he said after an earlier hearing.

Michael Woods, for Mr Sahlstorfer, said he had spoken to his client after the sentence was handed down and that he was doing “as well as expected”.

Sahlstorfer, who has been in custody since his arrest in August 2020, must serve a mandatory life sentence for Mr Boyce’s murder.

He will be eligible to apply for release on parole in August 2043.

Grand jury indicts 14 members of Thug Riders Motorcycle Club
Friday, June 14, 2024
S
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Ohio

Racketeering conspiracy allegations include murder, arson, assault, extortion

DAYTON, Ohio – A federal grand jury here has indicted the Midwest Regional “boss” and 13 other members of the “outlaw motorcycle gang” known as the Thug Riders Motorcycle Club (TRMC). The indictment alleges that the TRMC operated a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in acts of violence like murder, arson and assault. Members also allegedly participated in extortion and identity fraud.

The indictment was returned on June 11. Federal and local law enforcement officials arrested all 14 defendants yesterday.

According to the indictment, members of the TRMC Dayton chapter engaged in overt acts in support of their enterprise, including:

• blowing up a former member’s vehicle in Huber Heights in May 2021;
• killing a man during a September 2021 shootout in Harrison Township;
• shooting more than 190 live gunfire rounds into a rival motorcycle gang’s clubhouse in Lexington, Kentucky, in April 2023;
• threatening and extorting former gang members;
• breaking the leg of a patron at Toby’s Tavern in Dayton in June 2023;
• attacking a rival gang member at Chris’s Band Box in Dayton in July 2023;
• engaging in a shootout at a Springfield, Ohio, motorcycle gang’s clubhouse in March 2024; and
• physically assaulting members of another motorcycle gang in London, Ohio, in May 2024.
Individuals charged in the indictment are:

Name Also Known As Age City of residence
Juan A. Robles J Juan the Man 45 Phoenix, Arizona
Joey A. Marshall King Joe, Diesel 44 Xenia, Ohio
Jared T. Peters Savage 37 Dayton, Ohio
Brandon W. Fisher Road Runner 26 Piqua, Ohio
John A. Smith Chaos 37 Dayton, Ohio
Norman D. Beach Stormin’ Normin’ 49 Dayton, Ohio
Michael S. Henry Brutal 40 Xenia, Ohio
Daniel B. Hutton Havok 39 Fairborn, Ohio
Michael L. Reese Butcher 44 Miamisburg, Ohio
Matthew J. Hawkins Hawk 32 Pequea, Pennsylvania
Joseph M. Rader Delta 32 Richmond, Kentucky
Justin J. Baker Wild Boy 29 Columbus, Ohio
Cody D. Hughes Tater 28 Columbus, Ohio
Brent A. Egleston Be Easy 36 Xenia, Ohio

Court documents detail that the TRMC established a Dayton chapter in late 2019. Robles was allegedly instrumental in the creation of the local chapter and is currently the Midwest Regional “boss.” The Dayton chapter maintained clubhouses on Stanley Avenue in Dayton and on Lodge Avenue in Harrison Township.

Robles, Marshall, Peters, Fisher and Smith have each allegedly held leadership roles in the TRMC. Specifically, Marshall served as the Midwest Regional “sergeant at arms”; Peters served as the president of the Dayton chapter; Fisher served as the “sergeant at arms” of the Dayton chapter; and Smith served as “enforcer” of the Dayton chapter.

The Dayton chapter and Midwest Region are both part of the domestic and international outlaw TRMC motorcycle gang that was originally founded in 2003, and remains a violent gang today located throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Morocco, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Germany and the United Kingdom.

According to the indictment, the Midwest Region is made up of chapters in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Midwest Regional chapter meetings are held regularly and are referred to as “church.” Only full or “patched” TRMC members are allowed to attend “church.” Members pay regular dues and fines to the motorcycle gang.

Chapters and Regions fall under the ultimate authority of the national president who sits at the so-called “mother chapter” in Newark, New Jersey.

Count one of the indictment charges Robles, Marshall, Peters, Fisher, Smith, Beach and Henry with racketeering (RICO) conspiracy. The indictment’s remaining three counts charge defendants with assaults, attempted assaults and conspiracy to commit assaults. The racketeering conspiracy as charged in this case is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; John K. Nokes, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Louisville Field Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal; and Huber Heights Police Chief Mark Lightner announced the indictment today.

The Springfield, Columbus, Riverside, Fairborn, Xenia, Lexington and Richmond police departments; Greene, Miami and Clark county sheriff’s offices; Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol contributed to the investigation.

Assistant United States Attorneys Dwight Keller and Elizabeth L. McCormick are representing the United States in this case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Updated June 14, 2024

More drug-trafficking raids in Montreal, Montérégie target Hells Angels

The Sûreté du Québec says Wednesday’s raids are the fourth strike since May 1 against drug traffickers linked the to biker gang.
:
Montreal Gazette June 12, 2024

More drug-trafficking raids in Montreal, Montérégie target Hells Angels

The Sûreté du Québec on Wednesday announced the police task force it oversees has launched a series of raids against drug-trafficking networks linked to the Hells Angels.

In a statement issued Wednesday morning, the SQ said more than 100 officers who were part of the combined regional squad for the Montérégie region were executing nearly a dozen search warrants in Montreal and the towns of St-Jean-Baptiste-de-Rouville, Mont-St-Hilaire, Beloeil and St-Mathieu-de-Beloeil. The provincial force said it is the fourth strike launched in the region since May 1 against drug traffickers linked to the criminal biker gang.

The SQ is also urging anyone with any information that could further this or any other investigation to contact their criminal information line at 1-800-659-4264.

Unlawful recruitment to G.I. motorcycle club case heads to trial court

By KSNB Local4 News June 3, 2024
https://www.ksnblocal4.com/2024/06/03/unlawful-recruitment-gi-motorcycle-club-case-heads-trial-court/

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – A Grand Island man has waived his preliminary hearing on felony charges connected to coercing a teen into joining a motorcycle club.

Jay Friedricksen, 33, is now charged with aiding and abetting a class IIA felony, unlawful membership recruitment and conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking.

An arrest affidavit shows that three construction businesses had trailers burglarized in Grand Island. The burglaries happened between Jan. 22 and Feb. 19, and dozens of tools were stolen. Police estimate losses at $11,480.

On Feb. 21, Grand Island police pulled over a vehicle that had been racing down South Locust Street. Police identified the driver as 18-year-old Jeronimo Gutierrez, according to court records.

Inside his vehicle, officers discovered “a large amount of construction tools”. The tools were marked, and police determined they had been stolen.

Gutierrez was interviewed the next day, and officers wrote that Gutierrez had stolen the tools as an initiation to join a local motorcycle club.

Police think he stole the tools at the direction of Friedricksen, who was later identified as the president of the club. They also discovered the address of Friedricksen’s clubhouse.

A search warrant was executed at the clubhouse on Feb. 23. Inside, officers found club merchandise and more stolen tools, according to the affidavit.

Gutierrez is charged with two counts of theft by unlawful taking $5,000+.

Friedricksen waived his right to a preliminary hearing, sending the case to district court. He is due for his arraignment in Hall County District Court at 9 a.m. on June 25.

Click here to subscribe to our KSNB Local4 daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Copyright 2024 KSNB. All rights reserved.

Omaha Police investigating reported cutting at biker bar
WOWT 6 News staff reports June 8, 2024
https://www.wowt.com/2024/06/08/omaha-police-investigating-reported-cutting-biker-bar/

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Police are investigating a reported cutting at a north Omaha biker bar early Saturday.
OPD tells 6 News officers were called to Immanuel Hospital around 3:40 a.m. They spoke with a 23-year-old female victim who told them she was cut by an unknown female at the Los-Diablos Motorcycle Club at 25th and Ames. The victim’s injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Omaha Crime Stoppers at (402) 444-STOP or submit a tip online.
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.
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23-year-old woman stabbed early Saturday morning at north Omaha club

McKenzy Parsons KETV Omaha Nebraska June 8, 2024

https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-woman-stabbed-los-diablos-motorcycle-club/61047122OMAHA, Neb. —
A woman was stabbed at a north Omaha club early Saturday morning.

Omaha police were called to CHI Immanuel Hospital after Emonia Ross, 23, came in saying she had been stabbed by an unknown female while she was at the Los-Diablos Motorcycle Club near 25th Street and Ames Avenue.

oss’ injuries were considered not life-threatening.

Omaha police are looking for information in the incident.

If anyone knows anything, they are asked to contact Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP or online here.
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Shooting near Omaha motorcycle club sends man to hospital

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Police are investigating after a man was critically hurt in a shooting early Sunday near a north Omaha motorcycle club.

OPD tells 6 News officers were called to the area of 25th and Ames Avenue around 2:30 a.m., near the Los-Diablos Motorcycle Club. Officers found the victim, a 26-year-old male from Omaha, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to Nebraska Medicine.

OPD had been notified of another Los-Diablos incident nearly 24 hours earlier — a 23-year-old female said she had been cut by an unknown woman.

Anyone with information on either incident is asked to call Omaha Crime Stoppers at (402) 444-STOP or submit a tip online.

Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.