Category: Gangs in the news…

Police arrest full-patch Hells Angels in sprawling investigation
OPP, Toronto and Belleville police announced a yearlong investigation that included raids on motorcycle clubs and storefronts, recovered stolen firearms and 3D printed weapons.
By Ana PereiraStaff Reporter Peter EdwardsStaff Reporter February 23, 2023

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2023/02/23/police-to-announce-results-of-project-coyote-investigation-on-thursday-afternoon.html
Twenty-seven people — including three full-patch Hells Angels — have been arrested in what police call a crackdown on a drug and gun trafficking ring.
The 13-month operation called Project Coyote pooled the efforts of Toronto police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Windsor Police Service and the Belleville Police Service, against the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, the affiliated Red Devils Motorcycle club and an unidentified street gang.
Wade said the project started as three separate police investigations which morphed into one.
“We were able to put a large-scale project together,” Det. Insp. Scott Wade of the OPP Biker Enforcement Unit said in an interview.
The men and women arrested had a variety of hometowns, including Etobicoke, Mississauga, Woodbridge, Oshawa, Trenton and Belleville.
“Criminals and their organizations don’t pay attention to boundaries — so neither should police services,” Toronto police Staff Supt. Paul MacIntyre said.
“Street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other organized crime groups undermine peace and security across our communities,” OPP Chief Supt. Paul Mackey said. “They deal in violence and conflict. They launder money. They traffic firearms and people. They hurt our communities.”
Deputy Chief Chris Barry of the Belleville police also praised the cooperative nature of the police effort.
“Collaborative investigations such as Project Coyote send a very powerful message to criminals that they will face the combined resources of the entire law enforcement community in order to hold them accountable for their actions,” Barry said.

“It’s important that investigators work in concert to conduct such investigations to keep our communities safe — no matter what patch we wear on our shirts,” he said.
The targeted network, which did some of its work out of storefronts selling Hells Angels support gear like T-shirts and caps, posed a significant threat to the public, police said.
There were a dozen arrests in the GTA on Jan. 18 and another 15 arrests on Feb. 22, when three Hells Angels and three members of the Red Devils were arrested.
More charges are anticipated, police said.
Police said they seized significant amounts of cash, firearms, weapons, and vehicles.
The five handguns seized included a Glock P80 3D-printed handgun and a stolen .357 Ruger handgun. Also seized were three sawed off shotguns, three replica handguns, two stun guns and live ammunition, police said.
Also seized was body armour, 10 vehicles, more than $370,000 in Canadian currency, two Rolex watches, and gold chains and rings with an approximate value of $150,000, police said.
Seized drugs included 16 kilograms of cocaine, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl, and six kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, police said.
Other items seized included 20 pounds of cannabis, 500 packages of cannabis edibles and eight pounds of hashish, police said.
Nicholas Runnalls, 43, who police say is a full-patch Hells Angel from Trenton, faces 22 charges, including participation in a criminal organization.
Police said other Hells Angels charged were Jesse Thibert, 43, of Lakeshore, charged with participation in a criminal organization and commission of an offence for a criminal organization and Mark Stewart, 43, of Belleville, charged with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

Former Devil’s Army member grilled about day of murder
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/bc-news/former-devils-army-member-grilled-about-day-of-murder-6623296
Former biker identified as X was on the stand for the third day at Richard Alexander’s trial for the first-degree murder of Dillon Brown on March 11, 2016.

Louise Dickson Feb 28, 2023

A former full-patch member of the Devil’s Army motorcycle club, who has said he helped carry Dillon Brown’s body, snorted cocaine and was sleep-deprived on the day of Brown’s killing, a B.C. Supreme Court jury heard Monday.
The former biker, who can only be identified as X, was on the stand for the third day at Richard Alexander’s trial for the first-degree murder of Brown. Alexander, the former president of the club, has pleaded not guilty.
Brown, a 30-year-old mixed martial arts fighter, was shot and killed on March 11, 2016 at the Devil’s Army Clubhouse in Campbell River.

His body was found the next day in the trunk of his car, abandoned near the Cable Bridge in Sayward, 75 kilometres north of Campbell River.

Last week, X testified that he discovered Brown’s body on the floor of the clubhouse and smelled gunpowder in the air.

He testified that he helped Alexander place Brown’s body in the trunk of Brown’s car and cleaned up the crime scene.

X testified that he became increasingly paranoid and disenchanted with the motorcycle club after the murder. He began co-operating with police in July 2017.

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Brent Anderson noted that X had been placed on probation for a year after his employer discovered he was using marijuana. X also lost access to his computer when his employer learned he was a member of the Falcons Motorcycle Club. His employer never learned that he was using cocaine.
X admitted his financial situation wasn’t good. In February 2016, strapped for cash, he took out a $1,000 payday loan from Money Mart. He also began using his wife’s phone because it would have been too expensive to have two phones.

“Our spending habits weren’t too good,” X testified.

For a short period of time, when X first joined the Devil’s Army, he was interested in joining the Hells Angels, he said. But he lost interest in December 2015 and wasn’t willing to go through the Hells Angels program, he told Anderson.

Most of his clothing was made up of support gear — T-shirts and hoodies — for the Devil’s Army and Hells Angels, he said.

Last week, X testified that Alexander returned to the clubhouse between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. on March 11, 2016, the day Brown was killed.

On Monday, Anderson showed the court photos of a truck similar to Alexander’s driving on Evergreen Road, heading away from the clubhouse at 1:14 p.m. that day.

X also testified that prior to the murder, he and Alexander were in the basement of the clubhouse waiting for Brown to arrive and checking the video surveillance monitor behind the bar for Brown’s car.
X testified that he didn’t see any sign that Alexander had a firearm.
The radio was on, he recalled.

“You testified that Dillon’s car comes in, the gate opens, then you go outside and you meet Dillon. You’re not watching the CCTV camera continuously for the entire period of time,” said Anderson.
“I don’t believe so,” X replied.

“So you don’t know if someone came through that open gate right before Dillon?” said the defence lawyer.
“If they came through the gate, no I don’t,” X said.
“Because you had to leave the monitor to go outside, you don’t know if someone came in immediately after Dillon, right?” Anderson said.

“It may have been a possibility,” X replied.

X’s testimony continues today.
ldickson@timescolonist.com

2 motorcycle gang members arrested in Kalispell connection with fight at Majestic Valley Arena
Men arrested identified as leaders of Pagan Outlaw motorcycle gang

https://www.kpax.com/news/crime-and-courts/2-motorcycle-gang-members-arrested-in-kalispell-connection-with-fight-at-majestic-valley-arena

By: Mark Thorsell Mar 03, 2023 kpax.com Missoula, Montana,
KALISPELL – Law enforcement in Kalispell has arrested two men in connection with a February melee involving motorcycle gang members at the Majestic Valley Arena.
Michael Allan Murphy and Kyle Martin Johnson were taken into custody on Feb. 28, 2023.
Murphy has been identified by authorities as the president of the Flathead chapter of the Pagan Outlaw motorcycle gang. Johnson is the vice president of the chapter, according to a news release.
Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Kalispell police officers, and Probation and Parole officers went to a Kalispell home to contact Murphy, who had an active parole violation warrant for his arrest.
The release states that when officers arrived at the home, Murphy tried to flee but was taken into custody without incident.
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino added that several other people were told by law enforcement to leave the residence and were compliant.
However, Johnson remained inside before leaving the home after about 30 minutes. Johnson is on probation and had several active warrants for his arrest.
One officer sustained injuries during the arrest.
Sheriff Heino says authorities first learned of the club after several people displaying the club’s “colors” were involved in an assault on Feb. 11, 2023, at the Majestic Valley Arena.
The incident at the Majestic Valley Arena — as well as the club’s activities in Flathead County — remain under investigation by local and federal authorities.

Undercover agent exposes Hells Angels’ sex rules: ‘A violent price to pay’
By Andrew Court New York Post February 28, 2023
https://nypost.com/2023/02/28/undercover-agent-exposes-hells-angels-violent-sex-rules/
Motorcycles aren’t the only thing they’re riding.
A retired special agent who infiltrated the Hells Angels biker gang as part of a two-year undercover operation is exposing the organization’s strict sex rules.
Between 2001 and 2003, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent Jay Dobyns, now 61, posed as a gunrunner and debt collector named Jay Davis, or “Jaybird,” joining the Mesa, Arizona, chapter of the organization.
The ex-agent said he quickly learned that there were rules about relationships with women — and failure to follow them could have very violent consequences, according to a new video interview released Tuesday by Insider.
“With regards to women, there’s a hierarchy that takes place,” Dobyns dished, discussing the gang’s bangs. “There are Old Ladies, who are the wives and girlfriends of members [at the top of the chain]. You better not get caught trying to mess around with a member’s wife or girlfriend, because there’s a violent price to pay.”
However, he revealed that there were also Hells Angels groupies who often appeared at the clubhouse.
“They moved from member to member to member,” he stated, implying that there was no bad blood between bikers who slept with the same women.
Dobyns is seen during the two-year investigation, which ran from 2001 to 2003.Jay DobynsDobyns said he learned about the group’s rules about relationships with women, and the violent consequences if those rules weren’t followed.Jay DobynsThe Hells Angels — one of the largest and most famous motorcycle clubs in the world — boast 475 chapters across 62 countries.MediaNews Group via Getty Images
“There’s a myth that every Hells Angels member is a drug addict … They make positive contributions to society. That shouldn’t be taken away from them.”
Jay Dobyns, undercover ATF agent, on the infamous biker gang
Dobyns didn’t disclose whether sex was allowed inside the clubhouse but said parties were a frequent occurrence at the chapter.
Elsewhere in his interview, the crime fighter claimed that the Hells Angels are a complex organization made up of members with diverse lifestyles and interests.
Founded in San Bernardino, California, circa 1948, the infamous “motorcycle club” has since “spread its wings all over the world,” with 475 chapters in 62 countries. Global “charter” groups span from Alaska and Norway to South Africa and Argentina.
The Hells Angels began in California back in the late 1940s. Gang members are pictured in a snap taken in the 1970s.Bettmann Archive
“There’s a myth that every Hells Angels member is a drug addict,” he stated. “Some were fitness freaks. They ate well, they got their rest, they didn’t drink, they didn’t smoke. To decline those things wasn’t necessarily a false alarm.”

Dobyns also explained that while many members were mixed up in illegal activities, there are chapters of the gang that “run a fairly clean business” and “aren’t involved in a lot of crime.”
He added that many of the chapters involve themselves in community service, donating blood to local hospitals, and participating in toy drives for children.
“They make positive contributions to society,” Dobyns declared. “That shouldn’t be taken away from them.”
During his infiltration of the “violent” international organization, Dobyns and fellow undercover officers pretended to trade narcotics and even staged a murder by using “blood and guts from a butcher shop.”
The two-year, $1 million operation resulted in the indictments of 55 Hells Angels members and associates, while 16 of the members were indicted on racketeering charges.
After Dobyns’ real identity was exposed, the ex-agent alleges, there was a hit put out on him and his family was placed “in jeopardy.” In 2008, his home was burned to the ground.
Dobyns has penned several books about his time as part of the two-year, $1 million infiltration investigation.Safe Call Now
Still, threats to his life haven’t stopped the retired agent from speaking out about the organizat

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hells-angels-property-forefeiture-1.6750370

Hells Angel among eight arrested in Quebec drug-trafficking probe
In 2021, the same squad carried out a search warrant at the home of Serge Lebrasseur, a full-patch Hells Angel, in the investigation.
Paul Cherry • Montreal Gazette Feb 22, 2023

Hells Angel among eight arrested in Quebec drug-trafficking probe

Eight people, including a full-patch member of the Hells Angels, were arrested Wednesday morning as part of a drug-trafficking investigation that one lawyer described as having produced “an astronomical amount” of evidence.
Sûreté du Québec spokesperson Audrey-Anne Bilodeau said most of the suspects were taken to SQ headquarters on Parthenais St. in Montreal before they appeared before a judge by video conference at the Sorel courthouse Wednesday afternoon.
Serge Lebrasseur, 59, a longtime member of the Hells Angels chapter in Trois-Rivières, is named in an arrest warrant along with four other people who were investigated. Three other men who were arrested Wednesday appeared before the same judge.
The eight men were ordered to remain detained for the time being. They are scheduled to return to court on Monday for a formality hearing to set a future date for their bail hearings
Wearing a grey shirt with the Harley Davidson motorcycle logo above the breast pocket, Lebrasseur needed a cane to get around at SQ headquarters before he settled into a chair to appear through the video conference.
He was charged with conspiring to traffic in cocaine and methamphetamine between Nov. 11, 2020 and June 30, 2021. He also faces two counts related to drug trafficking.
“I’ve had the occasion to obtain the evidence from my colleague with the Crown,” Lebrasseur’s lawyer, Rudi Daelman, told the judge. “Seeing as how the disclosure is on three (computer) hard drives and is an astronomical amount of documents to analyze, I ask that you carry the case over to Monday.”
The other men named in the warrant with Lebrasseur are Kevin Tessier, 32, of St-Charles-Borromée and three residents of Sorel-Tracy: Marc-Antoine Cournoyer, 31, Jean-Philippe Delisle, 32, and Alexandre Doucet, 69.
Tessier was incarcerated at the Sorel Detention Centre when he was arrested Wednesday morning. He is serving time for breaking and entering, armed robbery and assault.
“These arrests stem from an investigation initiated in November 2020 which had so far collected evidence related to the suspects during searches carried out in 2021. These searches had led to the seizure, among other things, of more than $200,000 in Canadian currency, of various narcotics, firearms and various items related to organized crime and drug trafficking,” the SQ said in a statement.
“Regional mixed squads are partnerships between police services whose objective is to pool resources to better fight organized crime, in all regions of Quebec.”
On June 30, 2021, the same regional mixed squad carried out a search warrant at Lebrasseur’s home in Sorel-Tracy as part of the same investigation.
According to a court decision in 2010, when Lebrasseur sought bail following his arrest in a Sûreté du Québec investigation dubbed Operation SharQc, he became a member of the Hells Angels on Dec. 5, 1998, after having been a member of a support club called the Rowdy Crew.
He survived an attempt on his life in 1994. Sylvain Boulanger, a former Hells Angel who became an informant in Operation SharQc, alleged to police that the owner of a bar in Sorel who was believed to be behind the shooting was later killed by Lebrasseur just before he became a Hells Angel.
Evidence gathered in Operation SharQc revealed Lebrasseur served as a sergeant-at-arms for the Hells Angels during the 2000s. Boulanger, a sergeant-at-arms for the biker gang’s Sherbrooke chapter, said he attended meetings with Lebrasseur during which they and other sergeants-at-arms exchanged information on their enemies in Quebec’s biker gang war, which stretched from 1994 to 2002 and resulted in the deaths of more than 160 people.

Fifteen Members of Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club Conspiracy Sentenced to a Total of Over 155 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms Offenses
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/pr/fifteen-members-grim-reapers-motorcycle-club-conspiracy-sentenced-total-over-155-years
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
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For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana

EVANSVILLE- Jesse Wilson, 37, of Evansville, Indiana, was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for his part in a larger conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Wilson is the last of fifteen members of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution conspiracy based in Evansville. Central Holman, IV, 31, of Owensboro, Kentucky was the main source of methamphetamine for the conspiracy, whose ringleaders were Gary Forston, 42, and Jason Kyle Wilson, 45, both of Evansville. Many of the defendants were members and associates of the Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club.
“The members of this conspiracy will spend many years in federal prison for pumping large quantities of methamphetamine onto our streets,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Methamphetamine use devastates so many families and kills hundreds of Hoosiers every year. That’s why we will work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to dismantle armed organizations trafficking in deadly drugs. The sentences imposed in this case demonstrate our commitment to protecting the public from these dangerous criminals.”
“Drugs destroy communities by themselves, but the deadly results are compounded as criminal enterprises use firearms enforce their illegal trade.” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to lock up those putting poison into our community.”
“Individuals like Mr. Wilson who are part of a violent methamphetamine trafficking organization must be held accountable for their actions. The DEA remains committed to working hand in hand with our state, local and federal partners in order to keep our communities safe,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon. “The DEA commends the outstanding work of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, Evansville Police Department, Owensboro, KY Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the countless hours spent bringing these individuals to justice.”
According to court documents, beginning in at least 2018, Central Holman, IV, served as the main source of supply of methamphetamine for the conspiracy, while Gary Forston and Jason Kyle Wilson served as ring leaders of the conspiracy to distribute to mid and low-level distributors.
The investigation began in 2019 when law enforcement officers arrested Jason Kyle Wilson for the armed dealing of methamphetamine in Evansville, Indiana. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) found that Holman first began distributing methamphetamine to Jason Wilson and Clarence Grubbs in late 2018 or early 2019. Holman resided in Owensboro, Kentucky and often met members of the conspiracy there or in Evansville to distribute the methamphetamine. Holman distributed approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine to members of the conspiracy in 2019 and at least 50 pounds in 2018.
Once they acquired the drug, Forston and Wilson distributed the methamphetamine to mid-level distributors, Adam Lafferty, Shane Lewis, James Benton, Brian Eden, Paul Overby, Kimberly Wilson, Jesse Wilson, Matthew Meredith, Clarence Grubbs, Daniel Wiscaver, and April Martin. Among the locations used to distribute and receive money for the substances was The Grim Reapers Motorcycle Clubhouse located on East Diamond Avenue in Evansville.
Law enforcement officers seized over 20 firearms and over $10,000 in United States currency during the course of the investigation. The conspiracy was responsible for over 80 pounds of methamphetamine distributed in the Southern District of Indiana. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is currently in litigation to seeking to forfeit the Grim Reapers Motorcycle Clubhouse as the proceeds and instrumentality of criminal conduct.
As of today, all 15 defendants have been sentenced as follows:
DEFENDANT OFFENSES SENTENCE
Central Holman IV, 31, Owensboro, KY. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, 21 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Gary Wayne Forston, 42, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine 16 years’ imprisonment
5 supervised release
Jason Kyle Wilson, 45, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Felon in Possession of a Firearm 18 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Adam Lafferty, 41, Evansville, IN Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine 10 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Shane Lewis, 35, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Providing a Firearm to a Prohibited Person 12.5 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
James Benton, 69, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine 5 years’ imprisonment
3 years supervised release
Brian Eden, 43, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine 12.5 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Paul Overby, 48, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine 15 years’ imprisonment
7 years supervised release
Kimberly Wilson, 41, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine 7.25 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Jesse Wilson, 37, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine 8 years’ imprisonment
3 years supervised release
Matthew Meredith, 43, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine 11 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Clarence Grubbs, 51, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine 16 years’ imprisonment
5 years supervised release
Daniel Wiscaver, 64, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine Time served
3 years supervised release
April Martin, 51, Evansville, IN. Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine 3 years’ imprisonment
2 years supervised release
Derek Sander, 51, Evansville, IN. Providing a Firearm to a Prohibited Person Time served
3 years supervised release
ATF and DEA Evansville investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Richard L. Young.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
See previous press release here.
Updated February 21, 2023

ABC13 speaks with expert on outlaw gangs after motorcycle club member accused of killing rival
ByJessica Willey ABC 13 Houston, Texas February 20, 2023
https://abc13.com/motorcycle-gang-violence-motorcyclist-shot-by-former-deputy-harris-county-precinct-4-expert-steve-cook/12851095/

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A man accused of murdering another man as they drove along the North Freeway feeder road in January has once again shined a light on outlaw motorcycle gangs in Texas.
Aaron Grant, 36, is charged with murder in the shooting death of Jesse Metzger, 32. Metzger was killed as he drove his motorcycle in the early morning of January 27th.
At first, investigators believed the motive may have been road rage, but then they learned the two men were members of rival outlaw motorcycle gangs.
According to court records, Grant is a member of BEAST, or Brothers East, motorcycle club, and Metzger was with the Sun Devils, an offshoot of the infamous Bandidos.
At first, investigators believed the motive may have been road rage, but then they learned the two men were members of rival outlaw motorcycle gangs.
According to court records, Grant is a member of BEAST, or Brothers East, motorcycle club, and Metzger was with the Sun Devils, an offshoot of the infamous Bandidos.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Grant was shot from an SUV.
ABC13 spoke with outlaw gang expert Steve Cook.
“What generally triggers the violence?” ABC13 reporter Jessica Willey.
“This is nothing more than the toughest kid in the schoolyard. That’s what’s behind it,” Cook replied.
Cook is a 30-year police officer in the Kansas City area and also the executive director of the Midwest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Association. He said outlaw biker gangs are more prevalent than people might think.
“What we see now is everyone is growing rapidly, and it’s drawing them into constant conflict across the U.S. and abroad,” Cook said.
Unlike street gangs, Cook said, biker gangs are more cohesive in their criminal enterprise, and they don’t target innocent people.
However, instances of violence like this recent one in north Harris County or the deadly shootout in Waco in 2015 can always make innocent people victims.
Nine people were killed, and 18 were wounded in a shootout between members of the Bandidos and Cossacks. The massacre made headlines for months.
For a lot of people, it’s ‘I don’t ride a motorcycle. I don’t go to Sturgis. I don’t do these things. So, it doesn’t impact me,’ but, in reality, they’re shooting each other all over the place. In bars, restaurants,” Cook warned.
Grant’s attorney, Joe David Wells, told ABC13 he looks forward to defending Grant and that “the fact that he may have belonged to a motorcycle club does not make him a criminal.”
Harris County Sheriff’s Office investigators seem to think the affiliation speaks to the motive. Prosecutors have asked the court to photograph Grant’s tattoos “to show motive for the crime and punishment purposes.”
Cook said what Grant is accused of, in a twisted way, could get him rewarded.
“It’s definitely a badge of honor,” he said.
Grant remains in jail on a $200,000 bond. He is also a former Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constable.
Full Statement from Grant’s Attorney, Joe David Wells:
There is lots of work and investigation still to be done in Mr. Grant’s case. The fact that he may have belonged to a motorcycle club does not make him a criminal. Lots of people ride with and belong to motorcycle clubs. My gut tells me ther is more to this case than has been reported. I look forward to putting on a vigorous defense of Mr. Grant.
For more on this story, follow Jessica Willey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/21405848/deadly-biker-gangs-uk/

SONS OF ANARCHY : Deadly biker gangs have spread a silent crime network across the UK… with strongholds in two major cities
Tom Duffy Sun 19 Feb 2023
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/21405848/deadly-biker-gangs-uk/
BIKER GANGS have spread a silent network of organised crime across the UK – with strongholds in two cities, an insider has revealed.
Bikers, synonymous with Harley Davidsons and leather jackets, have brought violence and mayhem from Scotland to Surrey.
Most may associate gangs with the wide open roads of US and Australia, but an ex-biker has revealed that they are very much alive in Britain.
Motorcycle clubs such as the Hells Angels, Bandidos, Outlaws, Vikings and Satans Slaves rule the roost on our roads.
Prospective members are subject to brutal initiation rituals and must adhere to a strict code sometimes known as the “Holy Bible.”
Motorcycle club members must wear patches , normally on the back of a leather or denim jacket.
The patch includes the club name, club colours and their territory.
They are deemed to be sacrosanct and MC members will fight at the drop of a hat to protect the patch.
Now a member of a British biker club has spoken to The Sun on condition of anonymity.
He said the gangs were operating in silence across the country but were particularly strong in Manchester, Liverpool, and the surrounding north west region.
The rider told The Sun: “I think the influence of bikers is very much under the radar.
“But in the north west, around Manchester and Liverpool, it is very strong. The thing is you can’t see it.”
He said Hells Angels use tactics more associated with drug gangs and terrorist organisations.
The biker, in his late 30s, described how members of the notorious MC targeted him in the street.
He said: “So they all had balaclavas on like the IRA. I hit the first one and he went down.
“But then the rest were on me. They had tools ( weapons) and just battered me.
“They smashed my hands to bits.”
The breaking of hands is a common method used by bikers to stop enemies from riding a motorcycle.
The former prisoner said: “I was approached, or head hunted, by bikers in 2019.
“That is how I got involved. They wanted me on board because of my reputation.”
He told The Sun that in the UK the motorcycle organisations were clubs and not gangs – but members of the clubs are involved in crime.
He said: “The big names such as The Hells Angels, Bandidos and Outlaws are clubs. They have presidents, and a clubhouse too. ”
The biker added: “There is a lot of ex-military in the biking community. There are also people like me who have been inside.
“I think the clubs attract people who have had troubled upbringings. My background is typical really.
“We craved some kind of structure. In a way the clubs provide members with a new family.”
He said that he had seen bikers involved in serious violence.
He said: “I have seen it all. Fighting, knives, everything. Close friends of mine have been stabbed to bits. All biker related.”
But added: “For me its all about the riding. I have three Harleys and they are pure joy.
“I can’t describe the feeling of riding with a sunset behind you, or racing trying to stay ahead of the rain. I have met so called bikers who don’t have bikes. To me they are a joke.”
BIKER NETWORK IN THE UK
The biggest and most notorious biker gangs in the UK and where they operate:
Hells Angels – They have charters across England, Wales and Ireland. The Angels are particularly strong in south-east England.
Bandidos – Across England but strongly associated with Devon and Cornwall
Outlaws – Prevalent across England and Wales but particularly associated with the midlands
Vikings – Associated with the Surrey area. Also have a presence in Ireland.
Satans Slaves – Founded in Yorkshire and strongly associated with the north of England and Scotland
Blue Angels – Founded in Glasgow in the 1960s. The bikers formed an alliance with London’s Road Rats in the 1970s.

DRUGS AND GUNS
Founded in the US by battle hardened World War Two veterans in the late 1940s, motorcycle clubs provided former soldiers with an outlet as they made the painful adjustment to civilian life.
Crime author Peter Walsh said that international biker gangs have often been linked to guns and drugs trafficking.
Peter, author of Drug War: The Secret History, said to The Sun: “Outlaw biker gangs are highly active in certain fields of crime, mainly firearms and drug trafficking, vehicle theft, strong-arm work and extortion.
“They have been cited as a threat in British police intelligence reports for at least thirty years, and have built strong, secretive international networks, through close links with biker ‘chapters’ or clubs in other countries around the world.
“But they have never made a major impact in the organised crime scene in UK cities, where powerful local criminals generally hold sway.
“They are more significant in smaller towns and rural areas and tend to operate within their own world, outside the norms and bounds of everyday life.”
DEATH ON THE ROAD
While UK riders may lack the major criminal connections of chapters in the US – their rivalaries have resulted in bloodshed and death.
David Crawford, a member of the Red Chiefs Motorcycle Club, was mowed down by rival bikers last year.
The 59-year-old had been riding on the A38 in Plymouth, Devon, when he was spotted by three members of Bandidos Motorcycle Club, a court heard.
They were said to be furious that he was wearing his Red Chiefs patch on their turf.
Blood-thirsty for revenge they “deliberately targeted” the grandad, prosecutors said.
Dashcam footage played to the jury showed Benjamin Parry’s Transit slamming into the back of the victim’s Kawasaki motorcycle.
Mr Crawford was initially knocked onto the bonnet and then under the vehicle, before being dragged along the tarmac.
The granddad had been blocked in by Thomas Pawley, 32, and Chad Brading, 36, who were in the Mercedes, and therefore had no escape from raging Parry.
In 2018, a biker was left in a pool of his own blood by a gang of Hells Angels after he refused to join their Sussex chapter.
Hells Angels support crew member Christoper Harrison, 53, was left partially blind by the riders after he said he was “too old” to join the gang full time.
MC rivalries in Scotland spilt blood on the roads when Glagow-based gang Blue Angels clashed with rivals from the Nomads, in September 2018.
Blue Angels member Ian Ewin, 44, and a group from his gang, used a car to plough into Colin Sutherland and three other Nomads – knocking them off their bikes.
The mob then attacked their victims with weapons including hammers and baseball bats.
Ewin was later jailed for seven years for attempted murder.