Category: Gangs in the news…

Ex-biker loses fight to obtain his police records

Ruling says records could reveal police intelligence methods.

By Dale Carruthers London Free Press London Ontario Canada May 08, 2026

Ex-biker loses fight to obtain his police records

A former member of an outlaw motorcycle club has lost a legal battle to force the OPP biker enforcement unit to release any records related to him.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario upheld a decision by the Ministry of the Solicitor General to refuse to either confirm or deny the existence of any records containing the man’s name over a 27-year period.

The man, whose name was not released in the recent ruling, was a member of an unspecified outlaw motorcycle club for 13 years. He filed a freedom-of-information request seeking any records relating to him from the OPP biker enforcement unit.

The biker enforcement unit, made up of officers from nearly two dozen law-enforcement agencies, is responsible for gathering intelligence and evidence to support prosecutions involving outlaw bikers and their associates.

The man argued he was “constantly harassed by law enforcement” while a member of the club and still has problems crossing the border into the United States even though he left the club 11 years ago. Obtaining any police information about him would help clear his name, he said.

But the ministry argued any records about the man, if they exist, are protected under a section of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act that allows information to be withheld if disclosure could interfere with gathering intelligence, reveal intelligence, interfere with an investigation or endanger law-enforcement professionals.

The man’s request was “extraordinarily broad” and linked to intelligence records, the ministry argued. Releasing the records, if they exist, would “significantly harm” the biker enforcement unit’s ability to collect intelligence and maintain relationships with partner agencies.

In his appeal, the man argued it doesn’t matter how police collected the information because it is his own. He said releasing it wouldn’t interfere with the biker enforcement unit’s mandate because he was never arrested or charged with a crime.

Adjudicator Anda Wang concluded any records disclosed by the biker enforcement unit could contain intelligence information that could be used by individuals to “modify their behaviour to avoid attracting further attention” from police.

This could cause significant harm to any existing law enforcement operations,” Wang wrote in the decision released last month.
“I understand that the appellant believes that any records that exist would contain his own personal information and that this information would not be considered intelligence information, as he has never been arrested or prosecuted for anything.

However, I am not convinced that the appellant’s personal information, if it exists, is precluded from being intelligence information or that the disclosure of this information would not interfere with the gathering of or reveal law enforcement intelligence information despite the appellant’s belief that it is benign.”

A spokesperson for the biker enforcement unit confirmed officials are aware of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario’s decision, but declined further comment and directed questions to the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

There are 10 outlaw motorcycle clubs operating in Ontario, with 73 chapters across the province and more than 1,000 members. The Hells Angels are the most dominant club, with 14 chapters, including one in London.

Officers from the biker enforcement unit routinely gather intelligence at biker events such as annual rallies, funerals for members or associates, and other gatherings.

In London, for example, officers from the unit took photographs and video of participants, including members of the Hells Angels and various support clubs, during a demonstration outside the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre on July 16, 2021.

Motorcycle gang members facing felony charges after firearm arrests in Harrisonville

By Natalie Dattilio KCTV May 8, 2026
https://www.kctv5.com/2026/05/08/motorcycle-gang-members-facing-felony-charges-after-firearm-arrests-harrisonville/
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Two members of different motorcycle gangs are facing felony charges after being stopped in Harrisonville, officials say.

Marvin Paup, also known as “Bandido Marv,” 52, and Joseph McCollum, 63, are both charged with being felons in possession of a firearm.
According to an affidavit, a Harrisonville police officer saw Paup cut off a vehicle on his motorcycle and cross the center road line. The officer pulled the riders over and both Paup and McCollum said they were carrying firearms inside their ‘cuts,’ or leather vests.

Authorities say both men have felony convictions, making it illegal for them to possess firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Paup’s cut identified him as the vice president of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, from the El Dorado, Kansas Chapter and McCollum’s cut identified him as the vice president of the Avispon Motorcycle Club from the El Dorado chapter.

The case was investigated by the Harrisonville Police Department and Independence Police Department.

Police charge Pagans member with intimidating Lower Burrell assault victim

Search warrants reveal apparent plan to threaten former member of rival gang

By Ember Duke TribLive.com May 7, 2026

Police charge Pagans member with intimidating Lower Burrell assault victim

Lower Burrell police filed charges Wednesday against a Tarentum man they say is a member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, accusing him of intimidating a man two other Pagans are charged with assaulting in January.

Joshua Drum, 31, faces felony and misdemeanor charges of retaliation against a witness or victim and intimidating a witness or victim. He also faces a felony charge of criminal use of communication facilities, in connection to calls he allegedly made to Devin Colucci at the Westmoreland County jail.

Colucci, 25, and his co-defendant, Robert Browne, 27, are in jail awaiting trial on assault, robbery, theft, harassment, disorderly conduct, conspiracy and criminal mischief charges relating to an assault at Mogie’s Irish Pub in Lower Burrell.
Police reviewed hundreds of phone recordings, social media posts and IP address records as part of an ongoing investigation into the January incident, court documents show.

Lower Burrell Police Chief John Marhefka did not respond to a TribLive request for comment.

According to the complaint against Drum, the assault victim told police he found stickers depicting an upside down Outlaw Motorcycle Club symbol in his yard. Displaying the symbol upside down is known to be an insult to Outlaw members, the complaint states.
The stickers also had the phrases “God forgives” and “Outlaws RAT” written on them, according to the complaint.

The victim, police say, is a retired member of the Outlaws, who are rivals to the Pagans.

The complaint states police learned from the phone recordings that attorney Duke George, who represents Colucci, received an arrest warrant affidavit on Feb. 17 that a judge had ordered sealed from public view.

In the complaint, police say George leaked the affidavit to another man with ties to the Pagans. The complaint does not specifically state whether the sealed warrant was related to the charges against Colucci.

It does say George was hired by Chad Goldstrom, who is referred to on calls between Drum and Colucci as “bossman” and “boss,” among other nicknames. The complaint says George gave the affidavit to Goldstrom before it was unsealed on April 1.

George declined a TribLive request for comment Thursday.

The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s office did not comment on the information about George but did say they have not noticed increased gang activity in the county.

“It does not appear to be an ‘uptick’ necessarily — just correlated to this particular incident,” said Melanie Jones, district attorney spokeswoman.

On a March 7 prison call, police say, Drum talked to Colucci about the Lower Burrell assault victim, referring to him by his initials, which is how he is named in the affidavit supporting charges against Colucci.

On that call and another one on March 11, the complaint states, Drum told Colucci about driving around the victim’s neighborhood.
“Bossman told me to stir the pot, like I always do,” Drum said to Colucci, according to the complaint.

Drum told Colucci on another call he would talk with Goldstrom about pooling money for his bond, but that he also had “some other plans in mind.”

On April 1, police found a Facebook account pretending to be the victim had been created, the complaint said.

Police received IP addresses associated with the page through a search warrant and determined they belonged to Drum.

Posts on the page depicted profane, sexually explicit and, in some cases, homophobic and racist remarks, according to the complaint. Another post is of the victim’s dog taken from his real Facebook page, police said.

The page’s profile picture was of the same upside-down Outlaws sticker found in the victim’s yard, the complaint said.

Police said the page was created on March 31, the same day as Colucci and Browne’s preliminary hearing at District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec’s office, where the victim testified.

Drum was seen circling the victim’s vehicle in the district court parking lot, and other known Pagans were at the hearing, the complaint states.

On a March 31 call between Colucci and Drum, police say, Colucci is heard saying, “without a victim there is no case,” to which Drum tells him to watch what he is saying, the complaint states.

According to court records, Drum is being held in the Westmoreland County jail in lieu of a $300,000 bond, awaiting a May 19 preliminary hearing.

Attorney General Brown Announces Sentences of Outlaw Motorcycle Club Members Involved in Interstate Motorcycle Theft Ring

“Sin City Deciples” Motorcycle Club Defendants Connected to At Least 19 Motorcycle Thefts, Including During Ocean City’s Annual BikeFest in September 2024

BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced today that five defendants associated with the Sin City Deciples outlaw motorcycle club were sentenced after pleading guilty to participating in a criminal organization and engaging in a motorcycle theft scheme exceeding $100,000.

The convictions arise from a multi-jurisdictional investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Unit into a coordinated motorcycle theft enterprise operating across Worcester, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Prince George’s Counties, as well as portions of Virginia and Pennsylvania. The investigation revealed that the individuals formed a criminal organization and were linked to at least 19 high-value, stolen motorcycles – primarily Harley Davidson models – from dealerships and large-scale motorcycle events. The group specifically targeted the custom motorcycles of attendees at the 2024 Ocean City BikeFest.

“The members of this crime ring treated BikeFest attendees and motorcycle dealerships as easy targets, stealing and dismantling people’s prized possessions to fund their criminal enterprise,” said Attorney General Brown. “These sentences show that our Office will prosecute any criminal organization that seeks to prey on Marylanders and profit from their losses.”

Members of the criminal organization traveled together to scope out and identify target motorcycles, stole motorcycles in coordinated groups, used stash houses to store and dismantle stolen vehicles, transported stolen motorcycles across state lines, and sold motorcycles and parts for profit. The group frequently changed license plates, removed identifying features, and used stolen motorcycles to commit additional thefts. A large proportion of the thefts occurred during BikeFest in Ocean City, where the defendants stole numerous motorcycles over multiple days, abandoning some along Route 50 and transporting others to stash locations in Baltimore County for resale or parts.
Between November 2025 and March 2026, all five defendants pleaded guilty before the Honorable Beau H. Oglesby in the Circuit Court for Worcester County.

Jermaine Alphonso “Banga” Holland was sentenced to 20 years of incarceration. Holland is facing further charges in Virginia and Pennsylvania for similar conduct.

Darius Kyre “Sluggz” Wilson was sentenced to a total of 20 years of incarceration, suspending all but 10 years. He was also ordered to pay restitution and will serve 5 years of supervised probation upon his release from prison.

Marque Lava “StaiRdy” Smith received 10 years of incarceration, suspending all but 5 years. Smith also pleaded guilty to the Illegal Possession of Ammunition. He was ordered to pay restitution and will serve 5 years of supervised probation upon his release from prison.

Megan Alexis “Pyro” Wilson was sentenced to 5 years, suspending all but 2 years. She was ordered to pay restitution and will serve 4 years of supervised probation upon her release from prison.

Kai Dupree “Stiff” Burrell received 5 years of incarceration, suspending all but 67 days. He was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine and $500 in restitution and was placed on supervised probation for 5 years.

As part of their probation, all five defendants are prohibited from having any contact with outlaw motorcycle clubs or “1%” clubs, including the Sin City Deciples. They are barred from attending future motorcycle-focused events, including Ocean City BikeFest, and must remove any gang-related imagery or references from social media or personal materials. They are further prohibited from selling or promoting any outlaw motorcycle gang paraphernalia, from entering Harley-Davidson dealerships, and from any conduct that would associate them with motorcycle club activity. Darius and Megan Wilson are married and therefore are permitted to have contact with each other.

“I want to commend our detectives and intelligence unit for their exceptional work on this case. Their dedication, attention to detail, and ability to collaborate seamlessly with our law enforcement partners in neighboring jurisdictions, Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser, and the Office of the Attorney General of Maryland to ensure this investigation was thoroughly and successfully executed,” commented Chief Raymond J. Austin of the Ocean City Police Department. “This case reinforces our uncompromising commitment to public safety and accountability. We will be clear, Ocean City is not a place for unlawful behavior. If you choose to break the law, you will be investigated, and you will be held accountable.”

In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Brown thanked Criminal Division Chief Katie Dorian, Organized Crime Chief Paul Halliday, and Assistant Attorneys General Jennifer Doud and Surur Fatema Yonce who prosecuted this case. Attorney General Brown also thanked the State’s Attorney for Worcester County, Kristin M. Heiser, and her office for their assistance in this investigation as well as lead detectives Amy Gutowski, Carl Perry, and Eddie Newcomb of the Ocean City Police Department, Detective Todd Collini of the Baltimore County Police Department, Sergeant Richard Keys of Maryland State Police, and IOS Jeremy Sheetz with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. He also thanked State’s Attorney for Baltimore County Scott Shellenberger, State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County Anne Colt Leitess, and all law enforcement partners who handled related cases against these defendants in neighboring states for their collaboration throughout the investigation.

Man claims Hell’s Angels members called him a racial slur, assaulted him at Horry County bar

by: Dennis Bright: WBTW May 4, 2026

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County police are investigating after a man said he was called a racial slur and assaulted outside a bar by four members of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club.

The alleged incident happened at about 1 a.m. Friday, when the man told police he went into Magoo’s Sports and Spirits at 3308 Waccamaw Boulevard to pick up food, according to a police report. While he was inside, the man said the club members began using a racial slur to antagonize him.

As he was leaving out a back door, the man told officers they followed him outside, where one of them punched him in the face before he got into his car and drove home.

No arrests have been made. The police report said officers planned to follow up with the bar’s owners to ask about getting security video of the alleged incident.

Man claims Hell’s Angels members called him a racial slur, assaulted him at Horry County bar

8 injured after gunman opens fire during argument at Orange Mound motorcycle club, police say

FOX13 Memphis News Staff May 5, 2026
https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/8-injured-after-gunman-opens-fire-during-argument-at-orange-mound-motorcycle-club-police-say/article_576f0c9a-56df-4afe-813c-85f7a77dc828.html

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Eight people were injured after a gunman opened fire during an argument late Monday night at an Orange Mound motorcycle club, police said.

In all, it appeared at least seven people were shot, according to a report by the Memphis Police Department. An eighth person was described as a “victim” but the report did not explicitly mention injuries.

MPD said officers responded around 11:30 p.m. to a shooting at the Black Raiders Motorcycle Club on Carnes Avenue between Spottswood and Douglass avenues.

Police said officers arrived to find four men had been injured in the shooting. Investigators said two men were arguing before one of them pulled out a gun and opened fire, MPD said.

MPD said that “a short time later,” four more people — two men and two women — believed to have been connected to the shooting arrived at area hospitals. All were in non-critical condition, police said.

The seven victims who were treated at hospitals have been released, police said.

In a report, MPD said the two women and one man were shot in the leg, while one man was shot in the head and two other men were shot in the neck and arm, respectively. Another man was grazed in the face by a bullet and refused treatment on scene, police said.

A sixth man was taken to a hospital by private vehicle but the MPD report did not say what his injuries were.

Police said they were working on identifying suspects. Anyone with information about the mass shooting is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

Motorcycle club members charged in Saratoga Springs assault

by: Natalie St. Denis WTEN Albany NY May 1, 2026
https://www.news10.com/news/saratoga-county/motorcycle-club-members-charged-in-saratoga-springs-assault/

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Members of a motorcycle club were charged with attempted assault after a disturbance in Saratoga Springs on April 11. According to the Saratoga Springs Police Department, officers responded after hearing the incident taking place around 2:30 a.m. on Caroline Street.

When officers approached the disturbance near Pavilion Row, they observed two men physically fighting and separated and detained them. Authorities then began interviews with the two men, as well as with others in the area.

The investigation, which also included reviewing camera footage of Caroline Street, revealed that two men were walking east on Caroline Street from one bar to another when they walked by another group of individuals. The group was wearing clothing that identified themselves as members of the Red Devil’s Motorcycle Club.

According to the victims, they asked the members “What do you ride?” In response, one of the members identified himself as “the enforcer” and told the victims to move along, and they did. The victims said that members of the group then followed them to their destination and were then pushed and physically attacked by multiple people. Both men sustained injuries.

According to authorities, further review of camera footage revealed that members of the motorcycle club who participated in the incident began to remove and conceal clothing that would identify them as perpetrators. One of the members involved also had brass knuckles.
The following individuals were arrested and charged as listed:

• 28-year-old Jamal J. Bridges, of Castleton on Hudson, NY
o Criminal Possession of a weapon in the third degree
o Attempted gang assault in the second degree
• 25-year-old Nolan G. Empringham, of Bowmanville, Ontario
o Tampering with physical evidence
• 31-year-old Jerome Akers, of Hampton, Ontario
o Attempted gang assault in the second degree
• 47-year-old Charles J. Collins, of Gansevoort, NY
o Attempted gang assault in the second degree
• 31-year-old Jordan X. Prendergast, of Hampton, Ontario
o Attempted gang assault in the second degree

Additionally, after conferring with the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office, Saratoga Springs police say the individuals charged with attempted gang assault in the second degree with have that charge upgraded to the first degree.

Türkiye, Germany simultaneously hit notorious motorcycle gang Hells Angels

Turkey Today May 1, 2026
https://www.turkiyetoday.com/nation/turkiye-and-germany-simultaneously-hit-notorious-motorcycle-gang-hells-angels-3219185?s=1

Turkish and German authorities launched simultaneous operations against Hells Angels, an outlaw motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate. The Istanbul police seized ₺780 million ($17.26 million) in assets in a three-city sweep targeting the network led by Coskun Necati Arabaci, known as “Cehennem Necati.”

In addition to Turkish efforts to dismantle the gang, 1,200 German police officers raided more than 50 locations across 28 cities in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Authorities described the crackdown as the largest operation against motorcycle-gang-led crime in the state’s history.

Istanbul: 5 detained in operations targeting motorcycle gang

The Istanbul Narcotics Bureau, in coordination with the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Terrorism Financing and Money Laundering Investigation Bureau, detained five suspects in simultaneous raids across Istanbul, Izmir, and Tunceli.

The assets seized during the raids included 22 real properties, seven motor vehicles, and eight companies and partnership shares, totaling approximately ₺780 million ($17.26 milion).

The prosecution revealed that decrypted Sky-Ecc communications used by gang members provided evidence of various armed incidents and narcotics shipments exceeding one ton.

The network’s international drug hauls were also mapped: 100 kilograms of cannabis seized in Germany, 890 kilograms of cocaine in Brazil, and 84.4 kilograms of cannabis in Spain.

The organization was found to have tortured and murdered individuals in drug-trafficking disputes, collected regular payments for the organization and laundered proceeds through real estate and companies.

Of the 19 suspects identified, five were already imprisoned on separate charges. Among the remaining 14, eight are believed to be in Türkiye and six have been confirmed abroad. Interpol Red Notice proceedings have been initiated for the six foreign fugitives.

Germany: 1,200 officers, 28 cities

In Germany, NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul announced that the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Leverkusen had been banned and dissolved after the raids.

Authorities searched locations in Leverkusen, Cologne, Dortmund, Duisburg, Bielefeld, Solingen, Oberhausen, and 21 other cities. During the operation, they identified 44 suspects ranging in age from 21 to 59 and seized assets valued at approximately €2.5 million ($2.93 million).
The 46-year-old president of the Leverkusen chapter was arrested in Langenfeld. The investigation focuses on charges of forming and belonging to a criminal organization, along with extortion and the cultivation of narcotics.

In his statement, Reul said: “Whoever makes their money with weapons, drugs and intimidation must reckon with the police standing in their bedroom in the morning.”

He called biker-led crime “a danger to the security of our country” that “seeks to undermine the state’s monopoly on violence.”

The Hells Angels are NRW’s largest motorcycle gang with 469 members across 29 chapters, having grown partly through defectors from rival group, Bandidos.

Necati Arabaci: leader of both European and Turkish networks

Arabaci, born in Cologne, was detained and later arrested in Türkiye in October 2025 and is currently held in Izmir, facing a 35-year sentence request.

The Istanbul prosecution identified him as the head of both the European and Turkish wings of the Hells Angels criminal network.

The organization’s money laundering, torture and murder operations were financed through regular collection from members and routed through companies and real estate.

Biker sentenced for shooting, killing Portland bystander, mother of 3
• Published: May. 04, 2026, 11:41 a.m.

Isabel Funk | The Oregonian/OregonLive
https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2026/05/biker-sentenced-for-shooting-killing-portland-bystander-mother-of-3.html

A fight at a 2023 motorcycle club party in Southeast Portland devolved into a shooting that killed a bystander and ended this week with a 22-year prison sentence for the Washington man who fired his gun.

William Watson, 34, said in court he had been defending himself and didn’t mean to kill the 26-year-old mother of three, Cali Bolden, just after 4 a.m. on Oct. 15, 2023. On Monday, he pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, felon in possession of a firearm and first-degree attempted assault in connection with the Portland woman’s death.

Watson, who lived outside of Tacoma and was a member of the Outcast motorcycle club, had traveled to Portland with other club members to attend a party hosted by the Oregon chapter, according to court records. During the party, a fight broke out and spilled onto the street at Southeast Foster Road near 86th Avenue.

Bolden and her friends were on the sidewalk and her friend pulled out a phone to record the fight, according to court records. Watson noticed, pushed the friend and grabbed her phone. When Bolden’s other friend intervened, Watson pulled a firearm, court records said.
He fired several shots at the friend and one struck Bolden, who died at the scene. Bolden’s friend was also hit, and Watson shot another man eight minutes later.

“The loss of this human, the loss of this mother and this sister and this daughter, is the end result of gun violence,” Multnomah County Circuit Judge Jenna Plank said. “There’s nothing that this system has to offer that will be enough. There’s three little people in this world who aren’t going to know their mom.”

Bolden died the day after celebrating her oldest son’s 8th birthday.

“Every time it comes to his birthday, he remembers that’s the day that mommy didn’t come home,” Melissa Greely, Bolden’s mother, said.
Bolden’s other children were 10 months old and 2 at the time of her death. Their father had died less than a year before. The youngest, Greely said, does not remember his mother and knows her only through photographs and stories.

Bolden’s oldest child spoke at sentencing, saying he prayed that God would forgive Watson.

“To the family, I want them to understand that I do hate what happened,” Watson said at his sentencing. “I want them to know for sure that that was a total accident, that was not meant to happen at all.”

Watson said he was “defending myself,” and claimed he never saw Bolden. He said if she had been in his line of sight, he wouldn’t have fired.

Bolden was the youngest of five sisters, two of whom spoke to the court during Watson’s sentencing. Her family members recalled her kindness and generosity, describing her as a devoted mother, a loving family member and a caring friend.

“Something that once felt unbreakable, a pack of five, is now missing a piece that cannot be replaced,” said sister Taelar Durbin. “We were five sisters, now we are four. Nothing will ever make that right.”

Suspected Bandidos member arrested in Midland shooting case

By First Alert 7 News Staff Published: May 4, 2026
https://www.firstalert7.com/2026/05/04/suspect-arrested-loop-250-biker-gang-shooting/

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) – The Texas Anti-Gang Center – Permian Basin (TAG) worked with Midland police after a man was shot near West Loop 250 in Midland.

The release says, the victim is a member of the Mongols Motorcycle Club.

Investigators identified the suspect as Gilbert Roman Corrales, who is believed to be a member of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club.
On May 2, TAG members, along with the Odessa Police Department, located Corrales in the area of Pearl Street.

e was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and booked into the Ector County Detention Center.
The Mongols member who was shot on April 25, survived.

Five members of the Mongols Motorcycle Gang were arrested after investigators say they attacked and stabbed a Bandido motorcyclist later that same day in Midland County, in what authorities believe was a retaliation for the shooting.