Hells Angels boss faces charges over vicious dog attacks

Investigators are deciding what charges to bring against Hannover’s Hells Angels boss, after his two German Shepherds brutally attacked a number of people.

In the worst-case scenario, Frank Hanebuth could face charges of grievous bodily harm. It is still not clear how the two dogs got out of his heavily guarded property. “The question of whether this was a deliberate act still remains,” officials said on Saturday. 

The aggressive dogs had been running lose in the district of Wedemark, north of Hannover, on Thursday evening. They bit five people, causing serious injuries to two of them. 

In a newspaper interview Hanebuth apologized publically to those who had been attacked.

“It was a terrible accident. I hugely regret what happened to the victims,” Hanebuth told the Neue Presse. “It is absolutely clear that I will use all the means at my disposal to take responsibility for the incident.” The 46-year-old owner had himself gone to the police on Friday.

According to the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, Hanebuth’s lawyer expects his client to only be charged with bodily injury caused by negligence. However, there is also the prospect that he could face the more serious charge of grievous bodily harm.

Hanebuth said he was “horrified and shocked” by what had happened. The dogs had been trained and had never attacked anyone before. “They weren’t beasts,” he said.

Police fear turf wars as motorcycle gangs expand operations

 

Motorcycle gangs, who are considered by Finnish police to constitute organised crime groups, have significantly expanded their operations in the past decade.       The gangs have spread so extensively throughout Finland that police fear that violent conflict might break out among them.       Motorcycle gangs have set up clubhouses especially in the Helsinki region and in the south of Finland, but activities have branched out to other parts of the country as well.       “Organised crime groups use the same methods as players in normal business. If there is a market somewhere, a section is set up there to secure their operations”, says Jussi Oksanen of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).       Police say that the three most infamous organisations, the Hell’s Angels, the Bandidos, and Cannonball have more than 40 subsections around Finland.       Police calculate that there are a total of 80 organised crime groups in Finland, including the subsections.       However, most of the groups using different names are not motorcycle gangs. There are nearly 1,200 members in the various groups. The newest, called the United Brotherhood, was formed out of three others, and has more than 50 members.       In recent years the gangs have avoided clashes, lest their main criminal activities suffer. Most recently Finland experienced a bloody gang war in the 1990s.       “There have been various clashes suggesting a resurgence of tension. In Germany and Denmark, the Hell’s Angels and the Bandidos have been on war footing. These are international criminal organisations, so the trend in other countries is reflected here as well.”       Leaders of the Finnish section of the Hell’s Angels are currently under suspicion in an extensive drug smuggling and dealing case.       This does not come as a surprise to Jussi Oksanen, who says that police have been collecting surveillance material on the organisation’s activities for a long time.       “The Helsinki drug police, along with the West Uusimaa Police can now demonstrate that the members themselves are involved in criminal activities”, Oksanen says.       According to Oksanen, actual members of the motorcycle gangs have previously been careful not to get their hands dirty.       “They have let the others do the jobs where there is a risk of getting caught.”       Police say that surveillance activities have revealed that the Hell’s Angels have used smaller gangs as partners. Traditionally the gang has been very careful of its image, and has avoided committing crimes that could bring bad publicity.       Police say that the Hell’s Angels differ from the Bandidos, and the purely Finnish Cannonball in that it has not set up many new subsections, nor has it taken actual supporter gangs into its organisations.       For instance, Bandidos has several subsections on various levels, which are seen as stepping stones by members who want to advance within the organisation.       The Hell’s Angels have had about a third of the number of members as the Bandidos, which has undergone considerable expansion recently.       “However, now for the first time a new group, the 1% Bad Machine 81 Finland has entered the Hell’s Angels’ official organisation. Why the group made the move right now remains unclear”, Oksanen says.       He notes that one possibility is that the Hell’s Angels are flexing their muscles for possible clashes to come.

 

Hell’s Angels leaders suspected in massive drug case

 

The drugs squad of the Helsinki Police and the West Uusimaa Police have uncovered an exceptionally large drug smuggling and growing operation, in which the main suspects are members of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club.       Police managed to confiscate several kilos of amphetamine and cocaine as well as a number of unlicensed weapons and about EUR 200,000 in cash. Police also found the biggest cannabis growing operation ever discovered in Finland.       Detective inspector Jari Pynnönen describes the case as one of the biggest in Finnish history. What makes it exceptional is that the police were able to trace the drug trafficking organisation to the very highest levels.       “Six members of the Hell’s Angels organisation have been detained or arrested during the investigation. Included are people from the top leadership of the organisation all the way to the presidential level”, Pynnönen says.       A total of 10 people have been held in connection with the case. The investigation began already in the late summer of 2009.       Pynnönen says that the smuggling, transport, and growing of illegal drugs has continued for years. Millions of euros are believed to have been involved in the business. The street value of the drugs that were confiscated was estimated at EUR 800,000.       The drugs have been smuggled from Central Europe in hiding places built in various vehicles. Smuggling has been done largely by couriers hired abroad, who have not had significant criminal records, or any direct connection with the Hell’s Angels.       The drugs were brought to Helsinki, from where they were distributed throughout the greater Helsinki region, and possibly to other parts of Southern Finland. Pynnönen says that helping in the distribution have been a supporter club with close ties to the Hell’s Angels, as well as so-called “hangaround members”.       Pyynönen sees the bust as a major blow to the illegal drug business in Finland for a while, but he also expects the gap to be filled up as new players enter the field.       “In this respect it is important that plenty of cash and many illegal weapons were confiscated. This always slows the reorganisation of the activities.”

 

Man stabbed in Stockholm Biker gang brawl

 

A man was left nursing stab wounds to the neck after a mass brawl involving some 20 men belonging to rival biker gangs in central Stockholm on Tuesday.Another man is also reported to have required treatment after the brawl on the open street outside a bar on Södermalm in central Stockholm. According to witness reports some 15 members of the Red and White Crew, a supporter club of the Hells Angels, stormed the El Cocodrilo restaurant on Ringvägen. Armed with knives, tear gas and firearms the group attacked a rival gang, reported by the police to be either Outlaws or Bandidos. "I heard screaming and shouting, then I saw a mob run in and out from the restaurant. Then they came out carrying a half-naked guy, who fell to the ground and who they continued to assault," an eye witness told the TT news agency. The witness watched as the man was beaten bloody outside the restaurant before the police managed to break up the fight. There are reports of shots being fired inside the restaurant, but these are denied by the police. "They waved a weapon, but no one has been shot," said Stefan Nordemark at Stockholm police. The police detained a person during the night, with a second man subject to a warrant for his arrest. "We have conducted a number of raids, including a club premises. We are working on the case and it feels as if we have a good situation."

Joshua Leo Johnson, vice-president of the Sonoma County Hells Angels, surrendered to Lake County authorities

 

Joshua Leo Johnson, vice-president of the Sonoma County Hells Angels, surrendered to Lake County authorities in connection with the beating of a rival gang member and a companion at Konocti Vista Casino in June, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Johnson, 35, an iron worker, remains in jail pending a hearing on his $500,000 bail, officials said Tuesday. Two other Hells Angels — Nicolas Felipe Carillo, 32, and Timothy Robert Bianchi, 33 — were arrested during a warrant sweep in Santa Rosa and Petaluma last week, authorities said. A fourth suspect, David Dabbs 32, remains at large. Dabbs also is being sought on a San Diego no-bail warrant for alleging kidnap and torture, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. The suspects are charged in the vicious beating of Michael Burns, 39, a rival motorcycle gang member, and Kristopher Perkin, 48, during a tattoo convention at the casino. Perkin was not seriously injured.

key witness in a case against a Hell's Angels member accused on drug and gun charges is missing

 

key witness in a case against a Hell's Angels member accused on drug and gun charges is missing along with two other men, raising the suspicions of relatives and authorities in a western Massachusetts town. Police say 44-year-old David Glasser, 58-year-old Edward Frampton and 47-year-old Robert Chadwell, haven't made any banking or credit card transactions and haven't been in contact with family members since they vanished more than a week ago. The men shared an apartment in Pittsfield. "Three people, all in the same house, missing — yeah, something happened, something tragic," Les Chadwell, brother of Robert Chadwell, told The Berkshire Eagle newspaper. "We'll never hear from them again, and you can quote me on that." Glasser was expected to testify this month in the robbery, assault and kidnapping trial of Adam Lee Hall, the reputed sergeant at arms of the Berkshire County chapter of the Hells Angels. Hall has pleaded not guilty in Berkshire Superior Court to a host of charges including kidnapping, assault, witness intimidation, extortion, cocaine distribution and weapons crimes. He had been free on bail but was arrested Sunday on extortion and child pornography charges alleging he got someone to text him inappropriate photos of a 16-year-old girl. Hall was arraigned on the new charges Tuesday in the Berkshire court. A judge ordered him held on $1 million bail, and his case resumes Oct. 3. He still is scheduled to go on trial on the other charges Sept. 19. Authorities said the criminal cases against Hall stems from a dispute he had with Glasser. They said Hall believed Glasser stole an automobile part from him in 2009, so he retaliated by threatening Glasser, beating him with a baseball bat and forcing Glasser to turn over his car to him. Hall later tried to frame Glasser, hoping it would stop Glasser from testifying against him about those allegations, authorities said. They said Hall got a woman he knows to falsely accuse Glasser of robbing her at gunpoint. Glasser was cleared of any wrongdoing. William Rota, Hall's attorney, said his client denies all the allegations and looks forward to his trial. He said he doesn't know what to make of Glasser and his two roommates all missing at the same time. "I would not be surprised with the authorities to suspect (Hall's involvement), but I have no reason to suspect that it's true," he said. Pittsfield police Capt. Patrick Barry said the men have been missing since the night of Aug. 27 or early the following morning — the weekend that Tropical Storm Irene hit New England. They were last seen at their apartment, he said. Barry and Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless would not comment on any possible ties between Hall and the disappearance of the men, but they said they can't rule out foul play. "It's now well past a week, and other information we have indicates that this was not just a matter of them leaving for parts unknown," Capeless told The Associated Press on Tuesday. He declined to elaborate.

The Devil's Professor

 

erstwhile associate kinesiology professor at California State University at San Bernardino remains on the lam after police raided his home last week and found a pound of methamphetamine and a cache of guns. Police are charging that Stephen Kinzey, who had been on the San Bernardino faculty for a decade, was leading a double life: teaching and researching by day; directing the local chapter of an outlaw biker gang, and its drug business, by night. Not long after the manhunt began, Albert Karnig, the university’s president, emphasized that no one on the Southern California campus saw this coming: “To our knowledge, this is the first notice that anyone on our campus has had regarding this situation,” Karnig said. “…If the allegations are indeed true, this is beyond disappointing.” newspaper accounts described neighbors, students, and even Kinzey's father as having little or no sense of the professor's alleged outside activities. The Contra Costa Times quoted Kinzey's father as saying that he knew that his son belonged to a motorcycle gang and was not "thrilled" about it (the father taught him to ride). But Hank Kinzey also described his son as "a good Catholic boy" and a Republican, and added: "Everybody's always in denial when it's something to do with their family, but this is really surreal," he said. How could a full-time college professor run a drug ring on the sly without tipping his hand? Tom Barker, a professor of criminal justice at Eastern Kentucky University and leading scholar on outlaw biker gangs, says it is not hard to imagine. “It’s not uncommon for leaders or members of motorcycle gangs to hold down seemingly legitimate lives,” says Barker, even if part of their responsibility is to oversee an illegal drug business. “A college professor could easily pull it off.” Barker says he knows of at least two other college professors who are members of outlaw biker gangs, though he would not disclose their names because he says it could cost him his life. If Kinzey is the kingpin that police suspect he is, “he’s not actually that much involved in actual delivery of drugs,” says Barker. “He’s probably setting up the networks, and he can do that in the way he’s away from the classroom very easily.” In such crime organizations, most of the number-crunching falls to the secretary-treasurer, Barker says. The actual distribution falls to the members and their associates, the enforcer handles the dirty work, and the president’s leadership duties can be delegated to the vice president when necessary. While the chapter head is like the CEO of a small company, the illegal nature of the business means “there’s not a lot of paperwork,” says Barker. Barker says he is familiar with the Devil’s Diciples [sic], the gang Kinzey is alleged to have been running. And while he does not know specific details about the San Bernardino chapter, he says that the president of that chapter would have been in charge of anywhere between seven and 25 full-fledged gang members and a broad network of associates and business partners. He guessed the president of the chapter would personally pull in about a million dollars per year. As an associate kinesiology professor at San Bernardino, Kinzey was probably making around $70,000, according to the annual data produced by the American Association of University Professors. So if Kinzey was indeed the head of a lucrative drug ring, why continue to teach? Barker says that it may have been a fallback in case the kinesiology professor ever wanted to get out of organized crime. Heading the Devil’s Diciples might pay well, but it lacks the stability and retirement benefits of a state teaching job, Barker says. Another theory, he adds, is that Kinzey just loved to teach. Terry Rizzo, the chair of the kinesiology department at San Bernardino, did not respond to multiple requests for an interview; neither did Kinzey’s other colleagues. But student reviews on RateMyProfessors.com suggest that Kinzey had been popular among many students and passionate about his work. “Dr. Steve Kinsey is an amazing [professor], who helps his students in every situation, including in their greatest need,” wrote one student in 2007. “He is a good friend of mine and we continue to get together on a quarterly basis to catch up on life. Thank god for him, because I wouldn't be a graduate without him!!!!!” “He's so awesome!” wrote another, later that same year. “He has a passion for everything he does and it shows in his desire for students to succeed and understand.” More recent reviews paint a less flattering portrait, however. Kinzey “seems like he does not care anymore,” reported one reviewer in 2008. “im sure he is good at what he does he just isnt clear at all. talks all class and does not get anything done. kinda unorganized, but nice enough.” In 2010, a student wrote: “the professor sucks, he comes in late and doesn't care, if he try's to help you he'll end up rambling about himself.” And the last review before Kinzey became a fugitive, written last May, depicts a perpetually distracted instructor: “He's a really good guy and would give you the shirt off his back,” the reviewer wrote. “But something serious must have happened to him because he shows up late, and rambles on about random and controversial topics. He lost his focus & passion for teaching. His behavior lately makes it seem like he wants to get fired.” “Sad,” the student added, “because I really enjoyed all of his classes.”

A 58-year-old man was stabbed at a Rock Hill club

A security guard with Carolinas Medical Centers - Steele Creek called officers to report a stabbing that had occurred about 11 p.m. at Wall-Bangers Social Club, located at East Main Street, according to a Rock Hill police report.
The victim walked into the emergency room with a stab wound to the abdomen.
The victim refused to answer any questions, saying only it was "a motorcycle thing," the report states. The victim's girlfriend told officers she could identify the person who had stabbed her boyfriend and that he was a Hell's Angel gang member.
She also stated her boyfriend had a gun, but she had taken it before he went into the hospital.
The man was transferred to CMC main, according to the report.

federal judge today sentenced a man portrayed by authorities as one of the biggest methamphetamine dealers in western New York to 17 1/2 years in prison.

In court papers, prosecutors also linked the dealer — 48-year-old Donald Vanelli of LeRoy — to the local Hells Angels chapter, which has been the focus of an ongoing FBI investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Harvey portrayed Vanelli as a major supplier of methamphetamine throughout the region. Vanelli was a key part of a methamphetamine-trafficking network between 2004 and 2010, Harvey contended.

In a plea, Vanelli admitted to a conspiracy to sell between 5 and 15 kilograms of methamphetamine during those years.

Vanelli was a target of an FBI investigation that used wiretaps, surveillance cameras and informants who purchased drugs from him, records show.

According to court records, Vanelli was once “president of the Road Agents Motorcycle Club (RAMC), an outlaw motorcycle gang affiliated with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Rochester Charter.”

Defense attorney Lawrence Kasperek argued for a lesser sentence for Vanelli, maintaining that his crimes were not driven by monetary gain but instead by the need to feed his own drug addiction.

Hells Angels ‘leader’ jailed

One of the suspected leader’s of the motorcycle club Hells Angels, which is alleged to engage in organized criminal activity in Norway, has been jailed for four years and nine months for drug dealing and robbery.
Fifty one year-old Leif Kristiansen was found guilty of masterminding a large haul of marijuana, of which he delivered one kilo to two other suspects in 2009 who he then threatened into give him NOK 480,000 (almost USD 88,000). He admitted dealing around three kilos of a 9.9 kilo haul seized by police, although the court believes that he was also involved in further amounts. He denied all other charges.
‘Ridiculous’
Kristiansen and four others were involved in the 9.9 kilo shipment of marijuana, with Kristiansen believed to be the one who ordered and oversaw the operations. He struck a deal with two men for the marijuana, and had another 22 year-old fetch the drugs from Oslo. Kristiansen claims that he did not know about the 9.9 kilo haul in its entirety, and was only involved in dealing around three kilos. The alleged Hells Angels leader was charged a kilo of the marijuana to the 22 year-old and a further 32-year old suspect at the Hells Angels chapter in Trolla, Trondheim, during April 2009, which he denied.
The robbery charge is connected to an incident in which Kristiansen threatened the 22 year-old and the 32 year-old to give him NOK 480,000 (almost USD 88,000) as compensation for the seizure of the 9.9 kilo marijuana shipment. He also denied this charge.
A further charge of taking part in organized crime under Norwegian law’s so-called “Mafia paragraph” was dropped by the public prosecutors. Kristiansen has previously described the accusations against him as “ridiculous,” according to news website adressa.no.
Key witness
The 32 year-old man involved in the drug shipment testified against Kristiansen as the prosecution’s key witness. A former criminal who ran drug operations in Trondheim, the 32 year-old now lives under a witness protection scheme after coming to the police in May 2010 with his evidence. He claims that Hells Angels have offered a reward for anyone who kills him. The prosecution trusted his evidence, with public prosecutor Per Morten Schjetne telling newspaper Aftenposten that “the information he has come forward with has been investigated in order to confirm or deny whether it is correct.” The prosecution had suggested that the 32 year-old should be sentenced to 380 hours of community service for his part in the drug dealing. The judge gave him 420 hours community service and 60 days in prison, which had already been completed in custody.
The prosecution thinks that the 22 year-old who was involved in fetching the marijuana should receive a two-year jail term, while the two men who arranged the drugs transfer with Kristiansen should be sentenced to two years and two years and eight months respectively. Prosecutors had asked for a five and a half year sentence for Kristiansen.
Kristiansen told adressa.no that he would launch an appeal “on the spot,” describing the case as “a total farce.”
Motorcycle clubs’ ‘organized crime’
Hells Angels and a number of other international motorcycle clubs, including the Bandidos and Outlaws, are alleged to be involved in organized crime in Norway. Police have made a number of drugs, weapons and money seizures at club buildings in recent years
The public prosecutor, Per Morten Schjetne, told Aftenposten that “Kristiansen’s connection to Hells Angels and the club’s power apparatus is important in order to understand why the others felt threatened”. He suggested that “Hells Angels, the club to which Leif Kristiansen is strongly connected, appears formidable to society, and wishes to be this way.” Schjetne believes that Kristiansen “used this to his advantage.”

 

Rock Machine bikie had been bashed by other members of the gang for removing a club tattoo,

Rock Machine bikie had been bashed by other members of the gang for removing a club tattoo, Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said yesterday.

The assault occurred about 4pm on Sunday in the southern Perth suburb of Hammond Park. There were reports that the man went to hospital with facial injuries but refused to co-operate with police.

It is understood the man was recently released from jail. There were reports he was leaving the Rock Machine, but it is not known whether he was leaving of his own free will or if he was being booted out.

"We understand that it is an intra-club conflict, in other words, that's Rock Machine bashing up their own people, and that was about the removal of a tattoo that said 'Rock Machine'," Mr O'Callaghan said.

"The investigating officers have reported to me that this particular person removed a tattoo and there were retributions against him for doing that."

Mr O'Callaghan said he did not believe the community was in danger as the matter appeared to be "intra-club".

Bikies can face violent retribution if they are booted out on bad standing. In 2008, high profile bikie Troy Mercanti was reportedly bashed and forced to hand over club paraphernalia after he was tossed out of the Coffin Cheaters.

BIKIES are moving into the illegal trade of protected spiders and snakes because of the high returns and low penalties if caught.

The illegal buying and selling of protected fauna has been identified as the third largest illegal activity worldwide, behind running drugs and guns.

Officers of Strike Force Raptor - set up two years ago to target the illegal activities of bikies - said they often found illegal fauna during raids on gang premises. An American corn snake, a Chinese soft-backed turtle, a mexican tarantula, four tree frogs and a chameleon dragon were seized when officers raided a property linked to the Rebels' bikie gang last week.

The chameleon dragon is on the worldwide endangered species list.

Police also found cannabis leaf and seed, hashish and an unidentified white powder. Two motorcycles were seized, including one reported stolen.




A 34-year-old Prospect man has been charged with possessing and supplying a prohibited drug, possessing prohibited fauna, having goods in custody and receiving stolen property. He was granted conditional bail to appear at Blacktown Local Court on April 28.

One officer said he had recently arrested a bikie associate on the North Coast with a huge number of illegal reptiles and animals. He also had a large stash of weapons.

"[Bikies] also like to have the snakes and spiders for image as much as for profit-making," the officer said.

In the past two years, officers from Raptor have arrested more than 1300 bikies for criminal offences.

The headquarters of the Hell's Angels and Red Devils' gangs have been raided after one of the biggest undercover operations in New Zealand history.

The headquarters of the Hell's Angels and Red Devils' gangs have been raided after one of the biggest undercover operations in New Zealand history.
Tasman District Commander, Superintendent Gary Knowles, says by 3pm on Friday, police has searched 31 properties in Nelson, Mapua, Motueka, Takaka, Picton and Blenheim, including the headquarters of the Red Devils in Natalie St, Nelson.
The raids were carried out by Armed Offenders and Special Tactics squads. Members of the latter, anti-terrorist squad, train with the SAS.
Two more houses were raided in Auckland, including the headquarters of the Hell's Angels.
A digger was used to smash into the Red Devils' site, and an Air Force Hercules plane flew 90 staff from Auckland and Wellington to assist local police and Customs officers early in the morning.


Police say 28 people are now in custody facing charges ranging from dealing class A, B and C drugs - including LSD, ecstacy and methamphetamine - to being a member of an organised crime group under Section 98A of the Crimes Act.
Eleven motorcycles and a range of firearms including rifles, shotguns and pistols, some of which are cut-down rifles, were seized say police. Two pipe bombs were also recovered.
Police say 240 staff were involved in the raids, which were the result of an 18-month undercover operation also involving the Defence Force, Customs and the Organised and Financial Crime Agency.
The raids themselves were carried out by more than 120 staff.
Police say the infiltration was one of the deepest in police history.

Gang expert warns Rebels not yet defeated

Gang expert warns Rebels not yet defeated | NATIONAL News: "gang expert is warning that the Rebels motorcycle gang is too big to be taken down with just one blow.

It comes as gang members packed into North Island courts today after yesterday's massive police raids.

While police said yesterday the operation would have struck a 'blow to the bowel' of the gang, a gang expert said it will take more than one operation.

'It's like a kingdom with a number of little fiefdoms and the central club interferes very little with what each chapter does,' Australian gang expert Arthur Veno told ONE News.

Veno says police were right to take the threat seriously.

The Rebels are Australia's largest motorbike gang, with nearly 4000 members, and are major players in Australia's methamphetamine market."

Members of Australia's largest motorcycle gang - The Rebels - were caught up in the operation

Aussie bikies caught in NZ crackdown: "Members of Australia's largest motorcycle gang - The Rebels - were caught up in the operation on Thursday, police said.

Advertisement: Story continues below
The gang have been trying to set up chapters in New Zealand and police were doing all they could to ensure they didn't get a foothold in the country.

'Today is a bad day to be a criminal drug dealer,' NZ Police Minister Judith Collins said at a press conference on Thursday.

'The number of gangs involved shows they are putting aside their differences and working together in what is a highly lucrative, but evil drugs franchise.'

Auckland police sent more than a dozen patched Rebels members back to Australia after they arrived at Auckland Airport on January 26."

Police warn bikies

Police warn bikies: Not in Manly - Crime - News - The Manly Daily: "MANLY police are vowing to keep criminal groups and outlaw bikies out of Manly in the wake of the invasion of the Shore Club on Sunday night by a group of up to 20 men.

Manly local area commander Supt Dave Darcy said the invasion of the Shore Club was an act of “organised intimidation”, which resulted in club owner Alex Said being headbutted.

Police believe it may have been part of an attempt to take control of the Shore Club by controlling security, opening the way to the possible supply of drugs within the club.

Manly crime manager Insp Luke Arthurs said detectives were already pursuing a number of lines of inquiry, including organised crime and outlaw motorcycle gangs, and that further arrests and charges were expected."

Hervey Bay bikie gang,Bikies' threat case adjourned

Bikies' threat case adjourned | Fraser Coast News | Local News in Fraser Coast | Fraser Coast Chronicle: "FIVE men with connections to a Hervey Bay bikie gang have just had their district court trial adjourned until October.

Judge Hugh Botting said while the trial had been listed as number one priority for these sittings of the Hervey Bay District Court, the Crown Prosecutor was not in a position to go ahead with the case.

Wide Bay Rebels president Adam Warwick McCrea and associates Peter Ross Hill, Sean Edwin Foster, Mark Darren Berghoffer and Gary Wayne Hyland are accused of threatening Maryborough couple Kris and Emma Bust.

It is alleged the group fronted the pair in their Maryborough tattoo and body piercing store and told them not to open as it would take business away from a Hervey Bay parlour they had a vested interest in.

Judge Botting said the trial had been expected to take at least a week."

Australian Rebels,Major gang drugs raids - crime - national

Major gang drugs raids - crime - national | Stuff.co.nz: "Police made numerous arrests and seized drugs and cash from several gangs, including the Australian Rebels, in a major operation across five districts today.

More than 100 police staff were involved in the raids, targeted at organised crime and methamphetamine.

The raids resulted in numerous arrests and seizures of drugs, cash and other property, police spokeswoman Kim Perks said.

Raids were conducted in Central, Waikato, Auckland, Northland and Bay of Plenty police districts.

One of the property's targeted in Palmerston North was on Featherston St, where at least three large motorbikes were wheeled out of the garage and examined by police before being towed away.

A jogger who passed by the address about 6.30am said the sheer number of police cars outside the property was unusual and caught his attention.

'There were about four vehicles on the corner of Roy and Featherston streets and about three parked further down outside a house. It was strange.'"

Bikie link suspected in tattoo shop assault - inMyCommunity - Perth, Western Australia

Bikie link suspected in tattoo shop assault - inMyCommunity - Perth, Western Australia: "ABOUT 20 men stormed into the Lost City Tattoo shop in Spearwood yesterday and assaulted two men before trashing the premises and leaving the scene in cars.

The police gang crime squad is investigating the incident.

Patrons in the store claimed one of the men assaulted had run into a back room, but was followed by about eight men and bashed as he lay on the ground.

A police spokeswoman said the attack took place about 1.45pm.

The men threatened staff, injured two people, then set about destroying equipment and fittings in the store.

“Patrons were allowed to leave the store,” she said.

“We believe this could be part of a significant feud between the Rebel bikie gang and the Rock Machine gang,” said the spokeswoman."

Tattoo parlour attack linked to bikies

Tattoo parlour attack linked to bikies | National - Regional | BigPond News: "A gang in Perth's south has smashed up a tattoo parlour and bashed the manager in what is believed to be a bikie gang payback attack, police say.

Gang Crime officers were investigating Sunday's attack involving a dozen or more men who stormed the Lost Tattoo shop at Spearwood, a police spokesman said.

They warned several customers to leave before they trashed the office and beat up the manager.

The shop is believed to have links to the Rock Machine outlaw motorcycle gang, which has been feuding with the Rebels bikie gang.

In November, there was an attempted firebombing of a tattoo parlour owned by a Rebels bikie at Bibra Lake in Perth's south."

A MEMBER of the Comanchero has been charged with the attempted murder of a senior member of a rival gang,

A MEMBER of the Comanchero has been charged with the attempted murder of a senior member of a rival gang, and a tattoo parlour linked to the Bandidos has been raided as police respond to a spate of violence involving bikie gangs.

Police insisted there was no war between rival gangs as they carried out raids at a dozen homes and businesses in Sydney's CBD and western suburbs, targeting members of outlaw motorcycle clubs over shootings, firearm offences and tax fraud.

The crackdown follows a spate of shootings across Sydney, including that of Sam Ibrahim, who was struck in both legs outside his parents' home at Merrylands last week.

Advertisement: Story continues below
Three people were arrested yesterday. The gang squad acting Commander, Wayne Hayes, said while the arrests did not relate to the most recent incidents, it was evidence that bikies involved in illegal activities would be caught.

''The public should be concerned there are shootings - I am concerned there are shootings - but we do our job. We plod away and as you can see from this … persons are charged,'' he said."

Bikies aren't so bad, says South Australia's Police Commissioner Mal Hyde | Herald Sun

Bikies aren't so bad, says South Australia's Police Commissioner Mal Hyde | Herald Sun: "BIKIES have cultivated an image of committing more crime than they actually do, the Police Commissioner says.

In a new book, Mal Hyde says 'there is a great deal of public concern that may not necessarily match the serious crime that they are committing'.

His views are in stark contrast to those of South Australian Premier Mike Rann, who said in 2007 that bikies were as bad as 'terrorists'.

Mr Rann had said national laws were needed to stop them organising their activities.

'I have also indicated that in addition, the national counter-terrorism laws that have been appropriately modified and adopted could provide a nationally consistent approach to ban and control outlaw bikie gangs,' he said of the now-stalled laws.

Mr Hyde said bikies presented two problems - the 'serious' and 'organised type' crime they committed, but also a 'public face which most organised criminals don't have' which portrayed them as 'above the law'."

Senior Fink Stephen Wallace, Tristan Allbeury, Stephen Silvestro, Troy Smith and Clovis Chikonga were summonsed to answer questions about a vicious brawl

Lawyer makes emotional plea for bikies: "A lawyer representing Finks motorcycle gang members and associates who were found guilty of contempt has made a submission to the presiding judge in Perth to consider the men's families before sentencing them to prison.

Senior Fink Stephen Wallace, Tristan Allbeury, Stephen Silvestro, Troy Smith and Clovis Chikonga were summonsed to answer questions about a vicious brawl at the Perth Motorplex with rival gang the Coffin Cheaters on October 3 last year which left Silvestro and Smith with injuries.

All the men refused to speak to the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) and were charged with allegations of contempt ranging from refusing to be sworn in to give evidence, to insulting head of the CCC Len Roberts-Smith.

The men appeared before Chief Justice Wayne Martin on December 13, except for Silvestro who was in hospital and Chikonga who was later arrested.

Chief Justice Martin found the men guilty but said they should be given the opportunity to reconsider their position and give evidence to the CCC, which they all refused."

Bid to ban 'intolerable bikie' from all pubs adjourned | Adelaide Now

Bid to ban 'intolerable bikie' from all pubs adjourned | Adelaide Now: "ALLEGED Rebels bikie is banned from 229 pubs around the state but not the two at which he committed violent assaults, a court has heard.

SA Police are seeking a control order against Jamie Brown.

They want him banned from all licensed venues, and from associating with three other alleged Rebels.

They claim Brown's behaviour while intoxicated is 'intolerable' and poses a risk to community safety.

This morning, Brown's lawyers asked the control order application be adjourned until next year, pending a High Court ruling.

The High Court is yet to rule on the constitutional validity of NSW's control order laws.

Its decision could further impact the embattled SA legislation, already dubbed 'repugnant' by two High Court judges.

Dominic Agresta, for Brown, said there was 'no urgency' because his client had already been banned, under the Licensing Act, from 229 venues."

Bikies linked to Coogee bombing - National News - National - General - Central Midlands & Coastal Advocate

Bikies linked to Coogee bombing - National News - National - General - Central Midlands & Coastal Advocate: "TATTOO parlour in Coogee owned by two of Sydney's most notorious bikies has been gutted by fire after a petrol bombing, with the street gang Notorious the prime suspect.

Coogee Ink, on Coogee Bay Road, was burnt out just before 1am yesterday.

The fire forced the evacuation of about 30 people from the nearby flats.

Coogee Ink is owned by the national president of the Comanchero Motorcycle Club, Duax ''Dax'' Ngakuru, and a senior member, Mark Buddle.

The Comanchero have been feuding with the Sydney street gang Notorious, which was formed several years ago and is run by the drag racer-turned-gang boss Alen Sarkis.

In October, Mr Sarkis and his right-hand man, ''Crazy Dave'' Lima, brawled on Bondi's main street with Mr Buddle and another Comanchero associate, Michael Murray.

Mr Murray was left with a broken ankle and Mr Buddle, Mr Lima and Mr Sarkis were all charged with affray and placed on remand. All three have subsequently been bailed.

Yesterday, underworld and law enforcement sources told the Herald that Notorious was the most likely suspect. Police, however, are not proscriptive, saying senior Comancheros have a number of enemies who could be responsible."

Finks bikies front court over CCC contempt charges

Finks bikies front court over CCC contempt charges: "phalanx of Finks motorcycle gang members and their colleagues descended on the Supreme Court today to face contempt charges laid by the state's criminal watchdog, stemming from an investigation into a vicious brawl at the Perth Motorplex.
The clash occurred with rival gang the Coffin Cheaters at a Harley Davidson drag races event on October 3.
It triggered a police operation, code-named Tri-Star, which forced a crackdown on the clubs, including raids throughout the state on the homes and clubhouses of each gang.
Advertisement: Story continues below As part of the operation the Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan applied to the Corruption and Crime Commission, under its new expanded powers, to bring those involved before the CCC in secret to answer questions about the brawl.
Six Fink members, nominees and associates were called before the Commission, however none co-operated, according to the CCC."

New bikie gang called Soldiers of Islam is gaining momentum on the Gold Coast | Herald Sun

New bikie gang called Soldiers of Islam is gaining momentum on the Gold Coast | Herald Sun: "POLICE have discovered pictures of Osama bin Laden at a Gold Coast home linked to a worrying new bikie gang called Soldiers of Islam, whose members include former Iraqi soldiers. Photos of the fugitive al-Qaeda leader were found recently at the home of a gang member during a criminal investigation.

Soldiers of Islam, also known as Sons of Islam, is believed to be an offshoot of outlaw bikie gang the Bandidos, which has a clubhouse at Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast."

Finks bikies found guilty of contempt of CCC - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Finks bikies found guilty of contempt of CCC - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "WA's Chief Justice has found five members of a bikie gang guilty of being in contempt of the Corruption and Crime Commission.
The five had refused to answer questions at a secret CCC hearing into a fight at the Kwinana Motoplex in October.
Stephen Wallace, Neil McCormick, Tristan Allbeury, Troy Smith and one other Finks member were called before the CCC to answer questions about a violent brawl which erupted between the Finks and the Coffin Cheaters.
One Finks member was shot in the leg, Mr Wallace had three fingers severed and two others were injured.
A recording of Mr Wallace's evidence at the CCC shows him refusing to answer questions about the matter."

Berkshire Hells Angels pleads not guilty - BostonHerald.com

Berkshire Hells Angels pleads not guilty - BostonHerald.com: "member of the Berkshire County chapter of theHells Angels motorcycle club has been ordered held on $50,000 bail for allegedly trying to frame a witness in his criminal case.
Adam Lee Hall, whom prosecutors say is the chapter’s sergeant at arms, pleaded not guilty Monday in Berkshire Superior Court to charges including witness intimidation and kidnapping.
Authorities tell The Berkshire Eagle that 33-year-old Hall was the mastermind behind a plot to frame David Glasser of Pittsfield in which one of Hall’s female associates accused Glasser of robbing her at gunpoint. Charges against Glasser have been dismissed."

Accused killer was delusional, court told

Accused killer was delusional, court told: "Perth man who admitted to dismembering an itinerant worker with a chainsaw was delusional, a psychiatrist has told a court.
Brett David McDonald, 40, has admitted killing Steven David Petersen by striking him across the back of the head with the blunt end of an axe at his home at Munster, in Perth's south, in October 2004.
McDonald then placed Mr Petersen on pallets, dismembered his body with a chainsaw and buried his limbs, head and torso on a nearby property.
Advertisement: Story continues below Despite admitting to the act, McDonald has pleaded not guilty to wilful murder on the grounds of insanity.
In the West Australian Supreme Court on Monday, McDonald described being told of how underground crime groups on the east coast arranged for lethal 'hot shots' to be given to people to kill them over time."

Father and son facing kill counts over bikie's deathsergeant-at-arms of the Riverstone chapter of the Nomads | The Daily Telegraph

Father and son facing kill counts over bikie's death | The Daily Telegraph: "MAN and his father have been charged over the disappearance and suspected murder of high-ranking Nomads bikie Neil Green. The sergeant-at-arms of the Riverstone chapter of the Nomads, Mr Green, 36, vanished in April this year after driving to premises where he was heard to have a fight with another man.
Yesterday, Kevin Gall, 32, appeared in Burwood Local Court charged with Mr Green's murder and the attempted murder of a second man.
Police allege Gall shot Mr Green dead in Girraween on April 16, after a confrontation between the pair. Gall was also charged with shooting with intent to kill Michael Fox - who was at the same premises at the time of the alleged shooting.
Gall's father Bruce Gall, 59, was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder and an accessory after the fact to attempted murder."

Finks bikies face contempt charges in WA

Finks bikies face contempt charges in WA: "Five members, nominees and associates of the Finks Motorcycle Club are facing court for alleged contempt of Western Australia's corruption watchdog.
The contempt cases stem from recent organised crime examinations held in private by the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC).
The five men are facing the Supreme Court over 40 allegations of contempt, the CCC said in a statement on Wednesday.
Advertisement: Story continues below The private examinations were part of an ongoing WA Police investigation, Operation Tri-Star, targeting the Coffin Cheaters Motorcycle Club.
There are 24 allegations of contempt for refusing or failing to answer questions, two of contempt for refusing to take an oath and 14 of insulting the commission, the CCC statement said.
Another Finks Motorcycle Club member faces a charge in the Perth Magistrates Court of hindering the commission in the performance of its organised crime function.
Under this function, the Commissioner of Police may apply to the CCC Commissioner to use exceptional powers to investigate serious and organised crime.
The exceptional power in this case involved summoning witnesses to compulsorily give evidence at a private examination before the commission.
The CCC cannot under its Act directly investigate organised crime."

Forgive Him Father for He Has Sinned: A Phil Aguilar Web Exclusive - Orange County News - Navel Gazing

Forgive Him Father for He Has Sinned: A Phil Aguilar Web Exclusive - Orange County News - Navel Gazing: "It's been over two years since Phil Aguilar, founder of the Anaheim-based Set Free Church, and several members of his motorcycle ministry, the Set Free Soldiers, found themselves in a brawl with a couple of Hells Angels.

A few weeks after the fight, in which a member of Aguilar's entourage (who is now serving eight years in prison for attempted murder) allegedly stabbed one of the Angels, more than 100 cops from several law enforcement agencies raided Aguilar's home and arrested him and several family members.

Assuming you are 18 years or older, you can watch video of the fight, which was captured by a security camera at the Newport Beach bar Blackie's By the Sea right after the jump."

Policewoman accused of helping Hells Angels gang

Policewoman accused of helping Hells Angels gang: "Senior Constable Lauren Conte, of Linton, is alleged to have inappropriately searched the force's LEAP database after forming a friendship with the sergeant-at-arms Hells Angels' Nomads bikie club, Paul Peterson.
Senior Constable Conte appeared briefly in court where her lawyer, Mike Wardell, made an application for an adjournment.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Lauren Conte Magistrate Kay Robertson did not object and adjourned the case until December 8 for a contested mention.
The Office of Public Prosecutions has taken over the prosecution of the case.
Senior Constable Conte is charged with four counts of improperly accessing police information, after being charged earlier this year by detectives from the Ethical Standards Department.
Peterson is a notorious bikie who in 2007 pleaded guilty to a role in an incident in which three Hells Angels members bashed and tortured a man, cutting off one of his toes in a five-hour ordeal."

Hells Angels spokesman charged with extortion

Hells Angels spokesman charged with extortion: "high-ranking member of the Nanaimo Hells Angels is one of four men facing charges of extortion and accusations that connect them to organized crime.
Frederick Widdifield, who is sometimes a spokesman for the local motorcycle club, Jeffrey Benvin, Robbie Lajeunesse and Rajinder Sandhu all face charges of extortion and 'commission of an offence for a criminal organization,' identified in provincial court documents as the Nanaimo Hells Angels.
Lajeunesse and Sandhu are also charged with assault.
Lajeunesse and Benvin also face additional charges of theft over $5,000 (a boat and trailer), and possession of a restricted or prohibited weapon, identified as brass knuckles and a Taser.
RCMP yesterday would not comment on the case, citing 'operational sensitivity.'"

Gangland killings grow | Winnipeg | News | Winnipeg Sun

Gangland killings grow | Winnipeg | News | Winnipeg Sun: "Winnipeg has seen numerous deadly gang-related hits over the past decade and beyond, as well as disputes between gang members that have escalated to murder attempts or murder.
Winnipeg’s most recent homicide victim, Daniel Kachkan, 34, was reported to have been a high-ranking member of the Zig Zag Crew, a support club for the Winnipeg chapter of the Hells Angels gang. He was charged but acquitted in a recent fatal run-in between street gang members.
Many of the gangland fatalities and disappearances remain unsolved.
June 2, 2005: Aaron Hannibal, a 31-year-old drug dealer with the Zig Zag Crew, was found face down in a pool of blood outside an Elmwood 7-Eleven. The killing was believed to be the result of deep-seated animosity between two members of the Zig Zags, the street gang controlled by the local Hells Angels. Daniel Kachkan, 29, was charged with second-degree murder but in September 2007 was acquitted in court.
March 20, 2005: David Tavares, a 40-year-old Stony Mountain Institution inmate with ties to the Native Syndicate street gang, was found assaulted at the prison and pronounced dead a short time later. Four fellow inmates were charged for his death but a mistrial was declared in their trial last spring. Charles Coaster, Evan Myran and Alvin Cote were charged with second-degree murder and Victor Ryle was charged with manslaughter. A new trial is not expected to be set before 2012."

Hells Angels Forever

Daniel Benjamin Kachkan, 34- Homicide victim was former president of Hells Angels puppet club - CTV News

CTV Winnipeg- Homicide victim was former president of Hells Angels puppet club - CTV News: "man found murdered on Barber Street was once the president of the Zig Zag Crew, the Hells Angels puppet club.
On Nov. 2, police identified the victim as Daniel Benjamin Kachkan, 34.
CTV News has learned the victim was shot in the head. Officers have not yet released the cause of death and said an autopsy is pending.
Police have also not yet confirmed if the death was a targeted hit, but said the possibility is being examined.
'We are certainly looking at the possibility that this individual may have been targeted,' said Const. Jason Michalyshen, a spokesperson for Winnipeg police.
Officers have said Kachkan was killed sometime between Friday, Oct. 29 and Monday morning, Nov. 1. He was found by family members on Monday.
Sources said Kachkan's past may have come back to haunt him. CTV News has been told revenge may be a possible motive for the killing."

Quebec biker charged with 22 murders - Winnipeg Free Press

Quebec biker charged with 22 murders - Winnipeg Free Press: "Twenty-two murder charges were laid against an alleged biker boss, whom police had been seeking for almost two years.
The litany of accusations was delivered in a Montreal courtroom against an alleged Hells Angels boss, Normand (Casper) Ouimet. There were charges of first-degree murder. Conspiracy to commit murder. Gangsterism. And a slew of others related to criminal corruption in the construction industry.
All the slayings date back to Quebec's infamous biker war that reached its peak in the 1990s with frequent bombings and drive-by shootings.
Ouimet was arraigned in court under tight security Tuesday.
The previous evening, police swooped in on a taxi cab Ouimet had been riding in and arrested their suspect, who had a Canada-wide warrant out for his arrest since April 2009.
'It was a very important arrest,' said Crown prosecutor Madeleine Giauque. 'There's... 22 murders over 17 years, from 1992 until 2009.'
Ouimet had to appear before two different judges to be arraigned on charges from two separate police investigations.
He faced a Quebec Superior Court Justice in connection with Operation SharQc, which originally targeted about 155 associates and members of the Hells Angels.
That operation helped liquidate the province's powerful Hells Angels last year -- but about two dozen of the wanted suspects remained missing. Ouimet, 41, was one of them.
He was allegedly one of Quebec's most powerful Hells Angels and was on the province's top 10 most-wanted list."