Martin Robert, who police say has been linked to Hells Angels activity

Martin Robert, who police say has been linked to Hells Angels activity. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Robert on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, gangsterism and drug trafficking and conspiracy. Robert, 35, has been implicated in the killings of members of the rival Rock Machine and Bandidos biker gangs from 1994 to 2002 - the height of the biker war. He also has reputed ties to drug trafficking over the past 12 years, say police. Robert is believed to like vacationing in the Dominican Republic.

Neil Purves, 27, of Cockburnspath, was detected by police as he travelled at 166mph

Neil Purves, 27, of Cockburnspath, was detected by police as he travelled at 166mph on a 60mph stretch of the A702 near West Linton in the Borders. He had admitted a charge of dangerous driving in a previous appearance at Peebles Sheriff Court. Graham Walker, representing Purves, said he had been "seduced by speed". In addition to his jail term, Purves has also been disqualified from driving for five years. Mr Walker told the court: "It is fair to say superbikes have a seductive appeal to them. "It is fair to say he was seduced by speed." 'Deeply ashamed'However, Sheriff John Horsburgh said there was no alternative to a jail term.
He said: "The speed at which you were travelling means a custodial sentence is the only option I have."
The court heard that Purves, who has since sold his Suzuki GSX-R 1000 motorbike, covered 0.7 of a mile in just 16 seconds on 13 May this year. His lawyer said he was "deeply ashamed" of the offence.
Procurator Fiscal Morag McLintock told a previous hearing: "We believe this is the highest speed that the police have ever recorded in Scotland. "A police speed check was taking place when officers were alerted by a high pitched whine from the motorcycle's engine." Last year more than 20 motorists were caught travelling at more than 100mph on the Dolphinton stretch of the A702. It has sparked calls for permanent speed cameras in the area.

Cameraman filming the police stopping of a car full of AK81 gang members

Cameraman filming the police stopping of a car full of AK81 gang members, has been threatened and pushed by one of the gangsters during the incident late yesterday afternoon, reports broadcaster TV2.Police had been on alert as a court case involving Hells Angels spokesman Jørn ‘Jønke’ Nielsen was taking place in the Eastern High Court in the central city.He and AK81 member Esben Hertz were yesterday acquitted of charges implicating them in a stabbing.Not long after the trial’s conclusion, the car carrying the members of AK81, a Hells Angels support group, was stopped on Store Kongensgade, a street near the court house, just outside The Copenhagen Post offices. When a TV2 cameraman began filming the incident, one of the gang members walked over to him, told him to shut off the camera and pushed him away.’Luckily nothing happened to me or the camera, but I can thank the police’s quick intervention for that,’ said the TV2 employee.It is unclear if the police will charge the temperamental gang member.

"Ballroom Blitz" - Security Footage.

"Ballroom Blitz", which occurred in the packed grand ballroom of the Royal Pines resort at Carrara on March 18, 2006? Police have now released the dramatic television camera footage showing a melee quickly erupting, with chairs and glasses thrown and tables overturned. Gunshots can then be heard.

Gary Watson, 63, remained in critical but stable condition early this week after he was shot last week in his pickup truck at the entrance to the Hells Angels clubhouse on Route 23

Gary Watson, 63, remained in critical but stable condition early this week after he was shot last week in his pickup truck at the entrance to the Hells Angels clubhouse on Route 23, said Lt. Gary Wright of the Maine State Police Criminal Investigation Division. "We're still continuing with the investigation," Wright said. "We have some leads, and we're following up on those ... We have evidence collected on scene, which needs to be evaluated ... None of these types of cases are easy.So far, no one has been charged with Watson's shooting. As of Friday late afternoon, Watson remained at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where his condition was still being monitored, said Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland.Wright explained that just because Watson is affiliated with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club does not mean the crime had anything to do with the group. However, all angles must be covered. "We have to look at every possibility," he said.When asked about the challenges of conducting an investigation that involves an organization that historically has been hesitant to talk with police, Wright said, "It's a quandary. When dealing with groups like that, it's difficult to get information. We're hopeful we might overcome this obstacle. We're certainly not certain we'll overcome it. Hopefully we develop enough information to be able to proceed ... In the end, you can't force people to talk to you."As of Tuesday, police had not yet spoken with Watson. "We're hoping that when he's physically able to speak with us, that he does," Wright said.
Watson is the only eyewitness to the shooting, he said, but "it's possible that he didn't see anything."
When asked if police are on alert for any indication of retaliation, he said, "We certainly have to be open to that possibility. We're going to be looking for anything related to this incident."Somerset County Sheriff Barry DeLong said there have been few incidents involving even a mention of Hells Angels in the past few years. "There's been complaints here and there but nothing major in the past three or so years," he said.A woman who lives near the clubhouse -- known locally as the Slaughterhouse -- said she heard about six gunshots around 5:30 p.m. last Thursday. When she looked out her window, she saw Watson's pickup truck reverse out of the clubhouse's driveway and into the middle of the road, perpendicular to the flow of traffic. When she went to Watson, there were bullet holes in his back window and side mirror, she said. One bullet appeared to have passed through his seat and entered his neck.An ambulance took Watson to the Canaan Fire Department where a LifeFlight helicopter took him to the hospital in Bangor. He underwent surgery there, McCausland said.Hells Angels members in Canaan declined to talk about the incident on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 10. Scores of motorcyclists arriving at the clubhouse during the group's Fall Roundup Chowder, Stew & Chili Cook-Off Saturday drove past a reporter seeking comment outside the entrance. A Maine State Police trooper could be seen driving past the clubhouse on Route 23 during the afternoon and was later parked just off the road, less than a half mile away.

David "Bart" Barbeito is too dangerous to free pending trial.

David "Bart" Barbeito is too dangerous to free pending trial, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Stanley ruled after FBI testimony about an allegedly violent confrontation involving the club's ruling panel and renegade West Virginia bikers in 2003. She also heard a recording of a conversation involving Barbeito and other Pagans leaders in Pittsburgh four years ago.Barbeito, who's led the club since 1989, is the lead defendant in a 44-count indictment returned against 55 Pagans and associates from West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Florida. The charges include two murder conspiracies, kidnapping, weapons violations and drug dealing.Barbeito pleaded not guilty to one charge stemming the 2003 confrontation and three gambling counts. The Pagans' trial is set for Dec. 15.Barbeito, 49, of Myersville, Md., also faces state kidnapping and conspiracy charges in West Virginia.
The 2003 incident centers on a dispute between national vice president Floyd "Diamond Jesse" Moore and six or seven members of the club's Charleston chapter. Moore also is being held pending trial.
A Pagans member who has become an informant says Barbeito told him to retrieve a shotgun that he held on six or seven cohorts at the club's South Charleston clubhouse, said FBI agent Chris Courtright, who conceded the informant's version of events was not corroborated."He (Barbeito) and the other members who traveled to West Virginia were going to solve this problem," Courtright said. Those members comprised the Pagans' so-called mother club, which investigators say functions as a sort of board of directors for the organization. "He was on the side of Jesse and the mother club members that were present."The dispute was resolved without injuries, though the local members quit the Pagans, Courtright said.Defense attorney Stanley Needleman argued the dispute centered on drug dealing by the Charleston members, who were booted for selling speed."It was Mr. Barbeito who outlawed it," Needleman said.Federal prosecutor Steve Loew also surprised Pagans member William Grayson by calling him as a witness. Grayson has attended earlier arraignments and was in the courthouse but not the courtroom Thursday.Grayson repeatedly invoked his right against incriminating himself and refused to answer questions about his membership in the club and whether he has replaced Moore as national vice president.He did, however, say Moore probably isn't vice president because he's in custody. Grayson also acknowledged two federal convictions for his role in a deadly 2002 brawl with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in New York. Seventy-three Pagans were convicted of federal charges stemming from the fight. One died.

Guns may belong to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang

Dredger-operator working to clean up a bush-laden area in the city’s Amager district yesterday got a serious shock when he heard a loud bang.The blast came from a sawn-off shotgun – one of two the dredger had inadvertently dug up, along with some compatible shells in a plastic bag. Police suspect the guns may belong to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, whose clubhouse is just around the corner from the site.The items have been handed over to the police’s forensic unit.

Member of the East End Hells Angels convicted on four weapons counts in July was ordered freed on bail Tuesday on his next round of charges.

Member of the East End Hells Angels convicted on four weapons counts in July was ordered freed on bail Tuesday on his next round of charges.

Zavisa Drecic, 45, of Buchner Road, was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday in a Toronto courtroom.

Zavisa Drecic, a former member of the Niagara Hells Angels, had been transferred to the Woodbridge chapter of the gang when he was swept up in a provincewide police crackdown in 2007. Zavisa Drecic, 45, of Buchner Road, was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday in a Toronto courtroom. He was credited a year for pretrial custody and restricted bail conditions. Project Develop was an OPP-led investigation into the gang that used one of its members as an informant. Drecic was one of 31 people arrested in pre-dawn raids on April 4, 2007, in Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick. He spent 30 months under house arrest at his Welland home. Drecic, who facilitated drug transactions through a third party, pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking illegal substances, but not guilty to trafficking in association with a criminal organization. He was found guilty of the criminal association charge earlier this month. Prosecutor Tanit Gilliam said Drecic brokered a $500 deal via a third party on May 16, 2006, for 279 grams of gamma hydroxybutyrate acid (GHB), commonly referred to as the date-rape drug. On May 25, 2006,, he facilitated the sale of 136 litres of GHB for $25,000. On Sept. 22, 2006, he sold a kilogram of cocaine for $29,500 and one kilogram of ephedrine for $1,500. He also sold a kilogram of cocaine on Feb. 1, 2007, for $36,000. Two other locals arrested during Project Develop have already been through the courts. Kevin Skuta of Welland was sentenced in May to five years and nine months in jail after pleading guilty to trafficking more than 100 litres of GHB and trafficking a kilogram of cocaine.

Hells Angels support club known as the Jesters has opened a new clubhouse in the 10600-block of Scott Road in Surrey

Hells Angels support club known as the Jesters has opened a new clubhouse in the 10600-block of Scott Road in Surrey, and another group with links to the Angels -- the Shadow motorcycle club -- took over a Whalley clubhouse off King George Highway earlier this year that had been run briefly by the Outcasts puppet club. Police have seen other biker clubs started in recent months in Ashcroft, Fort St. John, Campbell River and 100 Mile House, most of whom have made appearances at events with the Hells Angels.

"This is also a phenomenon we are seeing across Canada," Insp. Gary Shinkaruk, of the RCMP's Outlaw Motorcycle Gang unit, said Wednesday. "There are more of these support puppet clubs springing up right everywhere, even in the Maritimes."Police say puppet clubs are being used as a survival tool by the Hells Angels after a series of recent convictions of high-profile members and the growth of violent rival mid-level drug gangs such as the United Nations and Red Scorpions. The puppet gangs -- so-called because the Hells Angels are thought to pull their strings -- create a much larger network that HA members can use criminally, while insulating themselves from law enforcement. Just this summer, as the Haney chapter of the Hells Angels celebrated its anniversary, police saw bikers wearing a three-piece patch for the fledgling "Devil's Army" motorcycle club. Shinkaruk said the Devil's Army is headed by long-time Hells Angel associate Ricky Alexander, 54.The patch shows the puppet club as operating out of Campbell River, although Alexander is a Lower Mainland resident who owns an acreage in Mission and condos in Burnaby and Pitt Meadows. "They came out of the Haney (Hells Angels) clubhouse sporting those colours. That certainly indicates they have the approval," Shinkaruk said. "It is certainly my belief that they are going to be subservient to Haney and at their beck and call." He said the Haney chapter has "had internal strife and difficulty with the Red Scorpions," two reasons why they might want to expand their circle of friends.The new Devil's Army head visited the RCMP in Campbell River to tell them the group was not criminal, Shinkaruk said. Alexander was convicted in April of 2001 of possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition after being stopped in Vancouver with what police believed was a hit list in the glove box of his rental car and a loaded pink handgun in his waistband. The first name on the hand-written list was "John Suspect" who Vancouver police said was a person of interest in the murder a month earlier of full-patch Angel Donald Roming. Also on the list were three of John Suspect's associates, including a man later gunned down at a Vancouver gas station.
Rick Ciarniello, spokesman for the Hells Angels, denied Wednesday that his club has any puppet or support groups. "We don't have any of those," he said. "I have nothing to say about any of that. It has nothing to do with us." Asked about the Devils' Army being present at the Haney party this summer, Ciarniello said: "Everybody who comes to our event doesn't necessarily have anything to do with us."

Sentenced Nicholas Frank "Shonky" Cassidy, 46, and James Scott Parnwell Knight, 41, to two years and six months in jail for assaulting two men in the brawl at the Airport Hotel

sentenced Nicholas Frank "Shonky" Cassidy, 46, and James Scott Parnwell Knight, 41, to two years and six months in jail for assaulting two men in the brawl at the Airport Hotel in December, 2007.

Cassidy and Knight were found guilty by a jury earlier this week.Knight was also found guilty of going armed in public with a claw hammer, and of a breach of a suspended sentence for not answering questions of the Australian Crime Commission.Cassidy was given a non-parole period of 15 months, and Knight was given 20 months.
Justice Riley said the attack "was of a kind which causes disquiet in the community".
Cassidy, Knight and four other men attacked two brothers after Cassidy was knocked out in a fight started over a "fat" joke at Cassidy's expense.

"chop shop" being run out of a Phoenix home by members of the Hells Angels.

Police arrested six people Thursday in connection with a "chop shop" being run out of a Phoenix home by members of the Hells Angels.A search warrant was served at 3054 West Redfield Road, near 31st Avenue and Thunderbird Road.Police said two of the people arrested were members of Hells Angels motorcycle club and two other are associates of Hells Angels.Police said they found stolen motorcycles parts and 10 altered or scratched of VIN numbers when they searched the home.They said they served the search warrant after conducting a three-month long investigation.Phoenix police have yet to release the names of the people they arrested.They face various several charges including own or operate a chop shop, theft of means of transportation, altered or manipulated VIN, illegal control of an enterprise, participating in a criminal street gang and possession of marijuana.

Arizona jury labeled the Hells Angels a criminal street gang when they convicted a gang member in an assault case at a Scottsdale bar.

A Maricopa County Superior Court jury handed down the precedent-setting verdict in the trial of Nathaniel Sample, 32.Sample was convicted of aggravated assault and of acting for the benefit of a criminal street gang.

Trouble broke out when members of the Hells Angels support group AK81 and immigrant youths arrived at the courthouse on Nytorv in Copenhagen.

“Café tables and chairs were thrown but no-one was seriously injured and we have not arrested anyone,” the Duty Police Officer tells Ritzau.Friends of those on trial also threatened journalists sent to cover the trial, but a police operation prevented the situation developing.According to an eyewitness, a group of some eight young immigrant youths were waiting in front of the courthouse when five aggressive and vociferous bikers rounded the corner.“The biker-types went straight onto the attack at the group in front of the courthouse with a baseball bat, chairs and tables – but the youths counterattacked,” Ritzau quotes the witness as saying.After a short battle, both groups are reported to have run off.Inside the courthouse, the first major case in the Copenhagen gang war had come to trial.Two young gang members are accused of shooting at a Hells Angels-related clothing and tattooist business in Nørrebro last September. The young men shot through the window of the shop from a scooter, grazing the manager’s neck.

Full-patch member of the Nanaimo Hells Angels, will go on trial in January in B.C. Supreme Court on charges of assault, kidnapping, extortion and uttering threats.

A trial date had been set in provincial court for Hells Angels member Lea Sheppe, 57, and Dean Madill.
While the pair were in court on Sept. 2, the trial instead became a preliminary hearing and they were ordered to stand trial in B.C. Supreme Court on Jan. 18.They have chosen trial by judge alone.Both are charged with assault, uttering threats and extortion on March 21 and forcible confinement on March 23 in Errington. Madill is charged with aggravated assault on May 23 against a man who suffered serious head injuries that required surgery in Victoria. A ban on publication prevents the victim from being publicly identified or evidence heard at the preliminary hearing being reported.

Striker force was established days after a fatal bikie brawl at Sydney airport between members of the Comancheros and Hells Angels.

Mr Daley said police had since seized firearms, motorcycles, cars, cash, drugs, drug manufacturing equipment and had also dismantled large-scale drug manufacturing and distribution networks."Each day police from local area commands are targeting bikies with simple but effective measures, routine firearms inspections, premises inspections, traffic stops, bail compliance checks, they're driving them crazy," Mr Daley told NSW Parliament on Tuesday.But Mr Daley said he was concerned about a police raid at the Bandidos clubhouse in Petersham, in Sydney's inner-west, on Saturday after drunk children as young as 13 were seen leaving the venue.Alcohol and cigarettes were seized in the raid, as well cash and a 30cm hunting knife, police said."It's pretty clear what the marketing strategy here is - kids, come and get your smokes and drinks from us now, come back in a few years time for your ecstasy and methamphetamine," Mr Daley said."It won't be tolerated and police will jump on top of it, we all hold that sort of behaviour in contempt."

Full Throttle Motorcycle Club 37-year-old Kenon Macon, of Bakersfield, was killed outside Clem's, on Muscat and Valentine.

37-year-old Kenon Macon, of Bakersfield, was killed outside Clem's, on Muscat and Valentine. Investigators say there was a large party there, with several hundred bikers in attendance. Two other people were also shot, but they are expected to recover. Macon was a member of the Full Throttle Motorcycle Club. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information to come forward.

Bandidos Boss, identified only as Michael B., was shot to death following his alleged defection from the Hells Angels

Leader of the Bandidos, identified only as Michael B., was shot to death following his alleged defection from the Hells Angels as reported by Bild: "the Bandidos and Hells Angels are bitter rivals and have been waging a bloody war with each other in Germany for years with contract killings and assaults." Michael B., was a leading member of the 'Bandidos' rocker gang.But he had just switched from the rival 'Hells Angels' gang - was he executed for his defection?The shots were fired from a black delivery van as Michael was walking along the street at midnight. A bullet hit him directly in the heart and an artery in his thigh was also badly damaged.Residents in Hohenschönhausen in the east of the city heard shots around midnight, according to a police spokesman. The gang member was found lying in the street outside an apartment block.The victim was 33 and lived in the area, and was familiar to police from the rocker scene. He managed to drag himself about 200 metres before he collapsed and died.A doctor tried to resuscitate him but it was too late. An autopsy should be carried out later today to find out the exact cause of death.The investigation has been taken over by the State Office of Criminal Investigation and a murder commission. No suspects have been identified yet but they are the hunt for the black delivery van.An eyewitness reported that the area was flooded with police. The entire block was closed off.
Initial reports that the victim was the leader of a rock group called ‘Bandidos’
have not been confirmed. Some rocker gangs, such as the ‘Bandidos’ and ‘Hells Angels’, are bitter rivals and have been waging a bloody war with each other in Germany for years with contract killings and assaults.

Christopher Bryan Ablett, 36, a reputed member of the Mongols motorcycle gang, is accused of killing 46-year-old Mark "Papa" Guardado outside a bar

Christopher Bryan Ablett, 36, a reputed member of the Mongols motorcycle gang, is accused of killing 46-year-old Mark "Papa" Guardado outside a bar in San Francisco's Mission District on Sept. 2, 2008.Federal murder charges have been filed against an alleged biker gang member accused of shooting to death the leader of the San Francisco chapter of the rival Hells Angels gang last year, making for a potential death penalty case.Ablett, of Modesto, was declared a fugitive shortly thereafter, and turned himself in to police in Oklahoma in October. He was later extradited back to San Francisco to stand trial on murder charges filed by the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.Ablett was scheduled to begin a preliminary hearing in the state case this week, but a federal indictment handed down July 23 in San Francisco charged him with murder in the aid of racketeering and use of a firearm in a murder. Both charges are eligible for the death penalty.He is also charged with use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a maximum punishment of life in prison.Ablett pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in federal court Wednesday and remains in federal custody.A detention hearing scheduled for today was postponed until Aug. 12, when Ablett will also be appointed a new attorney.
The Mongols gang operates across the United States and is believed to have 500 to 600 members in chapters throughout California, as well as in Oklahoma and several other states, Mexico and Canada, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.The indictment calls the gang "a criminal organization" engaging in murder, drug trafficking, robbery, extortion, money laundering and witness intimidation.State murder charges remain against Ablett, pending resolution of his federal case, according to the district attorney's office.

Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang member arrested

37-year-old man has become the latest alleged bikie charged in connection with a fatal brawl between rival gangs at Sydney airport. Leichhardt man presented himself at Glebe Police Station this morning and was taken to Newtown Police Station where he was charged with riot and affray. Police allege he is a member of the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang and that he was among those fighting with Hells Angels gang members at the airport's domestic terminal on March 22. Anthony Zervas, 29, was bashed and stabbed with scissors during the fight and died as a result. On Monday, the 37-year-old suspect was refused bail to appear in Newtown Local Court.

Hells Angel Ronaldo Lising had a substantial criminal record for assault and trafficking cocaine and crystal methamphetamine

The accused Ronaldo Lising, Randy Potts, John Virgil Punko and Jean Joseph Violette laughed and congratulated their lawyers after the verdict.Hells Angel Ronaldo Lising had a substantial criminal record for assault and trafficking cocaine and crystal methamphetamine, and was on bail when he was arrested on the two firearms offences now before the court.“Mr. Lising is a sophisticated criminal,” the prosecutor told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Selwyn Romilly.“He leads a criminal lifestyle,” Levitz added, reading out a wiretap statement in which Lising confided he was taking a risk, especially since he has children, but also had to weigh the rewards of his activities.The Crown asked the judge to impose a 30-month sentence, consecutive to the nine years and three months Lising is already serving.Four Hells Angels laughed and shook hands with their lawyers Monday after a jury acquitted them of committing crimes in association with, or for the benefit of, a criminal organization.While the jury returned nine guilty verdicts on a 28-charge indictment against the four members of the Hells Angels' East End chapter, the rejection of the criminal organization charge was a blow to the Crown.Had it succeeded, it would have been the first such conviction in B.C. against the Hells Angels, which has always maintained it is just a motorcycle club.
It was the second failed test case of the anti-gang law against the Hells Angels in B.C. arising from the same $10-million police investigation."It's unfortunate the jury wasn't able to conclude what judges in other parts of Canada found -- that the Hells Angels is a criminal organization," prosecutor Mark Levitz said outside court after the verdict.The jury did find the accused guilty of some extortion and weapons offences "and we're pleased to that extent," he said.The verdict, which followed three days of jury deliberations and a nine-month trial, was also a disappointment to police, who promised to pay $1 million to key witness Michael Plante, who worked as a police agent and infiltrated the East End chapter of the Hells Angels.

"We're grateful to live in a democracy and have a jury system," defence lawyer Bonnie Craig, one of three lawyers representing Potts,

said after the verdict.
Potts, Punko and Lising will remain in custody until sentencing July 22. Violette will remain on bail until he is sentenced Oct. 28 by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Selwyn Romilly.Potts was convicted of four offences: Having control of illegal grenades, possessing a loaded Colt .45 semi-automatic pistol, possessing an Intratec 9-mm semi-automatic pistol, a Ruger .22-calibre semi-automatic rifle and Voere bolt-action rifle and a .44 Ruger revolver.Lising was convicted of possessing two loaded prohibited firearms: A Rossi .357 Magnum revolver and a Walther PPK/S .380-calibre semi-automatic pistol.Violette was found guilty of the extortion of Glen Louie, a drug dealer who was beaten for using the Hells Angels name without permission. He was also convicted of the illegal possession of a loaded Beretta 20 semi-automatic pistol and a Ruger SP 101 revolver.Punko was convicted of counselling Plante to commit mischief by wilfully damaging property, and the unauthorized possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol.The two-year, $10-million police investigation that led to the just-concluded trial has also resulted in other criminal proceedings. The final one, a drug trial involving two Hells Angels members, begins Sept. 9.Last year, David Francis Giles, 58, a senior member of the East End chapter of the Hells Angels, was acquitted of cocaine trafficking in Kelowna but two co-accused were convicted.The Hells Angels now operate a clubhouse in the Okanagan city.

four Hells Angels currently on trial -- Ronaldo Lising, Randy Potts, John Punko and Jean Violette.

If any of the four Hells Angels currently on trial for criminal organization charges are convicted, it would be devastating for the biker gang, said the RCMP's top national security officer."It would be significant and it would be devastating for the B.C. Hells Angels," RCMP assistant commissioner Bob Paulson, who is charge of national security criminal investigations in Ottawa, said Friday."They are indeed a criminal organization and they need to be caught and punished for the bad things they do," he said.Four years ago, Paulson was the officer in charge of the police investigation in B.C. that led to the charges against the four Hells Angels currently on trial -- Ronaldo Lising, Randy Potts, John Punko and Jean Violette.

Warrant was issued for 37-year old Lawrence Dean Bergstrom, a full-patch member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.

Warrant was issued for 37-year old Lawrence Dean Bergstrom, a full-patch member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang. According to Nanaimo RCMP, aside from the badge and uniform components — including several pairs of pants, shirts and an RCMP duty jacket — police found items used for gift-card fraud and identity theft.
Firearms found at the home included a 22-calibre handgun, 12-gauge shotgun and a high-powered rifle.Nanaimo RCMP said Thursday they had been in contact with Bergstrom and expected that he would turn himself in. Bergstrom is also involved in the ongoing civil case surrounding the forfeiture of the Nanaimo Hells Angels clubhouse in 2007. The clubhouse was the only base on Vancouver Island for the club, one of seven Hells Angels chapters in B.C.Nanaimo Hells Angels spokesman Fred Widdifield said he had not heard of the police raid and was unfamiliar with the property in question.Central Saanich police have verified that the badge found at the house is authentic.“This is very disconcerting,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, spokesman for Nanaimo RCMP. “If there was criminal activity going on in that house,” he said, “we can only assume that they were using the uniform articles to pose as officers for criminal activity.”Police are investigating how the uniform articles wound up at the residence. A spokesman for the Central Saanich police department was unavailable for comment. Although policies differ between police departments, O’Brien said that for the RCMP, badges are issued to officers at the time they’re sworn in.The badge is returned upon retirement, or if an officer resigns or is terminated, he said.Still, he said, the system is not foolproof. “Officers are just like the general public.” Like anyone else, things can be stolen from their houses and cars, he said. O’Brien also pointed out that for the majority of police departments, on-site laundry services are not provided to officers for their uniforms. This means officers who take uniforms to public laundromats risk having articles lost or stolen.

Yab Yum, lost its operating licence in January 2008 after authorities said the club had been taken over by a chapter of the Hell’s Angels

The notorious brothel, Yab Yum, lost its operating licence in January 2008 after authorities said the club was being used for criminal activity and had been taken over by a chapter of the Hell’s Angels.Dutch council of state rules Wednesday that one of Amsterdam’s luxurious brothel should remain close definitively as ordered by the city council in 2008.The city council believed a member of the Hell's Angels with a criminal record was running the club, while someone else's name was on the deeds.The withdrawal of the brothel’s licence was a clampdown on sex industry-connected crime in the capital. The council shut down the club by using special legislation known as the Bibob law. Under Bibob legislation since 2003, the council has the right to withdraw or refuse a licence to anyone involved in crime or money laundering.Earlier an Amsterdam court had backed the council's withdrawal of the licence as there was a serious danger of the licence being used for fraudulent practices, but it found there was not enough evidence to prove claims that the Hell's Angels were behind the takeover of the club.

23-year-old man was shot and wounded in Copenhagen mistaken for a member of the AK81 group.

23-year-old man was shot and wounded in Copenhagen yesterday evening - police say he was mistaken for a member of the AK81 group. Copenhagen police believe a young man who was shot and wounded yesterday evening in the Nørrebro district of the capital, was mistaken for a well-known member of the Hells Angels support group AK81. Shots were fired at the corner of Raadmandsgade and Mimersgade streets from what is believed to have been be a black BMW 525 containing four young immigant men . The target of the attack was a group of young men who police say have nothing to do with the current gang warfare. "This was a group of bodybuilder-type men with tattoos, and one of them resembles a well-known member of AK81," the police investigation chief tells Ritzau. The young man was hit in an arm and leg after 5-6 shots were fired from the car, which then sped away towards Tagensvej street. Wednesday's shooting was the third in just over a week. On Wednesday of last week a 26-year-old ethnic Iranian was killed, while last Saturday a 33-year-old ethnic Turk was killed while taking part in a remembrance ceremony for the 26-year-old.

Mick Hawi is one of a number of Comancheros charged over the fatal brawl that led to the death of Hells Angels associate Anthony Zervas.

Mick Hawi is one of a number of Comancheros charged over the fatal brawl that led to the death of Hells Angels associate Anthony Zervas. In the same court, the brother of Anthony Zervas, Peter, was granted bail for his alleged involvement in the brawl that led to the death of his younger brother.Mick Hawi is the only Comanchero charged with murder; the others are charged with riot and affray.Hawi appeared in prison greens via video link in Central Local Court today and bail was formally refused until the matter returns to court next week.Hells Angels member Peter Zervas is charged with riot and affray, along with other Hells Angels members. Zervas's lawyer told Central Local Court that Peter and Anthony Zervas were victims and that Peter was seriously injured in a drive-by shooting not long after the fatal brawl.
The Crown argued that Peter Zervas has been well enough to go about his business and has not been wearing a brace he said he needs when he was arrested.In granting him bail with strict reporting conditions, a magistrate said there is some evidence of self defence, that Peter Zervas suffers depression and that he saw his brother killed.

Hell’s Angels in the town of Harlingen will not be disbanded or forbidden from operating

Hell’s Angels in the town of Harlingen will not be disbanded or forbidden from operating there. Since the prosecution did not succeed in a number of cases brought against the Hell’s Angels, it has decided to freeze all outstanding procedures against any of their clubs.

Sydney bikie known as the "enforcer" within the Comanchero and had a argument with Ibrahim only a week before the 35-year-old was shot

The Sydney bikie is known as an "enforcer" within the Comanchero and had a public argument with Ibrahim only a week before the 35-year-old was shot.shootings links of Fadi Ibrahim and Hells Angel Peter Zervas, with a well-known Comanchero now a major suspect in both cases.Sources have indicated that a visit to Silverwater jail by Mr Ibrahim and the Comanchero, and a subsequent argument, may have been the spark that led to the shooting.The pair had seen each other after visiting different people at the jail. Mr Ibrahim was there to see his older brother Hassan, or "Sam", on remand over the alleged kidnapping of a teenage boy earlier this year.According to one crime source, the pair started yelling at each other in front of prison guards and other visitors. "[The Comanchero] was saying, 'It's on, between you and me'," the source said.A week later, on June 5, Mr Ibrahim was shot five times as he sat in his black Lamborghini outside his Castle Cove home.
The Comanchero and the Notorious gang have been in conflict, and Notorious has been previously linked with some of the Ibrahim brothers. Mr Ibrahim had been dining with a senior member of Notorious, Alen Sarkis, at the Rose Bay restaurant, Catalina, only hours before he was shot.The suspect is not one of the six Comanchero charged with riot and affray over the fatal March 22 airport brawl.The Herald has previously revealed that another man, a former bikie and methamphetamine cook, is another prime suspect in the Ibrahim shooting, following bad blood over a six-figure debt.One source said it was well-known in the underworld that the Comanchero had shot Mr Zervas, on March 29, in anticipation of expected retribution for the death of Mr Zervas's younger brother, Anthony, during the fatal airport brawl.Police also consider a member of the Comanchero as a major suspect in the Zervas shooting.There are also other similarities between the shootings, with both men shot as they arrived home just before midnight by a person with a pistol. That person then ran across a road and disappeared - into a golf course at Castle Cove and a small park at Lakemba.In the Lakemba shooting police described the gunman as having a muscular build, wearing dark clothes and with collar-length hair. No description was given of the shooter at Castle Cove. Another similarity is that both men survived what appeared to be determined attempts on their lives, suggesting the killer was probably not "professional", sources said.Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

Old School Riders Three people were killed seven wounded

Three people were killed seven wounded Saturday in a drive-by shooting at a motorcycle club fundraiser in California, authorities said.The shooting occurred around 6:45 p.m. (9:45 p.m. ET) at a pizza restaurant in Pico Rivera, located about 15 miles east of Los Angeles, according to authorities.
"We don't know what type of vehicle was involved or how many," said Sgt. Ed Hummel of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.The event was being held by a group known as the Old School Riders. It is unclear whether the incident was random, Hummel added.The three people died at the scene. Their names are not being released pending notification of kin.Pico Rivera is a city about 15 miles east of Los Angeles

Lawrence Dean Bergstrom wanted member of the Nanaimo Hells Angels arrested on Friday

Lawrence Dean Bergstrom was arrested at 11 a.m. along Foul Bay Road near Kings Road. He made his first court appearance in the afternoon.
The day before, Nanaimo RCMP conducted a search warrant at Bergstrom's home south of Nanaimo.Officers discovered police identification and uniforms, stolen computers and other items used for identity theft.Two men were arrested but Bergstrom was not at the house and police issued a warrant for his arrest.Victoria police acting sergeant Conor King confirmed Bergstrom's identity and that he was arrested without incident. He could not confirm any other details about the arrest.A nearby resident, however, watched the arrest take place.
Greg Kent heard the sirens from his house and went to watch. Over the loudspeaker, he heard officers order a driver to throw his keys out the window and leave his vehicle.Kent saw four officers pointing their guns at a man inside a black Infinity. He watched as Bergstrom was ordered to walk backwards on his knees towards the officers. Police then handcuffed him and searched his pockets, withdrawing what looked like a white package.

Raids in Quebec targeted Hells Angel gangs drug trade and members last Wednesday, the Ontario government seized the Niagara chapter's clubhouse.

Raids in Quebec targeted Hells Angel gangs drug trade and members last Wednesday, the Ontario government seized the Niagara chapter's clubhouse. "This is just another blow to them," said OPP Det.-Sgt. Len Isnor, head of Ontario's multi-police force Biker Enforcement Unit. On May 26, the 14-year anti-biker investigator joined a B.C. colleague before a parliamentary committee which was debating whether to name the Hells Angels an organized crime group in the Criminal Code. "If they schedule them as a criminal organization, we won't have to go through the five-month process (to prove the motorcycle gang is a criminal group), tying up the courts," Isnor told the Sun, comparing the current lengthy court process to concluding "water is wet."
At present, each time a Hells Angel is convicted, police and prosecutors must prove -- under a 1997 law -- that he operated for the gang's benefit, plus the gang's ranking as an organized crime organization. Once found guilty, however, the law requires longer, consecutive prison sentences. But Isnor predicted if Parliament approves the change, it will face a constitutional challenge, "since it involves a person, not a substance like cocaine." Revving up charges against organized crime has been a big factor in keeping Hells' membership almost stagnant, he said. Criminalizing the gang will be the first big change to federal organized crime laws in 12 years. Seizing the Welland clubhouse June 1 -- the fourth taken over under Civil Remedies for Illicit Activities (CIRA) legislation -- was the latest blow in the province.

The Hells have about 170 "full-patch" Ontario members plus countless associates in biker and non-biker gangs eight years after gaining their first foothold, Isnor said. "Most of them are in the Toronto area," with four chapters here -- in Oshawa, Woodbridge, Keswick and Simcoe County.

Other CIRA seizures since 2006 included Oshawa, Thunder Bay and London clubhouses.
A court ruled last year the Oshawa property on Ortono Ave. could be sold, Isnor said. It remains on the market. Police arrested 30 members in the Oshawa raid.
In April 2007, police seized the Hells' downtown Toronto chapter clubhouse on Eastern Ave. as an offence-related property, $500,000 cash, nine kilos of cocaine, over 80 weapons and 500 litres of the date-rape drug GHB. Isnor said the building's status "is still before the courts" until it is ruled as an asset of crime, and several chapter members pleaded guilty to crimes; others still face trials.
Criminologist Stephen Schneider, author of the recent book Iced: The Story of Organized Crime in Canada and a Saint Mary's University professor in Halifax, said police have done a better job targeting bikers in recent years. Focusing on undermining chapters, investigators "learned their lesson." In his book, experts say police and the justice system "dropped the ball" 20 to 30 years ago by letting bikers -- especially the U.S.-founded Hells -- spread their dark wings.
There are numerous motorcycle gangs, but

the Hells "are the biggest in the world," with about 3,000 members in 248 chapters based in 30 countries, plus a network of associates. Isnor said.

More than one-quarter of Canada's 450 Hells are in Ontario, Schneider said.
For decades, the gang nibbled at the province's lucrative drug, prostitution, loan-sharking and auto-theft underworld, succeeding only after recruiting arch-rivals. Boasting about 100 Hells, the "highest concentration of Hells Angels in the world," Schneider said Toronto "was always the jewel in the crown for every biker gang."
With police recruiting informers and officers keeping a close eye on chapters, some spurned the Hells, but Isnor said the gang moves members to bolster ranks reduced by arrests -- as they did in Niagara. Eroded by members being jailed, that chapter became leaderless this March when founder and clubhouse part-owner Gerald "Skinny" Ward, 61, was sentenced to the equivalent of nine years and his lieutenant, Ken Wagner, 43, was sentenced Oct. 7 to the equivalent of 11 years. They orchestrated delivery of four kilos of high-grade cocaine in 2005 and 2006 to Oshawa member Steve Gault, who became a police informant. More important, they got stiffer terms after Justice John McMahon agreed the Hells fit the description of a criminal organization. Five-to eight-year terms were also meted out to 15 other Hells, including three Niagara members. In court, Gault warned the Hells controlled Niagara's drug trade and "they'll kill ... pointblank" anyone trying to cut in.
Officials said Wagner's sentence was the first in Canada for directing others in activities to benefit a biker organization. When Steven "Tiger" Lindsay and Ray Bonner of the Woodbridge chapter were convicted of extortion, their sentencing in 2005 recognized for the first time that a Hells committed a crime as part of a gangster group, Schneider wrote. The law required the judge to order consecutive sentences instead of normal concurrent terms, ensuring longer jail time. Lindsay got six years instead of four, Bonner got three instead of two. Within six months, police targeting major drug trafficking raided Hells and associate clubhouses in B.C., arrested three in Manitoba, plus 27 in Northern Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. Five were Thunder Bay members, including Cambridge restaurateur Andre Watteel, an ex-Satan's Choice member who later led the Hells in Kitchener. After paying a fine and being granted jail time already served, Watteel recently moved to Niagara to help keep its required six-member chapter status secure, Isnor said.

"The Hells Angels are unprecedented in the annals of Canadian organized crime in that they are the first truly national criminal organization, with cells and/or associates in every province and territory," Schneider writes. "Canada has become somewhat of an international stronghold for the motorcyle club."

The cops are increasingly watching, ready to move when their intelligence networks yield sufficient evidence to unseat a chapter, he said. In the first of two days of raids in Quebec last Wednesday, which resulted in 46 arrests of mostly Hells and associates, more than 600 officers seized a suspected gang-linked cocaine and tobacco fortress on the Kahnawake reserve that served the streets of Montreal. Police seized cocaine, pot, Ecstasy, tobacco, cash, plus a dozen guns. Suspects included an Ontario-based Hells living in Montreal, plus Salvatore Cazetta, 55, co-founder of the Rock Machine gang -- who joined the rival Hells after the Quebec war. Cazetta was associated with Maurice "Mom" Boucher, 66, later the Hells' brutal boss in Quebec, who masterminded the bloody gang war after Cazetta was jailed in 1994.
Rounded up in a Hells sweep of 150 gang members in April, Cazetta was awaiting a bail hearing on drug trafficking charges when arrested in jail last Wednesday and accused of ties with several associates in the Kahnawake warehouse. On the lam for importing 11 tonnes of cocaine until arrested in Fort Erie in 1994, he was extradited to the U.S. and sentenced in 1999 to 12 years after pleading guilty to drug trafficking. Montreal police Insp. Bernard Lamothe told a news conference the Hells set up "business links" with two arrested Kahnawake residents and ran a drug network "in several places throughout Quebec."

‘Phone in a Bikie’

“Bikie gangs are highly organised and sophisticated criminal organisations, whose members have been convicted of serious crimes such as sexual assault, murder, robbery, abduction, property damage, drug trafficking and firearms and weapon offences. ‘Phone in a Bikie’ campaign aimed to gather information from the public, but also to remind the WA community of the negative impact outlaw motorcycle gangs had on society. “These groups have for years been fooling the public into believing that they are a social club, or a group of innocent joy-riders out for a pleasant motorcycle ride. They are not,” he said. “I encourage the public to help police stop the criminal activities of bikies in WA and phone Crime Stoppers if they think there could be activity involving a known or suspected Outlaw Motor Cycle Gang (OMCG) member, or associate.” The phone-in initiative follows recent clashes between outlaw motorcycle gangs in the Eastern States. Similar tensions between bikie groups are known to exist in WA. Assistant Commissioner (Specialist Crime) Wayne Gregson said anyone with relevant information could safely talk to Crime Stoppers anonymously and help stamp out WA’s criminal organisations.“We don’t want to know who you are, we just want to know what you know about bikies, their activities, their friends and associates,” Mr Gregson said. “Even something as innocuous as car or motorcycle registration numbers, bikies’ colours (patches) and their places of employment could make all the difference.”WA Police have actively targeted outlaw motorcycle gangs and carried out numerous raids in the past 18 months on private and business premises with known bikie connections.A dedicated taskforce, Operation Jupiter, has already achieved a social cost saving of $46.5million for the WA community based on the amount of drugs seized. Other results from Operation Jupiter include:

· 834 people apprehended (304 were OMCG members, nominees or associates)

· 1841 charges laid (976 were OMCG members, nominees or associates)

· 71 firearms and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition seized

· 7.1kg of amphetamine type stimulants and 1,050 ecstasy tablets seized

· 58.3kg of cannabis seized, along with 402 cannabis plants

· 545 traffic infringement notices and 405 work orders issued to OMCG members, nominees or associates.

Dennis Hines founder of the Nomads gang that operated in Horowhenua and Wairarapa for many years and was notorious for violence has died.

Dennis Hines, 55, has died in Waikeria Prison, apparently of natural causes. The Corrections Department confirmed yesterday that Hines had died on Sunday.Spokeswoman Dianne Brophy said: "[Hines] had been unwell for some time. He alerted staff to a change in his condition and they took immediate action to assist him, and contact emergency services." Ambulance staff found him dead.Hines was sentenced in 2005 to 5 1/2 years' prison for conspiring to supply methamphetamine. The judge described his record of 93 previous convictions, stretching back to 1969, as "formidable" and "appalling".They included violence, threatening to kill, wounding with intent, dishonesty and drug offences.A former Black Power member, Hines formed the Nomads gang that operated in Horowhenua and Wairarapa for many years and was notorious for violence.His death has been referred to the coroner.

Arrested a member of an Outlaw Motor Cycle Gang (OMCG) over alleged interstate kidnapping and firearm related offences.

Arrested a member of an Outlaw Motor Cycle Gang (OMCG) over alleged interstate kidnapping and firearm related offences. Operation Develop was established to investigate the alleged offences, and comprises detectives from the Australian Crime Commission, and the South Australia Police Crime Gangs Task Force. A 39-year-old man, an alleged member of the Finks Outlaw Motor Cycle Gang, was today arrested by detectives at a private property on Single Ridge Road at The Slopes, near Kurrajong.
The latest developments relate to numerous offences committed in South Australia between 2000 and 2009. The first incident involves an alleged abduction, assault and armed robbery in May 2000. The second incident involved an alleged aggravated assault in December 2008, while the third involved an alleged extortion, aggravated assault and robbery in May this year. Subsequent search warrants were executed at the property, where detectives locate and seized two pill presses with stamps, cross bows, a quantity of cannabis and personal documents. Inquiries are continuing into the items seized. The 39-year-old was taken to Windsor Police Station where he was subsequently charged with an outstanding South Australian warrant.
He appeared at Penrith Local Court today was granted conditional bail to reappear at Penrith Local Court on 9 June, where South Australia detectives will make an application for his extradition. Gangs Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Mal Lanyon said, “Today’s operation demonstrates the successful co-operation that exists between agencies across Australia in targeting all levels of OMCG related crime.
“The NSW Police Force, in conjunction with national law enforcement agencies, will continue to target OMCG members and their criminal enterprises,” Det/Supt Lanyon said.

29-year-old Finks bikie member will also be jointly charged with a 30-year-old South Australian man for drug trafficking and unlawful drug possession

Finks outlaw motorcycle gang member has been charged with interstate kidnapping and gun offences dating back to the year 2000.The 39-year-old was nabbed during a police raid on a property at The Slopes, near Kurrajong in Sydney's north west.Sonya Roberts from police headquarters says he is expected to be extradited to South Australia."The 39-year-old was taken to Windsor police station and charged with an outstanding South Australian warrant."He appeared in Penrith Local Court today and was granted conditional bail to reappear at the same court on the 9th of June."At that time South Australian detectives will make an application for his extradition."
A 39-year-old will face numerous charges, including several which relate to an aggravated abduction and armed robbery that occurred in 2000 in Klemzig, in Adelaide's northern suburbs.The man will also face charges of aggravated cause serious harm and blackmail, which police allege were committed in 2008 in the northern Adelaide suburb of Kilkenny.The man, along with a 29-year-old Finks member from SA, will further be charged with aggravated cause serious harm, aggravated robbery, blackmail and attempted aggravated serious trespass offences, which were allegedly committed at Kilkenny in 2009.A police spokesman said the victim of the more recent assaults was hospitalised on each occasion with serious injuries, including multiple fractures to his jaw, face and ribs.The victim suffered a collapsed lung, severe bruising and facial lacerations, he said.The 29-year-old Finks member will also be jointly charged with a 30-year-old South Australian man for drug trafficking and unlawful drug possession after police searches on Friday uncovered about 170 grams of a substance believed to be amphetamine and a significant amount of cash.

Suspected of being in Australia is senior Canadian Hells Angel bikie David Macdonald Carrol, 57, wanted for questioning over the deaths of 13 people

Suspected of being in Australia is senior Canadian Hells Angel bikie David Macdonald Carrol, 57, wanted for questioning over the deaths of 13 people as well as for attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and gang and drugs offences, between 1995 and 2001.Carrol remains on the run despite a major police operation conducted by Canadian authorities in 2001 that resulted in the arrest and incarceration of members of the Hells Angels and members of an affiliated group, called the Rockers.

Gypsy Jokers,Lennard Kirby was shot several times in the chest at a house in the southern suburb of Jandakot yesterday afternoon

Lennard Kirby was shot several times in the chest at a house in the southern suburb of Jandakot yesterday afternoon. Assistant Police Commissioner Wayne Gregson says the incident was drug-related and not a confrontation between rival gangs.The other man shot was an associate of the Gypsy Jokers, Alexandro Scilio, who also has a history of drug offences.Both men were at the house in Peppworth Place when a group of men arrived by car and Kirby and Scilio were shot after an altercation.Associates took the injured men to the St John of God hospital in Murdoch in the back of a ute.
Assistant Commissioner Gregson says both victims are refusing the cooperate with police."At this stage their condition is noted I believe as stable," he said.
"Kirby's a little more serious than Scilio and we will be talking to them again, but as often the case with these types of people they are uncooperative." Police are looking for a blue Suburu Impreza they believe was used by the group responsible for the shooting. It was last seen speeding north on the Kwinana Freeway.

Gypsy Jokers two men have been shot and wounded, one seriously,

Police would not confirm ABC TV reports that both victims were connected to the Gypsy Jokers bikie gang. Two men have been shot and wounded, one seriously, in an incident in Perth's south reportedly linked to the Gypsy Jokers.Police spokesman Sergeant Graham Clifford said a man in his 40s and another in his late 30s, had both suffered shotgun wounds. "One of them could be described as having minor wounds and his injuries are not life threatening," Sgt Clifford said. "The other has more serious wounds."ABC TV reported that one of the men was shot in the chest and the other in the arm. Sgt Clifford said the shooting occurred about 4.15pm (WST) at a house in Jandakot, a semi-rural southern suburb of Perth which is characterised by one to two-hectare properties, such as hobby farms. He said the Peppworth St home was close to an industrial area in the vicinity of Jandakot Airport. The two men had been dropped off at Murdoch Hospital by a "third party" following the shooting and were later transferred to another hospital, he said. "I can't confirm any bikie gangs were involved," Sgt Clifford said. "Inquiries are under way to find a third party involved, but there's no concern for the general public because the matter appears to have been between those people. "But it's early days and the investigation will follow the normal line of inquiry."

Arrested 20 members and associates of Chosen Few Buffalo-area motorcycle gang

Arrested 20 members and associates of a Buffalo-area motorcycle gang that's accused of various crimes, including attacks against a rival biker club. Scores of officers from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies rounded up members of the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club on Thursday and charged them with conspiracy. Officials say the suspects include the president of the club, based at a former bank building in Depew (deh-PYOO') in suburban Buffalo. Police say Chosen Few members have been investigated for criminal incidents including using pipe bombs to attack the clubhouse of another local motorcycle club. At least eight of the suspects face federal racketeering charges stemming from that and other incidents.