Canada - Accused man affiliated with Outlaws biker gang denied bail

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Accused man affiliated with Outlaws biker gang denied bail


By SARAH DEETH
Examiner Staff Writer
 
A man police say is affiliated with the Outlaws biker gang has been denied bail.
Wayne Crowell, 36, of Cannington, is charged with careless use of a firearm, occupying a vehicle knowing there was a firearm, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possession of a firearm while prohibited, two counts of possession of a schedule II substance and two counts of breach of probation.
A publication ban prohibits publishing anything said during the bail hearing.
Police charged Crowell in the days following a March 11 collision on Hunter St. E.
Police said Crowell was the passenger in a vehicle that crashed into a light pole outside the Quaker Oats office building.
Crowell was badly injured in the collision, and spent several days in the hospital.
He was charged along with Mark Cleary, 29, and Keith Nolan, 36.
Crowell is to appear in court again April 8 by video.
sdeeth@peterboroughexaminer.com

Australia - Police look for motive behind house shooting

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A NEW father is in a critical condition in hospital after he was shot in a planned attack that may have hit the wrong target.
The 23-year-old was shot three times by two men before he could open the door of his family home at Prestons in south-west Sydney on Thursday night.
The bullets, fired by a small calibre firearm, managed to penetrate the wooden door and strike him in the head and chest.
The gunmen would not have had a clear view of their victim and police have not ruled out the possibility the man was not the intended target of the attack.
Investigators said the victim, whose first child was born three months ago, was a ''clean skin'' and was not known to police.
His neighbours described him as a quiet, polite man who had a nine-to-five office job. He had lived at the home with his wife and mother-in-law since he was married 18 months ago.
The man's baby son and two-year-old nephew were asleep inside the house when the shots were fired.
His brother-in-law also resides at the Siena Close home and is understood to have links to the Hells Angels motorcycle gxxg. He was not at home at the time of the attack but arrived at the scene a short time later.
Superintendent Ray King said detectives had not yet determined a motive for why the father would have been shot at home.
''At this stage there is no positive evidence to suggest that it is gang related however police will investigate all avenues,'' he said.
''Police believe this is a targeted attack and not a random shooting.''
Neighbours said they heard three loud bangs and then silence before a woman started screaming: ''He's been shot, someone get help. Save my husband.''
The woman held her husband in her arms as he bled and yelled: ''Wake up, wake up. We have got a baby. You can't die.''
Their next door neighbour, Scott Kitchner, performed CPR on the man and compressed his head and chest wounds until the ambulance arrived. Witnesses saw the two gunmen, dressed in dark clothing, run from the home towards the end of the street.
Police believe they then made their way down an alleyway where they had a car parked beside a main road.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/police-look-for-motive-behind-house-shooting-20110401-1crnq.html

Astralia - Court hears bikie gang member was trying to save a man's life during a bashing

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A GOLD Coast outlaw bikie gang member who admitted jumping on top a fellow biker who had been shot and then bashing him tried today to convince a court he was in fact attempting to save his life.
Ahmet Dogan appeared in the Brisbane District Court this morning for sentence after pleading guilty this week to assaulting Mark Allan Ashworth and causing him bodily harm at their Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle gang clubhouse at Nerang, on the Gold Coast, on October 9, 2007.
Judge Leanne Clare was told Mr Dogan, 41, pinned Mr Ashworth to the ground and punched him in the head after Mr Ashworth was shot in the leg by another gang member.
Prosecutor Michael Lehane said Mr Dogan continued to hold Mr Ashworth down and assault him while the man who fired the shot yelled "the next one is going in your fucking head".
He said the attack occurred as another gang member, Jamie Ciardi, 35, was heard urging the shooter to "put another one", meaning a shot, into Mr Ashworth.
The court was told after the attack Mr Dogan then drove Mr Ashworth to a hospital, dropped him off outside, threatened him to never tell anyone about the attack, informed him he was no longer in the gang and then stole his utility.
Lawyers for Mr Dogan then told the court that while their client pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Ashworth, he was in fact acting as a Good Samaritan and trying to save his life.
Barrister Cedwynn Toweell, for Mr Dogan, then went so far to suggest if his client had pleaded not guilty to the charge it was most likely a jury would have acquitted him of the offence.
To support his argument, Mr Toweell referred to the trial of Mr Dogan's co-accused, Shane Michael Oulds, 38, who was accused of shooting Mr Ashworth.
A Brisbane District Court jury deliberated less than 20-minutes, after a four-day trial, before yesterday finding Mr Oulds not guilty of one count each of assault causing Mr Ashworth grievous bodily harm with intent and bodily harm.
However, the Crown had earlier pointed out fellow gang member Ciardi received nine-months probation when he was sentenced by district court Judge Kerry O'Brien in September last year after pleading guilty to assaulting Mr Ashworth and causing him bodily harm.
Judge Clare said it was inconceivable that Mr Dogan would enter a plea of guilty to any offence, especially if the events the defence claim to have occurred actually did happen that is was trying to save his life.
Mr Lehane said that it is clear from the submissions made that Mr Dogan had been given incorrect legal advice and as such should be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea.
Judge Clare allowed Mr Dogan to vacate his guilty plea and ordered the matter be remanded for the purpose of a trial listing.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/court-hears-bikie-gang-member-was-trying-to-save-a-mans-life-during-a-bashing/story-e6freon6-1226032045212

PA - Affidavit: In-law led police to suspect

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A man was worried that police were looking to arrest his father-in-law, an accused drug-trafficker, whom police allegedly had a picture of with a biker gang, according to search warrant affidavits unsealed Thursday.
John Klejka expressed his concern about his father-in-law to a confidential informant working with police, the court papers state.
"In November 2010 rumors circulated through the drug community that law enforcement had a picture of David Greece with several high-ranking Pagan members, possibly conducting a cocaine transaction," according to the court papers.
"During this time, a CI (confidential informant) had a conversation with Greece's son-in-law, John Klejka. John relayed to the CI that he was very worried and needed to call Dave. He was worried because he believed the police were getting close to his father-in-law."
Greece, 53, of 311 Twin Lakes Road, Unity, was charged in January with conspiracy and drug distribution and possession offenses. He was suspended without pay from his $44,203-a-year maintenance job with Greensburg Salem School District and faces arraignment on the charges next month in Westmoreland County Court.
Charged with the same offenses are Greece's wife, Paula, 53, and Patricia L. Tuscano, 32, of 112 Tomato Road, Unity. Tuscano testified against Greece during his preliminary hearing in February.
State police at Greensburg and Westmoreland County detectives allege that David Greece ran the cocaine ring. The drug he allegedly distributed to street-level dealers for sale in the Greensburg area originated in Colombia, investigators said.
Police conducted the searches Jan. 27 at the Greece residence, the Tuscano home and the Mt. Pleasant Township home of John and Danett Klejka. Neither Klejka has been charged.
Authorities seized several vehicles, including a 2010 Cadillac Escalade, a 1988 BMW, and a Chevrolet pickup truck, along with 42 firearms, from the houses and a cabin that Greece owns in McKean County, near the Pennsylvania-New York border.
In addition, more than 2.2 pounds of cocaine, with a street value in excess of $115,000, and approximately $140,000 were confiscated.
During a February hearing in county court, authorities said $115,720, which was "sealed and vacuum-packed," was discovered in the Klejka home.
Police testified during that bond hearing that they believe Greece buried cash or cocaine in PVC pipes, which were sealed on one end and had a screw top on the other.
About the time that the searches began, police took Greece into custody in Armstrong County. John Klejka was with him, police said. Paula Greece was outside their Unity home when a heavily armed state police team converged on the residence.
According to the search warrant affidavits, police had watched Greece for several weeks -- at his home and at Tuscano's nearby residence.
They once saw Greece riding near his home on an all-terrain vehicle "on a particularly cold day." He returned to his home with a cooler -- the means that informants and others said Greece used to transport cocaine, according to the affidavits.
"A CI had seen approximately 20 ounces of cocaine in this cooler on a previous visit," the affidavit said. "Greece has told at least two of the CIs utilized in this case that he hides his cocaine in the back yard and other locations."
The three informants and a "concerned citizen" -- all unnamed in the court papers because they feared Greece -- said they bought cocaine through Greece, knew of others who did or had suspicions about him.
One informant said Greece "used his drug proceeds to purchase an assortment of recreation vehicles ... and would pay cash for said vehicles and register them in other individuals' names, mainly his son-in-law, John Klejka, and daughter. Greece also would register these items in the name of his wife."
John Klejka hasn't had "taxable income since 2002," according to the state Department of Labor and Industry, the affidavit said.
An informant told police that the Klejkas "only made $30,000 last year, and Dave was putting all kind of stuff in their names after he paid cash for it."
"David Greece had also told the same informant that he tries not to put anything in his name, explaining he does so because if he ever did get caught by police, the police would not be able to seize it," according to the affidavit.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_730216.html

AZ - Mesa man accused of aiding fugitive biker

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A Mesa man was arrested Tuesday morning on suspicion of helping a member of the Hells Angels and one of the U.S. Marshals Service's 15 most wanted fugitives flee the country, authorities said.
U.S. Marshals arrested Robert Tutokey, 43, at his home near Power and Brown roads in Mesa. Tutokey has been charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office with misuse of a passport and providing false statements in the application for and use of a passport, Deputy Tom Henman said.
According to Henman, Tutokey obtained a passport under his name and then gave it to Paul Merle Eischeid, allowing Eischeid to flee the country in 2004.
In 2003, Eischeid, a former stockbroker turned Hells Angels member, was arrested after being indicted by the U.S. Attorney's office for violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including counts of kidnapping and murder as well as drug charges.
Several additional Hells Angels members were also indicted at the time, Henman said.
Eischeid was released on his personal recognizance and placed on federal pre-trial release with electronic monitoring.
After further investigation, authorities said they learned of Eischeid's possible connection with the murder of Phoenix woman, Cynthia Garcia.
Eischeid was able to remove his monitoring device and flee the country before authorities could locate him.
Eischeid was captured by Argentinean authorities in Buenos Aires in February and is currently awaiting extradition, Henman said.
Tutokey's arrest was the result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Marshals Service.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/03/30/20110330mesa-arrest-fugitive-assistance-passport-abrk.html

ORLANDO -- Deputy shot, suspect killed in shootout at Orange County biker bar

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An Orange County deputy shot in the chest is alive, thanks to his bulletproof vest. But a suspect has been killed after an early morning shootout.
Authorities said the gunfire erupted at the Laughing Horse Tavern, on North Goldenrod Road.
The deputy shot has been identified as Daniel Shapiro, 27, a three-year veteran with the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Jerry Demings said Shapiro's injuries were not life-threatening.
" This is a day when it looks like the good guys won," said Demings. "The deputy is doing well. He was shot one time."
According to investigators, the bar closed around 3 a.m. Friday, when the owner heard a noise at the front door.
A man at the door then attacked and stabbed the bar owner.
Investigators said the owner was able to call 911. The owner's condition was not immediately confirmed.
When deputies arrived at the bar, they said the suspect came out and started shooting, hitting Shapiro in the chest.
Deputies immediately returned fire, killing the 31-year-old gunman. His name was not immediately released.

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/april/226306/

CA - The cops call them Harley-riding "terrorists,"

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but a group of bikers in California say they're misunderstood—and to prove it, they're using the whitest-collar of legal tactics: They're suing.


Police impounded a motorcycle owned by a member of the Vagos International Motorcycle Club in a 2006 raid. (Photo: Nick Ut / AP)

In 2010, the small, rural city of Hemet, California, made headlines when its tiny police department was besieged by a series of booby traps aimed at killing gang task-force officers. The police quickly focused their attention on a local gang of skinheads and an outlaw band of bikers known as the Vagos. It turned out that the alleged attackers had an axe to grind with a local anti-gang detective, and had no connection with the two groups.

Now, the Vagos International Motorcycle Club has filed a lawsuit claiming their reputation was tarnished by the investigation. The 14-page lawsuit, filed March 17, alleges that law-enforcement officials defamed the 42-year-old club by referring to them at a press conference as "cockroaches" and "terrorists" who pose "an extreme threat to law enforcement."

"It is the first time a motorcycle gang has sued me," said Richard Dana, former chief of police of the Hemet Police Department. Named defendants in the lawsuit include former Riverside County District Attorney Rodric Pacheco, a Riverside County sheriff's captain, and Dana.

The attacks rattled the city of 88,000 once known for its mobile-home parks, retirement communities, and the "Ramona Pageant," California's longest-running outdoor play. In recent years, Hemet, which is located 40 miles west of Palm Springs, has been plagued by foreclosures, marijuana grow houses, meth labs, and an influx of gangs. About 25 chapters of the Vagos call the rural cities and counties of California's Inland Empire home.
The police have long thought the Vagos—known for its burly bikers who sport green jackets and patches with the image of Loki, the Norse god of mischief—were involved in the illicit drug trade and weapons trafficking. Over the years, members of the Vagos have been implicated in assaults, extortion, insurance fraud, vehicle theft, witness intimidation, weapons violations, and murder.
Last December, two Vagos members, including the president of the Vagos' San Bernardino chapter, were found guilty of the brutal murder of a Fontana man over the sale of a motorcycle. The man's badly beaten body was found bound with zip ties and duct tape in April 2003. In January 2010, a Vagos member and his wife were convicted of the slaying of a former Marine who disappeared in 2007. The man had been shot, bludgeoned, and suffocated with duct tape.

Law-enforcement authorities consider the Vagos to be "one-percenters," a subculture of motorcycle gangs that enforce a set of written bylaws upon their members, maintain websites, sell biker memorabilia, and trademark their names and logos. Prospective Vagos members are put through an extensive background check and participate in a "hangaround" phase in which they have to complete a series of tasks and hazing-style rituals before they are accepted into the club, law-enforcement sources say.
"They have the same propensity for violence as the Mongols and Hells Angels," said a former federal law-enforcement source who didn't want to be identified. They are classified as a criminal street gang, so judges can give stiffer penalties if members are convicted.
"The criminals in these gangs pose a threat to public safety in the local communities in which they operate because of their wide-ranging criminal activity, propensity to use violence, and ability to counter law-enforcement efforts," said John A. Torres, special agent in charge of the ATF in Los Angeles.
But the club doles out another form of vigilante justice, as well: lawsuits. In 2006, local and federal authorities raided over 70 homes of Vagos members. Some of the members were arrested for firearms and drug violations. In 2009, five Vagos members who were not arrested in the raid, dubbed Operation 22, filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit alleging that some Vagos members and their families were threatened, intimidated, and had machine guns pointed at their heads. In one instance, 3-year-old twin boys were carried downstairs in their diapers by officers wielding 12-gauge shotguns. In another case, a four-month-old puppy was pepper-sprayed.
"They file lawsuits all the time," scoffed the federal law-enforcement source. "It is just their nature. They are trying to get money any way they can."
Beverly Hills lawyer Joseph Yanny, who represents the Vagos in the two lawsuits, said the group is misunderstood. A large number of its members are upstanding citizens who work as contractors, business owners, lawyers, and teachers, he said. Eighty percent are clean and sober. One is an ordained pastor.

Former longtime Vagos President Terry Orendorff told The Daily Beast that he has had his home and business raided numerous times by federal authorities. He said he has never been charged with a crime.
"Over the years law enforcement had problems with us mainly because I guess they just don't like us," said Orendorff. "We get accused of a lot of things we don't have a part of."

Orendorff said the group gets a bad rap because of a few bad apples. "There are things that happen in the club you don't know about till it's on the news," he said. "You find out someone had a bar room brawl and they don't tell even your own president. By the time the officers find out, it's almost too late to do something about it. I am not going to say the club is goodie-two-shoes—out of a few thousand guys you will have some bad apples—but it is no different from the sheriff's department or the Masons."
Orendorff, who is writing a book about his 26 years as international president of the Vagos, also blamed TV shows like Sons of Anarchy for perpetuating the violent bad-boy stereotype. "It's stuff that makes outlaw clubs look really bad," he said. "Who shoots it out with the cops? Who has the cops on the payroll? That stuff went out in the '20s."
The latest rift between the burly bikers and local law enforcement began on December 31, 2009, when natural gas was rerouted into the office of the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Gang Task Force office. In February, a homemade gun was attached to a gate outside the task-force office. When an officer attempted to open the gate, the gun fired a single shot that whizzed by his head, missing him by inches. The brazen attacks, which included a botched attempt to blow up the police station with a World War II-era bazooka training rocket and an arson fire that gutted the Hemet Police evidence-storage facility, put the police department on high alert.
"We were going everyplace we could go," said Dana. "Frankly when it started we didn't know who it was."
Over a six-month period, officers routinely checked their squad cars for explosive devices. Roadblocks, barricades, and fences went up around the station. California Attorney General Jerry Brown announced a $200,000 reward for those responsible for the "urban terrorism" in Hemet.

Eleven days after a gang officer found a pipe bomb attached to his unmarked car, local police, with the aid of federal agents, raided some of the homes and businesses of Vagos members in a sweep dubbed "Operation Everywhere." In the end, no one was charged with the attacks. Amid the intense efforts to find the culprits, Riverside DA Pacheco referred to the Vagos at a press conference as "an extreme threat to law enforcement."
One of the businesses raided was the dental office of Harry Hart, a member of the Vagos. Hart said his business was tossed in the middle of the afternoon by a team of law-enforcement officers. "I am a combat veteran," said Hart. "I was awarded a purple heart and a bronze star. They had people come in my office when I had patients. We have had enough of it and we are fighting back… I earn the right to be respected and I have been disrespected by the same police department I gave donations to."

Police said they became suspicious of the Vagos after gang task-force officers questioned club members leaving a funeral near the task-force headquarters two days before the sabotage. A few weeks later, a Vagos member was arrested after he was found loitering by the scene of an arson fire that destroyed four code-compliance vehicles near the police station. Dana said the biker was released because he didn't have anything to do with the attacks.
Suspicion spread to a local white-supremacist group after officers discovered a handbook on the Internet by the skinheads that detailed how to make deadly booby traps. In another raid, 16 people linked to the white-supremacist group were arrested, but again no one was charged with the attacks. Then, in July, Nicholas John Smit and Steven Hansen were charged with the bulk of the attacks after police detectives discovered that Smit was allegedly harboring a grudge against an anti-gang detective who busted him in June 2009 for cultivating marijuana. The two men were not members of the Vagos or the skinheads.

"It was very clear they were blaming the Vagos for what happened in Hemet," said Yanny. Because of the attacks on the clubs' reputation, Yanny said that some of the bikers have lost their jobs, have been refused entry to clubs and bars, and have been barred from attending church activities.
Former DA Pacheco could not be reached for comment. Dana, who is now retired from the Hemet Police Department, said he was very careful to not to accuse the Vagos at the press conference. "Frankly, my hesitation was we would eventually catch the bad guys and I didn't want to make a premature statement about who it was and then have to explain it later."

Orendorff begs to differ. "It was a witch hunt," he said.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-03-30/motorcycle-gang-sues-local-police-force/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsC4#