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BADFELLAS

Loud American Roadhouse scene of a confrontation between members of the Hells Angels and the Iron Pigs,motorcycle club

Sunday, 10 August 2008

off-duty Seattle police officer was detained Saturday after shooting a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle club during a bar brawl at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, police said.The officer, who was not identified, was involved in an early-morning fracas Saturday at the Loud American Roadhouse, according to a statement from Sturgis police.The confrontation erupted about 1 a.m. between members of the Hells Angels and the Iron Pigs, a motorcycle club made up of police and firefighters. There were about 500 people in the bar at the time and a rock band was playing, according to the Rapid City Journal.Two gunshots were fired, and the shooter was identified by Sturgis police as a law-enforcement officer.There was no word on the condition of the victim, who was hospitalized.The Seattle Police Department was notified Saturday morning, according to a statement issued in the evening by Seattle police spokesman Sean Whitcomb.The statement said that four other Seattle officers were also present when the Sturgis shooting occurred.Whitcomb declined to name the officers.All five officers involved were placed on administrative reassignment and relieved of duty pending the investigation by South Dakota authorities, Whitcomb said.Sturgis Police Chief Jim Bush told the Rapid City Journal that police detained and questioned numerous people at the scene but that no arrests had been made and nobody was in custody."We're still trying to ascertain for sure who did the shooting," Bush told the newspaper. "We have suspects. We have a lot of information to put together."Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske has dispatched a team of homicide and internal-affairs investigators to Sturgis to gather information, Whitcomb said.



"The Seattle Police Department considers this a matter of utmost seriousness," the Seattle police statement said.

Sturgis police said in their statement they will investigate the shooting, aided by federal, state and county law enforcement, and the results will be presented to an investigative grand jury.

The famous Sturgis rally draws hundreds of thousands of motorcycle riders to the small South Dakota town every summer. This year's rally ends today.

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Patrizio Bosti, accused of heading a clan of the Neapolitan crime syndicate the Camorra, was arrested Saturday evening

Patrizio Bosti, accused of heading a clan of the Neapolitan crime syndicate the Camorra, was arrested Saturday evening in the north- eastern Spanish city of Girona, state radio RNE reported. Police in Spain have arrested a fugitive organized crime boss who is among the 30 'most-wanted' criminals in Italy, reports said Sunday.
The 49-year-old had been sentenced in absentia to 23 years' imprisonment on charges connected with a double murder and membership of a criminal organisation. He was on the run since 2005, when he was released from custody following the expiration of the maximum amount of time he could be held on remand. He is believed to have taken over the leadership of a Camorra clan in 2007 after the previous head was jailed.

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Giuseppe Coluccio was arrested Thursday outside the luxury lakeside apartment building where he has been living in Toronto

Friday, 8 August 2008

Giuseppe Coluccio, 42, was arrested Thursday outside the luxury lakeside apartment building where he has been living in Toronto, ending two years as a fugitive, said prosecutor Nicola Gratteri.
Coluccio has been on the lam since 2005 when he fled a trial alleging he and his brother ran a mob organization that controlled maritime traffic along a 60-kilometer (nearly 40-mile) stretch of the Calabrian coast. His brother Salvatore Coluccio, 41, also is being sought.
«This is a very important arrest because it shows the connection between the 'ndrangheta in Calabria and in Canada,» Gratteri said in a telephone interview.
The Reggio Calabria-based prosecutor said the Canadian branch of the 'ndrangheta has been operating for more than 50 years and is heavily involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. Some investigators say the 'ndrangheta is now more powerful than the Sicilian Mafia, and is increasingly spreading its influence abroad.
Coluccio faces an extradition hearing within three days, Gratteri said.
In all, 28 people have been charged in the trial, which has resulted to date in 20 convictions with sentences ranging from 16 to 18 years in jail, Gratteri said.

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Gary Hardy was found guilty of supplying heroin and amphetamines and laundering his profits through a string of made-to-measure businesses.


Gary Hardy was found guilty of supplying heroin and amphetamines and laundering his profits through a string of made-to-measure businesses. And Hardy kept it in the family, using his crack addict brother Paul to deal vast quantities of drugs worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. The family connection did not end there - their mother, June Muers, 67, helped Paul deal drugs out of her home in Kirkby-in-Ashfield. And Paul's ex-partner Zoe Chapman, 29, would courier drugs to clients in her children's pushchair. All were found guilty of drugs offences at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday. Police seized £70,000 worth of drugs from his mother's home During the course of the trial, Gary Hardy, 46, was described as one of three drugs generals, with a huge multi-million pound drugs empire, who ran part of the north Nottinghamshire patch. He shared the area with two other dealers, John Dawes and his brother Rob, to avoid a turf war. John Dawes is currently three years into a 24-year prison sentence for supplying Class A and B drugs. His brother Rob was arrested in Dubai in May on an international arrest warrant issued by the Spanish authorities in connection with drugs charges. For every kilogram of heroin sold every seven to 10 days, the Dawes brothers and Hardy would make £8,000 profit each.
Running his turf with violence, fear and intimidation, the court heard that Gary Hardy and his family were notorious in the area, outwardly enjoying all the trappings of wealth from "successful businesses". Between 2001-07, Hardy was the registered keeper of 90 vehicles, not all at the same time, but nevertheless expensive, luxury cars. When he was arrested, he had 16 finance agreements on the cars, valued at £904,000, with monthly repayments reaching £15,200.
He would "sell" these cars on to his employees, taking instalments from them and hanging onto the log books until payments had been made, laundering his drugs cash.
Hardy enjoyed his affluent lifestyle He had a brand new home, and would pay his children's private school fees in cash, yet had several failed businesses.
Hardy was already under surveillance when a drug deal went wrong on 29 April 2003, but that failed deal ensured Nottinghamshire Police finally got some key evidence and signed up a number of witnesses to testify against him. Their following investigation looked closely into the accounts from companies he owned or was involved with. When fraud accountants went through Hardy's Apex Windows' accounts, they found in 2003, more than £1m went out on wages - a 148% increase on the previous year, but sales only rose by 34%. Employees on the books included Paul Hardy, although witnesses said he never did a day's work there.
In six years, Hardy had finance deals on 90 luxury cars Det Ch Insp Stewart Bradley who led the investigation, said: "He was a major player. The Hardy drugs group is what we would class as an organised crime group.
"Gary Hardy had a network of people underneath him, prepared to do the work for him and he remained, as was described, a general with a number of lieutenants and perhaps what you would describe as soldiers working on the ground.
"In his elevated position, he was able to keep away from the hands-on drugs himself and dealt mainly with the money. And that money ran into millions." He said some witnesses who gave evidence were so frightened they left the area and never returned. The court heard one tell how a man was beaten and stabbed at one of Gary Hardy's garages as he failed to pay a drugs debt.
On the day of the Hardy arrests on 4 January 2007, police found drugs with a street value of almost £70,000 and £16,000 in cash stashed all over June Muers' house, including in a spaghetti pot in the kitchen. Apex Windows, like his other businesses, went into liquidation
Ch Insp Barry Harper from the drugs directorate said: "I think Gary Hardy did a lot of damage to the community. "By flooding this area with drugs, it caused untold amounts of damage to people."
During the trial, in trying to justify how he kept up his flashy lifestyle when businesses were failing, Hardy maintained his car and window companies became "too successful" and had to be put into liquidation.
He had a portfolio of about 40 properties in north Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
One witness claimed most of the properties were empty and the money was laundered through rent books. Not a single receipt was recovered for the rents paid, a point Hardy failed to clear up during the trial.
Now the process of untangling Hardy's assets has begun, as officers have started to try to recover his ill-gotten gains through the Proceeds of Crime Act.

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Paolo Nirta ,31, was picked up at a house in San Luca, southern Italy. He is wanted on charges of Mafia association.

Paolo Nirta ,31, was picked up at a house in San Luca, southern Italy. He is wanted on charges of Mafia association.
Italian police today arrested a wanted gang leader believed to be part of an organised crime clan involved in the massacre of six people in Germany last summer.
Nirta's family was involved in a feud that led to the killing of the six Italians outside a restaurant in Duisburg, Germany.The feud, involving two rival families, drew international attention to the 'ndrangheta, a crime syndicate based in the southern region of Calabria.Some investigators say it is now more powerful than the Sicilian Mafia.

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Chad Barroby was one of some 20 bikers charged after police raided clubhouses in Vancouver and Kelowna in a 2005 operation known as E-Pandora

alleged Hells Angels associate won't get any jail time after pleading guilty to trafficking cocaine.30 year old Chad Barroby was one of some 20 bikers charged after police raided clubhouses in Vancouver and Kelowna in a 2005 operation known as E-Pandora.He was charged with trafficking cocaine, conspiracy to produce and traffic meth and committing an offense in association with a criminal organization.
Barroby pleaded guilty to the cocaine trafficking charge only, and charges linking him to the Hells ngels have been stayed.He's been sentenced to an 18 month conditional sentence and a 10 year firearms ban.

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Jessica Andrea Gordon pleaded not guilty in Marin County Superior Court Wednesday to being an accessory to the murder

Jessica Andrea Gordon pleaded not guilty in Marin County Superior Court Wednesday to being an accessory to the murder, shooting from an occupied vehicle, permitting a shooting from an occupied vehicle, possession of ecstasy for sale and possession of cocaine, Marin County Deputy District Attorney Linda Witong said. Gordon is free on bail. Her co-defendant, Joseph Andrew Farnsworth, 20, of El Cerrito, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of William Crompton Maclean, 25, of San Leandro, and is being held in county jail in lieu of $2 million bail. His preliminary hearing date will be set Aug. 28. The Marin County Sheriff's Office said Farnsworth and Gordon were riding in a Dodge Durango on northbound U.S. Highway 101 around 8:15 p.m. May 24, the night of the shooting. Farnsworth, a passenger in the back seat of the Dodge, is suspected of shooting Maclean as he rode by in a Chevrolet pickup that was leading a group of Hells Angels on motorcycles who were returning from a funeral service in Daly City.
Raymond Foakes, Maclean's brother-in-law and president of the Sonoma County Chapter of the Hells Angels, pulled the Chevrolet off the highway at Paradise Drive and called the California Highway Patrol for help. Maclean was taken to Marin General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

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Terry Adams, Kenneth Noye, Brian Brendon Wright, Brian Gunn and Curtis Warren crime bosses running networks from prison cells.

investigators have identified 27 crime bosses running networks from prison cells. Although they are all in jail, Terry Adams, Kenneth Noye, Brian Brendon Wright, Brian Gunn and Curtis Warren are being monitored closely.
Deputy Chief Constable Jon Murphy, of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), told The Times that crime specialists work together to make money through drug deals, robberies and smuggling. “British gangs are quite unlike the Italian Mafia model or the Turkish groups,” he said. “There are no set ranks, rules and structures. They are more fluid, flexible and opportunist.”
The intelligence picture was built up by Acpo working with the 43 police forces in England and Wales and other bodies. More than 15,000 individuals are said to have been identified as involved in organised crime.London has more than 170 gangs. Some have sophisticated hierarchies; others are little more than street-level groups. In Liverpool, criminal networks are deeply embedded and run by a number of families whose tentacles spread well beyond the city. Merseyside criminals control the drug trade on the South Coast. Manchester has established gangs such as the Longsight Crew and the Gooch Close Gang, while Birmingham has been dealing for years with the rivalry between the Johnson Crew and the Burger Bar Boys. Bradford is a centre for money laundering and a major distribution point for heroin by British-Pakistani gangs. Serious crime in Nottingham has been dominated by the Gunn family. Glasgow is the hub for the distribution of firearms in Scotland and the starting point for much of the heroin trade, which spreads as far north as Shetland.

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Pasquale ''Pat'' Barbaro, Crown casino high-roller and Rob Karam and the founder of the Black Uhlans bikie gang John William Samuel Higgs arrested

Police today busted the Australian arm of a Mafia-linked drug ring which smuggled massive amounts of ecstasy into Melbourne.In conjunction with the Australian Customs Service, police have seized 5.6 tonnes of ecstasy pills and 150kg of cocaine during a three-year operation. Almost 20 million ecstasy tablets were seized during the exhaustive probe, which involved hundreds of AFP agents. The bust is a world record amount for ecstasy and includes the largest amount of cocaine ever detected in Victoria.The drugs have a street value of about $600 million. AFP agents began raiding properties around Australia early today and by 8.30am had arrested 14 men and one woman. Nine of those arrests were in Melbourne and the other arrests were made in New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia. AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty today named some of the arrested as Griffiths man Pasquale ''Pat'' Barbaro, Crown casino high-roller and Tony Mokbel mate Rob Karam and the founder of the Black Uhlans bikie gang in Melbourne John William Samuel Higgs.Various close relatives of Mr Barbaro, 46, were named in the Woodward Royal Commission as being members of the Calabrian Mafia gang responsible for the 1977 murder of Donald Mackay.
Mr Keelty revealed 400 AFP agents conducted more than 10,000 hours of secret surveillance on gang members and that the AFP estimated the international drug syndicate was responsible for 60 per cent of all drug importations into Australia.
Members of various organised crime gangs collaborated with each other in a rare case of unity to fund and organise the massive ecstasy shipments. AFP intelligence suggests Australian members of the Calabrian mafia played major roles in the international syndicate. They teamed up with criminals from other gangs, including some of Lebanese extraction. A founding member of a Melbourne bike gang was among those arrested today. One of those arrested in Griffith in New South Wales has strong links to the Calabrian mafia cell responsible for the murder of anti-drug campaigner Donald Mackay. That Australia was on the smuggling route of an international gang dominated by the Calabrian mafia came as no surprise to Italian organised crime experts. The Calabrian secret society at the centre of the global drug racket is known in Calabrian dialect as N'Dranghita.
N'Dranghita has had very strong cells in Australia since at least the 1930s.
It is particularly prevalent in Melbourne, Mildura and Shepparton in Victoria, Griffith in New South Wales, Adelaide and Canberra.
N'Dranghita is called L'Onorata Societa or the Honoured Society by some Italians, La Famiglia or the Family by others, and simply the mafia by most in Australia. It is the gang responsible for the the 1977 murder of Griffith anti-drugs crusader Donald Mackay.
N'Dranghita has been responsible for growing and distributing much of Australia's marijuana for decades. It also got involved in heroin importations in 1978 through now dead crime boss Robert Trimbole and is known to have been involved in massive cocaine importations since at least 2000. The AFP has been working closely with several overseas law enforcement agencies to gather evidence to bust the network's Australian arm.
The arrests followed the arrival in Melbourne on July 24 of a shipping container with three 50kg bags of cocaine hidden in a load of coffee.
AFP agents seized the cocaine and replaced it with fake drugs and left the container at Melbourne docks in the hope gang members would collect it.
Strong intelligence collected by the AFP since the cocaine arrived suggests the syndicate members became aware the shipment might have been detected by police and they abandoned it. But the AFP already had sufficient evidence from the cocaine haul, and the earlier ecstasy shipments, to begin today's coordinated raids around the nation.
Two separate loads of ecstasy pills arrived in Melbourne from Italy in shipping containers and the recent cocaine haul was imported by ship from Colombia.
Both ecstasy shipments were of world record size at the time and the second of 14.5 million tablets is still the largest single seizure of the drug in the world.
AFP agents seized the first 1.2 tonne ecstasy shipment in Melbourne in 2005 and the second 4.4 tonne shipment at Melbourne docks in 2007. Arrests were made over the first ecstasy haul and its presence revealed.
But the 4.4 tonne shipment was kept secret in the hope doing so would lead to more evidence being gathered against the international syndicate. Those arrested are expected to appear in court later today to face drug charges.

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Gangster Dave Courtney,and Ian 'Lucky' Tucker were quizzed by police after the 'Golden Girl' was gunned down outside her Fulham home in 1999.

Thursday, 7 August 2008


Dave Courtney, 49, from Plumstead, and Ian 'Lucky' Tucker, 41, of Lewis Road, Istead Rise, were quizzed by police after the 'Golden Girl' was gunned down outside her Fulham home in 1999.Barry George, 48, served eight years behind bars for her murder but was acquitted at his retrial at the Old Bailey last Friday. He told reporters: "To be quite honest and practical, I don't think they'll ever find who did it."Now the former prime suspect has been acquitted, Mr Courtney, who worked for the Kray twins for 20 years, says he is not scared the police will come back after him, even though in 1999 he was quizzed about the murder for two days.
He said: "I had an alibi. I live my life by a calendar. I was doing an audience-with show, where I was speaking."He slammed the police investigation, claiming that they refuse to admit that her death could be related to BBC's Crimewatch that Dando presented.He said: "I believe it was a woman. To shoot a woman is very hard. It is f****** hard. A man would find it really hard but for women it would be easier.
"Anyone who kills someone has a plan. Anyone who just hides in a bush, shoots somebody and runs off down the street, shows they haven't planned it. That is somebody that is angry and not thinking."
He added: "Me and Ian Tucker were questioned because I had a connection with guns and ended up putting away a lot of people I know.
"An idiot could work out that it was somebody who had a husband, lover or son that Crimewatch had put away."That is the only angle the police didn't look at. They didn't even mention it once that it could be that."The police can't advertise that she was killed because of that as she was advocating grassing people up. They can't say she was punished for that."Every night, there is a grass-up somebody programme on television."How many people has that programme sent away? And Jill Dando was all over the papers saying 'I'm getting married'."
Mr Courtney said he thought it was obvious Barry George wasn't guilty from the start. He said: "The authorities can't deal with not catching somebody so they put away the one who will cause the least fuss. And by the time it gets to appeal they forget they haven't got the real one." Senior investigators and the Assistant Commissioner John Yates met at New Scotland Yard on Monday to discuss the next steps in the case of Ms Dando's murder.Mr Yates said: "As with all unsolved murders, this case remains open and subject to review. "A £50,000 reward from the charity Crimestoppers still remains available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Jill's murderer. We continue to appeal for any new information and keep an open mind in relation to this case."Michael Laurie CBE, Chief Executive of Crimestoppers, added: "Over the passage of time there must be someone out there who knows something about the murder of Jill Dando. If that person is unable to go the police with that information then they can contact Crimestoppers in total anonymity. We do not ask for names and addresses; calls are not traced or recorded. We are only interested in what you know not who you are."

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Port Adelaide arrests of two senior members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.

Police say a chance inspection of a car at Port Adelaide has led to the arrests of two senior members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.Police approached a group of people congregating around a car in Saint Vincent Street and searched the vehicle.They allege a 22-calibre loaded pistol was found, along with a stolen police identification badge and police flashing lights.Two outlaw motorcycle gang members and another man and a woman have been charged with unlawful possession, illegal interference and firearm offences.The four have been remanded in custody to face Port Adelaide Magistrates Court.

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William Crompton Maclean, was a Hells Angels associate who was riding in a procession of Hells Angels when he was shot to death.

Jessica Andrea Gordon, 20, pleaded not guilty to charges of being an accessory after the fact, one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle, one count of permitting another person to shoot from a vehicle, and two counts of possessing Ecstasy and cocaine.The alleged gunman, 20-year-old Joseph Andrew Farnsworth of El Cerrito, also appeared in court Wednesday seeking an opportunity to post bail. Farnsworth has been held without bail since his arrest, and his attorneys asked Judge Kelly Simmons to set his bail at $500,000, citing his family ties in the East Bay.
Simmons set the bail at $2 million, and Farnsworth remained in custody Wednesday. Farnsworth has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, one count of shooting a firearm from a vehicle and one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle.
Gordon, who is free on bail, was ushered in and out of court through a side door because of the intense security concerns surrounding the case. Sheriff's officials have taken extra safety precautions because the murder victim, William Crompton Maclean, was a Hells Angels associate who was riding in a procession of Hells Angels when he was shot to death.
Sheriff's investigators have described the motive as road rage. Court documents filed in recent days provide new details about the investigation.
According to the documents, the shooting on May 24 occurred while Gordon was driving on northbound Highway 101 in a red Dodge Durango carrying Farnsworth and his girlfriend, an unidentified juvenile.
Farnsworth, for reasons unclear, allegedly pulled down the window in the back seat and fired two shots at the pickup truck in the next lane, according to a statement filed by sheriff's Detective Matt Stott. One bullet struck Maclean, who was in the passenger seat, in the chest, Stott said.
The driver of the pickup truck, Maclean's brother-in-law, Raymond Foakes of Petaluma, was not injured.Gordon and her passengers exited the freeway at Paradise Drive and hid in the area, investigators said. Foakes also took the Paradise Drive exit, trailed by 10 members of the Hells Angels on motorcycles, and called for help from the nearby California Highway Patrol office.Based on information provided by witnesses, sheriff's investigators began reviewing video surveillance tapes from the Golden Gate Bridge. The tapes showed a red Dodge Durango crossing the bridge shortly before the shooting, and investigators got its license plate number.The license plate traced back to a residence in Mill Valley. On the night of May 28, when investigators were serving a search warrant on the residence, Gordon drove up with a friend."Gordon admitted that she was driving the vehicle when the shots were fired," Stott said in his statement. "She said the person in the back of the vehicle is an acquaintance she knows with another friend. She admitted that the person who fired the shots was sitting in the back seat, rolled down the window and fired shots from a handgun."On May 31, sheriff's detectives served a search warrant on the Richmond residence where Farnsworth and his girlfriend live. Farnsworth's girlfriend confirmed that he fired the gun, and investigators arrested Farnsworth and seized a gun found under his bed, Stott said.
No charges have been filed against Farnsworth's girlfriend, said District Attorney Ed Berberian

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Diamond Cut street gang members accused of being involved in a major cocaine and heroin drug ring

Arrests Tuesday, Aug. 5, of Diamond Cut street gang members accused of being involved in a major cocaine and heroin drug ring is a watershed moment that could lead to more arrests, Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer said.Plummer's deputies, Dayton police and up to 40 members of other area law enforcement agencies armed with federal criminal complaints carried out the raid, coordinated by the FBI, on suspected drug trafficking."It was a high target for us," Plummer said. "We have several gangs in this community. This was one of the top gangs," he said of Diamond Cut.Thirteen men were named in the indictments. Nine were arrested Tuesday morning, three more Tuesday evening. One remained on the run Tuesday night.
FBI spokesman Michael E. Brooks said arrests began at 6 a.m. with the help of police in Dayton, Trotwood, Clayton, Harrison Twp. and Kettering. Federal seizure warrants have been obtained for 10 vehicles. Ten homes were searched also.Dayton police Sgt. Dennis Chaney, who said the arrests followed an 18-month investigation, noted that more arrests are likely."It's not over," he said.

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Giovanni Marra is one of two reputed members of the Montreal Mafia who have seen their parole revoked

Last year, Gallo, 62, serving a life sentence for taking part in a 1973 murder, halted his parole hearing because he was unwilling to discuss the evidence - which includes videotapes of him bringing large quantities of cash to Mafia leaders at their hangout in St. Léonard - with the possibility of new charges hanging over his head.In the 1980s and 1990s, Giovanni Marra helped Montreal mob boss Frank Cotroni move a lot of cocaine. Then after being released on parole in 2001 while serving a 14-year prison term for drug trafficking, Marra appeared to go on the straight and narrow and became a leading salesman at a car dealership.But it is his alleged penchant for selling the former that has seen Marra returned to a federal penitentiary where he was turned down for a new chance at parole last week.
According to a summary of the National Parole Board decision, the RCMP suspects Marra was again acting as a middleman in a conspiracy to import and traffic in cocaine.Marra, 55, is one of two reputed members of the Montreal Mafia who have seen their parole revoked because of evidence gathered during Projet Colisée, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit investigation that ended in 2006 with about 90 arrests.Both Marra and Moreno Gallo have yet to be charged in connection with Projet Colisée. The evidence mostly involves them associating with known criminals, a violation of conditions they agreed to when released.Marra went through with his hearing on Thursday and told the two parole commissioners who heard his case that the meetings he had with other known criminals while out on parole were "innocent get-togethers." The parole board simply didn't believe him.Marra has two previous convictions for drug trafficking besides the sentence he is currently serving. In 1978, he received his first conviction and was sentenced to three years in a case heard in the United States.Four years later, he was arrested in Montreal after Réal Simard, a hitman for Cotroni, turned informant and told police he and Marra sold a kilo of cocaine together.In 1996, Marra and Cotroni, who died of brain cancer in 2004 at 72, were arrested in connection with a plot to smuggle 180 kilograms of cocaine into Canada. Marra quickly pleaded guilty in the case, but still received a stiff 14-year prison term because he was the key intermediary between the Colombian suppliers and Cotroni.Marra was released on parole five years later after swearing he had severed his ties to the Mafia and doing volunteer work at a shelter for abused women. After being released, he complained for years that one of his conditions - forbidding him from visiting bars - was limiting his ability to sell cars. The parole board finally agreed to modify the condition in 2006.Investigators now believe Marra used the opportunity to meet with other mobsters in bars.

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The Chicago Outfit ordered an Outlaw biker to blow up a Berwyn gambling operation

Wednesday, 6 August 2008

Mark Polchan, 41, and Samuel Volpendesto, 84, were arrested last week in connection with the 2003 bombing. The Chicago Outfit ordered an Outlaw biker to blow up a Berwyn gambling operation because it competed with the mob’s own $13 million video gambling machine business, prosecutors charge in a filing this afternoon.
No one was injured in the Feb. 25, 2003, explosion, but the device blew out several windows and destroyed the ceiling and wood frame above the doorway of C & S Coin Operated Amusements, 6508 W. 16th St. The business leased coin-operated vending and video machines. In a filing that seeks to keep the two behind bars pending trial, the feds revealed a series of recordings that allegedly captured Volpendesto on tape talking about the 2003 bombing that took out part of a building. The filing also alleges an extensive and wide-ranging criminal history on the part of Polchan, purportedly a high ranking member of the lawless Outlaws biker gang, from involvement with the mob, to coercing a witness to recant his story in a murder case.
“Disturbingly, the investigation has revealed that Polchan used his connections not only (with) the Outlaws and the Outfit, but also with various corrupt police officers, to advance his and his associates’ criminal objectives,” prosecutors wrote. Prosecutors say despite his age, Volpendesto is a risk of flight and a danger to the community. They describe him as knowledgeable about bomb-making and say he admitted on recordings he took part in previous bombings. In 1990, Volpendesto was charged after beating a suspected stool pigeon at a Cicero strip club. In 2006, he was arrested for assaulting his wife,” according to the filing.
“And a mere five years ago, (Volpendesto) set off a bomb that could have very easily killed or maimed innocent individuals,” prosecutors wrote.
In a series of recorded conversations with a cooperating individual, Volpendesto was captured saying: “we blew part of that away.” If convicted of the three counts against them, the two would face a sentence of 35 years to life in prison.

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Mark Polchan and Samuel Volpendesto's bond be denied because they have a history of violence including blowing up several Berwyn businesses

Two men arrested in a series of federal raids on the Outlaws motorcycle club last week bombed a gaming machine business on orders from he Chicago Outfit, according to a court filing today by federal prosecutors in Chicago.
The U.S. Attorney's office for the Northern District of Illinois filed a memorandum requesting that Mark Polchan and Samuel Volpendesto's bond be denied because they have a history of violence including blowing up several Berwyn businesses using a pipe bomb in 2003. According to the government, C & S Coin Operated Amusements which leased vending and video machines, was targeted by the Chicago Outfit because it competed with the Mob's $13 million illegal gambling operation.
Individuals cooperating with the government identify Polchan, 41 of Justice, as a ranking member of the Criminal Outlaws Motorcycle Club Northside Crew and a member of the Chicago Outfit. One informant recorded a meeting with Volpendesto, 84 of Oak Brook, where he confessed to the 2003 bombing and said he was not happy with his payment, according to prosecutors. Authorities say Volpendesto also talks on undercover tape about an unnamed individual referred to only as the "Large Guy." The government refers to that man as Outfit Member A, who worked for Outfit boss Johnny "Apes" Monteleone.
Federal prosecutors claim Polchan and Volpendesto have long ties to organized crime and long rap sheets. Polchan was arrested at least fourteen times in a 22 year period for burglary, assault, battery and possession of a firearm. Two arrests ended in convictions. Volpendesto has been arrested for deceptive practices, battery and domestic battery. All were dismissed according to prosecutors, who add that he "has not let age slow him down when it comes to crime."
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Both men face 35 years to life imprisonment and fines up to $750,000. A detention hearing has been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

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James William Wallace Garland, Aaron David Fraser and Alexander Farquharson Rattray, Coffin Cheaters face charge of assault occasioning bodily harm.

A trial date has been set for three Coffin Cheaters bikie gang members accused of assaulting a crowd controller in Bunbury earlier this year.James William Wallace Garland, Aaron David Fraser and Alexander Farquharson Rattray each face a charge of assault occasioning bodily harm.They were charged after a police raid on the bikie gang's Bunbury headquarters in May this year.It is alleged the men assaulted a bouncer at the Fitzgerald's Irish Bar in Bunbury on May 9.The trial has been set down to be heard in the Bunbury District Court in March next year.Meanwhile, fellow Coffin Cheaters' member Brant Gregory Tyler, who is accused of assaulting a crowd controller at the same hotel two weeks after the first incident, has had his charge upgraded.Police allege Tyler assaulted the bouncer on May 24.He was initially charged with assault occasioning bodily harm but that has now been upgraded to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.He is due to return to court on October 27.A second man also allegedly involved in the altercation that night, Adam Michael Stewart, will return to court on August 19.He has been charged with assaulting a police officer.

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John A. "Junior" Gotti was hit with new federal charges Tuesday

John A. "Junior" Gotti was hit with new federal charges Tuesday involving three gangland slayings -- including one ordered by his infamous father
"What should be noted today is whether you violate the federal law today, tomorrow, or 20 years ago, the FBI and its law enforcement partners will pursue the matter to its logical conclusions," said Steven E. Ibison, special agent-in-charge of the Tampa, Fla., FBI office.

charges marked the latest in a string of attempts in recent years by the government to put away Gotti, who prosecutors say followed in the footsteps of his mob boss father in leading the Gambino crime family. And just like his "Teflon Don" father, the younger Gotti has proved to be highly skilled at evading convictions on a variety of mob indictments brought against him.Gotti's attorney denied the charges and accused the government of holding a grudge against him for beating previous prosecutions. Over the years, a parade of mob turncoats who testified against the Gambinos "never accused John Gotti of drugs or murder — never happened," said Charles Carnesi."What you have is a bunch of people in law enforcement who are disgruntled about the fact that he did fight those cases successfully," the lawyer said. "That's what this case is about."
The latest case was brought in Florida after a series of failed prosecutions in New York City. Another indictment accused five Gotti associates of various crimes, including murder.The conspiracy indictment against the 44-year-old Gotti accuses him of being a chief in an arm of the Gambino crime family that operated in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania since about 1983. The enterprise was involved in everything from murder and kidnapping to witness tampering, money laundering and cocaine trafficking, and had its fingers in legal and illegal businesses and union locals, federal authorities said.Federal prosecutor Robert O'Neill said the indictments showed that the defendants were "trying to gain a foothold" in Florida, and they alleged that some of the crimes took place there.Prosecutors alleged that Gotti "oversaw" the slaying of reputed Gambino associate Louis DiBono in the parking garage of the World Trade Center in Manhattan in 1990. The elder Gotti was convicted of ordering that slaying, which was related to DiBono's contract to install fireproofing at the trade center. Prosecutors did not provide specifics about the younger Gotti's involvement in the hit.The late mob boss had been caught on tape boasting, "Know why he's dying? He's gonna die because he refused to come in when I called. He didn't do nothing else wrong," prosecutors said.Prosecutors also accused Gotti of having two men killed in drug turf disputes: George Grosso in 1988 and Bruce John Gotterup in 1991, both in Queens. The indictment also alleges he possessed and trafficked more than 5 kilograms of cocaine.Gotti "has led a life of violence, including these three murders," prosecutor Elie Honig said while successfully arguing against bail in federal court in Manhattan."He's never been charged with murder before," Honig said. "Now he's been charged with three."
A magistrate ordered Gotti held without bail until agents transport him to Florida. It was unclear how soon he would depart.Gotti, wearing a navy blue polo shirt, shook his head at one point as the prosecutor described the charges, but showed no other reaction. FBI agents had arrested Gotti early Tuesday at his Long Island home.
It is not the first time Gotti has been rounded up by federal agents.
In 1999, he pleaded guilty to racketeering crimes including bribery, extortion, gambling and fraud. He was sentenced to 77 months in prison and was released in 2005.
But less than two months before he was released, prosecutors brought a separate racketeering case for an alleged kidnapping and attempted murder plot against Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa — an outspoken critic of the Gottis. The trials in 2005 and 2006 ended in hung juries and mistrials after Gotti used the defense that he had quit the mob for good in the late 1990s. "It's enough now. They got to let go," Gotti after the third trial, saying he hoped to return to a quiet life with his wife and six children. If convicted of the new charges, Gotti faces up to life in prison. His father died in prison six years ago while serving a life term on his 1992 murder and racketeering charges.

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Hell's Angels motorcycle club assaulted a Warren County man Sunday afternoon during a biker gathering to benefit a 14-year-old boy battling cancer

Tuesday, 5 August 2008

Members of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club assaulted a Warren County man Sunday afternoon during a biker gathering to benefit a 14-year-old boy battling cancer, authorities said. Jonathan Stock, 27, of Belvidere, refused to provide information to police and told investigators he could not identify his attackers, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Julian Castellanos said. It happened at Franky and Johnny's Island Park bar on Route 46, state police said. Castellanos said the attackers were armed with a knife, but he refused to say whether they stabbed Stock. He also declined comment on the severity of Stock's injuries. Police were called to the bar about 2:30 p.m. The biker gathering began earlier in the day with area clubs and individual motorcyclists conducting a ride to raise money for the son of Washington Borough Police Department Detective Wendell Whitmore. The event was organized by the tavern owners. Tyler Whitmore suffers from a hereditary disease that caused three tumors to form in his body, his father said. "These people showed up after the fact," Wendell Whitmore said. "It was between the Hell's Angels and the Pagans."
The police detective said the attack occurred outside the bar where tents were set up for bands. "I had my children there," Whitmore said. "There were other children there."

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Three main gangs have been identified in Wolverhampton

Monday, 4 August 2008

Three main gangs have been identified in Wolverhampton:
The Demolition Crew, or the UDC, operating in Heath Town.
The Reans Crew, operating from Whitmore Reans.
The Park Village Crew, operating in Park Village.
Pubs in the city have become unsuspecting focal points for gang activity, according to police.Gangs are waging a violent war in Wolverhampton, hijacking at least three city pubs that have become their unofficial bases.Amid shootings and violent attacks, one gang member has been spotted by police at a pub wearing a bullet-proof vest.Armed police have been called out to the city centre following shootings, and amid fears of further clashes officers have asked for pubs to be closed down or managers removed.Licensing chiefs will tomorrow meet to discuss the future of the Moscow Bar, following months of violence linked to city bars.
Last month, a man was shot in the bar at the Waggon & Horses in Cannock Road. It came just over a week after another man was fired at and the pub has been temporarily shut down.The future of the Moscow Bar in the city centre, now hangs in the balance. police report on the Moscow Bar that lifts the lid on Wolverhampton’s gangs.Allegations made in the report reveal how: Police called to investigate a stabbing near the Moscow Bar saw a gang member wearing a “ballistic or stab-proof vest”.
Officers called to the pub found 20 people brawling with knives.
The pub was closed for a night after rival gang members confronted each other in the bar.Eight gang members rushed at a door, forcing their way into the pub.
Wolverhampton’s top police officer says his officers are “babysitting” the venue, which was linked to the stabbing of a teenager on a nearby car park on July 6.
It could now be shut down if councillors feel that the venue, which police have found open and packed with 200 clubbers at 4am, poses a risk to the public.Our investigation has found how one of the city’s top drugs gangs has now essentially been wiped out, and others have emerged, with some merging with others to increase their influence.Criminals, often high on cocaine, have easy access to weapons and are willing to open fire to settle petty disputes over “respect”.Pictures have now emerged of one gunman – jailed for at least seven years over a city-centre shootout – showing off in a gangster-style pose in his cell.

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13 luckless years after Bulger vanished, a multi-agency task force of seven investigators is still assigned full time to tracking him.

Date of Birth: ...September 3, 1929
Hair: White/Silver.. .....Place of Birth: Dorchester, Massachusetts
Eyes: Blue.... Height: 5'7" to 5'9"........Complexion: Light
Weight: 150 to 160 pounds.......Sex: Male
Build: Medium..........Race: White
Occupation: Unknown....Nationality: American
Scars and Marks: None known
Aliases: Thomas F. Baxter, Mark Shapeton, Jimmy Bulger, James Joseph Bulger, James J. Bulger Jr, James Joseph Bulger Jr, Tom Harris, Tom Marshall, "Whitey".
Remarks: Bulger is an avid reader with an interest in history. He is known to frequent libraries and historic sites. Bulger is currently on the heart medication Atenolol (50 mg) and maintains his physical fitness by walking on beaches and in parks with his female companion, Catherine Elizabeth Greig. Bulger and Greig love animals and may frequent animal shelters. Bulger has been known to alter his appearance through the use of disguises. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, and Mexico.
13 luckless years after Bulger vanished, a multi-agency task force of seven investigators is still assigned full time to tracking him. He fled just before his January 1995 federal racketeering indictment charging Bulger, Stephen ''The Rifleman" Flemmi and Frank Salemme,it took seven months to find Frank Salemme in Florida, Bulger was later charged with 19 murders, and is now being pursued by a posse of two FBI agents, two Massachusetts State Police officers, two lieutenants from the Massachusetts Department of Correction fugitive apprehension unit, and an FBI analyst, all of whom work out of an unmarked suite of offices in downtown Boston. No other fugitive currently on the 10 Most Wanted list has a task force assigned full time solely to his capture, though several of those who were captured in the past did, according to the FBI."I'm looking for that person who received or made calls from James [Bulger] and could be funneling money to him", said FBI Special Agent Richard Teahan, a 16-year veteran of the FBI who became the coordinator of the task force two years ago. After Bulger fled, he and his criminal sidekick, Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi, were exposed as longtime informants who had provided the FBI with information about local Mafia leaders while getting away with murder. Their former handler, retired FBI agent John J. Connolly Jr., was convicted of federal racketeering in 2002 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for protecting the pair from prosecution and warning them to flee before their indictment. Connolly is slated to stand trial in Miami in September on murder charges for allegedly plotting with Bulger and Flemmi to kill a potential witness in 1982.
Task force members say the Bulger family has refused to cooperate with the manhunt, even though their loyalty to the fugitive has cost them. William M. Bulger was pressured to resign as president of the University of Massachusetts in 2003 after he was grilled by a congressional committee about his relationship with his gangster brother. The third brother, John "Jackie" Bulger, a retired clerk magistrate at Boston Juvenile Court, spent six months in prison for lying to federal grand juries about contacts with his fugitive brother. "The Bulger family to the end will not give him up, will not negotiate a surrender," Teahan said.
The last confirmed sighting of James "Whitey" Bulger was in London in 2002, his quote "Every day out there is another day I beat them. Every good meal is a meal they can't take away from me". Money is not a problem for Bulger, who doles out crisp $100 bills from a stash tucked inside a pouch strapped to his waist. The pouch also contains a pearl-handled knife. Bulger and Greig also love to shop, at least 2 to 3 times a week they will travel to the Wal-Mart Super Centers. Bulger likes to read copies of Soldier of Fortune magazine. Investigators located a bank account belonging to Bulger in Clearwater, Fla., where he owned a condominium.
James "Whitey" Bulger aka Thomas Baxter (NY drivers license) lactose intolerant, always wears ball cap with sun glasses, pays with cash $100 bills, drives big cars Mercury Grand Marquis, has safe deposit box's stashed with cash all over the USA and Canada, he has used SSN 018-22-4149, DOB 9/03/1929, age 78 (very bad breath), known for very bad temper and always carries a knife. Longtime Bulger associate Kevin J. Weeks had been funneling nearly $90,000 into Whitey Bulger's bank accounts (Clearwater Fl) since he has been on the run. A Federal Indictment in September of 2000, charged Whitey Bulger with 18 murders. Bulger enforced very strict rules over his drig dealers in Bostond. He allowed them to sell cocaine and marijuana, but forbidding heroin and PCP By Bulger's reasoning, a cocaine addict can still function, while heroin junkies "become zombies." He also strictly forbade selling to children. Those dealers who refused to obey Bulger's rules were beaten, killed or otherwise driven out of the neighborhood. To those who obeyed, however, business was good. The Boston drug scene thrived as Whitey and "Red" Shea and his crew arranged massive drug deals with Colombian and Cuban-American suppliers based in South Florida. It would not be until the cooperation of Kevin Weeks in 1999 that Bulger, by then a fugitive, was conclusively linked to the drug trade by investigators. According to Kevin Weeks, this was something that Bulger had long prepared for. As early as 1977, he had acquired documents for himself under the name Thomas F. Baxter. He had also set up safe deposit boxes, containing cash, jewelry, and passports, in cities across North America and Europe including Florida, Oklahoma, Montreal, Dublin, London, Birmingham (UK) and Venice.
July 2nd 2008..Fugitive mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger has $4,000 coming to him. But if he wants it, he has to show up in person to claim it. Florida State Treasurer Tim Cahill's office says Bulger has about $4,000 in unclaimed property from an abandoned Florida bank account. The bank sent the money to the state when Bulger never claimed it. Bulger, the reputed boss of the Winter Hill Gang, has been on the lam since 1995 when he fled just before his federal indictment. Treasury spokeswoman Alison Mitchell said the money has been on the list since 1998.
It's unlikely Whitey will be too worried about the missing Florida money. Financial magazine Forbes recently revealed he has been able to avoid capture for so long because he is sitting on a staggering EUR50 million fortune. Forbes revealed: "Whitey's wealth is between EUR30 million and EUR50 million. He has shown how hard it can be to capture a criminal, using the wealth and contacts he developed to stay out of the reach of law enforcement."In early Jan 1995, Bulger and then wife Teresa Stanley spent three weeks traveling between New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco before Stanley decided that she wanted to return to her children. They then traveled to Clearwater, Florida, where Bulger retrieved his Tom Baxter identification from a safety deposit box. Bulger then drove to Boston and dropped off Teresa Stanley in a parking lot. He then met Kevin Weeks, who had brought with him one of Bulger's favorite mistresses, Catherine Greig. Bulger and Greig then went on the run together.
Long time gal pal of Whitey Bulger is aging moll Catherine Elizabeth Greig.Catherine Elizabeth Greig, aka Carol Shapeton aka Helen Marshall has used SSN 030-40-4309, her DOB is 4/03/1951, age 57, she has worked as a dog groomer.

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Antonino Fortunato Morreale, the suspected "postman" apprehended in Palermo, recently was convicted of Mafia association by a tribunal in Palermo

Sunday, 3 August 2008

Two men believed to be the "postmen" who delivered notes to accused Sicilian Mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano have been arrested, Italian police said Saturday.One suspect was arrested at his Palermo home Friday evening and the other was picked up at a Rome airport last month, police said.Through them, Provenzano was able to oversee and communicate with a Mafia network that stretched across Sicily, said Col. Jacopo Mannucci Benincasa of the Carabinieri police in Palermo, the Sicilian capital.Provenzano was captured in 2006 after decades on the run and 13 years as the leader of the Sicilian Mafia. He has been convicted in absentia and sentenced to life in prison for more than a dozen murders of mobsters and investigators.
During his years as a fugitive, Provenzano sent handwritten notes — known as "pizzini" — about the administration of Cosa Nostra. He used codes to conceal business interests and the identities of those he dealt with.Provenzano relied heavily on the "pizzini" and their delivery, investigators say.
Antonino Fortunato Morreale, 40, the suspected "postman" apprehended in Palermo, recently was convicted of Mafia association by a tribunal in Palermo and sentenced to a nine years in prison.The other suspect, Andrea Panno, had eluded capture during a massive anti-Mafia operation in 2005, the Palermo Carabinieri said. He was picked up in June by U.S. officials, who had been alerted by Italian investigators that the fugitive was living in Guilford, Connecticut, with his family, the Carabinieri said.
Panno, 47, arrived in Italy on July 12 and was immediately arrested at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport, police said. He remains in custody in the Italian capital.

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William Robert Bernhardt member of the Wild Bunch Motorcycle Club was arrested for wearing a concealed weapon.

William Robert Bernhardt, 57, of Nevada,member of the Wild Bunch Motorcycle Club was arrested for wearing a concealed weapon.
was allegedly carrying a knife when police arrested him just before 10 p.m. outside of a downtown bar. He posted a $500 bond within the hour and was released.

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James “Frank” Wheeler of Indianapolis, appealed his conviction, arguing that he was essentially convicted on the same charges at an earlier trial

James “Frank” Wheeler of Indianapolis, appealed his conviction, arguing that he was essentially convicted on the same charges at an earlier trial in Florida.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati agreed and overturned his racketeering conviction. Wheeler, though, won’t be getting out of prison because he is still serving a life sentence for a drug conviction.He also was sentenced to 16 1/2 years in prison for racketeering and other crimes in Florida.
After Wheeler’s conviction in Ohio, U.S. District Judge David Katz said Wheeler created an atmosphere of evil and ruled an organization of crime, fear and violence.
In 1999, Wheeler took control and oversaw the operation in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Oklahoma, threatening and assaulting rivals to protect the territory.
The Outlaws were one of the nation’s four largest motorcycle gangs, along with the Hell’s Angels, Pagans and Bandidos. The Outlaws have chapters in 21 states, Europe, Canada and Australia.The appeals court on Friday also overturned the racketeering and conspiracy convictions of Gregory Driver and ordered that he be resentenced on a drug conspiracy charge. The court said there was not enough evidence to convict him.
The court also upheld convictions but ordered new sentences for Gary Hohn, former president of the Dayton chapter; David Mays, former national enforcer; Patrick Puttick; and Jason Fowler.

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Jonathan Nelson and Mark Anthony Guardado are facing criminal felony charges that allege they acted in participation with a criminal street gang.

Jonathan Nelson from Healdsburg and Mark Anthony Guardado from San Francisco or San Jose, are facing criminal felony charges that allege they acted in participation with a criminal street gang. If proven this will ultimately add time to their sentencing if they are convicted of the crimes. In the evidence the police were seeking in the raid included information that the two men charged hold high ranking positions within the Hells Angels organization and probably have high quality attorney representation.Both men have been charged with allegedly jumping a man and beating him severely even after he had lost consciousness according to Capt. Sears. This incident occurred in February in the vicinity of McNear´s Saloon & Dinning House in the Petaluma area. Both men were again charged with allegedly beating the victim in March in the vicinity of Henny Penny Restaurant located on Petaluma Boulevard. Both Nelson and Guardado have pleaded not guilty to both allegations according to records from the court. Each of the two have also filed five million dollar lawsuits against Sonoma County after Superior Judge Ken Gnoss expelled them from the courtroom because of shirts they were wearing that had the Hells Angels insignia on them. Judge Gnoss stated that the shirt insignias are intended to intimidate and threaten others. During the San Francisco search by two FBI tactical teams Guardado was arrested for alleged drug possession according to statements by Capt. Sears. Lately there has been a lot of high profile criminal news coming from San Francisco, San Jose and the surrounding area. For instance, a parolee recently pleaded Guilty to killing his instructor in Oakland. Troy Tyrone Thomas(that is touph sounding name for sure) is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5th to life without the possibility of parole in a deal in which prosecutors will not seek the death penalty in the death of College teacher John Dennis. He had a good San Jose Criminal AttorneyThomas, who by the way was on parole at the time of the killing, has an extensive criminal history and was released from prison prior to the murder for felony auto theft and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. He has also been convicted of murder in 1981 and several vehicle thefts.

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Three people appeared in Montreal court to face charges indirectly related to a series of shootings in Montreal north end more than a week ago.

Three people appeared in Montreal court to face charges indirectly related to a series of shootings in the city's north end more than a week ago.
The arrests made yesterday are a result of an investigation into a robbery and extortion attempt made at a café on July 7, said Montreal police Constable Anie Lemieux.The robbery is suspected of setting off events that led to three people being shot in less than two hours the night of July 23.
The first victim, a 30-year-old drug trafficker with ties to the Bo Gars street gang, was shot inside Le Ritz, a café-bar in St. Léonard. A little over an hour later, a man walked into Mare e Mondo, a café in Rivières des Prairies with ties to the Montreal Mafia, and opened fire, striking a 36-year-old man who is believed to have been an innocent bystander. Shortly afterward, a 19-year-old man was shot as he sat in a vehicle parked behind another café in Rivière des Prairies. He also was believed to be an innocent victim.
All three men suffered non-life-threatening wounds.Police later speculated that the 30-year-old street-gang member was shot July 23 because of the robbery earlier in the month.Lemieux said one of the suspects arrested yesterday, a 28-year-old man, was tasered after resisting arrest when the vehicle he was in was pulled over near Henri Bourassa Blvd and Highway 25. A 29-year-old female passenger was also arrested.
The third person, a 29-year-old man, was arrested at his home in Montreal North.
Lemieux said all three face possible charges of extortion, armed robbery, weapons offences and drug possession.

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The Outlaws Motorcycle Club has been identified by the FBI as an international criminal organization whose members engage in acts of violence

Saturday, 2 August 2008

On Wednesday afternoon at several Outlaws venues in the Chicagoland area, federal agents arrived with search warrants.
A series of coordinated raids from Kankakee Country to the north suburbs were led by FBI agents and investigators from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, according to a high-ranking federal source in Chicago.
Numerous Outlaws bikers were arrested during the federal raids that have in the past targeted a variety of suspected illegal activities from methamphetamines and other illegal drugs to weapons trafficking, burglary and murder. Heavily-armed federal SWAT officers were seen in camouflage and were backed up by local police in some raid locations.
Story continues belowAdvertisementIt is part of an ongoing, nationwide law enforcement initiative targeting the violent gang. Similar operations were conducted last year in Detroit and Boston. Dozens of indictments followed the raids there, charging racketeering, illegal drug distribution and firearms violations.
The Outlaws Motorcycle Club has been identified by the FBI as an international criminal organization whose members engage in acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assault, narcotics distribution, and firearms and gambling offenses. The Outlaws are a structured and hierarchical gang, much like the Chicago Outfit, divided into multiple regions in the United States. The Outlaws also have members outside the U.S. in Europe, Asia and Canada. The organization, which began in the Chicago suburb of McCook 75 years ago, have a long-standing violent history with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, including assaults/batteries, shootings and fatalities.

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California Mexican/Salvadorian street gangs have been broken up into two main factions.


California Mexican/Salvadorian street gangs have been broken up into two main factions. One faction is known as Southern 13’s or Sur who are controlled by the Mexican Mafia. The other fraction is known as the Northern 14’s or North who are controlled by the Nuestra Familia. The Sur and the Norte gangs have now expanded out of California and migrated west for various reasons. They wanted to expand their drug operation, trafficking networks and wanted to leave the violence behind. Some of these Gangs/Organizations even have international ties, i.e., the 18th Street Gang (XV3)(IVIII), Mara Salvatruche (MS) and the Florencia 13 (F13). These gangs have a traditional base as the case of the Maravilla gangs and the White Fence gangs of East Los Angeles that date back to the early 1900’s.
The Mexican Gang:
Members of the NYC were first noticed in 1996, when police responded to violent assaults occurring in weddings, baptisms, and birthday parties frequently by a large group of Mexican immigrants.
Mara Salvatruche:
MS is comprised of mostly Salvadorians. The group was started to protect themselves from the largest street gang in California known as the 18th Street Gang (Mexican descent). Uninformed individuals mistakenly believe all Salvadorian gang members belong to MS. This is an unfair assessment since correctional staff has identified Salvadorian descendents claiming affiliation or membership with Mexican gang groups.
The meaning of Mara Salvatruche: Mara meant gang since it was used by the Maravilla gangs in East L.A. Salva for El Salvador and Truche for beware. MS has become known for their violent history. One of the terrifying aspects of the older veterans of MS members is that they have received Special Forces training from the CIA at their homeland. They have migrated to the United States. Some members have been identified to be former guerilla soldiers who were trained and considered experts at sabotage, explosive manufacturing and are familiar with high power automatic weapons. MS has continued its illegal activity and have been documented and observed in the following counties and states: Texas, Washington, D.C., Nebraska, Oregon, Washington State, Canada, Virginia, the five boroughs of New York, Nassau County, Suffolk County and also have been identified on Riker’s Island.
Rank Structure:
The Mexican Gangs are loosely structured. There is only one leader and few enforcers. Usually, the leader is the individual who started the gang and/or is the smartest; meaning educated here in the US and knowledgeable about the way of life on the streets. The enforcers, who are manipulative, are the wilder more brazen gang members willing to commit robberies, and assaults.
Identifiers:
Gang members usually dress in very baggy jeans or khaki pants with baggy shirts.
Gang members will tattoo the name or initials of their gangs on parts of their body. Tattoos such as the Mother Guadeloupe a happy/sad face and the words “mi vida loca” have been observed and could signify gang membership.

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Chuckie Vang, the pint-sized thug they say is a violent gang member who targeted innocent people.


Police and FBI agents are searching for Chuckie Vang, the pint-sized thug they say is a violent gang member who targeted innocent people.Town of Menasha, Wisc. police say Vang and about 15 to 20 other members of his Sheboygan-based gang, the Asian Young and Dangerous, went to a motel in their town to collect on a drug debt.Instead, cops say they mistakenly targeted a room of innocent victims.
Detectives say that the AYDs came to the room and beat three victims with baseball bats and golf clubs. Cops say that the three unidentified people were able to get away and lock themselves in the motel room's bathroom.Investigators say that Vang took out a gun and fired five rounds into the bathroom door.
Gunfire EruptChuckie Vang is pretty distinctively short. He's only 5'4", but cops say he's plenty dangerous. Cops say the crowd dispersed, but Chuckie Vang was upset that the victims had gotten away from his angry mob.Investigators say that Vang took out a gun and fired five rounds into the bathroom door.All three victims were shot, but they survived.Vang and the other AYD members fled

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Flathead County Hells Angels road rage incident?

Law enforcement in Flathead County tried to find a group of motorcyclists a witness said were involved in a road rage incident Friday afternoon.
Dispatchers said the caller told them 15 motorcyclists were traveling south towards Kalispell in Happy Valley taking up 4 lanes in a 3 lane area.
The caller also said when a pickup didn't move over, a rider took out a chain and whipped it against the vehicle.Authorities could not confirm if they were Hells Angels or part of any other motorcycle group.

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