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Sponsored by NCOM… Brothers Behind Bars Newsletter… July 2016 – Issue 2…
The Law Offices of Richard M. Lester is the only motorcycle accident lawyer network
that gives back to the motorcycle community! And this is one of the ways… Thank You…
NCOM – National Coalition Of Motorcyclists / AIM - Aid for Injured Motorcyclists
AIM / NCOM - Free Legal And Legislative Consultation Free All Brothers Behind Bars… Editor: Mike Davis…
All we have is All we need. All we need is Awareness of how Blessed We All are…
NCOM Sponsors this Newsletter with a donation of $300.00 per month. NCOM; Richard And Joseph Lester; Attorneys At Law…
CoC Of . . . . . . . . North Dakota donates $ 25.00 a month… Bandidos MC Finland donates $ 50.00 a month.
CoC Of . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oregon donates $ 30.00 a month… Bandidos MC 1Wire Texas donates $ 25.00 a month.
CoC Of . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama donates $ 50.00 a month… Bandidos MC Galveston, TX Chapter donates $ 10.00 a month.
In Country Vietnam MC USA donates $ 50.00 a month… AOA Nation USA donates $ 50.00 a month.
Warlocks MC Nation USA donates $ 40.00 a month. Outlaws MC Connecticut donates $ 15.00 a month.
Vagos MC Nation USA donates $ 50.00 a month… Outlaws MC Georgia donates $ 20.00 a month.
SteelHorse Riders Michigan donates $ 25.00 a month… Flash Productions Michigan donates $ 10.00 a month.
Vigilante Cash Michigan donates $ 20.00 a month… Devils Diciple Tatu Alabama donates $ 25.00 a month.
IHMC Crooked Nose Mike - prison donates $ 5.00 a month… Devils Diciple SA FCI Milan, MI donates $ 25.00 a month.
Jimbo Lafayette LA donates $ 20.00 a month… Valkyrie MC Houston, Texas donates $ 10.00 a month.
Solid Brotherhood MC Minnesota donates $ 25.00 a month… El Forastero MC Nation USA donates $ 17.00 a month.
Sons Of Silence MC North Dakota donates $ 100.00 a month… El Forastero MC Okoboji, Iowa donates $ regularly.
SOS MC Western North Dakota donates $ 25.00 a month. VNV/LV MC, Dirty Chapter, Houston donates $ 5.00 a month.
SOS Supporter Wildman PA donates $ 20.00 a month. Prairie Rattlers MC North Dakota donates $ 25.00 a month.
SOS Supporter Knucklehead Fred donates $ 20.00 a month… Rough-Riders MC North Dakota donates $ 40.00 a month.
SOS Nomad Skunk FMC Springfield donates $ 25.00 a month…. Solid Brotherhood MC North Dakota donates $ 25.00 a month.
Tramp in prison El Dorado, Kansas donates $ 5.00 a month… Silent Thunder MC North Dakota donates $ regularly.
TX COC&I Region 3 Texas donates $ 10.00 a month…
In Memory of Sons Of Silence John from Minnesota who passed on Aug 5th in Sturgis, SD… R.I.P. John ….
Congratulations to Salty Dog Ralph on your release to a 1/2-way house…
Congratulations to Iron Coffin Honky on your upcoming release to a 1/2-way house on September 15, 2016…
Happy Birthday to Outlaw Yankee on Aug 3rd… Happy Birthday to Bandido Gorilla on Aug 5th…
Happy Birthday to Devils Diciple “D” on Aug 10th… Happy Birthday to Mongol Peg-Leg on Aug 16th…
Happy Birthday to Invader Nomad Breaker on Aug 29th…
Editor’s Note: For May there were 2 Issues; For June there was 1 Issue; For July this is the 2nd Issue…
Editor’s Note: Currently we are sending over 350 copies of this newsletter to members of 84 Motorcycle Clubs…
Editor’s Note: I would like to Thank my Wife “Kari” for getting these Newsletters ready to be mail…
Editor’s Note: This is a benefit for those arrested in Waco. Here is a list of the Items So Far…
The 1st & 2nd Items for the Waco Benefit was painted & donated by Satans Soldier Angelo… Great Paintings… Thank You Angelo…
The 3rd Item for this Benefit was made by Pagan Supporter Opie... He did some Great tooling in this wallet… Thank You Opie….
The 4th Item for this Benefit was donated by Sons Of Silence Supporter Kolby & by John H. Wilson Sr (who actually made it) ...
Page 1
The 5rd, 6th, & 7th Items for this Benefit was made by Bandido Cowboy... Great wallets… Thank You Cowboy….
The 8th Item for this Benefit was made by & donated by Avenger Pork Chop… Leather Belt - Size 38 - “COC” on the Belt Buckle –
WACO on the back - GBNF on both sides. Thank you Pork Chop…
The 9th Item for this Benefit was donated by Sons Of Silence Supporter Kolby… Lyon oil painting… Thank You Kolby….
The 10th Item for this Benefit was donated by Iron Horsemen Crooked Nose Mike… Support Waco Bikers… Thank You Mike….
The 11th Item for this Benefit was donated by Ghost Rider White Boy… Skull & Cross Bones… I’ll Frame. Thank You White Boy…
The 12th Item for this Benefit was donated by Friend Kevin… Little Biker Bear… I’ll Frame. Thank You Kevin…
The 13th & 14th Items for this Benefit was donated by Painted Tree; Dot Art (H-D 372,830 Dots & Devil 167,000 Dots ). Thank You!
The 15th Item for this Benefit was donated by Filthy White Boy Travis; 1%ER Knit Stocking Cap. Thank You Travis...
The 16th Item for this Benefit was donated by Kari & Ciera Davis; H-D Smokin Hot Sign & H-D Parts & Service Sign… Thanks…
The 17th & 18th Items for this Benefit was made by Bandido T-Black... Leather Gauntlet & Great Leather Belt.. Thank You T-Black….
The 19th, 20th, & 21st Items for this Benefit was made by Bandido Gorilla... Leather Koozies… Thank You Gorilla….
The 22nd Items for this Benefit was made by Jimmy Fisher Gatesville, Texas... Leather Gun Case… Thank You Jimmy….
Editor’s Note: Next Issue will include many additional items for the Waco Benefit (Silent Auction) … Thank You…
Disclaimer: The News Media does NOT always tell the Whole Truth… It tends to sensationalize the News to Sell Newspapers.
In Fact, Many Times the News Media gets the Facts Wrong!!! Page 2
Editor’s Note : It is too hard to keep up with counts, But for your
info here are the Clubs that are getting the Brothers Behind Bars
Newsletter (84 Clubs) in Prison: Avengers, Bandidos, Banshees,
Barons, Black Pistons, Boozefighters, BPM, Breed, Brother
Speed, Brothers 8, Brotherhood Nomads, Brothers Of Wheels,
Cloven Hoofs, Damned Deacon, D.C. Eagles, Death Squad,
Derelicts, Devils Diciples, Diablos, El Forastero, Finks, Fly-In-
Wheels, Forsaken Few, Free Souls, Estedes, Galloping Goose,
Ghost Riders, Grim Reapers, Gypsy Joker, Hellions, Hells Angels,
Hells Lovers, Hells Outcasts, Hermanos, Hessians, Hidalgo’s,
Highwaymen, In Country Vietnam, Iron Coffins, Iron Horsemen,
Invaders, Iron Wings, Iron Mustangs, Legion Of Doom, Liberty
Riders, Long Riders, Marauder’s, Misfits, Mohawk Valley Riders,
Moloch, Mongols, Motopsychoz, Nomads, Outlaws, Pagan’s,
Peckerwood, Phantom’s, Pharoahs, Reapers, Red Devils,
Renegades, Sadistic, Salty Dogs, Satans Soldiers, Scorpions, Set
Free Soldiers, Sin City Deciples, Sons Of Silence, Sovereign,
Sundowners, Thunderbirds, Thunderguards, Unforegiven,
Unforgiven, Vagos, Vietnam Vets / Legacy Vets, Y-Rohirrin,
Warlocks Pa, Warlocks, Winos Crew And Wheels Of Soul…
With newsletters going to Australia, Canada, England, France,
Finland, Germany, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, & Wales. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Editor’s Note (For BBB Only): Being a Patch holder in Good
Standings does have it privileges… And this is one of them… If
you are a Patch Holder in Good Standings & contact me, include
your Chapter too… If you are Not a patch holder of a MC in Good
Standings, Don’t write me & request that I add you to the mailing
list. You will only get rejected, as I only make very few special
exceptions. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Editor’s Note: I would like to Thank all of the contacts from all
of the MCs that verify if requesting member is in Good Standing
with their Club; & all of the other assistance that you give me, such
as address changes, being released, & soliciting donations… - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Editor’s Note: I produce this National Coalition of Motorcyclists
Brothers Behind Bars Newsletter which is a non-partisan
newsletter for Bikers by Bikers. Information from the Newsletter
contains News Articles & other information that may be of interest
to a biker behind bars. Financial support for this Newsletter
comes mainly from NCOM, Motorcycle Clubs, And
Confederations Of Clubs… - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Updated News Article Sources: All News Articles contained in
this NCOM Brothers Behind Bars Newsletter, unless source is
specified, are obtained from the following 7 (Seven) Web Sites:
Motorcycle Profiling Project (David “Double D” Devereaux),
FreeRoadBlock (Outlaw RoadBlock 1%er), The Aging Rebel,
Road Scholars (Wolf From Atlanta), Outlaw Biker World, White
Trash News & Becky Cakes…
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Editor’s Note: In the interest of Cost Savings, If you can share
One copy of this Newsletter where I am sending multiple copies
to the same institution, please let me know… Thanks, Mike - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Live Each Day Like It’s Your Last.
One Day, You’ll Get It Right…
Live Free Or Die...
The AIM/NCOM Motorcycle E-News Service is brought to you
by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists & the National Coalition of
Motorcyclists, & is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M.
Lester. If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, call us at
1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com ...
Biker Newsbytes: Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, NCOM
Congress to Consider Anti-Motorcycle Profiling Resolution:
House Resolution 831 was introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives on July 13, 2016 to “Promote awareness of motor-
cycle profiling & encourage collaboration & communication with
the motorcycle community & L.E officials to prevent instances of
profiling.” The non-binding resolution defines motorcycle
profiling as “the arbitrary practice of L.E using the fact that a
person rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle related apparel as
a factor in deciding to stop & question, take enforcement action,
arrest, or search a person or vehicle with or without legal basis
under the United States Constitution,” & cites complaints
surrounding motorcycle profiling in all 50 states. The National
Coalition of Motorcyclists is working with other state & Nat’l
motorcycle organizations to address profiling legislatively, & with
Washington enacting the 1st anti-profiling law in 2011, followed
recently by Maryland, a national motorcycle anti-profiling
measure would advance the efforts in every state. H.Res.831
specifies that the House of Representatives:
(1) promotes increased public awareness on the issue
of motorcycle profiling;
(2) encourages collaboration & communication with the
motorcycle community & L.E. to engage in efforts to
end motorcycle profiling; and
(3) urges State L.E. officials to include statements condemning
motorcycle profiling in written policies & training materials.
H.Res.831, introduced by Congressmen Reid Ribble (R-WI) &
Tim Walberg (R-MI), has been referred to the House Committee
on the Judiciary, & concerned motorcyclists are encouraged to
contact their Fed representatives to support the bill.
Marine Corps Prohibits “Gang Colors or Symbols” on Camp
Pendleton: “Open & visible association with supremacist,
extremist, or criminal gangs, to include outlaw motorcycle gangs,
by individuals aboard Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton
(Calif.) poses a criminal & security threat; inhibits the mission of
MCB CamPen; interferes with the loyalty, morale, good order, &
discipline of MCB CamPen personnel; & discredits the reputation
of the installation & the United States Marine Corps,” states
MCIWest-MCB Campen Order 5530.2 dated 30 June 2016, &
orders that “…the wearing or displaying of supremacist, extremist
or criminal gang colors & symbols by any person aboard MCB
CamPen is hereby prohibited.” Effective upon the date of
signature, the order from Brigadier General Edward Banta,
commanding general of Camp Pendleton, is pursuant to an earlier
directive in which “the Sec of Defense was directed to prescribe
regulations prohibiting active participation by members of the
Armed Forces in a criminal street gang.” In compiling their “list
of ‘outlaw’ MCs/gangs whose conduct is prohibited,” among the
20 enumerated clubs named are the Legacy/Vietnam Vets,
Boozefighters & Iron Order, & “Therefore, wearing identifying
gang symbols or colors of clothing (to include motorcycle vests)
associated with these organizations is prohibited.”
Page 3
Yelp Censors Christian Bikers: In a July 18th e-mail feedback
from internet business review giant Yelp, the Yelp Support Team
in San Francisco informed the elder of a Christian motorcycle
group that his review of a coffee shop had been removed after it
“was brought to our attention by the Yelp community, & we found
that it fell outside our Content Guidelines…” which were attached.
The offending post? “Removed Content: The Bikers for Christ
Motorcycle Ministry is a Christian clean & sober group. We meet
there (The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) because they just serve great
coffee with a great group of baristas, & a clean & neat facility &
no political agenda like Starbucks. Pastor Tom, BFC M/M; State
Elder”
Registering “Autocycles” as Motorcycles in New Jersey; Veto
S-1155: Despite lobbying efforts launched by ABATE of the
Garden State, the N.J. state Senate & Assembly disregarded input
from motorcyclists & approved a bill that will register so-called
“Autocycles” (typically a 3-wheeled vehicle with a steering wheel
& cockpit) as motorcycles. As states across the country
legislatively define Autocycles as a separate class of vehicle, &
similar Fed regulations loom, Trenton bucks the trend. “Both
Houses have approved a version that will register Autocycles as
Motorcycles,” writes ABATE of the Garden State in an e-mail
request for legislative action, further disseminated through the
National Coalition of Motorcyclists to NCOM Member Groups;
“The only hope is to convince the Governor that this is an
inappropriate action so that he vetoes the bill.” Please address
your concerns to N.J. Governor Chris Christie at
[email protected] , & ask that he veto S-1155
(Regulates autocycles as motorcycles), because “Autocycles bear
no resemblance to motorcycles & have more in common
operationally with 2-seater sports cars,” & in addition “NHTSA is
currently in the process of issuing a nationwide regulation that
would mandate a completely new class of vehicle called
‘Autocycle’,” so “if S-1155 is enacted it will have to be repealed
to comply with the new Fed regulation.” ABATE further
explains; “This will cost the taxpayers of NJ a lot of unnecessary
expenditures, & allow the misclassified Autocycles to avoid
vehicle safety regulation in the interim.”
Michigan City Makes it Easier to Ticket Loud Motorcycles:
Royal Oak, Michigan is making it easier for police to ticket
revving motorcycles, noisy cars & loud music. City
Commissioners recently approved a new ordinance making it a
civil infraction with a fine of up to $100 for vehicles to emit music,
vibrations or noise that can be heard from 50 feet away or more.
The Police Chief requested the ordinance amendment under the
city’s disorderly conduct code that covers disturbing the peace &
noise. Previously, such violations were a criminal misdemeanor,
which have a higher burden of proof for police. The new measure
adopted July 13, 2016 makes the noise violations a civil infraction
with no criminal penalties & a lesser burden of proof to make
violations stand up in court. With noise tickets being handled as
criminal misdemeanors & requiring proof beyond a reasonable
doubt, police have had a challenge stopping violators. “It’s above
a seat belt violation but below a moving violation,” said the Chief
of the civil infraction penalty, adding that the new local law will
help police address public noise problems from motorcycles &
other vehicles with after-market upgrades & louder mufflers.
Officers writing tickets for noise violations before the new change
in the ordinance had to carry devices to measure decibel levels at
the time the violations happened. Under the new measure, the City
Atty said it would be sufficient for officers to use the patrol vehicle
cameras & outside microphones when issuing noise violations.
South Carolina Law Restricts Operators with Beginner’s
Permits: A person with a beginner’s permit in South Carolina is
only allowed to operate a motorcycle solo between the hours of
6am & 6pm, & under the new traffic code changes “A permittee
may not operate a motorcycle at any other time unless
accompanied by a licensed motorcycle operator twenty-one years
of age or older who has at least one year of driving experience.”
S689, signed into law on June 7, 2106 by S.C. Governor Nikki
Haley, a staunch supporter of motorcyclists’ rights & safety,
further requires that the supervising driver must “be within a safe
viewing distance of the permittee when the permittee is operating
a motorcycle or a 3-wheeled vehicle.”
Flashing Brake Lights Now Allowed on Bikes in Delaware:
As promoted in the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles
Motorcycle Operator Manual, it is recommended to motorcycle
operators that they temporarily flash brake lights when stopping in
order to increase visibility to other motorists. There are
aftermarket products available that will automatically flash the
brake lights up to 5 times, but such strobes have been illegal in the
Delaware Code under the prohibition on flashing lights. House
Bill No. 114, signed into law by Governor Jack Markell on June
9, 2016, amends the traffic code to now allow bikes to be equipped
with this safety equipment “when included in a motorcycle,
Moped, or Motorized Scooter brake light system in which the
brake lamp pulses rapidly for no more than 5 seconds when the
brake is applied, & then converts to a continuous light as a normal
brake lamp until the time that the brake is released.”
Bikers are more Attractive than Drivers: The results of a new
research study in England finally validate what we all know to be
true: motorcycle riders are more attractive than car drivers. The
study, by U.K. insurance specialists Carole Nash, asked over 1000
adults to rate the looks of the opposite sex when dressed in normal
attire & riding kit. The aim of the experiment was to try & change
perceptions of motorcyclists & overturn any negative stereotypes.
In 5 out of 6 cases, members of the public dressed as motorcyclists
were voted as more desirable than when dressed as drivers. It’s
not just levels of attractiveness which came out in the bikers’
favor, because riders are also seen to have more positive
personality traits - people who own a motorcycle are viewed as
adventurous by a third of the opposite sex (34%), closely followed
by daring (28%) & fun (26%). The research also revealed that “1
in 4 blokes would pretend they owned a motorbike to impress a
woman & almost a third (31%) said they’d go the whole way &
learn to ride one if they knew it would impress a potential partner.”
Goldwing Airbag Recall: Recall, after recall, after recall, one
thing has remained constant in the Takata airbag quagmire: The
disaster has been confined to the 4-wheeled realm. Not any longer,
as the Honda Goldwing, the 1st & so far, the only motorcycle
equipped with an airbag from the factory, has now been recalled.
The gist of the recall is the same, 2 wheels or 4 - Takata’s airbag
inflators can rupture, potentially propelling shards of metal
shrapnel at the vehicle’s occupants. Or in this case, the motorcycle
riders. A total of 2,701 motorcycles are involved in this recall,
spanning the 2006 through 2010 model years, & only in certain
regions. Only Goldwings sold or operated in areas with high
humidity or frequent temperature cycling are being recalled at this
time. Page 4
London Set to Surcharge Older Motorcycles: Another
European capital city has committed to hitting riders of older
motorcycles with a fee in an attempt to improve EU air quality.
Recently, Paris announced a ban on motorcycles made before
1999 from certain parts of the city during the day. Violators of the
ban face a €35 (US $40) fine. The French capital has some of the
worst air pollution in the world, & the thinking behind the new law
is that older motorcycles will not have been built to meet Euro
emissions standards & are therefore inclined to pollute
disproportionately. London, too, is desperate to reduce its
pollution levels, which are consistently in violation of EU
regulations. Within the 1st week of 2016, London exceeded its
pollution limit for the entire year. The British capital has long had
a daily congestion charge -- currently set at £11.50 (US $17) -- to
discourage cars from entering the heart of the city. Motorcycles
& scooters have hitherto been exempt from the charge, but plans
are in the works to start charging 2-wheeled vehicles made before
2007, when Euro 3 emissions standards were first applied to
motorcycles. London motorcyclists have known about this &
were expecting to see the charge applied when London introduces
its new Ultra Low Emission Zone in 2020, but it is now being
reported that the charge could be implemented as soon as next
year, & concerned riders have expressed anger at the possibility of
a sped-up schedule.
Quotable Quote: “Posterity! You will never know how much
it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope
you will make good use of it! If you do not, I shall repent it in
Heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it!” ~ John
Adams - April 26, 1777 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Waco DA Hides Head In Sand - June 16, 2016 - Texas - By The
Aging Rebel; www.AgingRebel.com - McLennan County District
Atty Abelino Reyna & Waco police propagandist & failed Sheriff
wannabe Patrick Swanton reacted to yesterday’s decision by the
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to lift a year-long gag order in
the strange & terrible case of the Waco, Texas Twin Peaks
ambush. Nine men died & another 19 were wounded in a
confrontation between members of the Cossacks & Bandidos MCs
on May 17, 2015. Waco police & officers of the Texas Dept of
Public Safety knew in advance that there would be a confrontation
& rather than stopping it decided to video record it. At least 4 of
the dead, & possibly a fifth, were killed by Waco police officers
Michael Bucher & Heath Jackson using model XM 15-E2S, 5.56
x 45mm caliber select-fire rifles manufactured by Bushmaster
Firearms Internat’l. Jackson was described by other officers as
laying down “suppressive fire” during the incident. Thirteen
months after the incident Bucher & Jackson remain on
administrative duty although neither man has been charged with
any crime nor have their actions been reviewed by a grand jury.
Conspiracy: Reyna was aware that most of the people taken into
custody after the incident were innocent of any crime. Texas
Rangers had already worked out the logistics of releasing most of
them. But about 8 hours after the smoke cleared Reyna conceived
& implemented a conspiracy to conceal & cover up embarrassing
& possibly illegal, official actions that resulted in the carnage.
That official conspiracy was intended to control information &
misinformation about the Twin Peaks ambush & events that
preceded it. One way in which Reyna & other officials controlled
the official narrative was by locking up witnesses. The conspiracy
was business as usual in the Waco criminal justice system. ESPN
& various news agencies have documented that the Waco PD
concealed information about crimes committed by members of the
Baylor Univ football team. Swanton, in his role as Public
Information Officer for the Waco police was also part of the
conspiracy to cover up official misdeeds & mislead the world’s
press after the bloody brawl at the Twin Peaks. The gag order
enforced against Dallas Atty Clint Broden, one of the most
outspoken defenders in the criminal cases created by the Waco
conspiracy, was sought in furtherance of that conspiracy to cover
up the facts of the incident.
Reaction Quotes: Yesterday, when the gag order was finally
lifted, Reyna issued a written statement that said: “The Gag Order
was requested by the State to help preserve & maintain everyone’s
right to a fair trial. I want to commend the Judge on his effort in
doing so by issuing the Gag Order. While we may not agree with
the Court of Criminal Appeals, we respect their decision. “With
that said, the McLennan County District Atty’s Office will
continue to make every effort to preserve everyone’s right to fair
trial by not commenting any further on this matter. In short, we
will leave our talking for the courtroom.” As a matter of public
record, Reyna has stymied numerous efforts by defense Attys in
the case, most notably Houston lawyer Paul Looney, to get their
clients to trial where they might finally prove their innocence. In
one hearing, Reyna actually had the audacity to claim that none of
the defendants could be tried until Waco police had examined the
social media tracks of every defendant.
Broden And Swanton: After Reyna issued his statement,
Broden issued his own press release which said: “Strangely,
following the vacating of the gag order, McLennan County
District Atty Abelino Reyna issued a statement saying that his
office would now leave its ‘talking for the courtroom.’
Nevertheless, Reyna held a press conference only a few days after
the tragic Twin Peaks incident declaring all the motorcyclists
guilty in a transparent effort to taint the McLennan County jury
pool & he then later held another press conference, when the gag
order was still in effect, announcing the first round of indictments
in the case. “The Waco PD & the McLennan County District
Atty’s Office engaged in a concerted effort to control the narrative,
scare the public & taint the jury pool immediately following the
Twin Peaks tragedy during numerous press conferences held
before local, state, national & internat’l media. It was only after t
he media & public began to realize that a large majority of the
motorcyclists were innocent of any criminal wrongdoing & the
McLennan County District Atty’s Office realized it could not
longer control the narrative that Reyna sought the ill fated gag
order that has now been lifted.” Swanton replied to Broden by
telling Dane Schiller of the Houston Chronicle: “We don’t
comment on the rhetoric defense Attys use trying to protect their
clients who have been arrested for criminal offenses.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher
said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human
being because even though it was a really large mammal, it’s
throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was
swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a
whale could not swallow a human, it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, “When I get to heaven, I will ask Jonah.” The
teacher asked, “What if Jonah went to hell?” The little girl
replied, “Then you ask him.” Page 5
Texas AG Joins Waco Coverup - June 17, 2016 – Texas - By
The Aging Rebel; www.AgingRebel.com - Yesterday, Texas Atty
General Ken Paxton defied a Fed subpoena to release official
records that might reveal the extent to which Fed police contrived
& exploited for their own cynical ends the “biker brawl” in the
parking lot of the Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco on May 17, 2015.
The brawl left 9 men dead & 19 wounded & resulted in the
administrative punishment of 173 men & 4 women with life
altering incarcerations, draconian fines in the form of “bonds,” &
property forfeitures. The subpoena was issued by James Winton,
an atty representing the owners of the Waco Twin Peaks franchise,
in a Fed civil case in Dallas on May 21. Winton sought documents
possessed by the TX Dept of Public Safety pertaining to joint state
& Fed MC investigations. The info Winton sought included:
Interesting Things To Know: “Writings or Recordings that
refer, relate, or pertain to any investigation of MCs or bike nights
at any other restaurant or other venue hosting “bike nights” in
Texas during the period May 17, 2014 – May 17, 2015.”
“Writings or Recordings that refer, relate, or pertain to any
investigation of the TX Confederation of Clubs & Independents,
including but not limited to regional meetings in TX during the
period May 17, 2014 – May 17, 2015.” “All Writings or
Recordings that refer, relate, or pertain to the ‘support &
investigation assistance’ provided to the Waco PD concerning the
Incident.” “Operations plan, tactical or otherwise, including
notes from any preparatory meetings discussing the planning,
staffing, overtime forces needed, assignments, location /
deployment of officers, weapons to be used, emergency medical
personnel assigned & on standby, & defensive measures to be used
such as helmets/body armor, including but not limited to
bulletproof vests.” “Memorandum of understanding between You
& the Waco PD.” “All Writings, Recordings or other
communication, including text, e-mail, & radio, between You or
officers of any other LE Agency or & any other personnel of any
LE Agency that refer, relate, or pertain to the Incident or to the
anticipated Texas Confederation of Clubs & Independents
meeting scheduled to occur at 1 p.m. on May 17, 2015 at Twin
Peaks Waco.” “All video & audio recording of any activity of the
Bandidos, Cossacks, or other MCs, gangs or organizations
between April 1 & May 17, 2015.” “All Writings & Recordings,
including but not limited to field notes, reports, & MDT entries or
logs, that refer, relate, or pertain to any visits made to Legends
Cycles by Your personnel at any time between May 17, 2014 &
May 17, 2015.” “All Writings & Recordings that refer, relate, or
pertain to social media postings of any of those arrested on charges
of engaging in a criminal conspiracy in relation to the events of
May 17, 2015 at Twin Peaks Waco or any of their immediate
family, friends, or acquaintances.”
Training Manuals: Yesterday Paxton refused to release any
information except some excerpts from some Dept of Public
Safety training manuals. He complained that “two pending
prosecutions & an ongoing criminal investigation related to the
documents identified in this subpoena…would be undermined by
disclosure of the records in DPS’ possession.” The “ongoing
investigation” may refer to an investigation the Dept of Justice is
calling “Operation Texas Rocker” that led to an indictment
returned against 3 Bandidos MC officers on Dec 16, 2015 &
unsealed on Jan 5, 2016. A press release issued by Richard L.
Durbin, Jr., the U.S. Atty for the Western District of Texas,
described Operation Bottom Rocker as a 23-month- long
investigation that was “ongoing.” Page 6
Joshua Moore: Or the ongoing investigation may refer to a
DEA investigation into the Cossacks. That investigation was
initiated on May 28, 2015 by DEA special agent Russ Culver &
DEA Tactical Field Officer Joshua Moore. TFOs are local police
officers deputized by a Fed police agency. TFOs are used almost
exclusively as undercover officers in Fed investigations. The 2
“pending prosecutions” Paxton thinks would be subverted by
telling the truth are U.S. v. John Xavier Portillo, Jeffery Fay Pike
& Justin Cole Forster, the lone case that has resulted so far from
Operation Texas Rocker & Texas v. Matthew Clendennen. On
Jan 25, 2016, 40 days after the Bandidos indictment was returned
by the grand jury, a Fed judge named David Ezra “ordered that
given the sensitive nature of the discovery material, for any
material provided, production & viewing of discovery materials is
restricted to the United States Atty’s Office by appointment.”
Clendennen was a victim of the mass arrests that followed the
Twin Peaks brawl. Clendennen’s lawyer, Clint Broden filed a
“Motion to Reveal Identity of CIs & Undercover LEOs.” Broden
filed the motion on Feb 2, 2016. Waco judge Matt Johnson denied
the motion on April Fools’ Day. Paxton is currently under
investigation by the Securities & Exchange Commission for
violating multiple Fed laws in 2011.
Oklahoma Backs Off - June 20, 2016 – Oklahoma – By The
Aging Rebel; www.AgingRebel.com - Oklahoma Governor Mary
Fallin tapped the brakes Friday on a controversial plan to equip
Highway Patrolmen with open loop debit card readers. The card
readers, supplied by the ERAD Group, Inc., would allow traffic
cops to seize the value of debit cards that are not associated with a
bank account. Police routinely seize cash from motorists accused
or suspected of criminally acquiring their money. The basis for
these accusations is usually a policeman’s intuition or cruelty &
Okla has become notorious for stealing cash from citizens. This
legalized theft is called “civil asset forfeiture.” Debit cards sold by
retailers like Green Dot & Walmart are an alternative to carrying
cash. The card readers allow police to determine the value of the
cards & seize that value as if it were cash during traffic stops.
Shady: ERAD is an acronym for Electronic Recovery &
Access to Data. The ERAD Group is owned by an entrepreneur
named T. Jack Williams who is also the president of Paymentcard
Services, Inc. About 4 years ago he began proposing the use of the
card readers to the Dept of Homeland Security. Williams has
portrayed the cards as tools used “to launder money or finance
terrorists.” The Oklahoma card readers are intended for use on
the Interstate Hwy 40 “forfeiture corridor.” A contract between
Williams & Okla stipulated that Williams will get 7.7% of the
money seized using the card readers. Okla’s proposed use of the
card readers has been widely condemned. Nick Sibillia, of the
Institute for Justice, told Fox News the use of the card readers to
seize money from motorists as they passed through the Sooner
State was “blatantly unconstitutional.” Radley Balko called the
deal Williams made with Okla “shady.”
Politician Speak: The rhetoric Oklahoma has used to justify
issuing the card readers to police has been fatuous. In her press
release last week, Governor Fallin said, “The readers are intended
to apprehend those involved in identity theft or other illegal
activities involving monetary transactions.” Prepaid cards must be
“loaded” before they can be used & seizing the money pre-loaded
on them has absolutely nothing to do with identify theft. Last
Friday Fallin “directed her Cabinet secretary of safety & security
to delay the use of devices.” Fallin also said, “More than 25 states
use the card-reading devices. Their use has been upheld by
courts.” She did not name the states or the court cases. She did
say, “The Dept of Public Safety needs to formulate a clear policy
for using this new technology…. It can be a viable tool for LE
only if authorities are able to ensure Okla motorists & others
driving through our state that it will be used appropriately.” “The
Okla H.P. has enjoyed the trust of Okla motorists for decades,’’
Fallin also claimed. “Taking time to develop policy for the use of
these devices & to educate the public will help calm the fears of
the motoring public.”
Suing City Hall - June 21, 2016 – Texas – By The Aging Rebel;
www.AgingRebel.com - Last week, the 2 corrupt Waco cops
currently being sued for false arrest in 13 civil rights cases in Fed
court in Austin begged District Court Judge Sam Sparks to freeze
the case until all the state criminal cases associated with the Twin
Peaks biker brawl on May 17, 2015 are completed. The 2 corrupt
Waco cops are retiring Police Chief Brent Stroman & Detective
Manuel Chavez. They, along with McLennan County District Atty
Abelino Reyna & “John Doe, an employee of the Texas Dept of
Public Safety,” are being sued for false arrest. And last week their
lawyers, Charlie & Mike from a general practice firm in a Waco
shopping center named Haley & Olsen, argued “that a false arrest
claim should be stayed until resolution of the criminal charges, as
until that time it may be difficult to determine the relation between
the 2.” At Judge Sparks direction, Charlie & Mike & Don Tittle,
the Dallas lawyer who represents 8 of the 13 complainants, filed
briefs to explain why the case should proceed or pause & what the
implications of those 2 obvious possibilities might be. At 1st
glance, the most interesting thing about Charlie & Mike’s briefs is
that they did not use the word “justice” once. Not once.
Round And Round: The deadly & preventable confrontation in
the parking lot of the Twin Peaks restaurant was never about
justice. It was about building Fed cases against the Bandidos, the
Cossacks & the Aryan Circle. The false arrests & imprisonments
& the official public pronouncements & the legal legerdemain that
followed the brawl weren’t intended to further justice. If Charlie
or Mike ever uttered the word “justice” they must have laughed.
Charlie & Mike’s argument to the judge is circular. How can any
mere mortal prove that the Waco victims were falsely arrested
until they are tried for the crime for which they were arrested in
the first place? And how can they be tried until sometime after, as
Abelino Reyna put it, the Waco PD completes its forensic analysis
of “cellular phone data;” & until sometime after the “social media
analysis (in excess of 100,000 pages of communications via social
media made by defendants & suspects related to this matter)” that
will take an “unknown amount of time to complete” is completed.
In a passage that epitomizes both their prose style & their
ignorance of the Latin phrase circulus in probando, Charlie &
Mike write “This includes, but is not limited to, assertions that
probable cause was lacking because Defendants knew or should
have known that Plaintiffs were not part of a criminal street gang
& that Defendants knew or should have known that plaintiffs did
not conspire to commit a crime – both elements of the crime
charged; along with a global assertion that probable cause was
lacking because Defendants knew or should have known that
Plaintiffs were not engaging in criminal activity. Obviously, a
favorable ruling for the Plaintiffs by this Court on any of these
matters would impugn the validity of a criminal conviction.” In
his brief Tittle pointed out that: “A party to the civil suit has almost
complete control over the criminal cases at issue. District Atty
Reyna operated as a police officer during the initial phases of the
case, & was directly involved in the determination of probable
cause. On that basis he is being sued, & because of his non-
prosecutorial involvement in the initial proceedings does not have
immunity…. In this unique case, the timing of the criminal trials
lies solely in the hands of Defendant Reyna, who has a personal
financial interest in these…cases. This is the ultimate conflict of
interest. Defendant Reyna has the sole discretion to speed up the
preparation & litigation of the criminal cases, or increase the delay
that has existed for more than a year thus far. Additional delay
works in Defendant Reyna’s personal best interest because
witnesses become more difficult to find & memory fades, which
increases the Plaintiffs’ burden of proof in these cases. Notwith-
standing the obvious financial interest Reyna has in the outcome
of every single criminal case, he has yet to recuse himself.”
Suing City Hall: There is more at stake here. It will not just be
Reyna, Stroman, Chavez & John Doe who make these
complainant’s millionaires. Ultimately Waco, McLennan County
& the state of Texas will have to pay the bill & there is a 2-year
statute of limitations associated with that. In order to put their
hands in the city, county or state’s pockets, the Waco victims must
file something called a “Monell Claim.” The claim is named for a
court case titled Monell v. NY City Dept of Social Services & that
decision provides the one exception to the common law rule that
you can’t sue city hall. Under Monell, you can sue city hall, or the
county or the state, if Reyna, Stroman, Chavez & John Doe acted
according to official policy; or according to a long standing
practice; or if the city, county or state failed to take reasonable
steps to forbid the defendants from framing the complainants; or
if the Gov’ts allowed scoundrels like Reyna, Chavez, Stroman &
John Doe to make up the rules as they went along. “Plaintiffs must
be allowed to conduct discovery with respect to Monell liability
issues or their right to bring suit against a municipality whose
unconstitutional policy led to their false arrests will be lost
forever,” Tittle wrote. “Plaintiffs cannot simply plead claims
against the City of Waco or the County of McLennan in a
conclusory manner & then hope to develop specific facts to
support these theories once a stay is lifted (presumably years down
the road). Specifically, in order to assert a Monell claim, Plaintiffs
have to provide plausible, non-conclusory evidence of an official
or unofficial policy of a widespread pattern or practice of
unconstitutional violations.” The rub here is statute of limitations
on false arrest claims. If the current & future complainants are to
sue the city, county & state, they have to do it in the next 11
months. And before they can sue city hall, they must have
“evidence of an official or unofficial policy of a widespread
pattern or practice of unconstitutional violations.” That’s what
Charlie & Mike are really trying to stop. And it is now up to Judge
Sparks to decide whether Waco, McLennan County & the state of
Texas should be allowed to get away with it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A 1964 advertisement: Do you have Tight nuts or a Rusty tool?
Then use WD40 in the man size pressure pack:
* Makes old tools like new again
* Tools slide in & out with ease
* Lubricates dry passage ways
* Makes screwing a pleasure
* Give better penetration
Try some, buy some keep a spare pack in your car for
emergencies WD40 It’s good stuff
Page 7
Names On A List - June 22, 2016 – Netherlands – By The Aging
Rebel; www.AgingRebel.com - The so-called Global War On
Terror is still the global war on MCs. This month the proofs of
that are in a Dutch proposal to ban the Mongols & Hells Angels
MCs & in a series of deportations incidental to the HA’s World
Run earlier this month near Rynia, Poland, about 25 miles from
Warsaw. Officials estimated that about 1,000 Angels from around
the world attended the event. The Poles deployed 5,000 police. A
significant but unknown member of American police representing
the Dept of Homeland Security, the FBI & the ATF also attended
the event. The Americans came with a list.
Schengen: A source, speaking on condition of anonymity lest
his name wind up on a list, said, “What’s new is that the Polish
police were holding lists of mainly American names supplied by
American Feds. When someone with a name on the list was
identified at the airport or on the road somewhere they were hauled
away, held for several days then basically extorted of several
thousand dollars to pay for their deportation back to the United
States. It wasn’t a blanket ban on Americans. There was a list.
What’s interesting & worrying is that all of this included the so-
called accused being nailed under some new kind of anti-terror
legislation & then hit with a 5 year no fly ban within or to the
Schengen countries.” The Schengen Area, created by the
Amsterdam Treaty of 1997, comprises a “common travel” area of
26 European nations. Visitors who are admitted to one Schengen
country can travel to other Schengen countries without obtaining
additional visas. Anyone banned from visiting any Schengen
country is banned from visiting all Schengen countries. HA
banned from visiting Poland will also be banned from visiting
Bulgaria, Britain, Ireland, Sweden & Iceland, for example. “What
I do know,” the source continued, is “that nearly every name on
the list might well be considered in the liberal wing of the club.
Dialog & talk rather than blasting & action. COC reps…and like-
minded people.”
List: The Consolidated Terrorist Screening Database – the so-
called terrorist watch list – was established in 2003 & is
administered by an impenetrable bureaucracy called the Terrorist
Screening Center. It is public knowledge that the database was
enlarged & revised after a flurry of terrorist attacks in Paris last
Nov. At least 2 of the Paris terrorists had posed as political
refugees the month before & had been admitted to the Schengen
Area through Greece. What happened this month in Poland is not
the first time Fed police agencies & the State Dept have worked
together to use laws & procedures intended to thwart Islamic
terrorists against members of MCs. The HAs Motorcycle
Corporation filed suit against Secretary of Homeland Security
Janet Napolitano, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton &
Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in
Aug 2012 after the Depts of State & Homeland Security identified
the HAs as a “known criminal organization” along with
“organizations like the Mafia, the Chinese Triads, the Yakuza,
organized Salvadoran street gangs, & other biker gangs.” The
administrative action made foreign members of the club
“inadmissible to the United States solely based on their
membership in the group.” The HAMC sued on the grounds that
the defendants misinterpreted the congressional intent of the
Immigration & Nationality Act. The HA corporation withdrew its
complaint in Dec 2012.
Gonzalez Re-Arraignment Today - June 23, 2016 – Nevada –
By The Aging Rebel; www.AgingRebel.com - Vago Ernesto
Manuel “Romeo” Gonzalez will plead not guilty this afternoon
when he is re-arraigned for the murder of Hells Angel San Jose
charter president Jeffrey “Jethro” Pettigrew during the Street
Vibrations motorcycle rally in Sept 2011. After deliberating for
about 5 hours, a 5-man, 7-woman jury in Reno found Gonzalez
guilty in Aug 2013 of 7 charges including 1st & 2nd degree
murder, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to engage,
challenge to fight resulting in death, carrying a concealed weapon
& discharging a firearm in a structure. The case against Gonzalez
centered around the testimony of a disgraced Vago named Stuart
Gary “Jabbers” Rudnick. Rudnick deliberately picked a fight with
Pettigrew & then became the star witness against Gonzalez. There
was a blatant quid pro quo relationship between Rudnick’s
testimony & his eventual punishment.
Rudnick: Rudnick arranged a plea agreement & pled guilty
before Gonzalez trial but he was not sentenced until after he gave
his testimony against Gonzalez. He testified that he & Gonzalez
had a meeting prior to the fight with the international Pres of the
Vagos; that the club Pres authorized a “green light” on Pettigrew,
& that Gonzalez agreed to kill Pettigrew.” Rudnick was the only
witness who testified that there was a conspiracy to kill Pettigrew.
The case, in the words of defense Atty David Houston, boiled
down to, “Either Gonzalez is telling the truth or Rudnick is telling
the truth.” The jury believed Rudnick. Washoe County District
Court Judge Connie Steinheimer both sentenced Rudnick &
presided over Gonzalez’ trial. Rudnick spent 26 months in a
Nevada penitentiary before he was paroled in Oct 2015.
Appeal: Gonzalez appealed his conviction to the NV Supreme
Court. Last Dec, that court overruled his conviction on the grounds
that Judge Steinheimer abused her power when she refused to
answer juror questions that “suggested the jury was confused or
lacked understanding of a significant element of conspiracy to
commit murder.” She also failed to ward the jury that Rudnick’s
testimony was unsubstantiated by any other evidence. Today the
case starts all over again in Steinheimer’s courtroom.
FBI List Of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs – Jun 24, 2016 – USA –
By Biker News Network; http://BikerNews.net - Thousands of
violent street gangs, motorcycle gangs, & prison gangs are
criminally active in the U.S. today. Wanted by the FBI: Talk-List
of outlaw MCs This is the talk page for discussing does the FBI
also list known puppet clubs or smaller players other than the “Big
Four”? FBI: Biker gangs are The FBI says on its organized crime
Web page that the Bandidos is one of the largest OMGs in the
U.S.A. Talk-List of OMCs – Wikipedia, the free This is the talk
page for discussing improvements to the List of OMCs article.
FBI List Of Motorcycle Gangs. The groups are serious criminal
organizations — including one that the FBI alleges is among the
largest outlaw motorcycle gangs in 45 Responses to “FBI Admits
All Registered Motorcycle Owners Are On Classified Gang List”
the FBI is maintaining a list of all motorcycle owners, since 1994?
Documents show area bikers got caught up in FBI sting. Pres of
the Outlaws Motorcycle The FBI names him as the Pres of the
Outlaw Outlaws Motorcycle Gang Members Found Guilty
National President, Other Leaders Convicted of Racketeering &
Other Violent Crimes Top 10 Notorious American Biker Gangs^
Top 10 Notorious American Biker Gangs’ When some by the FBI
& the ATF OMC is FBI contractors & an employee of “a highly
is tracking because they are linked to “outlaw motorcycle obtained
by The Intercept.
Page 8
Hempstead Village biker brawl averted, Nassau - June 26, 2016
- New York - By Ellen Yan; www.newsday.com - As many as 100
bikers surrounded the Hells Angels clubhouse in Hempstead
Village on Sunday, ready for a clash, but left after police showed
up in force, authorities said Monday about an incident that remains
under investigation. A group called the Unknown Bikers MC
came “in force to retrieve vests” — clothing with colors or
emblems that represent the group — after they were taken...
‘Operation Chopper’ Guilty Pleas - June 26, 2016 – New York
– By Kathy Welsh; http://HudsonValleyNewsNetwork.com -
Orange County District Atty David M. Hoovler announced on
Thu, June 23, 2016, defendants charged in the “Operation
Chopper” enforcement action pleaded guilty to the Class A felony
of Operating as a Major Trafficker, & the Class B Felony of
Enterprise Corruption, as well as to other charges. Brandon
Masker pleaded guilty before Orange County Court Judge Robert
Freehill to Operating as a Major Trafficker. During his plea
Masker admitted that he was the director of a controlled substance
organization that distributed cocaine throughout Orange County &
surrounding areas, & that he had at least 4 people working under
him, who distributed the cocaine for him throughout Orange
County. Under the plea arrangement announced in Court, Masker
faces up to 15 years in State Prison. Masker’s organization was
centered in the Town of Warwick. In addition to uncovering
crimes related to narcotics distribution, the “Operation Chopper”
investigation also revealed crimes committed by “outlaw MCs”.
Ryan Culver pleaded guilty to Enterprise Corruption for
criminal acts he committed as the President of the now defunct
Young Souls MC. Culver admitted selling cocaine on behalf of
the Young Souls, a self-described “outlaw biker club” in Sept
2014 & May 2015, & possessing a pistol in late 2013. That pistol
was later used in a shooting in an Otisville bar by another Young
Souls club member. Charles Sawtelle also pleaded guilty to
Enterprise Corruption for criminal acts he committed as the Pres
of the Cycle Lords MC. Sawtelle admitted not only selling cocaine
& methadone pills, but also possessing an illegal high capacity
magazine on behalf of the Cycle Lords.
Amanda Rohloff pleaded guilty on June 23, 2016, to Criminal
Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree &
Conspiracy in the 4th Degree. Rohloff admitted that she possessed
cocaine with intent to sell it, & that she was selling it on behalf of
Ryan Culver. Richard Tomczak, his brother, Joseph Tomczak,
Peter Noger, & John Scheinert all pleaded guilty on June 23, 2016,
to Conspiracy in the 4th Degree & each admitted agreeing to
helping Masker sell cocaine. On June 23, 2016, Carl Digirolamo
pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance
in the 3rd Degree. Digirolamo admitted to possessing cocaine he
received from Anthony Spagnola with the intent to sell it.
On April 28, 2016, members of the N.Y. State Police Special
Investigations Unit, in conjunction with the Orange County
District Atty’s Office & the Sussex County, N.J., Prosecutor’s
Office, executed multiple search warrants & made over 20 arrests
throughout Orange County, surrounding counties in N.Y., &
Sussex County, as a result of a 7-month-long narcotics investiga-
tion. LE officials recovered more than 2 kilograms of cocaine,
most of which they seized in Sussex County. The investigation
included the use of electronic surveillance, including wiretaps.
Page 9
Other defendants who had previously pleaded guilty to felonies
related to the case are listed below. The results of the investigation
were presented to a specially empaneled Orange County Grand
Jury. Those charged in this enforcement action include:
- Miguel Galvan, age 36, of Vernon, NJ, charged with Operating
as a Major Trafficker.
- Brandon G. Masker, age 33, of Warwick, charged with & pled
guilty to Operating as a Major Trafficker on June 23, 2016.
- Ryan M. Culver, age 29, of Otisville, charged with Enterprise
Corruption.
- Amanda Rohloff, age 24, of Bloomingburg, charged with &
pled guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
degree & Conspiracy in the 4th degree, on June 23, 2016.
- Carl Digirolamo, age 26, of Bloomingburg, charged with &
pled guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
degree, on June 23, 2016.
- Gerald F. O’Brien III, age 33, of Pine Island, charged with
Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance 3rd degree.
- Charles M. Sawtelle, age 53, of Westbrookville, charged with
& pled guilty to Enterprise Corruption, on June 23, 2016.
- Kevin P. Kelly, age 31, of Warwick, charged with & pled
guilty to Conspiracy 4th degree, on May 25, 2016.
- Richard J. Tomczak Jr., age 34, of Goshen, charged with &
pled guilty to Conspiracy 4th degree, on June 23, 2016.
- Peter M. Noger, age 55, of Goshen, charged with & pled guilty
to Conspiracy 4th degree, on June 23, 2016.
- Robert A. Howell, age 55, of Warwick, charged with & pled
guilty to Conspiracy 4th degree, on June 17, 2016.
- Cody M. Caplandies, age 21, of Middletown, charged with &
pled guilty to Conspiracy 4th degree, on May 18, 2016.
- Thomas P. Caplandies Jr. age 46, of Bloomingburg, charged
with & pled guilty to Conspiracy 4th degree, on May 18, 2016.
- Jenna D. Manapat, age 24, of Johnson, charged with & pled
guilty to Conspiracy 4th degree, on May 20, 2016.
- Jacob Gavin, age 25, of Wurtsboro, charged with & pled guilty
to Conspiracy 4th degree, on June 10, 2016.
- David A. Nielsen, age 47, of Middletown, charged with & pled
guilty to Conspiracy 4th degree, on May 13, 2016.
- Joseph Tomczak, age 28, of Warwick, charged with & pled
guilty to Conspiracy 4th degree, on June 23, 2016.
- John Shienert, age 24, of Warwick, charged with & pled guilty
to Conspiracy 4th degree, on June 23, 2016.
Additional defendants are expected to be charged in connection
with this operation.
Miguel Galvin is currently charged in New Jersey with
Maintaining or Operating a Controlled Dangerous Substance
Production Facility in the 1st Degree; Possession with Intent to
Distribute Cocaine in the 1st Degree; Certain Persons Not to
Possess Weapons in the 2nd Degree; Possession of Weapon &
Controlled Dangerous Substance & Other Offenses in the 2nd
Degree; & Prohibited Weapons Device in the 4th Degree. Joseph
Carloni, 43, of Vernon, N.J., has been charged with Conspiracy in
the 2nd Degree. He is currently incarcerated in N.J. on unrelated
charges. A hold has been placed on Carloni to ensure that he
returns to N.Y. to face these charges. He is scheduled to appear
in Orange County Court on Aug 24, 2016.
Brandon Masker’s plea marks the 1st time that there has been
a plea to Operating as a Major Trafficker in Orange County, & the
1st time the Orange County District Atty’s office has charged
someone with that crime. The crime which passed by the N.Y.
State in 2009 is referred to as the “Drug Kingpin Statute” & is
reserved for high level drug dealers. One of the elements of the
crime is that the offender possess over $75,000 worth of narcotics
with intent to sell them in a 1 year time period. Similarly, Ryan
Culver’s & Charles Sawtelle’s guilty pleas mark the 1st time that
pleas to Enterprise Corruption have been obtained by the Orange
County District Atty’s Office. The crime of Enterprise Corruption
was created to address the particular & cumulative harm posed by
persons who band together in complex criminal organizations. The
New York State was inspired by the Fed Racketeer Influenced &
Corrupt Organizations law. In addition to filing criminal charges,
the Orange County District Atty’s Office has also instituted a civil
forfeiture proceeding against many of these defendants in order to
seize from them profits that they have made illegally selling
narcotics. The suit seeks over $500,000 in illegally obtained
profits. It is anticipated that additional charges against additional
defendants will be filed
“The narcotics trafficking that is destroying the fabric of our
society & killing our residents must be fought at every level,” said
District Atty Hoovler. “It is only through enforcement actions such
as “Operation Chopper” that LE is able to pursue those higher
level drug dealers & craftier offenders who attempt to insulate
themselves from criminal liability by dealing drugs through
intermediaries. Although we have emphasized education &
treatment as important avenues to keep people off drugs in the first
place, so that we may dry up the demand for illegal narcotics, we
have also made it a priority to attack the supply of narcotics by
vigorous enforcement actions against narcotics dealers. Organized
criminal activity, especially which involves illegal weapons,
presents the public & LE with additional challenges & concerns,
& it simply cannot be tolerated. My office will continue to use
every tool at our disposal, including the use of wiretaps, civil
forfeiture actions, & utilizing criminal statutes which have never
been charged before in Orange County, to combat the illicit
narcotics trade & all types of organized criminal activity.”
Bandidos Case Secrecy - June 28, 2016 – Texas - By The Aging
Rebel; www.AgingRebel.com - There is a motion hearing in the
Bandidos racketeering case Thu at 9:30 a.m. in Courtroom C in
the Fed courthouse in San Antonio. It may be a public hearing.
Then again the judge in the case, David Ezra, may simply take the
public hearing into his chambers. This is a very, very secret
matter. More than 6 months after an indictment was returned
against then Bandidos MC Pres Jeff Pike, club V.P. John Portillo
& sgt-at-arms Justin Forster, the case against the 3 men remains
almost entirely sealed lest the people of the United States learn
what happens in Fed racketeering cases & they start burning down
courthouses & lynching prosecutors.
Protective Order: A “protective order” was thrown over the
case on Jan 25 & the order remained sealed until June 7. The
motion that requested it is still sealed. The protective order stated:
“That given the sensitive nature of the discovery material, for any
material provided, production & viewing of discovery materials is
restricted to the U.S. Atty’s Office by appointment. It is further
ordered that the dissemination of any discovery materials to any
person, other than the Attys of record for the Defendant, in this
case is prohibited. It is further ordered that no Atty in the above-
captioned cause shall release any discovery to any person,
including but not limited to the defendants’ family members, or
defendants’ associates. In the event any written or electronic
discovery is provided to the defense, Attys may show discovery to
their client(s), & may discuss the information with their client(s);
however, Attys may not reproduce or disseminate any discovery,
or copies of discovery to anyone, including the client. It is further
ordered that if counsel is substituted in this cause, all discovery
materials, including copies. thereof, shall immediately be returned
to counsel of record for the Gov’t, who will be obligated to provide
a copy of the discovery materials to new counsel upon new counsel
acknowledging his or her obligations under this Order. It is further
ordered that a copy of this Order shall be furnished to counsel of
record in this case & any successive counsel of record who enter
an appearance after the date of this Order.” Judge Ezra refused to
modify the order at the beginning of May & will probably refuse
to modify the order again. The prosecutors are so in charge of this
judge that they are grumbling to him that the defense Attys are
“late” for their appointments.
Waco Waco Waco: What seems to be at stake is the revelation
of the identity of the undercover asset the FBI placed inside the
Bandidos. This asset’s identity & an accounting of his actions
while he was undercover may shed light not only on, as the
indictment put it, the “war” between the Cossacks MC & the
Bandidos, but also what McLennan County District Atty Abelino
Reyna now calls the “Battle of Twin Peaks.” Much of the Gov’ts
case against Pike, Portillo & Forster seems based on audio
recordings made by the Gov’t asset. Particularly secret are
recordings made on Nov 1, Dec 16 & Dec 29, 2015. At issue in
Thu’s hearing will be whether the defendants’ lawyers & the
defendants must report the prosecutor’s office in San Antonio to
hear the purported evidence against Pike, Portillo & Forster. The
trip is problematic for Pike, who lives near Houston. It is also a
problem for Portillo who is accompanied everywhere he goes by
United States Marshals, which makes frank & open discussions
between Portillo & his lawyer while they listen to the recordings
problematic. The defense lawyers want copies of the audio
recordings. The Gov’t will only allow them to have “‘drafts’ of
transcripts of the recordings.” Whatever the prosecutors are
hiding must be big. Many Gov’t careers must be in jeopardy.
Health officials warn of fatal tick bites - June 28, 2016 - Minn -
By www.msn.com - Health officials in Minn are warning about
Lyme-infected tick bites that attack the heart & cause sudden
cardiac death. The state recorded the first fatal case of what is
called Lyme carditis last year, & another man recently reported the
illness, Fox 9 reported. Steve Stolz told the news site that he
noticed his heart was beating at a slower pace while walking up a
hill. He went to the emergency room where doctors determined a
tick bite disturbed the electrical system of his heart. “65% of
patients with Lyme carditis are men & typically younger, ages 15
to 40,” Dr. Alex Campbell of the Minneapolis Heart Institute, told
Fox 9. “Nobody understands why, but that’s what we see.”
The bacteria from the bite burrows into the heart muscle, which
causes the electrical signals that keep the heart beating to short
circuit. This can cause the heart to slow to a stop or develop a
potentially fatal fast rhythm, Fox 9 reported. “The heart will stop
pumping blood & you pass out & that’s a sudden death,” Campbell
told Fox 9. According to the Centers for Disease Control &
Prevention, only one percent of patients with Lyme disease will
develop Lyme carditis. The condition can be treated with
antibiotics or a temporary pace maker.
Page 10
Angels Make Headlines - June 29, 2016 – New York - By The
Aging Rebel; www.AgingRebel.com - This has been one of those
weeks when the Hells Angels MC can’t stay out of the news. First
there was the great biker brawl that wasn’t, as Newsday put it.
Then there was the revelation that anybody who was ever married
to somebody who joined the Angels is a security threat.
Averted Brawl: The brawl that wasn’t was last Sunday in
Hempstead, New York, on Long Island. According to Newsday
& other sources, about 100 members of the Unknown Bikers MC
surrounded the HA clubhouse in Hempstead “to retrieve vests…
after they were taken by HAs on Fri night.” Newsday attributed
the accusation to “an initial gang intelligence report by the Nassau
County police special investigations squad.” The Unknown
Bikers was founded in Brooklyn & has multiple chapters in NY
City. More than 50 police including a Swat team from Hempstead
& the Nassau County PD converged on the club house, apparently
to guard it & whoever was inside. According to a spokesman for
the Nassau County police, “Upon arrival of officers, bikers
dispersed without incident. There was no fight, no injuries &
officers remained until the bikers left.” But, the incident made the
papers anyway.
Security Clearance Revoked: Meanwhile in British Columbia,
s woman named Janette Yuen Shan Wu was fired from her job at
the Vancouver International Airport because she was once married
to a member of the Kelowna charter of the HA named Damiano
Dipopolo. Dipopolo has been arrested eight times but has no
convictions. The couple divorced in 2006 & Wu is now married to
a Whatcom County, Washington Deputy Sheriff. She was granted
the security clearance she needs to work at the airport in 2013. Wu
lost her clearance last year after the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police told Transport Canada that she was once married to a
member of a MC. Transport Canada is the Gov’t agency that
regulates all transportation in Canada. According to that
bureaucracy, “The decision (to revoke her clearance) reasoned that
there were concerns about Ms. Wu’s judgment as it was
reasonable to believe that she was aware of Mr. Dipopolo’s
involvement in a criminal lifestyle before their separation & that
given his lifestyle, she may be subjected to intimidation, violence
& manipulation by him.” Wu appealed the loss of her job, but last
week the Fed Court of Canada ruled that Transport Canada has the
right “to err on the side of public safety.”
Disbar Abel Reyna - June 30, 2016 – Texas – By The Aging
Rebel; www.AgingRebel.com - Suits brought yesterday to disbar
Baltimore State’s Atty Marilyn J. Mosby & another against 5
prosecutors in Indiana raise the troubling question of why
McLennan County, Texas District Atty Abelino Reyna still holds
a law license. There are multiple precedents for disbarring
unethical prosecutors. George Washington Univ law professor
John F. Banzhaf III, who brought the Maryland suit, formerly
agitated for the prosecution of former Maryland Governor (and
United States Vice-President) Spiro T. Agnew & the disbarment
of Durham County, NC, district Atty Mike Nifong.
Nifong: Reyna’s conduct following what he has called “The
Battle of Twin Peaks” is drearily reminiscent of Nifong’s. Nifong
pursued blatantly false sexual assault charges against 3 members
of the Duke Univ lacrosse team in 2006. As Banzhaf wrote in a
reference to the Duke case in his complaint to the Atty Grievance
Commission of Maryland, Nifong “brought & continued criminal
charges even after it became clearer & clearer than there was
insufficient evidence to support any convictions. There, like here,
there were also statements beyond those permitted by the rules, &
also other ethical violations, including withholding evidence.”
Like “The Battle of Twin Peaks,” the Duke rape case attracted
media from around the world. And that news coverage, as the New
York Times later put it, “conformed too well to too many
preconceived notions of too many in the press;” just as local
officials in Waco force fed the press a feast of biker stereotypes to
explain the arrest of 177 people after a gunfight in the parking lot
of the Waco Twin Peaks restaurant that left 9 men dead & at least
19 wounded. Virtually all of those arrested were innocent. The
Aging Rebel has extensively investigated the incident & believes
that there was probable cause to charge 2 survivors of the gunfight
– a single Bandido & a single Cossack. Other culpable individuals
died during or immediately after the brawl. And other participants
could have reasonably argued that they acted in self-defense. Most
of those Reyna arrested had simply tried to take cover or escape.
Local, state & Fed police had foreknowledge that the
confrontation between members of the Bandidos MC & the
Cossacks MC was about to occur. There is strong circumstantial
evidence that at least one Cossack & one Bandido present at the
Twin Peaks were undercover, Fed operatives. Four, possibly 5, of
the dead were killed by police. Reyna knew all this & initiated
an unjust prosecution anyway. His motives in doing so may never
be known. There is precedent for disbarring an unethical
prosecutor even in Texas. About a month after Reyna illegally
prosecuted scores of victims, the state bar expelled Charles
Sebesta for withholding evidence & using false testimony to “win”
a conviction against an innocent man named Anthony Graves.
Rule 3.09: The Maryland suit against Mosby cites 5 rules of
Maryland’s “Lawyer’s Rules of Professional Conduct:” Most
obviously Rule 3.8 “which requires that a prosecutor refrain from
prosecuting a charge unless it is supported by probable cause” &
limits “the content of public statements which prosecutors may
permissibly make in connection with criminal proceedings.” The
Maryland rules are based on the American Bar Association Rules
of Professional Conduct. The Texas Rules of Professional
Conduct differ slightly from the Maryland & national rules but still
include a section titled “Rule 3.09 Special Responsibilities of a
Prosecutor” that follows the national standard. The first of the
special responsibilities to which Reyna was obliged to adhere
mandates that he, “refrain from prosecuting or threatening to
prosecute a charge that the prosecutor knows is not supported by
probable cause.” That has certainly been the case with Waco.
KCPD Officer Working for Quick Trip Threatens Sons of
Silence & Mongols – July 1, 2016 – Missouri - by David “Double
D” Devereaux; www.MotorcycleProfilingProject.com - Video
obtained by the MPP captures 2 members of the Sons Of Silence
MC being harassed & threatened with false arrest on the night of
June 25th, 2016 at a Quick Trip service station in Kansas City
because, according to one KCPD officer Marchant, “1%’ers
aren’t allowed at the Quick Trip while the KC police are present.”
Importantly, the employees at the Quick Trip had no issue with
serving these individuals, frequent customers of this particular
establishment. It is unconstitutional for an agent of the Gov’t to
impose discriminatory access restrictions on anyone, including
members of 1% MCs. This incident is one example in an exten-
sive pattern of evidence demonstrating the epidemic of motorcycle
profiling & discrimination taking place in MO & most pockets of
America. Legislation prohibiting the practice of profiling &
providing a mechanism of relief for victims is long overdue.
The Story: On the evening of June 25th at approximately 11pm,
2 members of the Sons Of Silence MC pulled into the Quick Trip
located at 6820 Front St, Kansas City, MO. According to one
member, “We didn’t even have time to turn our bikes off before
an officer approached us & told us we had to leave because 1%’ers
weren’t allowed at the Quick Trip while the Kansas City Police
are there. I thought he was joking. But he wasn’t. He showed me
his KCPD badge.” But this individual frequents this Quick Trip
& was doing nothing wrong. So he ignored the unconstitutional
request & proceeded into the store to buy gas. When he entered
the store there was an officer in plain clothes (visible in the
background of the video) talking to an employee (also seen
wearing red in the video) stocking shelves. “I asked the officer
whether I was allowed in the store as a 1%er. He said I was
allowed. I also asked a female clerk behind the counter whether
there was an issue with me being in the store. She also said that
the Quick Trip had no problem. Yet officer Marchant continued to
insist that I leave the premises. I told officer Marchant to basically
f*#k off. At this point, I returned to my motorcycle & began to
videotape the incident.” Although this individual was serving as
a security guard at the Quick Trip, he was acting under the color
of state law. First, by showing his KCPD badge he is presenting
& exerting himself as a KCPD officer. Second, in the included
video he identifies himself as KCPD officer Marchant.
The Video Shows Harassment And Threats Of False Arrest:
The video shows Marchant’s continued insistence for the 2 club
members to leave the property. According to Marchant, they were
trespassing. When asked how trespassing could be established
when the employees of the store had no issue serving club
members, officer Marchant had no intelligible answer.
Eventually, a Sgt. Quinn arrives & officer Marchant attempts to
handcuff the member taking the video. Marchant attempts to
justify his demands by saying that the club member used profanity
in the store & that was why he asked them to leave. But this was a
lie according to both members. Officer Marchant told them to
leave as soon as they pulled up. Obviously, this is before anyone
entered the store. He attempts to handcuff the man but his hand is
pushed away. Ultimately, Sgt Quinn tells them to have a nice
night. They are allowed to leave. Officer Marchant does not
receive his wish & no one is falsely arrested. But not before a
helicopter is deployed & circling above.
This Is Not An Isolated Incident-Member Of Mongols MC
Escorted Off Quick Trip Property: Just 2 weeks prior, in the early
morning hours of June 12th, a similarly incident occurred
involving a member of the Mongols MC at the exact same
location. In an interview with the MPP, a member of the Mongols
MC explained the incident: MPP: Describe what happened to
you on Sun, June 12th, at approximately 1am, at the Quick Trip
located at 6820 Front St Kansas City, MO. Mongols MC member:
“I stopped by the Quick Trip Gas Station on Front St on my way
to work (I’m an engineer for the railroad) to purchase a Mt. Dew.
As I opened the cooler, a security guard (presumably officer
Marchant based on the description, location & his demeanor) said,
“Hey guy. We don’t allow 1% jackets in the Quick Trip.” I wasn’t
sure I heard him right so I asked him to repeat himself. He said,
“We don’t allow your type in here.” I told him I just wanted to
grab my Mt Dew & go to work. I told him I hadn’t done anything
wrong. At this point he started to threaten me. He said, “I’m gonna
escort you out of the store or I’ll call a paddy wagon.” (Note-Again
he’s acting under the color of state law.) This upset me & I started
saying f#*k this. He would not allow me to purchase a Mt. Dew.
I told him, “I’ll walk out free willing. You are more of a criminal
than I’ll ever be.” He followed me outside & said, “I don’t want
you ever coming back here.”
MCs Are Constitutionally Protected From Gov’t Intrusions
On Expression & Association: Fed intrusions are prohibited by
the 1st Amendment. These obligations have been incorporated
under the 14th Amendment & are extended to the states under the
Equal Protection Clause. This means that no agent of the Gov’t
may force or coerce any establishment to impose restrictions that
prohibits attendees from wearing clothing displaying the name or
symbols associated with a motorcycle organization. What relief is
available for a victim of Gov’t discrimination? An individual that
has been denied access to a public space at the hands of a Gov’t
agent can pursue relief under Fed law. Prohibiting individuals
from expressing themselves & wearing t-shirts or protective
equipment with patches or insignia exposes the Gov’t to liability
under 42 USC §1983.
Conclusions: The actions of this KCPD officer are inexcusable.
The practice of motorcycle profiling & discrimination violates
constitutional prohibitions against Gov’t discrimination, increases
the Gov’t’s exposure to civil liability, & represents a gross
mismanagement of public resources. Documented incidents like
this prove that motorcycle profiling is irrefutably occurring.
Legislative solutions, like those adopted in Washington State &
Maryland, provide a cost-free policy option that empirically
reduces profiling. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chinese Horoscope: ( It Will Freak U Out... ): The Year of
the Iron Dragon, Wishing You Prosperity & Good Fortune in the
Chinese New Year follow the instructions - Do not cheat or it
won’t work & you will wish you hadn`t. Take 3 minutes try this
- It will freak you out. 1st. Get Pen & Paper. 2nd. When
choosing Names, make sure they are Real People that you actually
know 3rd. Go with Your First Instincts!! Very important for
good results. 4th. Scroll down one line at the time Don`t Read
Ahead otherwise you will ruin the fun.
1. On a blank sheet of paper, Write Numbers 1 through 11 in a
Column on the Left… 2. Beside the Numbers 1 & 2, Write down
any 2 Numbers you want… Do you have a Favorite Number?
3. Beside the Numbers 3 & 7, Write down the Names of 2
Members of the Opposite Sex… Caution: Do not look ahead or
It will not turn out right! 4. Write Anyone’s Name (like Friends
or Family...) next to 4, 5, & 6… 5. Write down Four Song Titles
in 8, 9, 10, & 11…
Are you ready? Here is the Key to the Game: 1. The Number of
People you must Tell about this Game is found in Space 2... 2.
The Person in Space 3 Is the One You Love… 3. The Person you
like but your relationship Cannot Work is in Space 7… 4. You
care most about the Person you put in Space 4... 5. The Person
You Name in Number 5 is the One Who knows you very well…
6. The Person You Named in 6 Is your Lucky Star… 7. The Song
in 8 Is the Song that Matches with the Person in Number 3… 8.
The Title in 9 is the Song for the Person in 7… 9. The 10th Space
is the Song that tells You Most about your Mind… 10. And 11 is
the Song telling how You Feel About Life… 11. Number 1 Is
your Lucky Number… Strange how it seems to Work... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
If I’d shot you sooner I would be out of jail by now… Page 12
More counts added to indictment - Bandidos MC - July 7, 2016
- Texas - By Guillermo Contreras; www.MySanAntonio.com -
Fed prosecutors have added charges against leaders of the
Bandidos MC, including murder counts related to the killing of a
man 14 years ago. San Antonio resident John Xavier Portillo, who
authorities say is the Bandidos’ Nat’l V.P., was charged with
murder in aid of racketeering in an indictment partially unsealed
Thu in the shooting death of Robert Lara. Lara, 24, was gunned
down Jan. 31, 2002, at a rest stop in Atascosa County. Portillo
was previously indicted on racketeering charges with alleged Nat;l
Pres Jeff Pike of Houston & reputed Nat’l Sgt-at-arms Justin
Forster, also of San Antonio.
The new indictment added a fourth defendant & reputed
Bandido member, Frederick “Fast Fred” Cortez of San Antonio.
He was arrested Wednesday, & during his initial hearing Thu, U.S.
Magistrate Judge Pamela Mathy ordered him held without bail
pending a hearing next week. According to the indictment & a
news release from U.S. Atty Richard Durbin, Lara was killed in
retaliation for the 2001 slaying of another Bandido member, Javier
Negrete, outside a San Antonio bar.
The new indictment also incorporates the charges from the
prior indictment, issued in Jan, against Portillo, Pike & Forster. It
reiterates allegations that the Bandidos declared war on a rival
MC, the Cossacks, & that the Bandidos leaders sanctioned acts of
violence against them & other rivals, including extortion, beatings
& murder.
Several years ago, Richard Steven Merla, 41, a self-professed
member of the Bandidos, confessed to shooting Lara in retaliation
for the killing of Negrete, but Merla is not a named defendant in
the new indictment. Merla received 40 years in prison in 2005
after pleading no contest to a state murder charge in the death of
Robert “Pikin” Quiroga, a retired boxer whom Merla had
repeatedly stabbed a year earlier on the Northwest Side. After
Quiroga’s killing, Portillo & other Bandidos held a news
conference distancing the club from Merla & said he was not a
Bandido, news stories at the time said.
The Great American Road Trip - July 13, 2016 – USA – By
Amanda Foreman; www.WallStreetJournal.com - In 1903,
physician Horatio Jackson (at wheel) & his driving partner Sewall
Crocker became the 1st men to drive an automobile across the U.S.
The Great American Road Trip was born in 1856 with the
publication of Walt Whitman’s poem “Song of the Open Road.”
Or at least that’s where the idea of such a journey came into being,
since 160 years ago there were no states between Texas & Calif,
let alone cars, highways or motels. A lone traveler’s creature
comforts back then consisted of liberty & opportunity: “Afoot &
lighthearted I take to the open road, / Healthy, free, the world
before me, / The long brown path before me leading wherever I
choose,” the poet wrote.
Whitman saw the (future) American Road Trip as a metaphor
for democracy. In the new republic, a man could go anywhere. But
for decades after Whitman’s poem, America’s “long brown paths”
went nowhere. In 1903, when Dr. Horatio N. Jackson, his dog
Bud & a mechanic named Sewall Crocker set out in a red Winton
touring car to claim America for the automobile, barely 150 miles
of paved road existed in the entire country. A friend had wagered
Jackson $50 that it would take him at least 3 months to drive from
San Francisco to New York. In the end, it took 62 days of hard
slog. Jackson’s feat quickly inspired imitators like the Murdocks,
the 1st family to drive across America. In 1908, Jacob, Anna &
their 3 children successfully navigated the journey with the help
of a personal mechanic for the car & a Winchester rifle for the
coyotes. Not to be outdone, 22-year-old Alice Ramsey led the 1st
all-female road trip in 1909, tearing across the country at speeds
of up to 42 miles an hour—when not being towed by horses.
The road situation remained a literal mess when Dwight D.
Eisenhower joined a military convoy on a trip across America in
1919. At times the drivers averaged a mere 6 miles an hour.
Those 2 months on the road helped to convince the future president
that a complete overhaul was needed. His answer was the Fed Aid
Hwy Act of 1956 & the construction of the Interstate Hwy
System. The law spurred millions of Americans to take to the
open road - & legions of filmmakers & novelists to write about it.
The Great American Road Trip once again became a social
metaphor - though less, this time, as a Whitmanesque celebration
of democracy than as critique of the human condition in general &
America’s failings in particular.
Explaining the point of “On the Road” (1957), Jack Kerouac
wrote that the novel tried to recapture a sense of meaning: Its
protagonists “were embarked on a tremendous journey through
post-Whitman America to Find that America.” John Steinbeck
took on a similar quest of rediscovery & reconnection - with his
driving companion a poodle - & wrote about it in “Travels With
Charley in Search of America” (1962). The author finished his
journey with his hopes dashed, feeing lost & worried about the
rapid changes overtaking his country. Still, Steinbeck fared better
than most film characters who attempt the Great American Road
Trip. In “Easy Rider” (1969), Peter Fonda & Dennis Hopper are
pursued by murderous bigots; in “Thelma & Louise” (1991), the
problem seems to be every American male. Fortunately, today’s
family road trips don’t require a confrontation with the moral
abyss—just a full tank of gas & a great playlist. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hollywood Squares: For those of Us Who Are Old Enough to
Remember: These great questions & answers are from the days
when Hollywood Squares’ game show responses were
spontaneous, not scripted, as they are now
Q. Paul, what is a good reason for pounding meat? A. Paul
Lynde: Loneliness! (The audience laughed so long
& so hard it took up almost 15 minutes of the show!)
Q. Do female frogs croak? A. Paul Lynde: If you hold
their little heads under water long enough.
Q. If you’re going to make a parachute jump, at least
how high should you be? A. Charley Weaver: Three days
of steady drinking should do it.
Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years...
A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.
Q. You’ve been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably
a man or a woman? A. Don Knotts: That’s what’s been
keeping me awake.
Q. According to Cosmopolitan, if you meet a stranger at a party
& you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out & ask
him if he’s married? A. Rose Marie: No wait until morning.
Q. Which of your 5 senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.
Page 13
U.S. to Allow Foreigners to Serve Warrants on U.S. Internet
Firms Internet companies could face overseas demands for email
searches, wiretaps - July 15, 2016 - USA – By Delvin Barrett &
Jay Greene; www.WallStreetJournal.com - The Obama
administration is working on a series of agreements with foreign
Gov’ts that would allow them for the first time to serve U.S.
technology companies with warrants for email searches &
wiretaps a move that is already stirring debates over privacy,
security, crime & terrorism.
Brad Wiegmann, a senior official at the Justice Dept, discuss-
ed the administration¹s efforts during a public forum on Fri at a
congressional office building in Washington, D.C. The 1st such
agreement is being assembled with the U.K., he said. Word of the
plans came one day after a Fed appeals court ruled that federal
warrants couldn¹t be used to search data held overseas by
Microsoft Corp., dealing the agency a major legal defeat.
The court¹s decision in favor of Microsoft could prove to be a
major barrier to the Obama administration¹s proposed new rules
to share data with other nations in criminal & terrorism probes,
which would be sharply at odds with the ruling. It might lead some
companies to reconfigure their networks to route customer data
away from the U.S., putting it out of the reach of Fed investigators
if the administration¹s plan fails. The Justice Dept has indicated it
is considering appealing the Microsoft ruling to the Supreme
Court. The ruling could encourage tech companies to redesign
their systems so that the data, as it courses through networks, never
hits America servers. A person familiar with Google¹s networks
said that such a move wouldn¹t be easy for the company.
US House of Representatives Intro s Nat’l Anti-Motorcycle
Profiling Resolution - July 17, 2016 - USA - By David “Double
D” Devereaux; www.MotorcycleProfilingProject.com - The 1st
step towards a law prohibiting motorcycle profiling at the Nat’l
level was introduced in the US House of Representatives on July
13, 2016 & referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary the
same day. House Resolution 831 promotes public awareness of
motorcycle profiling at a national level & urges state law
enforcement officials [in all 50 states] to condemn “motorcycle
profiling in written policies & training materials.” Although
resolutions are non-binding, H. Res. 831 makes motorcycle
profiling a national discussion & directs states to condemn the
practice. This policy directive to all 50 states will greatly assist the
efforts in any state pursuing anti-motorcycle profiling &
discrimination legislation. Res. 831 is a direct result of the
collaborative efforts of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, the
National Council of Clubs, the Motorcycle Profiling Project, &
the National Coalition of Motorcyclists. The MRF has taken the
lead with feet on the ground in DC demonstrating the value of an
established lobbying infrastructure in our nation’s Capital. The
Motorcycle Profiling Project is primarily responsible for policy
research, consultation, & substantive analysis. The NCOC is
focused on media & public relations at the grassroots & national
level. Finally, NCOM has endorsed the unified effort to pass
legislation addressing motorcycle profiling at the Nat’l level. Res.
831 represents the first time that these organizations have
explicitly collaborated on a federal initiative. In terms of
discrimination, motorcyclists, motorcycle rights organizations &
MCs have far more in common than differences.
Page 14
“Every motorcyclist concerned about the issue should contact
their US House of Representatives urging them to co-sponsor &
or support H. Res. 831.”
H.Res.831 - Promoting awareness of motorcycle profiling &
encourage collaboration & communication with the motorcycle
community & L.E. officials to prevent instances of profiling.
In The House Of Representatives - July 13, 2016 - Mr. Ribble
(for himself & Mr. Walberg) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
Resolution: Promoting awareness of motorcycle profiling &
encourage collaboration & communication with the motorcycle
community & L.E. officials to prevent instances of profiling.
Whereas motorcycle ridership continues to increase over time with
registrations growing from 3,826,373 in 1997 to 8,404,687 in
2013; Whereas a survey conducted by the Motorcycle Profiling
Project shows increases in the number of motorcyclists that feel
that they are profiled by L.E.; Whereas motorcycle profiling
means the arbitrary practice of law enforcement using the fact that
a person rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle related apparel as
a factor in deciding to stop & question, take enforcement action,
arrest, or search a person or vehicle with or without legal basis
under the U.S. Constitution; Whereas complaints surrounding
motorcycle profiling have been cited in all 50 States; Whereas
nationwide protests to raise awareness & combat motorcycle
profiling have been held in multiple States; Whereas in 2011,
Washington signed into law legislation stating that the criminal
justice training commission shall ensure that issues related to
motorcycle profiling are addressed in basic L.E. training &
offered to in-service L.E. officers in conjunction with existing
training regarding profiling; Whereas the 2011, Washington law
has reduced profiling incidents by over 90% & the stops that do
occur are being dismissed 100% of the time; & Whereas in the
spring of 2016, Maryland became the second State to pass a law
addressing the issue of motorcycle profiling: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved: That the House of Representatives;
(1) promotes increased public awareness on the issue of
motorcycle profiling;
(2) encourages collaboration & communication with the
motorcycle community & L.E. to engage in efforts to end
motorcycle profiling; and
(3) urges State L.E. officials to include statements condemning
motorcycle profiling in written policies & training materials.
Actions Overview: H.Res.831 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Date Actions Overview
07/13/2016 Introduced in House
Cosponsors: H.Res.831 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Cosponsor Date Cosponsored
Rep. Walberg, Tim [R-MI-7] 07/13/2016
Committees: H.Res.831 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Committee Date Activity Reports
House Judiciary 07/13/2016 Referred to
House Judiciary Sub- 07/20/2016 Referred to
committee on Crime,
Terrorism, Homeland
Security, & Investigations
Related Bills: H.Res.831 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
As of 07/27/2016 no related bill information has been received.
Fed court case targets biker group’s ‘colors’ - July 19, 2016 –
U.S.A. - By Michael Doyle; www.sacbee.com - Fed prosecutors
are revving up efforts to seize the trademarks of MCs in Calif &
possibly the Midwest in a renewed effort to target the groups’
colorful “patches” that members wear on their jackets & vests. A
1st Amendment obstacle course still could lie ahead, experts warn,
as officials go after organizations with names like the “Mongols”
& the misspelled “Devils Diciples.” But in new legal filings,
prosecutors are keeping alive tactics begun during the presidency
of George W. Bush to cripple the groups by seizing their assets.
In a July 11 appellate court filing, prosecutors wrote that “a select
group of the gang, so-called ‘full-patched’ members,” had
obtained Fed trademark protection for “2 marks used by the gang
to identify members & to terrorize enemies.” The filing called the
Mongols’ registration “an audacious, novel move.” The 2
trademarks cover a logo & a name that summon the organization’s
fierce identity. “Gang rules . . . broadly recognize that only full-
patched members, that is, the constituents of Mongol Nation, have
full authority to use the word & rider images,” prosecutors stated
in the new 30-page brief.
The filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
seeks to reinstate an indictment dismissed 2 years ago by a trial
judge. If prosecutors succeed, the Justice Dept could eventually
secure control of the trademarks associated with Southern Calif-
based Mongols MC. An Atty for the Mongols was in court Tue
& could not be reached for comment. A Justice Dept spokesman
could not be reached. The Govt’s appeal in the Mongols’ case is
the second this year in which the potential seizure of trademarks
has figured in Fed efforts to curtail organizations that prosecutors
contend are criminal enterprises, not just clubs for like-minded
motorcycle enthusiasts.
Six weeks ago, a Michigan-based Fed judge issued an order
suggesting that trademarks claimed by a motorcycle outfit called
the Devils Diciples were fair game, following a wide-ranging
indictment issued in 2012. In his May 31 order, U.S. District
Judge Robert Cleland ruled that one of the Devils Diciples’
defendants, who had pleaded guilty, would not be able to contest
the potential forfeiture of any of the organization’s trademarks.
But Fritz Clapp, a Beverly Hills, Calif-based Atty who filed a
trademark application for the Devils Diciples, said Tue that he was
prepared to oppose any Fed effort to seize the asset. “It is a subject
of controversy,” Clapp said. Conventional asset forfeiture is a
popular tool for LE. Assets worth more than $1.6 billion were
deposited in the Justice Dept’s Asset Forfeiture Fund during Fiscal
2015, according to the program’s most recent report. The seized
property ran the gamut, from a $1.3 million airplane taken in
Denison, Texas, & $1.2 million in currency seized in Miami to $11
million in Bitcoin, the online currency, seized in San Francisco.
Intellectual property, though, has yet to become a common
target for LE, & the prospect of the Gov’t seizing names & logos
raises myriad free-speech issues. “The majority of Mongols have
no criminal record & are not actually accused of anything except
being Mongols,” Donald Charles Davis, who blogs under the
name The Aging Rebel, said in an e-mail interview Tue. “It would
be both illegal & unfair to deny them of their constitutional rights
based on Dept of Justice propaganda.”
In 2008, then-U.S. Atty Thomas O’Brien apparently broke new
ground when he unveiled in Los Angeles a wide-ranging
indictment of 79 Mongols for a variety of offenses. As part of his
campaign, O’Brien sought the Mongols’ trademarks. “If the court
grants our request-then if LE officer sees a Mongol wearing his
patch, he will be authorized to stop that gang member & literally
take the jacket right off his back,” O’Brien said at the time.
The Mongols are primarily a Hispanic organization that bills
itself on its website as “the baddest 1 percenter MC in the world.”
The term “1 percenter” distinguishes an outlaw club from the 99%
of law-abiding motorcycle riders. The 2 trademarks cover the
stylized name “Mongols” as well as the figure of a motorcycle
rider wielding a sword. All but 2 of the original 79 defendants
were eventually convicted. A Fed court, though, rejected the
initial trademark forfeiture effort & ordered the Justice Dept to pay
$253,206 in legal fees to the Attys who challenged it. Prosecutors
returned with a new indictment of the Mongol Nation, which they
described as a distinct legal entity. A trial judge dismissed the
Mongol Nation indictment last Sepr, without getting to the
potential trademark forfeiture issue, prompting the Justice Dept to
appeal. If the Justice Dept now succeeds in reviving the
indictment, & eventually wins the criminal case, the trademark
forfeiture issue roars back into play.
Judge denies bail to accused killer - July 20, 2016 – Texas - By
Guillermo Contreras; www.MySanAntonio.com - A Fed judge on
Wed denied bail to an accused Bandidos MC member upon
hearing allegations that he was involved in a killing more than 14
years ago. U.S. Magistrate Judge Pamela Mathy found Frederick
“Fast Fred” Cortez could pose a danger to the community, &
rejected his lawyers’ request to release him on bond pending trial.
As part of a larger racketeering indictment involving Cortez &
other reputed Bandidos, he is charged with murder in aid of
racketeering in the shooting death of Robert Lara, 24, who was
gunned down Jan. 31, 2002, at a rest stop in Atascosa County.
According to law officers, Lara was killed in retaliation for the
2001 slaying of another Bandido member, Javier Negrete, outside
a San Antonio bar. One of Cortez’s lawyers, George Aristotelidis,
argued that the Govt’s witness in the matter, an ex-Bandidos
member serving time for an unrelated murder, is unreliable.
Vision Zero & The Motorcyclist - July 22, 2016 – Washington,
DC – By http://MotorcycleRidersFoundation.wildapricot.org - In
the late nineties, Europeans saw a flurry of activity surrounding a
new concept referred to as “Vision Zero,” which was intended to
achieve a highway system with no (or ‘zero’) fatalities or serious
injuries. While the objective behind the concept is certainly
admirable, how that has manifested varies from the extreme to the
sensible approach. And, with more & more U.S. cities following
Europe’s lead by adopting their own versions of “Vision Zero,”
the motorcycle community is paying close attention to what the
practical effects of this concept could mean for them.
Founded on a Simple Principal: Guided by the principal that
nothing (not money, convenience, or some would argue freedom
of choice) can be put before health & safety, Sweden was the first
country to adopt the concept into their law. Other countries
quickly followed suit including the Norway, the Netherlands & the
U.K. While the concept of ‘zero deaths or serious injuries’
remains the objective, it can be implemented in a number of
different ways. Sweden focused on reduced speed limits while the
Netherlands attempted to put a greater area of separation between
automobiles & pedestrians or cyclists. In addition, an emphasis on
the design of roads was central to many of the countries
implementing new initiatives under the Vision Zero umbrella.
Not So Simple Impact on Motorcyclists: For motorcyclists in
the countries embracing Vision Zero, there were pros & cons to
the governments’ execution efforts. In the ‘pro’ column, there was
wide consensus that pavement conditions on roadways should be
suitable so that bikers could avoid changes in friction including
addressing cracks, rough spots, potholes, gravel, etc. The
motorcycle community in Europe also voiced opinions over
guardrail design & placement & its impact on safety. However,
for all motorcyclists, a very prominent checkmark in the ‘minus’
column related to the sentiment expressed by Cales Tingvall, then
Dir of the Swedish Nat’l Road Administration. Tingvall, one of
the original creators of Vision Zero, directly addressed
motorcycles as they related to the success of the initiative stating
that, “We must prevent the recruiting of new motorcyclists. In
long-term thinking, I regret to say that motorcycles must go.”
Though he later recanted, he went on to make other statements
suggesting that motorcycles & Vision Zero could never find a real
consensus. Understandably, sentiments like those voiced by one
of the key drivers of Vision Zero resulted in serious concern about
the future of motorcycling in cities & countries adopting this
initiative. Further, during the initial concept building phase for
Vision Zero, motorcyclists across Europe, represented by the
Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations worked to
ensure that motorcyclists were not restricted nor discriminated
against. Alongside FEMA were representatives from the
Motorcycle Riders Foundation & other motorcycle rights groups
& associations including the broader International Motorcyclist
Cooperation Group. The parties worked together to ensure anti-
motorcyclist rhetoric was minimized as well worked to defeat a
recommendation to remove powered two-wheelers from some
traffic patterns, as this had been suggested in previous
conversations surrounding Vision Zero. Despite the positive work
done on behalf of motorcyclist rights’ groups during the initial
Vision Zero planning period, many of the concerns about
motorcycle discrimination remain.
Jumping the Pond: It wasn’t long before proponents of Vision
Zero began pushing the initiative in the U.S. In 2014 & 2015,
twelve U.S. cities announced their own adaptation of Vision Zero
using Sweden as the model. From Los Angeles to New York City
& cities in between like Austin & Ft. Lauderdale, initiatives started
being announced. While some focused on pedestrian safety &
others took a softer approach, other cities, like Seattle for instance,
set lofty goals stating that they would achieve Vision Zero by 2030
& take whatever precautions necessary in order to attain the
objective. At the time of this writing, it is unclear what, if any,
role motorcyclists have in some of the new initiatives popping up
in the U.S. Though draconian statements like those spoken by
Cales Tingvall have not been repeated yet, some in the
motorcycling community that have been following the issue are
starting to express apprehension over the growing number of
Vision Zero cities & what that might mean for universal helmet
laws, high visibility attire & the future of motorcycling itself.
Hey Lake Chapter – July 25, 2016 – Minnesota - Just a reminder
that on Wednesday, July 27th, we will be visiting Camp
Friendship in Annandale for our annual “Camp Friendship Bike
Show”. We’ll meet at Sturges Park in Buffalo at 5:30 pm & head
to the camp in time for the bike show at 6:00 pm. Hope to see a
lot of you there, it’s always a great time & the campers love bikers! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Being A Club Member is Not a Crime…!!!
Hollywood Squares: For those of Us Who Are Old Enough to
Remember: These great questions & answers:
Q. What are ‘Do It,’ ‘I Can Help,’ & ‘I Can’t Get Enough’?
A. George Gobel: I don’t know, but it’s coming from the
next apartment.
Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less
with your hands while talking? A. Rose Marie: You ask
me one more growing old question Peter, & I’ll give you
a gesture you’ll never forget.
Q. Paul, why do Hell’s Angels wear leather? A. Paul Lynde:
Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.
Q. Charley, you’ve just decided to grow strawberries.
Are you going to get any during the first year? A. Charley
Weaver: Of course not, I’m too busy growing strawberries.
Q. In bowling, what’s a perfect score? A. Rose Marie:
Ralph, the pin boy.
Q. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or
in the closet? A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter,
I’m always safe in the bedroom with you.
Q. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls? A. Marty Allen:
Only after lights out.
Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail.
What will a goose do? A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?
Q. If you were pregnant for 2 years, what would you give
birth to? A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would
never be afraid of the dark.
Q. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong
with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?
A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.
Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish
on his head, what was he trying to do? A. George Gobel:
Get it in his mouth.
Q. Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife
or your elephant? A. Paul Lynde: Who told you about
my elephant?
Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes
in them & has actually seen them on at least 2 occasions.
What are they? A. Charley Weaver: His feet.
Q. According to Ann Landers, what are 2 things you
should never do in bed? A. Paul Lynde: Point & laugh
We Don’t Stop Laughing Because We Grow Old, We Grow Old
Because We Stop Laughing!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children
while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around
to see each child’s work. As she got to one little girl who was
working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl
replied, “I’m drawing God.” The teacher paused & said, “But no
one knows what God looks like.” Without missing a beat, or look-
ing up from her drawing, the girl replied, “They will in a minute.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
U.S. Defenders: - We don’t accept applications. We accept commitments…
- If we all do a little bit, Then no one has to do a lot…
- There can be no “I”, there has to be “We”...
- One heart, One Voice…
National Coalition of Motorcyclists… An Idea Whose Time Has Come…
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