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Friday, March 18, 2011

MEDINA, Ohio -- Medina County prosecutors say biker beaten for refusing to pay tribute to Hells Angels

OFF THE WIRE
A Cleveland biker was beaten in a dispute with the Hells Angels for refusing to pay for permission to ride "on their roads," an assistant Medina County prosecutor told a jury Tuesday.
The allegation is central to the case against Scott Stage of Parma and Justin Seliskar of Medina. Stage is accused of felonious assault, while Seliskar is charged with complicity to commit felonious assault.
Testimony began in their trial Tuesday in Medina County Common Pleas Court.
Prosecutors said the defendants beat Steven Keresztesi, a 63-year-old Cleveland man who wanted to re-establish the Coffin Cheaters. The Hells Angels wanted the Coffin Cheaters to pay a toll for riding in their territory, prosecutors said.
"The reason they assaulted Steve Keresztesi is because they're Hells Angels," Assistant County Prosecutor Scott Salisbury said.
Defense attorneys scoffed, attacking the victim's credibility and claiming the attack was actually self-defense.
"The state's case has more holes in it than a spaghetti strainer," defense lawyer David Sheldon told jurors. An attorney who represents the Hells Angels said the allegation of forcing people to pay to ride in a certain territory is "a total fabrication."
Salisbury said Seliskar set up the meeting Sept. 3 with Keresztesi behind a restaurant off Ohio 18 in Montville Township. Stage, 46, and Seliskar, 31, met Keresztesi and a friend about 8:30 p.m. What began with a cordial handshake ended in a thumping, as Stage sucker-punched Keresztesi in the face after less than a minute of talking, the prosecutor said.
Salisbury said the reason for the punch was simple: Keresztesi said he would not pay the Hells Angels. Stage then hit Keresztesi again in the head, Salisbury said. Seliskar told Keresztesi's friend to "stay out of it; it's not your fight," the prosecutor said.
While Salisbury did not discuss the cost of the payment, defense attorneys said Keresztesi claimed it was $1,500. But Keresztesi didn't mention in his first four interviews with authorities anything about the amount of money demanded, the defense said. It only came out in later discussions, they said.
But Keresztesi told police they should go after the Hells Angels on major racketeering charges, claiming they were "absolutely useless," Sheldon said.
Keresztesi provoked the fight with Stage, Sheldon said, and Stage simply defended himself. Seliskar's attorney, Dominic Vitantonio, said Keresztesi initiated the meeting, not Seliskar.
"This case is all about Steve Keresztesi telling lies," Vitantonio said.
Ralph Buss, an attorney representing the Hells Angels, said in an interview that his clients do not force people to pay to ride in a region. Buss was in court to observe the trial.
"Nobody makes people pay to use their roads," Buss said. "That's a total fabrication."

Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. The trial could last through the week.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/03/medina_county_prosecutors_say.html