Outlaws expect hundreds for club member's funeral

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MCs in the News

Members of the Outlaws motorcycle club are expected to come to Maine this weekend to attend a memorial service for Thomas Mayne, the regional treasurer for the group who was killed during a federal raid last week.

The funeral is planned for Saturday at Hope Memorial Chapel in Old Orchard Beach. A separate memorial service is planned at the Outlaws clubhouse on Hollis Road in Dayton.

Police have met with leaders of the Outlaws organization to plan for the event. York County Sheriff Maurice Ouellette said he expects 250 to 300 members of the Outlaws to ride in for the memorial service in Dayton.

"I want this to be the least intrusive for everyone possible. I just want to make sure everybody's safe," Ouellette said. "Obviously, they should have a right to do what they're going to do."

Ouellette said he expects there may be some heavy traffic on Hollis Road, but he doesn't anticipate any problems.

Mayne, 59, was killed after agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrived to serve warrants to arrest him and search his house a week ago. Authorities said Mayne fired at the agents, who returned fire. Mayne was killed in the exchange.

The ATF sought to arrest Mayne for his role in the non-fatal shooting of a Hells Angels member in Canaan last year. That attack was in retaliation for an earlier attack on members of the Outlaws, according to a federal indictment.

In all, 27 members of the Outlaws in 10 states were indicted by federal authorities on charges of racketeering, racketeering to commit violence and other crimes.

Mayne was identified by authorities as the Outlaws' treasurer for the "red" region, which includes most of New England, and was formerly the region's enforcer.

Representatives from various police agencies gathered Friday to discuss the upcoming services and the appropriate response. Ouellette said he met afterward with the ranking officer of the local Outlaws chapter and they talked about the upcoming event and shared contact information.

The funeral isn't expected to require a major influx of officers, police said. Federal agents will not have a heavy presence, said a spokesman for the ATF office in Portland.

"We will not be out there monitoring the funeral service," said Dale Armstrong, resident agent in charge of the Portland office. "We investigate criminal activity."

Portland police don't expect any trouble, but have discussed the event to make sure they are prepared in case some of the group's members decide to visit Portland.

"They don't want any conflict with law enforcement," Cmdr. Vern Malloch said of the motorcycle club. "Sometimes, depending on the event, law enforcement might provide some level of traffic control just like for any other funeral you might see."

The Outlaws held a national gathering in Dayton in 2005, with hundreds of members coming for several days of celebration.

"For the large amount of people they had for that ride-in, there was a lot of traffic but it really went without a hitch," Ouellette said. "As long as everyone continues to talk and exchange ideas, things go relatively well."

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at: dhench@pressherald.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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