OFF THE WIRE
Source: progress-index.com
Petersburg, VA - Biker gangs in Petersburg? This has to be a bad joke.
But apparently Petersburg is not immune to this type of crime, just like a lot of other communities across the nation. Apparently Petersburg was part of ongoing criminal enterprise that involved drug smuggling, illegal gambling and violence against rival biker gangs, according to a federal affidavit.
Also, last year a Dinwiddie man - who federal officials say was a motorcycle club member - was killed during a raid on his house by federal agents.
A 51-page federal indictment from a Richmond grand jury unsealed on June 15 outlines 12 criminal counts against a total of 27 men across the country. The men were indicted in Virginia with attempted murder, weapons violations, kidnapping, robbery, narcotics distribution, illegal gambling, assault, extortion and other crimes.
Twenty-six of the men were arrested and one was killed by federal agents during the federal sweep. Those charged are from Virginia, Wisconsin, Maine, Montana, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina. According to documents filed in the case, the men were members of the Outlaws motorcycle club, which prosecutors allege had formed an alliance with the Pagans to fight the rival Hells Angels and Desperados clubs.
While the men charged come from a variety of states, make no mistake - Petersburg was a key area in this alleged criminal enterprise. The indictment says the gang used the city as a hub for criminal activity, including discussing or planning criminal activity at the "Petersburg Outlaws clubhouse."
While officials have not specified the location of the local clubhouse, several sources have told The Progress-Index it was a business located in the Battersea neighborhood of Petersburg.
Petersburg was a frequent meeting place for the Outlaws and drugs flowed through the Petersburg Clubhouse, according to the indictment.
The city of Petersburg is listed 15 times in the federal indictment while Dinwiddie County is listed several times. The document says the Petersburg chapter of the American Outlaws Association conducted drug smuggling, illegal gambling, "shows of force" and laid a trap to assault rival bikers at a city bar.
The indictment outlines "overt acts" - many in the Tri-Cities - that the biker gang undertook as part of its criminal enterprise. For example, frequently mentioned in the indictment was the "Cockades Bar in Petersburg" where a planned assault was made against rival gang members. Officials have confirmed that refers to the Cockade City Grill in downtown Petersburg.
The bad news is that Petersburg appears to have been a central area in an alleged criminal enterprise involving biker gangs. The good news is that it appears law enforcement authorities have broken up the criminal activity.
