DPS GIITEM finds evidence Hells Angels is restarting a local chapter

OFF THE WIRE
The Hells Angels vest belonging to Michael Koepke, a suspect in the shooting between Hells Angels and Vagos gangs, with a Yavapai Co rocker.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission (GIITEM) found evidence that leads it to believe the Hells Angels gang was restarting the Skull Valley chapter, according to documents released Thursday by the Yavapai County Attorney's Office.

The evidence includes patches found on one member's vest, a ledger, bank bags found in a suspect's car, and entries in two suspects' notebooks, according to the DPS GIITEM report.

While looking at cuts, the leather or denim vests worn to show affiliation with a certain gang, the detective's team helping the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office investigate the shooting between the Hells Angels and Vagos gangs last month found a patch that read "YAVAPAI CO" on cuts worn by Michael Koepke.

Koepke was the first Hells Angels gang member that a DPS GIITEM detective recognized as he walked through the crime scene. The detective wrote in his report that Koepke smiled at him and then looked away as the detective walked by.

On the left side of the cuts when they're worn at the top are patches, also called flashes, indicating Michael Koepke holds the position of sergeant at arms for the Nomad chapter of the Hells Angels gang, and below the flashes is a "YAVAPAI CO" patch, also called a side rocker.

"This indicates to me the Hells Angels gang is active in Yavapai County," the detective wrote in his report. "This is significant since the Hells Angels Nomad chapter/clubhouse is located at ... North West Street in Flagstaff, Arizona, in Coconino County. This side rocker, along with other indicators, indicate that the Hells Angels gang may have been in the process of re-starting the Skull Valley chapter."

The Skull Valley chapter of the Hells Angels gang closed after members, including Teddy Toth, were convicted on charges related to the 2003 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigation known as "Black Biscuit."

In Black Biscuit, 36 suspects were charged with murder for hire, narcotics offenses, and gun smuggling; 16 Hells Angels gang members and associates in Arizona were indicted for murder, drug dealing, racketeering and conspiracy; and many other suspects were arrested in four other states.

The last day of Teddy Toth's probation on charges related to the Black Biscuit investigation was Aug. 20, 2010 - the day before the shooting in an unincorporated area northwest of Chino Valley.

The shooting took place in the 2600 block of North Yuma Drive in front of the Hells Angels gang's old Skull Valley clubhouse where Teddy Toth, an ex-president for the Skull Valley chapter now lives, according to the detective's report.

Toth, sitting in his scooter with his oxygen breathing tubes on, was the next Hells Angels gang member the detective saw as he walked through the crime scene.

When the detective stopped to ask Teddy how his health was, Teddy said not so good and asked when he could return to the house.

Inside the home, the DPS GIITEM team also found Toth's cuts with a "Filthy 666 Few" flash.

"The Filthy Few flash is earned for committing a crime or violent act against another person," the detective wrote in his report. "The 666 represents the sixth letter of the alphabet, the letter F or Filthy Few Forever."

Also on Toth's cuts were a black and white "Dequiallo" flash that "indicates the wearer committed an act of violence towards a person with authority or resisted arrest violently. There are only three known wearers of the 'Dequiallo' patch in Arizona. Theodore Toth is one of them," the detective wrote in his report.

The detective's team also found a red notepad and other paperwork left by the front gate to the Hells Angels home.

The detective found an entry in a notepad belonging to Larry Dean Scott Jr. of Chino Valley, a suspect in the shooting and a Hells Angels prospect known as Scotty, that read "Painter Death Date" and wrote in his report that the "note is inline with current Hells Angels gang events for the Nomads charter."

The detective noted in his report that Jeffrey Becket of Kingman, a fully patched member of the Vagos, is also known as "Painter."

"This page also has a note to further indicate the note is from Larry Dean Scott Jr. The entry on the second line to the bottom states, "My house - Aug. 21," the detective noted in his report.

The detective also found a similar entry in a notepad belonging to John Anthony Bernard of Phoenix, another suspect in the shooting and a prospect for the Hells Angels Phoenix charter, that read, "Fri church 8:00 PM Scotty's."

While searching a 1997 Harley Davidson motorcycle, registered to Warren Spencer Kuntz of Flagstaff, the detective found a Hells Angels Nomads gang ledger, cash, and Hells Angels West Coast Officers Meeting gang notes for July 17, 2010.

Kuntz is secretary for the Arizona Hells Angels Nomads gang, and "this is further supported by the ledger with gang members dues, fines and out of club status reported within the ledger," the detective wrote in his report.

The detective also found blue bank bags with money inside an unlocked brown briefcase in a 1998 Dodge SUV registered to Robert Kittredge of Prescott Valley.

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