Vagos members file claims against county after raids

OFF THE WIRE
BY: JOHN ASBURY
Source: pe.com
The Vagos Motorcycle Club has filed 16 claims against Riverside County and state authorities seeking damages for a March raid on club members in Hemet, Fontana and Indio.

The claims filed by the motorcycle club and four families also target Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco.

The claims allege defamation of character and violation of civil rights related to the March 17 sweep. During "Operation Everywhere," district attorney's officials, sheriff's deputies and police arrested 33 people named as members of the Vagos on suspicion of parole violations and drug and weapon charges.

"The members and associates of the Vagos and the family members of the Vagos members also suffered from humiliation and emotional distress as a result of the public employees' public defamatory statements about the Vagos and its members," the claim states.

Riverside County officials said the claims are under review and a decision on whether to accept or reject them has not been made. In addition to Pacheco, the claims name district attorney spokesman John Hall, an unidentified district attorney's investigator and a sheriff's sergeant.

The Vagos accuse authorities of ransacking homes, intimidating and wrongfully detaining family members and telling some restaurants not to serve the Vagos members.

"This is a ridiculous attempt to intimidate law enforcement by a criminal street gang," Pacheco said in a statement last week.

Joseph Yanny, an attorney for the Vagos, said he also has filed claims against state Attorney General Jerry Brown, Hemet police and other agencies. He said the rhetoric of the March 17 news conference and reports that followed unfairly linked the Vagos to the Hemet police attacks.

The Vagos were not named as suspects in the Hemet case but Pacheco made several references to a history of attacks on law enforcement.

The claims cite Hemet Police Chief Richard Dana's remark that the sweep made the Vagos "scatter like cockroaches."

When asked at the time about their involvement in the attacks, Pacheco said the "Vagos have got our significant attention in recent months ... and their time has come."

Less than four months later, Hemet police charged two men with conducting the attacks to thwart a marijuana trial.

Pacheco said the two men may have had associations with the Vagos, but were not members.

Yanny said the sweeps were a campaign stunt for Pacheco's failed June re-election bid.

"The county of Riverside should rein in people of his position. He does not have the right to use his office in an attempt to generate fear and opinions to aid political campaigns," Yanny said. "This was a very concerted effort prior to the election to make them the bad boys and beat up them for political purposes."

Reach John Asbury at 951-763-3451 or jasbury@PE.com