MESA, Ariz. -- It's a world filled with violence, intimidation and conspiracy. In hopes of exposing the Hells Angels, three operatives risked everything to infiltrate the motorcycle gang in what's now known as Operation Black Biscuit.
Kerrie Droban is a defense attorney and author who chronicled Operation Black Biscuit in her book, "Running with the Devil."
"Not only was it an extraordinary investigation, but you start to learn who the Hells Angels really are," Droban said. "It is the modern-day Mafia and that's really part of the fascination with these biker gangs."
Operation Black Biscuit was the first ever law enforcement infiltration of the Hells Angels in Mesa. Two men and a woman went undercover for nearly two years. And going undercover meant, "They will be tested, they will have drugs shoved at them, they will have women thrown at them and that's one of the reasons they brought in the female undercover operative."
During Droban's research, she discovered the trio often ended up in very vulnerable situations.
They were in bars where they're weren't any windows so the surveillance crew could never see if they were in trouble or not," she said.
Just before Operation Black Biscuit began, Cynthia Garcia was murdered. Her accused killers were Kevin Augustiniak and Paul Eischeid.
"Amongst his peers, he was known as the go-to guy," Droban said. "If you wanted someone taken care of, they called it TCB, taking care of business, if you wanted someone taken care of, you had Paul Eischeid do it."
And in 2001, Eischeid allegedly "took care" of Garcia. 3TV obtained the Maricopa County Sheriff Office's transcript between a confidential informant and detective detailing how one October night at the Mesa Hells Angels clubhouse, things got out of control: Garcia "kept (expletive) running her mouth and she didn't shut up so Kevin belted her... she fell off the stool. Then Paul started kicking the (expletive) out of her."
The MCSO report goes on to reveal even though Garcia was semiconscious, her face and head soaked in blood, she was tossed into the trunk of a car. Eischeid, Augustiniak and the informant reportedly drove her out to the desert near Usery Pass Road. Droban said, "As the story goes, took turns stabbing her until they nearly decapitated her."
According to MCSO, the men returned to the Mesa clubhouse and "threw everything we were wearing on the charcoal grill ... to burn them until there was nothing .. and poured all the ashes in the grass."
Augustiniak and Eischeid ended up charged in Garcia's murder.
"What's fascinating to me about Paul Eischeid is that he was the one who got away," Droban said.
Eischeid had a day job working as a Charles Schwab stockbroker.
"He was disarmingly charming, he had everybody fooled," Droban said. "He had minimal criminal history, the judge considered him a low flight risk, so they put him on house arrest. They gave him a monitor. That's the irony of this whole thing. He was a tremendous flight risk, he had a double persona and disappeared for eight years."
In that eight years, Eischeid changed his appearance.
Argentinian police arrested him in February last year. He's now awaiting extradition back to Arizona.
As for Droban, she contends Operation Black Biscuit will be analyzed for years to come.
"It is a case that is taught nationwide to law enforcement to say what went wrong, what went right in that case.
Augustiniak pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is scheduled to be sentenced at the end of March.
(Video available at)http://www.azfamily.com/news/Behind-Operation-Black-Biscuit-A-Hells-Angels-Infiltration-139736643.html
Just before Operation Black Biscuit began, Cynthia Garcia was murdered. Her accused killers were Kevin Augustiniak and Paul Eischeid.
"Amongst his peers, he was known as the go-to guy," Droban said. "If you wanted someone taken care of, they called it TCB, taking care of business, if you wanted someone taken care of, you had Paul Eischeid do it."
And in 2001, Eischeid allegedly "took care" of Garcia. 3TV obtained the Maricopa County Sheriff Office's transcript between a confidential informant and detective detailing how one October night at the Mesa Hells Angels clubhouse, things got out of control: Garcia "kept (expletive) running her mouth and she didn't shut up so Kevin belted her... she fell off the stool. Then Paul started kicking the (expletive) out of her."
The MCSO report goes on to reveal even though Garcia was semiconscious, her face and head soaked in blood, she was tossed into the trunk of a car. Eischeid, Augustiniak and the informant reportedly drove her out to the desert near Usery Pass Road. Droban said, "As the story goes, took turns stabbing her until they nearly decapitated her."
According to MCSO, the men returned to the Mesa clubhouse and "threw everything we were wearing on the charcoal grill ... to burn them until there was nothing .. and poured all the ashes in the grass."
Augustiniak and Eischeid ended up charged in Garcia's murder.
"What's fascinating to me about Paul Eischeid is that he was the one who got away," Droban said.
Eischeid had a day job working as a Charles Schwab stockbroker.
"He was disarmingly charming, he had everybody fooled," Droban said. "He had minimal criminal history, the judge considered him a low flight risk, so they put him on house arrest. They gave him a monitor. That's the irony of this whole thing. He was a tremendous flight risk, he had a double persona and disappeared for eight years."
In that eight years, Eischeid changed his appearance.
Argentinian police arrested him in February last year. He's now awaiting extradition back to Arizona.
As for Droban, she contends Operation Black Biscuit will be analyzed for years to come.
"It is a case that is taught nationwide to law enforcement to say what went wrong, what went right in that case.
Augustiniak pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is scheduled to be sentenced at the end of March.
(Video available at)http://www.azfamily.com/news/Behind-Operation-Black-Biscuit-A-Hells-Angels-Infiltration-139736643.html
