OFF THE WIRE
James Bradley, of
Temecula, a general contractor and member of the Hells Angels, listens Tuesday,
Oct. 16, as one of his attorneys delivers his closing arguments at the Southwest
Justice Center in French Valley. Bradley was found guilty on several counts Oct.
19.
BY SARAH BURGE
A Temecula business man accused of threatening to sic his fellow Hells Angels
on subcontractors with whom he had payment disputes was found guilty of making
criminal threats and committing a felony as a member of a criminal street
gang.But jurors on Thursday, Oct. 18, found untrue the allegations that the threats were made to benefit the gang.
James A. Bradley, 49, who had been free on bond, was taken into custody by sheriff's deputies after the verdicts were read in a courtroom at the Southwest Justice Center in French Valley. As he was led away, he made an air kiss to his wife in the audience.
Prosecutors said they are pleased with the outcome.
“I think what’s important is the Hells Angels was defined as a gang for the first time in Riverside County history,” prosecutor Burke Strunsky said.
But defense attorney Brett Greenfield also declared a partial victory.
Though he is disappointed that Bradley was convicted of making threats, Greenfield said he is happy the jurors found that the threats were not made to benefit a gang.
“This really had nothing to do with the Hells Angels,” Greenfield said.
Defense attorneys had argued that Bradley never invoked the Hells Angels in arguments with the subcontractors and contended that the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is not a gang.
Bradley, who did not dispute that he is a Hells Angel, was convicted of two counts of making criminal threats, committing a felony as a member of a criminal street gang and weapons possession charges. A possession of anabolic steroids charge was dismissed.
The allegation that the threats benefited a gang, if found true, would have added years to Bradley’s sentence. As convicted, Bradley faces up to five years in prison, prosecutors said.
Jurors left the courthouse without commenting after the verdicts were read.
The threats were reported to Murrieta police in 2010. One subcontractor told officers that Bradley, of the Temecula-based J.A. Bradley Construction & Restoration, cursed at him and threatened to have “150 Hells Angels” come after him, prosecutors said.
He described how Bradley came pounding on his office door, enraged, scaring him so badly he called the police for help, prosecutors said.
Another subcontractor told a similar story of an unhinged Bradley saying he was a Hells Angel and threatening to kill him.
Both said they lived in fear that the Hells Angels were going to come after them and their family members.
The trial, at the Southwest Justice Center in French Valley, focused as much on the Hells Angels organization as it did the criminal threats. Prosecutors called expert witnesses to show the club is a criminal street gang and why they believed the threats benefited the Hells Angels.
Defense attorneys Greenfield and David Kenner, whose Los Angeles firm has represented Hells Angels in many cases, did not call any witnesses and Bradley did not testify on his own behalf.
In his closing argument, Kenner told jurors that Bradley, in addition to being a member of the Hells Angel, is a husband, father and businessman.
He said Bradley was involved in “mutually heated arguments” that nearly came to blows but didn’t invoke the Hells Angels and didn’t make criminal threats. Kenner argued that the subcontractors’ claims they were in fear for their lives strain credibility.
Kenner also suggested that gang investigators, eager to go after the Hells Angels, blew the disputes out of proportion.
After the verdicts Thursday, Kenner tried unsuccessfully to convince the judge to let Bradley remain free on bond until his sentencing. He said Bradley, in his general contractor business, has numerous ongoing jobs that he needs to resolve.
Bradley never followed up on any of the threats he made, Kenner added.
“Nobody got hurt.”
“I think what’s important is the Hells Angels was defined as a gang for the first time in Riverside County history,” prosecutor Burke Strunsky said.
But defense attorney Brett Greenfield also declared a partial victory.
Though he is disappointed that Bradley was convicted of making threats, Greenfield said he is happy the jurors found that the threats were not made to benefit a gang.
“This really had nothing to do with the Hells Angels,” Greenfield said.
Defense attorneys had argued that Bradley never invoked the Hells Angels in arguments with the subcontractors and contended that the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is not a gang.
Bradley, who did not dispute that he is a Hells Angel, was convicted of two counts of making criminal threats, committing a felony as a member of a criminal street gang and weapons possession charges. A possession of anabolic steroids charge was dismissed.
The allegation that the threats benefited a gang, if found true, would have added years to Bradley’s sentence. As convicted, Bradley faces up to five years in prison, prosecutors said.
Jurors left the courthouse without commenting after the verdicts were read.
The threats were reported to Murrieta police in 2010. One subcontractor told officers that Bradley, of the Temecula-based J.A. Bradley Construction & Restoration, cursed at him and threatened to have “150 Hells Angels” come after him, prosecutors said.
He described how Bradley came pounding on his office door, enraged, scaring him so badly he called the police for help, prosecutors said.
Another subcontractor told a similar story of an unhinged Bradley saying he was a Hells Angel and threatening to kill him.
Both said they lived in fear that the Hells Angels were going to come after them and their family members.
The trial, at the Southwest Justice Center in French Valley, focused as much on the Hells Angels organization as it did the criminal threats. Prosecutors called expert witnesses to show the club is a criminal street gang and why they believed the threats benefited the Hells Angels.
Defense attorneys Greenfield and David Kenner, whose Los Angeles firm has represented Hells Angels in many cases, did not call any witnesses and Bradley did not testify on his own behalf.
In his closing argument, Kenner told jurors that Bradley, in addition to being a member of the Hells Angel, is a husband, father and businessman.
He said Bradley was involved in “mutually heated arguments” that nearly came to blows but didn’t invoke the Hells Angels and didn’t make criminal threats. Kenner argued that the subcontractors’ claims they were in fear for their lives strain credibility.
Kenner also suggested that gang investigators, eager to go after the Hells Angels, blew the disputes out of proportion.
After the verdicts Thursday, Kenner tried unsuccessfully to convince the judge to let Bradley remain free on bond until his sentencing. He said Bradley, in his general contractor business, has numerous ongoing jobs that he needs to resolve.
Bradley never followed up on any of the threats he made, Kenner added.
“Nobody got hurt.”