Frank C. Girardot
dailynews.com
WEST COVINA - Al "The Suit" Cavazos won a court battle and got his bike back, but the former Mongol associate says his fight with the federal government is far from over.
Despite the resolution of "The Suit's" forfeiture case, Al and his brother Ruben "Doc" Cavazos continue to press their claim that a racketeering case brought by the government against the Mongols was predicated on a crime that never happened.
In an email sent from the federal prison where he is serving time, "Doc" Cavazos said the return of Al's motorcycle is tantamount to an admission that something was wrong with the federal government's case against the club.
"After four years of my brother ... knocking on the doors of politicians, news media outlets and law enforcement agencies and after four years of my son's mother and myself writing letters to the same organizations, the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms are finally forced to admit that there was something wrong with the testimony on the part of law enforcement," he wrote. "I call it corruption at its worse. They will call it an `honest mistake."'
The beef between the Cavazos and the federal government stems from an April 2007 shooting outside Nicola's strip club in
Commerce. An investigation into the shooting resulted in the arrest of Mongols
member Denis "Steaky" Maldonado, who pleaded no contest and received a 12-year
state prison sentence for attempted murder.
The Cavazos brothers claim Maldonado's plea was coerced as "Steaky" believed
he would receive a stiffer prison sentence if a jury didn't believe his story.
Al Cavazos said he won't stop pressing for what he believes is the only just resolution of his case.
"These are dirty, corrupt cops," Al Cavazos said. "I really want the government to do something about the corruption behind this case."
Two other motorcycles sought by Cavazos - one belonging to his brother "Doc" and the other belonging to his nephew Ruben "Lil Rubes" Cavazos - have been forfeited, U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Thom Mrozek said.
"The court did not order the return of any bikes claimed by Al Cavazos," Mrozek said. "His claims as to two of the three bikes were stricken by Judge Carter."
The three bikes were among hundreds of rifles, pistols and shotguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, $178,361 in cash, 139 motorcycles, nine cartons of cigarettes, a Daisy BB gun, a Honda Civic, a GMC Yukon and assorted pieces of jewelry taken by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Oct. 9, 2008.
In all, 78 members and associates of the gang were arrested and tried in a sweeping federal racketeering case.
As part of their case prosecutors alleged the items were illegal swag collected by a criminal organization involved in assaults, attempted murder and illegal drug sales over the course of several years, thus making them eligible for forfeiture.
It took more than a month for Cavazos to get the bike. A paperwork snafu resulted in the delay, Mrozek said, noting the $30,000 customized red Harley Davidson should be back in Cavazos' hands soon.
Because of Cavazos brothers' insistence that something was wrong with the case against the Mongols, members of Maldonado's family said they have contacted the Innocence Project for help.
According to its website, The Innocence Project was founded by O.J. Simpson defense attorneys Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld "to assist prisoners who could be proven innocent through DNA testing."
As for Mongols Motorcycle Club members, they want to move on and get past what they see as a dark chapter in the club's history.
David Santillan, national president of Mongols, has said that all three Cavazos are "out bad" and have no connection with the club.
"We just want to get it behind us and move forward," Santillan said. "We truly do. It's a four-year-old case."
Even so, Al Cavazos said he believes the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Montebello Police Department collected blood evidence outside Nicola's that would lead to the truth.
Additionally, Al Cavazos has written letters to federal Judge David O. Carter, Montebello police Capt. Brad Keller and Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley.
"The key element of the racketeering indictment rested on ... false testimony," Cavazos wrote in his letter to Cooley. "With all the false testimony against us ... we were all coerced to plead guilty."
ATF Special Agent Christian Hoffman said the Cavazos brothers have no leg to stand on in their quest.
"He wants to fight this case in the media, and the judge said the case is closed," Hoffman said. "If he has new evidence he should come forward with it."
frank.girardot@sgvn.com
626-657-0982
Al Cavazos said he won't stop pressing for what he believes is the only just resolution of his case.
"These are dirty, corrupt cops," Al Cavazos said. "I really want the government to do something about the corruption behind this case."
Two other motorcycles sought by Cavazos - one belonging to his brother "Doc" and the other belonging to his nephew Ruben "Lil Rubes" Cavazos - have been forfeited, U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Thom Mrozek said.
"The court did not order the return of any bikes claimed by Al Cavazos," Mrozek said. "His claims as to two of the three bikes were stricken by Judge Carter."
The three bikes were among hundreds of rifles, pistols and shotguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, $178,361 in cash, 139 motorcycles, nine cartons of cigarettes, a Daisy BB gun, a Honda Civic, a GMC Yukon and assorted pieces of jewelry taken by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Oct. 9, 2008.
In all, 78 members and associates of the gang were arrested and tried in a sweeping federal racketeering case.
As part of their case prosecutors alleged the items were illegal swag collected by a criminal organization involved in assaults, attempted murder and illegal drug sales over the course of several years, thus making them eligible for forfeiture.
It took more than a month for Cavazos to get the bike. A paperwork snafu resulted in the delay, Mrozek said, noting the $30,000 customized red Harley Davidson should be back in Cavazos' hands soon.
Because of Cavazos brothers' insistence that something was wrong with the case against the Mongols, members of Maldonado's family said they have contacted the Innocence Project for help.
According to its website, The Innocence Project was founded by O.J. Simpson defense attorneys Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld "to assist prisoners who could be proven innocent through DNA testing."
As for Mongols Motorcycle Club members, they want to move on and get past what they see as a dark chapter in the club's history.
David Santillan, national president of Mongols, has said that all three Cavazos are "out bad" and have no connection with the club.
"We just want to get it behind us and move forward," Santillan said. "We truly do. It's a four-year-old case."
Even so, Al Cavazos said he believes the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Montebello Police Department collected blood evidence outside Nicola's that would lead to the truth.
Additionally, Al Cavazos has written letters to federal Judge David O. Carter, Montebello police Capt. Brad Keller and Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley.
"The key element of the racketeering indictment rested on ... false testimony," Cavazos wrote in his letter to Cooley. "With all the false testimony against us ... we were all coerced to plead guilty."
ATF Special Agent Christian Hoffman said the Cavazos brothers have no leg to stand on in their quest.
"He wants to fight this case in the media, and the judge said the case is closed," Hoffman said. "If he has new evidence he should come forward with it."
frank.girardot@sgvn.com
626-657-0982
