A Blueprint For Successfully Protesting “No Motorcycle Colors”

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A Blueprint For Successfully Protesting “No Motorcycle Colors” Nationwide the act of law enforcement coercing private establishments to prohibit motorcycle club-related clothing and paraphernalia has grown to epidemic levels. The National Council of Clubs, representing motorcycle clubs and their member’s legitimate interests in all 50 states, stands in opposition to law enforcement coercion and encourages motorcyclists to organize and fight back!
A recent example in the state of Pennsylvania not only highlights the issue, but also provides a viable blueprint for successfully reversing law enforcement motivated discrimination in public accommodations. Ephrata Police attempted to coerce a local Elks Lodge into breaking a contract with the Lancaster County Motorcycle Club (LCMC) that planned on holding their annual Halloween party to benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Fortunately, the LCMC, the NCOC, and Motorcycle Profiling Project (MPP), organized a successful campaign blocking law enforcement’s efforts.

the Background

Lancaster County Motorcycle Club is “a family friendly group using our love of riding motorcycles to help charities and benefits in our community.” LCMC as a collective, have never had any interactions with any law enforcement agency, and has references from many facilities that have hosted them, or that they participated in events with. On August 15th, 2019, LCMC signed a rental contract with the Elks Lodge 1933 to hold their annual Halloween party to take place on October 26, 2019. LCMC had hired a band, and planned on renting a taxi for any intoxicated drivers, and had a motorcycle trailer on standby as well. With food, entertainment, and safety measures in place, everything was going as planned, and shaping up to be a successful charity fundraiser. That is until the Ephrata Police decided to get involved.

 State Actor Discrimination

On September 23rd, a board member of the Elks Lodge informed LCMC that their party was canceled at the behest of Lt. Christopher McKim of the Ephrata Police Department. Lt. McKim, acting under the color of state law in a official capacity, and who is also a member of the Elks lodge, had several conservations with a board member and the president of the lodge, “advising” them “not to have the party because of the possible ramifications that could happen from it.” The board members of the lodge decided to have a meeting to discuss what they believed was a directive from the local police department. Lt. McKim told the board members that he was ‘tipped off’ by agencies that were higher than his. Lt. McKim falsely claimed that LCMC had ties to a Motorcycle ‘Gang’, and employed a scare tactic of asking the lodge what they would do in the event that something ‘bad’ happened. Based on the erroneous and sensationalized misinformation that was presented to them, the Elks Lodge decided to cancel the planned event.

LCMC Pushes Back 

Lancaster County Motorcycle Club was not happy about the slanderous information that was being spread about them, and made the decision to push back. The President of LCMC made several phone calls to the president of the Elks Lodge, as well as too Lt. McKim seeking an explanation as to why he would illegally influence a private business under the color of the law.
After several days and multiple attempts unanswered, LCMC President contacted the NCOC. On September 27th, 2019, I called Lt. McKim and requested an interview. Initially, he stated that he did not have time, and did not know what the questions were going to be in reference too. I informed him that I would be writing an article about his illegal actions, and would like to get quotes and/or his side of the story. Once this information was presented, Lt. McKim made time and decided to speak with this writer.

Ephrata Police Backpedal 

Lt. McKim denied pressuring the Elks Lodge to cancel event, stating that “we”, the Ephrata Police, “just wanted them to be aware of the situation, aware of the connection.” He stated that he had received information from other confidential sources that “trouble can arise, not that it will arise.” He stated that the police department contacts any venue that is holding an event discusses how they would handle the situation “if anything bad happened.” When asked whether he, or the Ephrata Police Department is against the Elks Lodge hosting the LCMC parties, he responded “NO, not at all.”
While this writer was informing the LCMC President of the conservation with Lt. McKim, the Lt. coincidentally decided to return the President’s phone call. Armed with this new information, LCMC was able to secure an audience with the Elks Lodge board members to discuss the issue of having their party cancelled.

 The Meeting

Majority of the LCMC, as well as this writer, were present for a meeting with board of the Elks Lodge. Many of tired and true misconception about Motorcycle Clubs were brought up in the meeting. One board member, a retired Ephrata Police officer, even insinuated that if a certain Motorcycle Club was not invited, that there was going to be violence. This same board member reaffirmed what was believed when he stated that “we were basically told not to have the party.”
Armed with statistical data and evidence, as well as compelling personal and collective stories, LCMC was able to able to convince the board members that having the party would not result in any violence, and that Lt. McKims mischaracterization of them was exactly that. After the meeting LCMC was informed that all but one board member voted to allow the party to take place as originally planned.

The Party 

On October 26th, LCMC held their Halloween party as planned. There were zero incidences of violence, zero complaints from neighbors, and zero involvement from any law enforcement agency. Most importantly, proceeds were able to benefit the Ronald McDonald House, which helps the families of sick children at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Children’s Hospital.
This is yet another example of what can be accomplished when the Motorcycle Club community works together for Our 1st Amendment Rights.

1%er defined - One Percenters, Gangs and Outlaws.

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1%er defined

NOTE: This is the defininition given in Wiki-pedia, if you belive anything to be an error, please e-mail us and we will check it out.
One Percenters, Gangs and Outlaws.

Motorcycle clubs are often perceived as criminal organizations or, at best, gangs of hoodlums or thugs by traditional society. This perception has been fueled by the movies, popular culture, and highly publicized isolated incidents, the earliest of which was a brawl in Hollister, California in 1947 between members of the Boozefighters MC (motto: a drinking club with a motorcycle problem) and the Pissed Off Bastards MC (precursor to the Hells Angels).
The press asked the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) to comment, and their response was that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, and the last one percent were outlaws. Thus was born the term, "one percenter".

During the 1940's and 1950's, at rallies and gatherings sponsored by the AMA, prizes were awarded for nicest club uniform, prettiest motorcycle, and so forth. Some clubs, however, rejected the clean-cut image and adopted the "one percenter" moniker, even going so far as to create a diamond (rhombus) shaped patch labeled "1%" to wear on their vests as a badge of honor.

The 1% patch is also used to instill fear and respect from the general public and other motorcyclists. Other clubs wore (and still wear) upside down AMA patches.

*Another practice was to cut their one piece club patches into three or more pieces as a form of protest, which evolved into the current form of three piece colors worn by many MCs today.
One percent clubs point out that the term simply means that they are simply committed to "biking and brotherhood", where riding isn't a weekend activity, but a way of living. These clubs assert that local and national law enforcement agencies have co-opted the term to paint them as criminals.

While it is a fact that individual members of some MCs, and even entire chapters have engaged in felonious behavior, other members and supporters of these clubs insist that these are isolated occurrences and that the clubs, as a whole, are not criminal organizations. They often compare themselves to police departments, wherein the occasional "bad cop" does not make a police department a criminal organization, either.

At least one biker website has a news section devoted to "cops gone bad" to support their point of view.
Many one percenter clubs, including the Hells Angels, sponsor charitable events throughout the year for such causes as Salvation Army shelters and Toys for Tots.


Alternatively, both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) have designated certain MCs as Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs), among them the Pagans, Hells Angels, Outlaws MC, and Bandidos.

Canada, especially, has experienced a significant upsurge in crime involving members and associates of these MCs, most notably in what has been dubbed the Quebec Biker war.
Some members of the Hells Angels MC have been indicted on various charges, including RICO charges, murder, robbery, extortion, trafficking in stolen and VIN-switched motorcycles, methamphetamine and cocaine distribution.

In April, 2006, eight members or associates of the Bandidos MC were found murdered in a farm field in Ontario, Canada in what police have described as an internal cleansing of the Bandidos organization. One of the men charged with the murders is, himself, a Bandidos MC full patch member.

As recently as September 29, 2006, the president and another officer of the San Francisco chapter of the Hells Angels were indicted on charges of methamphetamine and cocaine distribution.

Oh No! More Covid-19!

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agingrebel.com

Yeah, yeah. What the hell is the matter with Rebel? He is not a doctor and yet he keeps “spouting off” about the CoronaVirus.. As one proud member of the Iron Order explained to me the other day, “you should stick to motorcycles and stop pretending you are a doctor.”

You probably deserve an explanation for why I continue to cover this minor, little plague.  There are two reasons. One is cynical and the other is idealistic.

The cynical reason is I really can’t afford to lose any more readers. Literally. Stay alive and continue to read and when you can donate. That is The Aging Rebel business model.

The idealistic reason is that this is a niche journalism site with an audience in a demographic that appears to be most susceptible to this current pandemic. The point of journalism is to inform readers and viewers. And, on the subject of Covid-19, most news outlets are much more comfortable running opinion than fact. It is my moral obligation to try to inform you. Period.

So this page is running this libtard, propagandistic, obnoxious video produced by the National Geographic Society. Please watch it. The knowledge might come in handy.

The Covid-19 Panic

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agingrebel.com

Whether you like it or not, the hysteria about the Corona Virus Disease is already a very big deal

In the absence of specific guidelines from federal authorities. states and major cities have begun to publish their own rules and directives to slow the spread of Clovid-19, the respiratory disease associated with the newly discovered. so-called “novel corona virus.”

Request Refund Now

These new rules are likely to become more widespread in the next week and will almost certainly trigger unexpected and poorly reported-on results. The first is the continuance of jury trials and possibly other legal proceedings into the summer or later. The second if the almost certain cancellation of the following social events aimed at motorcycle enthusiasts: Arizona Bike Week scheduled to begin April 1; the Angel City Spring Motorcycle Rally scheduled for April 15; Laughlin River Run, April 23; the Leesburg BikeFest, April 24; the Spring Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally in Panama City, April 29; the Route 66 Biker Rally in Oklahoma, April 30; the Steel Horse Rally in Arkansas, May 1; and Myrtle Beach Bike Week scheduled to begin May 8.

Yesterday the Centers for Disease Control released a “Guidance” Statement that said: The “CDC, in accordance with its guidance for large events and mass gatherings, recommends that for the next 8 weeks, organizers (whether groups or individuals) cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States.”

As of March 16, none of these events has officially cancelled and no legal proceedings anywhere have been continued because of Covid-19 fears.

California

However, events in California and Los Angeles illustrate where we are all headed.

Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, which as of Monday morning had 335 cases of Covid-19 resulting in six deaths. has ordered all bars, wineries and brew pubs to close. Virtually every school in the state is closed and will remain closed until at least April 15. All California restaurants have been ordered to halve their capacity. The governor has also ordered all citizens aged 65 or older to stay inside under virtual house arrest. Newsom has not said how he plans to enforce his directives which run into dozens of pages and can be found here.

Los Angeles has ordered even more draconian guidelines to attempt to minimize the spread of the virus including the closure of all restaurants and the postponement of all jury trials.

As of Monday morning, the United States has confirmed 1774 cases of Covid-10 resulting in 69 deaths. There are 169,387 confirned cases of Covid-19 infection worldwide which has resulted in 6.513 deaths. No one can say definitively how many people are infected with the virus that causes the disease, the mortality rate of the disease or how long a person with the disease remains infectious.

Most actions taken to prevent the spread of the disease are very speculative which explains why none of the motorcycle rallies listed above have yet been cancelled and refunds issued for rooms booked, tickets sold or vendor spaces reserved. But local and state officials are under significant public pressure to do something and the easiest thing for those officials to do is to make speeches, and shut everything down.

How Long ??????

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agingrebel.com

The riding season is here for most of the country and it isn’t uncommon for local policemen to stop riders for the sole purpose of telling them to go home. This riding season may or may not put a smile on your face.

But whether the bike basically stays in the garage or not, even if worst comes to worst, there will be a riding season next year or the year after that. It might look like Mad Max. Outlaws may invade small towns and some guy in a hockey mask at the head of the pack may demand through a bullhorn, “Give us your toilet paper and we will go away. We only want toilet paper. Not your women. Resistance is futile.” No matter what, there will still be bikes and bike riders.

Yay

“The Biker Lifestyle,” on the other hand, might be on a ventilator already. Everybody is going broke. Millions don’t know how they will keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. For the last 35 years or so, the “lifestyle” has been about selling people symbols they don’t really need. The “lifestyle” has always been about prosperous men saying “Yeah, I’m a badass outlaw. Got a tattoo and shit. Respect my bitch Poppy. These are my sons Fielding and Merritt. Don’t look them in the eyes. I raised them to be badasses, too. Fielding! Fetch me my genuine Harley-Davidson work gloves!”

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company found the limits of biker affinity marketing the hard way starting in about 2008 People do not actually need a $35,000, teal, custom motorcycle with a 131 cubic inch engine – cool as it might be to park one of those things outside a bar. I can’t say how it would run.

Integral to the biker lifestyle has been the big bike fest which culminates every year in the greater Rapid City, Belle Fourche, Sundance, Buffalo Gap metropolitan area. That rally is called the Black Hills Rally and it is a wonderful place to buy five tee shirts on sale, a collapsible baton or a carton of Camels. You can also buy a pair of $800 boots, photograph a woman wearing blue paint instead of a bra and meet a real policeman.

Show Goes On

It might be time to consider what the summer may bring.

The Lauhhlin River Run, which attracts up to 70,000 riders, had been scheduled to unfold in all its majesty from April 23 to April 25. With a month to go, on March 25 the promotor announced, “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the 2020 Laughlin River Run has been canceled. Please check back for 2021 Laughlin River Run dates & information”

Two days later the “Progressive Laconia Motorcycle Week” released an announcement that explained: “The Board of Directors of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association held a teleconference meeting on March 26th and determined a decision would be made no later than April 30th on whether or not the Rally would be postponed from June 13th-21st, 2020 to August 22nd – 30th, 2020. At this time, they are optimistic the rally will still be held in June.

“This could be a huge boost for morale of not just motorcycle enthusiasts but everyone in the region,” says Charlie St. Clair, Executive Director for the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association. “This event brings millions of dollars to the state and is critically important to NH businesses and our tourism economy. Not only that, we have all been cooped up inside for well over a month – What better way to tell the world we’re returning to normal when we hear the familiar June roar of motorcycles returning to Weirs Beach?”

.The Republic of Texas Rally which had been scheduled for March in Austin, has now been scheduled to compete with Laconia from June 11 to June 14.

The Hollister Independence Motorcycle Rally, which commemorates the Holister Biker Riot which inspired the motion picture The Wild One which inspired the smash television hit Sons of Anarchy which inspired the smash television reality series The Devils Ride which has provided the basis for most biker expert witness testimony for the last decade is still on. The Hollister Chamber of Commerce sincerely believes that the Covid-19 plague will be but an unpleasant memory by July 3 and that everybody will be able and inclined to spend like drunken sailors until July 5.

Surely, our many state, local and national leaders will have resolved this plague by August 7, 121 days from now, when an estimated 400,000 motorcycle enthusiasts in the greater Sturgis area can finally finish with social distancing.

Maybe everybody can gather at the Buffalo Chip to burn big, wooden replicas of the novel CoronaVirus.

Idaho Passes Anti-Motorcycle Profiling Law

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In the midst of the global corona virus pandemic there is not much “good news”. But for motorcyclists in Idaho there is a sliver of positivity in a sea of crisis. On March 18th, 2020 the state of Idaho became the 4th state to pass a law addressing the issue of motorcycle profiling. Awaiting the governor’s signature, S 1292, sponsored by Representative Robert Anderst, passed the Idaho House of Representatives on a 37-30 vote after previously passing the Senate 25-9.
S 1292 defines the term “motorcycle profiling” and prohibits the practice. And like the 3 states that have previously addressed the issue- Washington State (2011), Maryland (2016) and Louisiana (2019)- S1292 doesn’t allow monetary claims against law enforcement. The Federal Civil Rights Act remains the mechanism of monetary relief for victims of profiling. Rather, state anti-motorcycle profiling legislation provides a mechanism for targeted individuals to receive dismissals and exclusion of evidence based on an illegal stop, in addition to enhanced law enforcement training intended to curtail the discriminatory practice.
The law in Idaho is the direct result of a 5-year long grassroots effort led by Idaho ABATE. Idaho ABATE is a quintessential example of the democratic process at work. With persistence and preparation, legislative opposition can be reversed. Legislators deal with hundreds/ thousands of pieces of legislation annually. Idaho ABATE did not allow previous failures since 2017 to discourage the legislative effort. Instead of giving up, Idaho ABATE persisted and was eventually successful educating and gaining the support of legislators that previously opposed the idea.
The Motorcycle Profiling Project congratulates Idaho ABATE, Representative Anderst, and those that supported the effort- you know who you are! Working with you was a pleasure!
Stay healthy. Stay safe. And Fight The Good Fight!

Colorado Sheriffs Cover-Up Shooting Hells Angel In Stomach

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Published on April 27th, 2020 | by David "Double D" Devereaux

A video recently released capturing Colorado law enforcement discussing shooting a Hells Angel during a traffic stop without cause was not a mere threat. Although law enforcement has made every attempt to conceal the truth through fictitious statements to the mainstream media, a Colorado Sheriff attempted to kill another unarmed Hells Angel a little more than a year later by shooting him in the stomach while serving a warrant in late 2019. Until now, this story has not been fully told. The victim was in a coma following the shooting while his location was being being hidden from his attorney and family by law enforcement for 13 days before a court order was granted by a judge, not surprisingly at the absurd objection of prosecutors and law enforcement. The situation very was uncertain. But recent revelations confirming a broader policy of targeting Hells Angels with an explicit willingness to kill without cause demands widespread attention and public outrage. So this story must now be told.
The National Council of Clubs (NCOC), representing the legitimate interests of motorcycle clubs and their members nationwide, stands in unified opposition to law enforcement targeting and attempting to murder members of motorcycle clubs. The NCOC hopes lives are saved by holding the officer(s) involved accountable, both for the shooting and the blatant lies relayed to the public in an obvious attempt to downplay the severity of law enforcement actions. Motorcycle Profiling is real and the loss of life is the ultimate impact.
The Basic Details While serving one of 19 warrants in Jefferson County, Colorado on November 7th, 2019, a SWAT team officer shot a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) in the stomach with a shotgun round intended to breach a locked door (not shoot a human being) when he opened the door unarmed to peacefully greet approaching officers. Independent of the many unanswered questions that remain, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) reported that the suspect sustained a non-life threatening injury. That was a blatant lie. The victim almost died.
Law enforcement’s version of events.
As reported by law enforcement officials to NBC affiliate 9news.com on November 7th, 2019:

• A member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was shot and injured by a breaching shotgun round while a Jefferson County Regional SWAT Team was executing a search and arrest warrant issued out of Denver early Thursday, November 7th, 2019, according to the JCSO. The warrant was from the ATF and was among 19 executed on November 7th, 2019.
• A spokesperson for the JCSO said the suspect opened the door right as a SWAT team member fired the round and was struck by it.
• The suspect suffered a non-life threatening injury and was transported to a hospital, according to the JCSO. Law enforcement lied! The victim almost died. Contrary to official JCSO’s statements, the injuries sustained by the victim were life- threatening. His condition continually worsened. It was feared that the victim, a member of the HAMC in Denver named Dusty Ullerich, was going to die. According to statements made to the NCOC by individuals present, after his location was secured through a court order, family members and a number of club brothers were allowed access to a secure federal medical facility to visit Dusty because medical professionals feared he was going to die due to internal bleeding as a result of being shot in the stomach. Downplaying the severity of Dusty’s injuries is unethical, disingenuous, and abhorrent. Regardless of any other circumstances, misinforming the public about life-threatening injuries sustained by any individual at the hands of law enforcement is a breach of public trust which further erodes the relationship between law enforcement and those they are duty bound to protect.

Although Dusty stabilized after being in a coma, the fact that the injuries he sustained were life-threatening is an important detail that the public has a right to know and that law enforcement has an ethical duty not to lie about. Adding insult to injury, before he was fully recovered, on Christmas Eve 2019 law enforcement officers rushed into his already secured hospital room, placed him under arrest, and announced that he was being charged under the state organized crime law. They then took him to Denver County jail in a wheelchair. Dusty bonded out a few days later and is at home with an ankle monitor awaiting trial.
Expert Opinion.
Why was it necessary to fire a breaching round in the first place? Dusty has no criminal record and he has never been convicted of a violent crime. He was home alone with his wife and obviously had no intention of resisting based on the fact that he opened the door unarmed to greet them. What is the probability of the officer firing a breaching round at the exact moment Dusty was opening the door? Based on the opinion of one combat military veteran with extensive experience in breaching residential dwellings, it’s highly improbable. Bobby Colella, retired Army 1st Sergeant and NCOC participant, breached countless residential dwellings in a war theater and not once was an occupant struck by a breaching round when they opened the door. How far away was the Sheriff when he shot the breaching round? Colella explains that “breaching rounds of the sort used in this instance are low velocity and must be fired at very close range. Within a foot or two. It makes more sense that the officer was startled, despite training to control impulsive deadly force responses when startled or stressed.” If the sheriff deputy was farther away, that makes a non-accidental shooting even more likely. From farther away, shooting Dusty, not breaching the door, is the only logical intent of the shot.
A Call To Action
What’s happening in Colorado is a microcosm of a national epidemic. The evidence is clear. Under the status quo, motorcycle clubs are targeted as a matter of policy to the degree that killing a Biker without cause is an acceptable method of law enforcement. Discrimination and profiling against motorcyclists demands immediate public policy attention at the state and national level. The issue is literally one of life and death.
HELP END MOTORCYCLE PROFILING!
CLICK HERE AND TAKE THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE PROFILING SURVEY
CLICK HERE TO HELP THE MOTORCYCLE RIDERS FOUNDATION PASS NATIONAL LEGISLATION ADDRESSING MOTORCYCLE PROFILING
https://www.facebook.com/636411183161947/posts/1926286147507771/

Waco Day 1817

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agingrebel.com

Yesterday, a federal district judge and part time birthday clown named Alan Albright in Waco, Texas ruled that it is all perfectly legal to indict scores of people on identical, mimeographed charges and hold them on bail conditions that amount to summary, six figure fines as long as they are signed by an admitted liar with only hearsay knowledge of the accusations he swears to be true.

The plaintiffs in the case allege that the city of Waco, McLennan County, and various local government and police officials flagrantly and maliciously conspired to deprive the lawsuit complainants of their constitutional rights after a very violent brawl at the Twin Peaks restaurant n Waco on May 17, 2015.

The respondents in the case include former police chief Brent Stroman; former district attorney Abelino Reyna; assistant police chief Robert Lanning; Waco gsng expert Jeffrey Rogers; Waco police public information officer Patrick Swanton; Department of Public Safety Lieutenant Steven Schwartz; DPS special agent Christopher Frost; and Manuel Chavez, who admittedly committed perjury when he signed 177 criminal complaints he knew nothing about after being ordered to do so by Reyna.

Legalese

The complainants allege violations of their constitutional rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. The individual respondents argued their freedom from the consequences of their actions under a legal doctrine called “qualified immunity” which is a sort of get out of jail free card for cops.

Judge Albright ruled that the complainants could not allege violations of their liberty under the Fourteenth Amendment but could complain that their Four Amendment right “to be free from arrest unless the arrest is supported by either a properly issued arrest warrant or probable cause,” could be asserted.

Albright also ruled that it had not become possible to seek relief under a claim of a Fourth Amendment violation for deliberate fabrication of evidence until four months after the complainants filed their suits. Consequently, technically, the plaintiffs couldn’t sue.

Albright’s 23-page ruling is worm eaten with that sort of sophistry as if justice is a petty game. Albright is a Waco local and by his words he appears to be a vital member of the local political criminal enterprise.
Casualties

In all, Albright dismissed lawsuits filed by 45 survivors of the Twin Peaks Ambush; the widely publicized “Twin Peaks Biker Brawl” that occurred when members of the Cossacks Motorcycle Club ambushed members of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club as they tried to park before attending a meeting of the Texas Confederation of Clubs and Independents.

Police and officials began hiding evidence and propagandizing news of the incident minutes after it ended. There is strong circumstantial and anecdotal evidence that the tragedy was instigated and abetted by local, state and federal police to advance a federal investigation into the Bandidos. When the ambush turned out to be worse than its inept planners intended it to be a vast coverup began and the casualties of that coverup were far more numerous than the casualties of the brawl.

After Albright’s ruling, Todd Brandt who is the lawyer defending both the city of Waco and Reyna told Tommy Witherspoon of the Waco Tribune-Herald that the ruling was a “harbinger” of “future rulings involving cases filed by other bikers who also were indicted.”

“We are thrilled with this ruling,” Brandt told the Tribune-Herald. “We think the judge got it right and we think we will win on any appeal.”

Don Tittle, who represents many of the Twin Peaks survivors, remained optimistic. He told Witherspoon, “Ultimately, this was always going to be determined by the Court of Appeals. The only thing the judge’s ruling really changes is whether we are the party bringing the appeal or the one responding to it. Either way, the ruling was going to end up on appeal.”

Seized And Terrorized

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agingrebel.com

Anthony Mills, a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, filed suit April 6 against 11 Colorado defendants for an illegal traffic stop that lasted more than an hour on April 8, 2018,

The defendants are the municipalities of LaSalle and Greely, Colorado; the Weld County Sheriff’s Office; Lasalle policeman David Miller; LaSalle Police Chief Carl Harvey; Greeley Police Officers Cantor, Otto nd Corles; Weld County Sheriff’s Deputy Decker; Garden City Police Officer Johnson; and Pfficer Tienes of the Kersey Police Department.

According to the suit, Miller saw Mills and another Helss Angel and “decided he would pull them over to harass and terrorize them” because he “greatly disliked those associated with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and was eager to personally participate in all of Northern Colorado law enforcement’s continued harassment and intimidation of members in this group.’

The Suit

“Knowing his intent was unlawful, Officer Miller attempted to mute his body-worn camera for the interaction, in violation of his office’s own written policies. However, unbeknownst to him, he was unsuccessful in doing so. As a result, all the Defendants’ unlawful behavior was recorded by Officer Miller’s body-worn camera….”

“Officer Miller and the other on-scene Defendant officers then began loudly discussing how they were going to hold Mr. Mills and his friend for as long as they wanted (‘I have no problem holding these mother fuckers until Greeley gets down her’), their agreement that they would engage in this unlawful conduct because Plaintiff appeared associated with the Hells Angels (‘I’m good, I mean, we get to fuck with HA’) and threatening to tase or kill Plaintiff if he moved (,I’m shooting him! I need some paid vacation!’).

“The Defendant Officers unlawfully seized and terrorized Plaintiff for over an hour. All Defendant officers on scene materially participated in this unlawful extended seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment and throughout also violated their duty to intervene to stop Defendant Officer Miller, and one another, from ceasing this terrifying abuse of police power.

“The actions of the Defendant Officers.” The lawsuit continues, “were part of the custom, practice and training at all the Defendant law enforcement agencies to harass, intimidate, unlawfully seize, and regularly violate the civil rights of any member or associate of the Hells Angels motorcycle club.”
LaSalle and Greely are south of Fort Collins and about 50 miles north of Denver.

Information War

There is a deliberate, ongoing, organized campaign to discredit and harass members of the Hells Angels in the greater Denver metropolitan area. Last November, 14 people were arrested and charged with violating Colorado’s organized crime act, along with other criminal violations. Most of the evidence appears to be based on the testimony of confidential informant named Joshua O’Bryan The arrest were made using militarized police. During the arrests, one man was shot in the chest with a door breaching round.

ust last month, Sam Tabachnik of the Denver Post published a sensational and one-side4d account of O’Bryan’s expulsion from the Hells Angels. The Post story was based on police sources.

The Imminent Mongols Indictment

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agingrebel.com

The 61-page search warrant affidavit and its attachments which authorized the self-described knock and announce, nighttime searches of the homes of three Mongols Motorcycle Club members last week strongly suggests that the Department of Justice may be preparing to indict the the entire club again, but this time is the Federal District of New Mexico rather than the Central District of California.

Federal police and prosecutors seem to have decided to “venue shop” in Racketeering cases against large motorcycle clubs. The recent Vagos trial was held in Las Vegas even though most of the defendants lived in Southern California. The emerging racketeering case against the Mongols is centered in New Mexico although the clubs hierarchy resides is centered in Los Angeles.

The affiant in the search warrant request is an FBI Special Agent named Bryan Acee. His affidavit specifically cites: “information provided by the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); United States Bureau of Prisons (BOP); United States Probation Office (USPO); New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD); New Mexico State Police (NMSP); Albuquerque Police Department (APD); Bernalillo County Sheri{?s Office (BCSO); California Highway Patrol (CHP); California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR); Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department (LASD); Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD); and other law enforcement or corrections agencies; including oral and written reports pertaining to physical surveillance; information provided by undercover agents and informants; information provided by cooperating defendants and/or the defense attorneys representing those persons; information derived from lawfully intercepted wire communications, to include telephone, text aod email; and records from the FBI National Crime Information Center (NCIC), United States District Courts, New Mexico Courts and the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division”

Predicates

Acee alleges that the ongoing investigation of the Mongols results from an ongoing “war” between the Mongols and the Bandidos Motorcycle Club. According to Acee, incidents of that “war” include:

“In April 2019, in EI Paso, Texas, the president of the MMC El Paso chapter assaulted a rival biker and caused great bodily harm to the victim.

“In August 201,9, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, an MMC Southwest member resisted arrest and assaulted a BCSO detective.

“In September 2019, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, MMC members from the Southwest and Duke Ci6, chapters robbed a citizen biker, at gunpoint, of his leather vest and a pistol. The assailants also damaged the victim’s motorcycle.

“In January 2020, in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, several MMC and BMC members got into a fight. A BMC prospective member shot and killed a MMC prospective member during the brawl.
“In February 2A2A, in Midland, Texas, BMC and MMC members got into a fight.Four men were shot and one MMC member was killed.

“In March 2A2A, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the MMC Duke City Chapter Sergeant at Arms told other members of the MMC he had run a lone BMC member off the road and the BMC member subsequently died.”

Acee continues, “I am familiar with both motorcycle clubs and I believe they are similar in structure, purpose, and ‘outlaw’ ideology. The BMC and MMC have dozens of regional chapters around the United States, as well as in several foreign countries. Both clubs have a large body of members and a vast network of supporters, associates and recruits, Members of both organizations are fiercely loyal to their respective clubs and to one another. The BMC and MMC represeat themselves as ‘motorcycle clubs;’ however, I believe they may more accurately be described as outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs).

Chatting With Cops

“I have spoken with members of both organizations and am aware both OMGs believe themselves to be ‘at war’ with the other.

Among the sources for Acee’s conclusions and beliefs are. “six confidential human sources, all of whom are members or close associates of the MMC.” The names of these souces are secret because Acee believes “all six informants utilized in the present-day investigation to be reliable. I recognize their cooperation with the FBI is a serious betrayal to the MMC, which could result in their injury or death, should their identities be revealed.”

In the affidavit, Acee indicates his investigation is not confined to a few violent episodes with the Bandidos in New Mexico and Texas. He flatly states:

The Criminal Enterprise

“The MMC is a highly organized criminal enterprise, with a defined multi-level chain of command. The MMC have established regional chapters around the world, with their headquarters being based in California. Each local chapter has a president, vice president, secretary/treasurer and sergeant-at-arms. The gang has an estimated worldwide membership of approximately 1,500 members.

“Various federal and state jurisdictions around the country have prosecuted members of the MMC in recent years.3 I am also aware the United States sought to seize the MMC trademark insignia and patches after a federal jury found the MMC guilty of racketeering.”

He names “Five media reports pertaining to the MMC< which have colored his opinions. The five reports are:

“Inside the world’s deadliest biker gangs” from the New York Post in 2013.

An undated DOJ press release titled “54-Count Federal Indictment Charges 12 Members and Associates of Mongols Motorcycle Gang with Racketeering Conspiracy and Three Others with Various Federal Crimes Including Large Scale Drug Trafficking.”

A brief NBC News story titled “Mongols biker gang found guilty of racketeering.”

An El Paso Times news story from 2019 titled, “Mongols MC El Paso chapter president accused in biker assault arrested in raid.”

And a story from New Zealand titled, “Police raid new headquarters of Mongols MC gang.”

Acee does not list The Aging Rebel among his sources.

Same Old Boilerplate

The FBI telegraphs its intention to go after the Mongols as a whole by stating: “I believe the MMC, including its leadership, membership, prospects, and associates, constitutes an enterprise as defined in 18 U.S,C. $ 1959(bX2), that is, a group of individuals associated in fact that engaged in, and the activities of which, affect interstate commerce. The enterprise constitutes an ongoing organization whose members and associates functioned as a continuing unit for a common purpose of achieving the objectives of the enterprise.”

The affiant continues: “The Mother Chapter is headquartered in Montebello, California, and exercises authority over all MMC members and chapters around the world. MMC members pay monthly dues or fees, to the Mother Chapter, which are utilized to promote the MMC and pay the legal fees for any MMC members arrested while conducting club business. The Mother Chapter reviews al1 MMC membership applications and has the final say in MMC politics, disputes, by-laws or any other organizational decisions. The MMC members within the Mother Chapter are considered ‘national officers’ and are generally held in a higher regard among MMC members. New Mexico currently has two chapters (Duke City and Southwest), which are managed by a national officer in Nevada. New Mexico is expected to get its own national officer, as more chapters are created around the state.”

“The MMC have (sic) a well-documented history of criminal activity, to include murder, battery, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, firearms trafficking, unlawful possession and/or use of firearms, drug distribution, extortion, motorcycle theft, and hate crimes directed at African-Americans who run afoul of the MMC. Members of the gang often intimidate witnesses, victims, and the general public in an effort to cause fear and minimize persons reporting MMC related crime to law enforcement. As such, many MMC members believe they can commit their crimes with impunity because the MMC is a large and powerful organization, with members around the world. MMC members, prospective members, and associates often use the reputation of the MMC as a meats to threaten and intimidate victims and witnesses, and protect MMC members from prosecution.”

The search warrant issued in response to Acee’s request was extensive. It seems to indicate that federal authorities are conducting a fishing expedition. The items to be seized from Carlos J. Alvarado, Jr., who is not charged with any crime reads as follows:

Big Net

“All evidence, fruits, and instrumentalities of violations of: 18 U.S.C. $ 1962(c) Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO); 18 U,S.C. g 1959(a) Violent Crimes In Aid of Racketeering (VICAR); 18 U.S.C. g 1951 Interference with commerce by threats of violence; 18 U.S.C. $ 931 Possession of body armor by a violent felon; l8 U.S.C. 924(c) Use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 18 U.S.C. g 922(9) prohibited person in possession of a firearm or ammunition; 18 U.S.C. g 922((} Possession of a stolen firearm; 18 U.S.C. $ 922(n) Indicted person in possession of a firearm or ammunition; l8 U.S.C, 875 Transmitting threatening communications; 18 U.S.C. g 371 Conspiracy; 18 U.S.C. ; Aiding and abetting; and 21 U,S.C. $$ 846 Conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and 841(a)(1) possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; to include: Evidence of membership or affiliation with the Mongols Motorcycle Club (MMC): to include any documents, photographs, patches, drawings, writings, or objects depicting MMC member’s names, initials, monikers, officer role, chapter assignment, or any other item depicting potential gang membership, affiliation, activity or identity;

“Rival motorcycle club lists or photographs, “green light” lists, murder/assault lists, witness or confidential informant lists, inmate lists, address and telephone number lists, letters, law enforcement reports, judgments, pre-sentencingreports, newspaper articles, computer generated reports or printouts, legal documents, detention facility inmate number lists or addresses for rival motorcycle clubs;

“Vests, patches, shirts, hats, or similar items bearing the name, moniker, logo, or insignia of a potential rival motorcycle club, that may have been acquired through threats or violence;

“Firearms, magazines, and ammunition;

“Body armor, to include: ballistic vests, plates, panels or plate carriers;
“Controlled substances, drug packaging material, paraphernalia and scales;

“United States currency;

“Documentary evidence of drug trafficking, to include records, receipts, notes, ledgers, money orders, pre-paid money cards such as MoneyPak, Green Dot, Wal-Mart, or other: debit cards and any documents relating to transporting, ordering, purchasing or distributing drugs;

“Cellular telephones and other digital devices, such as computers, laptops, tablets, pDAs or similar electronic storage devices;

“Articles of property tending to establish the identity of persons in control of premises, vehicles, storage Eueas, and containers being searched, including utility company receipts, rent receipts, addressed envelopes, and keys; and

“Safes, combination or key-lock strong boxes or other secure storage containers, and types of locked or containers, and hidden compartments that may contain any of the foregoing. -“

The search warrants served last week were clearly an intelligence gathering operation and whatever federal police find will probably be presented to an already convened grand jury. The key question right now seems to be how close the grand jury is to an indictment.

Mongols Menace Alleged

OFF THE WIRE
agingrebel.com

According the New Mexico “law enforcement authorities” and the Albuquerque Journal, “unwitting members of the public” could become victims in an hypothetical “war” between members of the Bandidos and Mongols Motorcycle Clubs.

Two Mongols, were arrested as the result of three Swat raids on Wednesday.

Isaiah Matthew “Hardon” “EK” Chavez was charged with being an “Indicted Person in Possession of a Firearm or Ammunition” William Westfall is charged with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Chavez is awaiting trial for an alleged aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon in, Resisting, Evading, or Obstructing an Officer, and Reckless Driving on October 3, 2019. Westfall is a former Bandido who was convicted of shooting a Swat officer as the policeman broke through his door in 2010. He was charged with possessing a firearm after his DNA was found on a handgun seized during a traffic stop on May 9, 2019.

RICO Indictment Imminent

Swat raided the home of a third Mongol named Carlos Alvarado Jr. but he was not charged.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is clearly trying to hang a racketeering (RICO) indictment on the Mongols chapter in Albuquerque. Chavez’ arrest warrant contains this passage:

“The search warrant was approved by United States Magistrate Judge Karen B. Molzen and authorized agents to search the premises for l8 U.S.C. $ 1962(c) – Racketeer Influenced and Corrpt Organizations (RICO), l8 U.S.C. $ 1959(a) – Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR), 18 U.S.C. $ l95l — Interference with Commerce by Threats or Violence, l8 U.S.C. $ 931 – Possession of Body Armor by a Violent Felon, l8 U.S.C. $ 92a(c) – Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence or Drug Trafficking Crime, 18 U.S.C. $ 922(9) – Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm or Ammunition, l8 U.S.C. $ 922O – Possession of a Stolen Firearm, lE U.S.C. $ 922(n) – Indicted Person in Possession of a Firearm or Ammunition, 18 U.S.C. $ 875 – Transmitting Threatening Communications, I8 U.S.C. $ 371 -Conspiracy, l8 U.S.C. $ 2-Aiding and Abetting, 2l U.S.C $$ – Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The warrant also authorized the search of CHAVEZ’s body for tattoos evidencing. membership in the Mongols Motorcycle Club (MMC) or any other gang.”

The search warrant affidavit is not a public document. The author of the Journal’s report, Colleen Heild, was given access to the affidavit and reports her source as Federal court documents. In her account, Heild states that six confidential informants have contributed to the putative RICO case against the Mongols Albuquerque chapter.

Propaganda

Heild, who appears to be a quisling, directly and indirectly quotes sensational passages from the affidavit without elaborating on her access to it. For example:

“This search warrant affidavit is being submitted … to aid the FBI in stopping several imminent threats made by the Target subjects and other (Mongols) members. The threats have been directed at rival (outlaw) motorcycle gang members, their supporters, ‘citizen’ motorcycle riders, witnesses and the general public.”

“MMC members, like most outlaw motorcycle gangs, direct attacks on their rivals, as well as members of the general public who might unwittingly come into contact with the Mongols in a way that might be deemed disrespectful to the organization.”

“Such circumstances often occur when members of the motoring public do not move out of the way of MMC motorcycle riders, follow them too closely or otherwise show contempt in the eyes of the MMC members.”

“The MMC have a well-documented history of criminal activity, to include murder, battery, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, firearms trafficking, drug distribution, extortion, motorcycle theft and hate crimes directed at African Americans who run afoul of the MMC….”

“The trademark logo is a declaration used to define its members as ‘within the 1% who are not ordinary and do not adhere to the law or the rights of others.’ Patches may be awarded for committing violence on behalf of the gang, killing on behalf of the gang, serving time in prison and sexual conquests of women.”

Semi-Secret Justice

Chavez’ and Westfall’s detention hearings are scheduled for Monday at 9:30 a.m. local time.

The current Covid plague allows authorities to obscure official proceedings that had recently been transparent. The official record states.

“This proceeding will be held via Zoom Video/Web Conferencing with all participants appearing remotely; the Zoom ID and Passcode will be provided separately to the participants email address of record. Participants should connect to the proceeding 15 minutes prior its scheduled start time to allow time for trouble-shooting of any connectivity issues. To ensure the record is of the best quality participants are encouraged to utilize a headset to reduce static and background noise; if not using a headset participants must ensure the audio feed at their location is muted when not speaking.”