Off the Wire
MCs in the News
The son of a Chosen Few motorcycle club leader was found guilty Thursday of threatening a witness in the racketeering case against his father.
Chad Koschuk, 23, of Alden, was accused of threatening to forcibly sodomize a witness who provided information to the FBI and testified before a grand jury about his father, according to U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr.
His father, Alex Koschtschuk, 58, of Alden, is the jailed former president of the Chosen Few.
About 20 members of the gang, the subject of a federal crackdown that began in May 2009, face charges ranging from racketeering and weapons possession to arson and assault.
Koschuk, who was prosecuted by U.S. Attorneys Anthony M. Bruce and Russell T. Ippolito, faces about 4 1/2 years in jail.
Hochul said Koschuk's threat against the government's witness took place during a chance meeting in September 2009 at an Alden convenience store.
During the trial this week, defense lawyers argued that threats were made by the witness against Koschuk and other members of his family.
The conviction was the result of an FBI investigation under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James H. Robertson.
original article
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Seized clubhouse 'PR'
Off the Wire
MCs in the News
By CHRIS KITCHING, Winnipeg Sun
Taking away the clubhouse of the Hells Angels’ Manitoba chapter — at least temporarily — isn’t going to eliminate the outlaw motorcycle gang’s presence, a street source says.
Hells Angels members won’t have an official hangout if they lose the clubhouse but it won’t put an end to the chapter, the source said.
“It’s good PR for the police but the band will still march on even without a place to chill,” the source said.
A Hells Angels clubhouse in Oshawa, Ont., was seized by that province’s government and demolished in March. Similar seizures have occurred in other Canadian cities.
The Manitoba government’s move to take control of the biker club’s lair is the latest chapter in the back-and-forth saga between organized crime and law enforcement in Manitoba.
Lately, law enforcement seems to be coming out on top against Hells Angels members and associates.
Police have had tremendous success in finding trusted people to flip and become paid informants to infiltrate the Hells Angels or Zig Zag Crew, its so-called street crew.
Many Hells Angels members and associates are serving lengthy prison sentences or are in custody awaiting the resolution of charges.
The number of Manitoba Hells Angels members on the street is unclear.
Three long-term undercover projects — Defence, Drill and Divide — by the Manitoba integrated organized crime task force resulted in charges against more than 60 people between 2006 and 2010. The clubhouse was raided each time.
Manitoba Justice officials and Winnipeg Police Service officers moved in and temporarily seized the clubhouse at 2679 Scotia St. on Thursday under the provincial Criminal Property Forfeiture Act, a civil law that allows property used in unlawful acts to be seized by the government.
In court documents the government alleges the clubhouse was being used “as a place to plan and carry out criminal activity.”
The province has started legal proceedings to take over the secluded property. The property’s legal owner, Leonard Beauchemin, has 40 days to file a statement of defence.
original article
MCs in the News
By CHRIS KITCHING, Winnipeg Sun
Taking away the clubhouse of the Hells Angels’ Manitoba chapter — at least temporarily — isn’t going to eliminate the outlaw motorcycle gang’s presence, a street source says.
Hells Angels members won’t have an official hangout if they lose the clubhouse but it won’t put an end to the chapter, the source said.
“It’s good PR for the police but the band will still march on even without a place to chill,” the source said.
A Hells Angels clubhouse in Oshawa, Ont., was seized by that province’s government and demolished in March. Similar seizures have occurred in other Canadian cities.
The Manitoba government’s move to take control of the biker club’s lair is the latest chapter in the back-and-forth saga between organized crime and law enforcement in Manitoba.
Lately, law enforcement seems to be coming out on top against Hells Angels members and associates.
Police have had tremendous success in finding trusted people to flip and become paid informants to infiltrate the Hells Angels or Zig Zag Crew, its so-called street crew.
Many Hells Angels members and associates are serving lengthy prison sentences or are in custody awaiting the resolution of charges.
The number of Manitoba Hells Angels members on the street is unclear.
Three long-term undercover projects — Defence, Drill and Divide — by the Manitoba integrated organized crime task force resulted in charges against more than 60 people between 2006 and 2010. The clubhouse was raided each time.
Manitoba Justice officials and Winnipeg Police Service officers moved in and temporarily seized the clubhouse at 2679 Scotia St. on Thursday under the provincial Criminal Property Forfeiture Act, a civil law that allows property used in unlawful acts to be seized by the government.
In court documents the government alleges the clubhouse was being used “as a place to plan and carry out criminal activity.”
The province has started legal proceedings to take over the secluded property. The property’s legal owner, Leonard Beauchemin, has 40 days to file a statement of defence.
original article
Police checkpoint aims to squelch motorcycle noise
Off the Wire
Biker Rights Issues
ARUNDEL — After enduring years of motorcycle noise complaints, members of the Kennebunkport and Kennebunk police departments and the York County Sheriff's Office came together Sunday, July 25, to get the message out that the state law governing noisy bikes has changed.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the new law, which went into effect July 12, prohibits any modification designed to increase exhaust noise, mandates that headlights be left on, and restricts handlebar height on motorcycles.
To both help educate riders on the law and make sure motorcycle owners and those driving other vehicles are complying with state inspection rules, the agencies conducted a joint vehicle inspection stop on Route 1 in Arundel.
"I thought it went fairly well," said Kennebunkport Police Chief Joe Bruni of the four-hour check, which took place in front of Weirs Motor Sales. "What we saw reflected what we're seeing statewide: that there is a significant number of motorcycle operators not getting their vehicles inspected."
State estimates are that up to 40 percent of motorcycles currently in use in Maine are not inspected.
One of those bikes belongs to Tim Madore of Lyman, who was cited with a violation when he dropped by Weirs on Sunday.
"I had heard they were doing this, but I didn't think they'd be here this early," he said. "I came here to look at the trucks."
Madore said he believes inspection stops like the one that nabbed him are just "harassment" and that he feels the inspections are just another way for the state to take money from people.
"It's safe, I know it would pass," he said of his bike. "It's just another $25 down the tube."
For not having his bike inspected, Madore is facing a $133 fine.
Some motorcycle owners, though, have made changes to their bikes that would prevent them from passing inspection.
Those changes include extended handlebars known as "ape hangers," Bruni said, and putting straight pipes on their exhaust systems, which makes a bike much louder.
It's because of that increased noise that the state law was changed. The law now allows local police officers to stop riders who have bikes that are louder than other vehicles in the area.
While those people with uninspected vehicles were ticketed Sunday — cars, trucks and motorcycles alike — King said most officers simply advised motorcycle riders of the new law governing noise.
This educational effort will continue throughout the summer, with two more inspection stops planned, King said.
Bruni said Sunday's location was not chosen for its proximity to Bentley's Saloon, just up the road, but rather because of the width of the road at that point.
"It's an extremely wide portion of road," he said. "We needed to have a certain distance on both sides to accommodate the vehicles that pulled in."
Bruni said officers pulled over 21 automobiles and wrote out six citations for drivers, all of them inspection violations.
Since Maine law doesn't require motorcycle operators to display an inspection sticker, Bruni said officers had to ask riders to pull over and show their information.
Of the 116 motorcycles pulled over, 21 riders were cited for no inspection sticker and one for an unregistered motorcycle.
A Sheriff's Department press release said eight motorcycle riders who tried to avoid the stop were found and three were issued citations for inspection violations.
Kennebunk Sgt. Tony Clukey said most of the riders seemed OK with the stop.
"The majority were great," he said. "They understood what we were doing, and understood we were doing vehicles as well."
Clukey said it was important to get the message out on the new noise law.
"Obviously, the citizens are demanding it," he said.
original article
Biker Rights Issues
ARUNDEL — After enduring years of motorcycle noise complaints, members of the Kennebunkport and Kennebunk police departments and the York County Sheriff's Office came together Sunday, July 25, to get the message out that the state law governing noisy bikes has changed.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the new law, which went into effect July 12, prohibits any modification designed to increase exhaust noise, mandates that headlights be left on, and restricts handlebar height on motorcycles.
To both help educate riders on the law and make sure motorcycle owners and those driving other vehicles are complying with state inspection rules, the agencies conducted a joint vehicle inspection stop on Route 1 in Arundel.
"I thought it went fairly well," said Kennebunkport Police Chief Joe Bruni of the four-hour check, which took place in front of Weirs Motor Sales. "What we saw reflected what we're seeing statewide: that there is a significant number of motorcycle operators not getting their vehicles inspected."
State estimates are that up to 40 percent of motorcycles currently in use in Maine are not inspected.
One of those bikes belongs to Tim Madore of Lyman, who was cited with a violation when he dropped by Weirs on Sunday.
"I had heard they were doing this, but I didn't think they'd be here this early," he said. "I came here to look at the trucks."
Madore said he believes inspection stops like the one that nabbed him are just "harassment" and that he feels the inspections are just another way for the state to take money from people.
"It's safe, I know it would pass," he said of his bike. "It's just another $25 down the tube."
For not having his bike inspected, Madore is facing a $133 fine.
Some motorcycle owners, though, have made changes to their bikes that would prevent them from passing inspection.
Those changes include extended handlebars known as "ape hangers," Bruni said, and putting straight pipes on their exhaust systems, which makes a bike much louder.
It's because of that increased noise that the state law was changed. The law now allows local police officers to stop riders who have bikes that are louder than other vehicles in the area.
While those people with uninspected vehicles were ticketed Sunday — cars, trucks and motorcycles alike — King said most officers simply advised motorcycle riders of the new law governing noise.
This educational effort will continue throughout the summer, with two more inspection stops planned, King said.
Bruni said Sunday's location was not chosen for its proximity to Bentley's Saloon, just up the road, but rather because of the width of the road at that point.
"It's an extremely wide portion of road," he said. "We needed to have a certain distance on both sides to accommodate the vehicles that pulled in."
Bruni said officers pulled over 21 automobiles and wrote out six citations for drivers, all of them inspection violations.
Since Maine law doesn't require motorcycle operators to display an inspection sticker, Bruni said officers had to ask riders to pull over and show their information.
Of the 116 motorcycles pulled over, 21 riders were cited for no inspection sticker and one for an unregistered motorcycle.
A Sheriff's Department press release said eight motorcycle riders who tried to avoid the stop were found and three were issued citations for inspection violations.
Kennebunk Sgt. Tony Clukey said most of the riders seemed OK with the stop.
"The majority were great," he said. "They understood what we were doing, and understood we were doing vehicles as well."
Clukey said it was important to get the message out on the new noise law.
"Obviously, the citizens are demanding it," he said.
original article
Sturgis
IF YOU CAN HELP IRA OUT PLEASE CONTACT HIM,
Screwdriver
ira funderburke
I am just starting to walk some.Iam trying to get enough strength in it to make it to Sturgis.Where we going to meet up somewhere.If any one wants to go my wife is probably going to pull a trailer with our raffle bike.Or in case anybody breaks down.Ihad my vendors space cancelled at the full throttle saloon .Just last night they called to cancell because the bar decided to hold there on raffle. I am currently looking for a new location if anyone has any suggestions any help would be greatly appreciated.But if that dont workout lets all get together anyway and go for a ride and party.After the rally we are headed to clearlake Ca. to get started on our house.
Ride Free
Ira
Screwdriver
ira funderburke
I am just starting to walk some.Iam trying to get enough strength in it to make it to Sturgis.Where we going to meet up somewhere.If any one wants to go my wife is probably going to pull a trailer with our raffle bike.Or in case anybody breaks down.Ihad my vendors space cancelled at the full throttle saloon .Just last night they called to cancell because the bar decided to hold there on raffle. I am currently looking for a new location if anyone has any suggestions any help would be greatly appreciated.But if that dont workout lets all get together anyway and go for a ride and party.After the rally we are headed to clearlake Ca. to get started on our house.
Ride Free
Ira
Thought this would interest you, Medical Marijuana OK in Some VA Clinics
OFF THE WIRE
http://www.military.com/news/article/medical-marijuana-ok-in-some-va-clinics.html?ESRC=eb.nl
Medical Marijuana OK in Some VA Clinics
July 26, 2010
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Patients treated at Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics will be able to use medical marijuana in the 14 states where it's legal, according to new federal guidelines.
The directive from the Veterans Affairs Department in the coming week is intended to clarify current policy that says veterans can be denied pain medication if they use illegal drugs. Veterans groups have complained for years that this could bar veterans from VA benefits if they were caught using medical marijuana.
The new guidance does not authorize VA doctors to begin prescribing medical marijuana, which is considered an illegal drug under federal law. But it will now make clear that in the 14 states where state and federal law are in conflict, VA clinics generally will allow the use of medical marijuana for veterans already taking it under other clinicians.
"For years, there have been veterans coming back from the Iraq war who needed medical marijuana and had to decide whether they were willing to cut down on their VA medications," John Targowski, a legal adviser to the group Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access, which worked with the VA on the issue.
Targowski in an interview Saturday said that confusion over the government's policy might have led some veterans to distrust their doctors or avoid the VA system.
Dr. Robert A. Petzel, the VA's undersecretary for health, sent a letter to Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access this month that spells out the department's policy. The guidelines will be distributed to the VA's 900 care facilities around the country in the next week.
Petzel makes clear that a VA doctor could reserve the right to modify a veteran's treatment plan if there were risks of a bad interaction with other drugs.
"If a veteran obtains and uses medical marijuana in a manner consistent with state law, testing positive for marijuana would not preclude the veteran from receiving opioids for pain management" in a VA facility, Petzel wrote. "The discretion to prescribe, or not prescribe, opioids in conjunction with medical marijuana, should be determined on clinical grounds."
Opioids are narcotic painkillers, and include morphine, oxycodone and methadone.
Under the previous policy, local VA clinics in some of the 14 states, such as Michigan, had opted to allow the use of medical marijuana because there no rule explicitly prohibiting them from doing so.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, there are 14 states and the District of Columbia with medical marijuana laws. They are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. New Jersey also recently passed a medical marijuana law, which is scheduled to be implemented next January.
http://www.military.com/news/article/medical-marijuana-ok-in-some-va-clinics.html?ESRC=eb.nl
Medical Marijuana OK in Some VA Clinics
July 26, 2010
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Patients treated at Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics will be able to use medical marijuana in the 14 states where it's legal, according to new federal guidelines.
The directive from the Veterans Affairs Department in the coming week is intended to clarify current policy that says veterans can be denied pain medication if they use illegal drugs. Veterans groups have complained for years that this could bar veterans from VA benefits if they were caught using medical marijuana.
The new guidance does not authorize VA doctors to begin prescribing medical marijuana, which is considered an illegal drug under federal law. But it will now make clear that in the 14 states where state and federal law are in conflict, VA clinics generally will allow the use of medical marijuana for veterans already taking it under other clinicians.
"For years, there have been veterans coming back from the Iraq war who needed medical marijuana and had to decide whether they were willing to cut down on their VA medications," John Targowski, a legal adviser to the group Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access, which worked with the VA on the issue.
Targowski in an interview Saturday said that confusion over the government's policy might have led some veterans to distrust their doctors or avoid the VA system.
Dr. Robert A. Petzel, the VA's undersecretary for health, sent a letter to Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access this month that spells out the department's policy. The guidelines will be distributed to the VA's 900 care facilities around the country in the next week.
Petzel makes clear that a VA doctor could reserve the right to modify a veteran's treatment plan if there were risks of a bad interaction with other drugs.
"If a veteran obtains and uses medical marijuana in a manner consistent with state law, testing positive for marijuana would not preclude the veteran from receiving opioids for pain management" in a VA facility, Petzel wrote. "The discretion to prescribe, or not prescribe, opioids in conjunction with medical marijuana, should be determined on clinical grounds."
Opioids are narcotic painkillers, and include morphine, oxycodone and methadone.
Under the previous policy, local VA clinics in some of the 14 states, such as Michigan, had opted to allow the use of medical marijuana because there no rule explicitly prohibiting them from doing so.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, there are 14 states and the District of Columbia with medical marijuana laws. They are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. New Jersey also recently passed a medical marijuana law, which is scheduled to be implemented next January.
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