OFF THE WIRE

OFF THE WIRE
agingrebel.com
There is a battle for history going on in America. The winners will write it and for all the rest of human time the losers will be whatever the winners say they are. The fight is hardly over truth, justice, philosophy or perspective. It is all about the dollars. And a good illustration of this new history in our recently commoditized world is a book “written” by a self-proclaimed hero currently named Charles Falco with the assistance of the “true crime” writer Kerrie Droban.
The book is titled Vagos, Mongols and Outlaws: My Infiltration of America’s Deadliest Biker Gangs. It will be officially published by the Thomas Dunne division of St. Martin’s Press on February 5, 2013.
I started looking for this Falco guy in May 2012 after he was interviewed by a Fox crime reporter in Los Angeles. The reporter’s name is Chris Blatchford. His “investigative report” was titled “The Green Nation is on a mission to replace the Hells Angels as the baddest outlaw biker gang.” The Green Nation – for anyone who just stumbled upon these words while searching for discounted beauty products or classic rock CDs – refers to the Vagos Motorcycle Club. Members of that club tend to wear a lot of green.
Police have long accused the Vagos of being a ruthless mafia. And, although the Vagos sincerely feel exactly the same way about the police, correct thinking Americans are compelled by both right wing and left wing social orthodoxy to agree with the cops. At the same time there is no denying that outlaw bikers are now a mass media commodity. You’ve probably noticed this. If you haven’t there may be other subtleties of the post-millennial world that yet elude you. Like, that little thing you see everywhere that looks like a model of one the black slabs in 2001: A Space Odyssey, is called an iPhone. Yes. It is spelled just like that. Welcome to Eisenhower’s nightmare.
An unignorable segment of the world’s male population, with a correspondingly obvious pile of loose cash, is fascinated with men like the Vagos. Motorcycle outlaws are the new James Bond. Like Bond, no one wants to defend them, no one wants to know them, no one in his right mind even wants to stand next to one of them lest they get blown up but very many men want to be them: Because of the untraceable guns; the uninhibited stompings and stabbings; the beautiful, easily available, wanton, multi-orgasmic women; the forbidden intoxicants; and, best of all, because outlaws demand the fear and respect that is usually reserved only for political nerds and the business school graduates who majored in stealing other people’s houses and pensions. The Vagos represent something unacknowledged but unforgotten in postmodern males. And, this fantasy identification with capable, confident, free, proud and dangerous men may say something about what has gone wrong with America. It might even partly explain the continuing cablecast of Sons of Anarchy on FX and The Devils Ride on Discovery. But, history is no longer about meaning. Blatchford illustrates that.
Blatchford was working both sides of this street during his two part, Sunday night, sweeps month news event. The story was so important that Fox devoted almost 15 minutes to the subject, divided between two newscasts, betting that Blatchford could manufacture enough vicarious thrills that his audience would tune in and then not change channels minute after minute after endless, commercial free, television minute. Fox accused the Vagos of being traffic scofflaws, psychopaths and sexists. Blatchford owns a George Foster Peabody Award, but in L.A. he is more famous for his dramatic delivery. He is to Los Angeles something like what John Facenda once was to Philadelphia. Blatchford explained one snatch of footage with a stentorian, “Even their own women, as you can see spelled out on the back of their jackets, are branded property of the Vago who owns them.” No matter how this pronouncement might look on a page it sounded more important when Blatchford said it.
Falco was one of the biker authorities Blatchford interviewed on camera. Falco is a large man with a slight lisp. He wore cool, dark glasses and the television reporter identified him as “Charles Falco who infiltrated the Vagos for two and a half years.”
I have a long and continuing interest in the world of motorcycle clubs and it seemed to me at the time that what Blatchford’s story really meant was that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was preparing for the long-expected racketeering case against the Vagos by softening up the jury pool. Now I think Blatchford’s expose had at least as much to do with history, cross media synergy and, of course, bucks.
The ability to type words into the Google search field also revealed that Falco was the subject of a forthcoming book then titled Inside Out: My Life Undercover with the Vagos. It took months to find the capsule review Blatchford wrote for Falco’s book. Chris loved it. “The paranoia of crooks, the desperation of incarceration, the fear of getting whacked, and survival working undercover in a brutal biker world devoid of common decency. You can read about it all in this book. But Charles Falco actually lived it and miraculously came out a better man. Chris Blatchford, author of The Black Hand”

2

I started looking for Falco approximately as an ugly, old drunk looks for love. I blindly bumped into bodies until eventually, one metaphorical closing time, I got lucky.
Falco’s name used to be Ashley Charles Wyatt. I don’t quite believe him when he tells me this but I later learn that he is at least named Ashley Wyatt and he has always answered to Charles. He went to high school in the San Fernando Valley and he has Wyatt tattooed on the back of his head. At one point he also had a Vagos Victorville side rocker tattooed on his right torso. Vagos remember him well.
In the club he was called Charles or sometimes Tijuana Charles – the latter because he was almost arrested one night for pissing on a wall down Mexico way. The club name he gives himself in interviews including his interview with Blatchford and in “his” book is Quickdraw. That phrase was a jest thrown at him one night in a bar. The throwaway line was preserved on audio, in a device hidden in his asthma inhaler and apparently, after almost seven years reflection, he decided he liked Quickdraw better than Charles. There isn’t anything particularly wrong or unusual about revising one’s personal recollections. “Yes, I have a thousand tongues,” Stephen Crane confessed, “And nine and ninety-nine lie.” I think the lies mean something different with Falco than they did with Crane though, because Crane was honest and self-deprecating about his life while Falco now seeks to alchemize his personal recollections into a valuable commodity.
“What do you think when you hear that? ‘Quickdraw,’” a gracious gentleman asks me as I prepare to write this.
“Gunfighter,” I answer. The gentleman makes a silent, contemptuous gesture.
Falco also claims that members of the American Outlaws Association may remember him as “Chef,” possibly a reference to a previous career he claims as a methamphetamine manufacturer.
Falco has a Reno phone number but, he tells me, “I do not live in Reno and never have. I entered the Witness Protection Program in 2007. Thus, I was given a complete new identity which is what I use now.”
After riding with the Vagos the snitch earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, mostly online, in Bible Studies from Liberty Christian University and he went significantly into debt doing it. That surprised me. I had not previously known that a seeker could actually go into debt studying the Bible but Falco told me he had. And, even the United States Marshals are powerless against the kingpins of the student loan racket. “The Marshals do not allow you to get out of past debt,” Falco explains. “So in my case I owed several thousand dollars in student loans that I still pay under Ashley. These bills are sent to Marshal mail drops, which are then sent to DC, which are then sent to my area Marshal field office, who then sends them to me. I have several of these Marshal mail drops in California and Nevada that I use. Kind of cool on how this works! I am no longer in this program, but they still forward my mail. Even after you leave the WPP you keep your new identity, since it is now your legal new name. I hope that makes sense.”
The logistics made sense even if the part about going into debt reading the Bible did not. A face-to-face interview might have helped me better understand but my conversations with the snitch were accomplished in writing, by email with his muse and chronicler Kerrie Droban acting as an intermediary.
Falco has a GMX.com email address. Global Mail Exchange is a German telecommunications company. And, after I wrote to him at charlesfalco@gmx.com he insisted that we use one of Droban’s email accounts. I suspect he is in Phoenix. If he wanted to avoid Vagos, Mongols and Outlaws as he has reasons to do, he might feel most safe in Cave Creek near Sonny Barger’s home, but that is only my blind hunch.
Even if Falco is exactly where I think he is as long as he is careful he will remain virtually invisible. There are at least two other Charles Falcos in Arizona. One of them is an almost famous, Harley riding, physics professor in Tucson. That Charles Falco was one of the curators of the Guggenheim museum’s famous exhibit “The Art of the Motorcycle.” So if you just Google Charles Falco and Arizona and motorcycle you will get the wrong man every time. The professor and the snitch both wear dark mustaches. A second Charles Falco in Arizona is an old guy in Yuma.

3

Falco agrees to be interviewed. “I am not doing this interview because I think you will make my book a best seller,” he explains. “My main purpose is to give you correct information.”
I begin with the obvious. “Will you be answering the questions or Kerrie? I’m sure it would be lovely to have a conversation with her but I would prefer to have a conversation with you.”
“I don’t know how to prove to you that I am not Kerrie,” the snitch replies promptly, “but I can tell you that she is a much better writer than me.” He answers multiple questions in a single paragraph. “I have never had anything to do with the HA. They were hunting us as Outlaws though, so I know how they operate. I never heard of a five part plan to get rid of motorcycle clubs. The ATF is not interested in motorcycle clubs, just motorcycle gangs. I think the ATF has done a great job in decreasing the amount of criminal activity these gangs participate in. If you compare the U.S. biker gangs of the seventies and eighties with current U.S. biker gangs, they have about ten percent of the criminal power they once had. I believe this (is the result of) the great job law enforcement (has done) in bringing these gang members to justice. I truly believe that.” Maybe he truly does.
The interview with the snitch stretches out. Near its conclusion, I while away a pleasant evening near the Beverly Hills end of the Sunset Strip with some gracious gentlemen who knew Ashley Charles Wyatt during all of his adventure with the Vagos. In the course of the conversation, as the night turned cold and I began to shiver, I asked the gentlemen to summarize Ashley Wyatt for me.
“Pussy,” one answered immediately.
“Snake!” A gracious gentleman shook his finger and another nodded his head up and down. “In a word, snake.”
“Punk,” one of them added in case I missed their point.
“Also, he is stoned all the time.”
“Like obnoxiously stoned. Constantly.”
“And, he’s not very smart.”
Falco’s stupidity may be why he, unlike most biker authorities, has heard of me. “I have been reading your articles for years,” he tells me, “and I know you lean toward the one percenter side of stories.” He is broadminded and tolerant of my shortcomings. “While, I know most of what you believe about the ATF is incorrect I still value your right to free speech.”
If only we had been able to meet face to face I’m sure I would have said, “Thank you.”
Falco is evasive and vague about the events that led him to betray a group of men who all call each other “brother.”
The gracious gentlemen in West Hollywood are much more straightforward. “Charles was arrested in 1995 in Las Vegas for armed robbery. He got 5 years. Not sure if it was suspended or how that ended up. He was then rearrested at LAX for failing to declare over twenty thousand in cash that he was carrying on his person. Then he admitted it was drug money. He sold himself to the world and in March 2004 he started hanging around the Vagos. The raids were in March 2006 so he was around the club for a few days less than two years. Does that help?” It helped.
While Wyatt/Falco was awaiting sentencing, “he called every police force he could find and volunteered to work for them. He finally hooked up with the DEA and then with the ATF.”
Falco’s version is more cinematic. It is also contradicts what I have been told by multiple sources. Not that that means anything. Truth plus two dollars will buy you a cup of coffee.

4

“I started as a DEA informant,” Falco says, beginning where all good story tellers begin, in the middle of things, “and I was one for two years before I became an informant for the ATF. Prior to becoming an informant for the DEA, I was a drug dealer.
“I was one of the most loyal criminals I had ever met. I made most of my closest friends a small fortune. During those years I would have died before turning. That was before I was betrayed by everyone, loved ones, friends and business partners. Of course, shortly after this life changing betrayal, the DEA and US Customs raided my house. I had been betrayed in every way even though I had been loyal in every way. When the cops raided my house I was in a bottomless pit and that day my life was saved. I became an informant. But not by betraying friends. Instead I worked the streets like an undercover going after criminals that I had no prior relationship with. I started to enjoy the work and started realizing the horribleness of my past deeds. Working undercover made me feel like I was repenting for my misdeeds and I felt like I was paying back society.
“After two years of working for the DEA I decided that I wanted to do something big, like infiltrating a gang, but I was not sure which kind or which one. I convinced my DEA handler that me infiltrating a gang was the best way I could help society and myself. My handler referred me to a Detective in the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department who worked organized crime groups. I spoke with this detective and told her I could infiltrate any gang that a white male could become a member of and that all I needed to know was where they hung out. She said the gang that was committing a high amount of serious crimes was the Vagos MC. I had heard of them, but I had no prior relationship with any biker gang members, period. So she gave me the names of the bars where they hung out and from that information I was able to infiltrate the Victorville Chapter of the Vagos. Once I started to get close to some of the Vagos and it seemed I might be able to get in I was introduced to Koz and Carr (ATF Agents Darrin Kozlowski and John Carr). From there, the DEA handed me over to the ATF and Koz became my handler.”
“Koz is my hero. No other man has done more for me than him. He is a great man! You have wrong impressions of this guy and the rest of his team. They never, ever, went after these gangs as a personal vendetta. The ATF works gangs, that’s what they do.
“Koz is a great man. He always treated me with respect. He never looked down on me. He became a friend. He has always been there for me. Since I was an honest and devoted CI the ATF treated me as one of their own. In fact, they told the Vagos this when they arrested them. They still treat me this way. In fact, everyone I meet in law enforcement treats me as an equal, which is awesome. The government is much more loyal, fair, respectful and honest than any biker gang, criminal organization or maybe even any organization period. They are a true brotherhood of loyal, and honest friends.
“Ciccone (ATF Agent John Ciccone), Carr and Koz work biker gangs not because they have something personal against biker gangs but because it is their job to bring gang members to justice. The conspiracy stories are fiction when it comes to these three guys.”
In his book Falco describes himself as “a former Marine and ‘hard-core drug dealer,’ a ‘coyote’ who once smuggled human cargo across the border from Mexico.”
When asked to elaborate on his days in the drug business the snitch tells me, “I did move weight…I was a horrible man. From 1991 to 1995 I was a mid-level cocaine dealer. In 1996 I switched to selling meth. From 1998 to 2001 I manufactured about 125 pounds a year in meth, mostly in LA.”
I wanted to know more about his tragic betrayal by his friends.
“My betrayal I will not go too much into because I have forgiven and gone on with my life. It is very painful to reflect back, but I will tell you that everyone I was close to, with the exception of one person, betrayed me. Shortly, after the betrayals I became addicted to my own meth and shortly after that I was busted, so the police came at the perfect time. I was near death when they raided my house which turned around my life. After getting out of federal jail, I gave up meth and gave up living as a criminal.”
Falco’s statements to me and in his book are all a weird mix of truth and lies. It is obvious that he thinks I am so stupid that I will never catch on – and that I am so clueless that I will never try to verify what he says. For example, he does not tell me the name of the “Detective in the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department who worked organized crime groups.” In his book Falco calls her “Samantha Kiles.” Multiple public documents call her “Shelli Kelly.” The lie about Samantha/Shelli/Kiles/Kelly stands out in hindsight because it is blatantly gratuitous. I began to realize that Wyatt/Falco lies because he likes to lie and also because he can’t stop himself.
He tells me: “I was not paid anything for Operation 22 Green…. You don’t work for the ATF for money. If you are doing it for money you would work for the FBI or DEA…. I did it because I felt like I was doing something great for our society and the government asked for my help.”
So I asked him, “How did you survive while you were doing volunteer undercover work? The usual procedure is that registered CIs earn a salary, which is now up to about $2,500 a month. In general, CIs participate in criminal activity. That is the point of CIs. Officially UCs, undercover agents and TFOs, tactical field officers, cannot commit crimes so CIs do the crimes instead. In general, CIs keep the profits from their crimes. Additionally, CIs are paid a performance bonus that typically reaches six figures when their work on their case is done. Let me ask you again, what and how were you paid?”
He replies, “While I was doing the Vago case I was told even a DUI could put me back in jail. We knew I would have to get in bar fights occasionally, but that was it. I took it on myself to take a hit of a marijuana joint if it was passed around and I was in front of a large group of Vagos. I did this so that they would not think I was a law enforcement officer. The ATF did not want me to even do something as minor as smoking a joint, but I thought I needed to. Otherwise, I would have looked too clean. If a CI is committing serious crimes while working undercover he or she would be charged for a crime just like anyone else. Just because you’re a CI does not mean you are above the law.”
I am still too dull to understand how Falco kept a roof over his head, food in his belly and gas in his tank.
“It was fair that I did not get paid for Operation 22 Green; I was still under heavy charges. Even though I had already done a couple years of work for the government I felt like and still do that I owe them my life. For me Rebel, the government saved me, so I feel forever indebted.”
“I am a Christian. I teach the youth group at my church. For me God and the Government saved my life.”
“I do not have anything personal against one percenters. I look at them as the same as any other gang, no worse no better, but they are a gang. They fight and kill over territory they do not own. While doing the Vagos’ investigation I worked a 9 to 5 job. I delivered car parts for a dealership. I also worked as a handyman for the Vago chapter president of the chapter I infiltrated.”
That Victorville chapter President was Scott “Psycho” Sikoff. He was Wyatt/Falco’s most loyal friend and defender in the club and his only visible means of support. The snitch later reported to his handlers that his friend had sold him weed and fought by his side. Sikoff was subsequently charged with assault with a deadly weapon and distribution of marijuana.

5

When I become too annoying Falco writes, “I think you still look at our society from a one percenter view point which is anti-social. I could be wrong but your opinions seem slanted that way. I hope that does not offend you. In no way do I think I am better than you or anybody else. As an ex-criminal the first thing I had to change when going straight was the way I thought. When you’re a criminal or gang member you try to justify why you do what you do. When I was a criminal I thought the only thing that was wrong to do was hurt or kill the innocent or snitch. That is a completely anti-social way of looking at the world.”
“These one percenter clubs, gangs, are not as loyal as people think. After Operation Black Diamond (Falco’s last infiltration for the ATF) more than half the members (of the American Outlaws Association that were) charged turned. The loyalty and brotherhood these clubs say they have for each other is one hundred percent bullshit. Not only do they betray each other after being arrested, but they were doing it all the time behind each other’s backs – fucking each other’s old ladies, lying, gossiping, and backstabbing each other for power. Betrayal is the normal part of the outlaw lifestyle and I don’t say this just because of my betrayal when I was a drug dealer, but because it was a constant part of what the outlaw bikers did to each other. I witnessed it day in and day out. It is not CIs and UCs these gangs should be watching out for. It is themselves.”
Some of what Falco tells me about this counterculture is true and some of it is not. The Vagos, like all outlaw clubs, strictly forbid adultery with a club brother’s woman. The old lady to whom he refers was the wife of the other ATF confidential informant in Operation 22 Green. All motorcycle outlaws gossip and they probably gossip a little more about each other than the general population because clubs tend to be very closed societies. I am not sure Falco really wants me to pursue the subject of truth and lies with him.
“I have told some people that I am interviewing ‘a snitch,’” I write. “Is that a fair term, in your opinion? Do you consider yourself a cop? I watched a little of a bad Tommy Lee Jones movie called Black Moon Rising the other day. The blurb described Jones’ character as a ‘freelance FBI agent.’ Ever consider yourself a ‘freelance ATF agent?’”
“Calling me a snitch is a little harsh, since I did not snitch on these guys, but I can picture you referring to me as a ‘snitch,’” he answers. “Again, I was never (one of those) one percenter(s) who got busted and decided to rat his friends out so he did not have to go to jail. From the first second, I met these guys I was working for the government. Their true brothers that betrayed them would be snitches, not me. I always called myself a private government contractor. Of course, I don’t think I am a cop. I’m not crazy. But they do treat me as one of their own.”
I sought and interviewed Falco/Charles/Tijuana Charles/Ashley because I was interested in the psychology of men who do what the snitch did. My first guess was that maybe he identified with the police. And near the end of his book he or Droban wrote, “Post-traumatic stress – it floated through my subconscious…. I escaped into the company of other agents. We formed our own brotherhood bound by common trauma…. All of us prepared each day to sacrifice our lives for a greater cause…. Like the other agents, I lived my life off duty.”
I conclude the snitch is a narcissist and probably a psychopath. No, I am not a psychologist. You don’t exactly have to be Sigmund Freud to see that Falco is a narcissist. You only have to have gone to community college. That one time. For a couple of days. Or so.

6

Factually, Falco was a participant in three, intertwined, ATF run, biker investigations. All three were connected to a small cadre of ATF agents that members of the Bureau have frankly called “Ciccone’s Gang” after ATF biker specialist John Ciccone. Ciccone, who expects to retire in another two years, has spent most of his career in the Bureau investigating, collecting intelligence about and making cases against outlaw motorcycle clubs. He has – by his own account but there is no reason to doubt him – participated in more than 200 motorcycle club investigations. He works out of the ATF Field Office in Glendale, California. And since 1997, beginning with a “One Percenter Task Force” investigation of the Hells Angels and the Sundowners Motorcycle Clubs in Los Angeles, Ciccone has worked with ATF agents William Queen, Jay Dobyns, Vincent Cefalu, John Carr and Darrin Kozlowski on multiple occasions. Ciccone is a short, appealing and handsome man who has taken pains to avoid public attention but two of the associates, Queen and Dobyns, have written best selling books. Dobyns and Cefalu have reinvented themselves as “ATF whistleblowers.” Carr has participated in a direct way in at least four investigations of biker clubs. Kozlowski has participated in undercover investigations of the Vagos twice, the Warlocks twice, the Outlaws, the Hells Angels, the Mongols and the Sons of Silence. An outlaw named Kevin “Spike” O’Neill who is now serving a life sentence has called Kozlowski a psychopath.
Most Americans think police investigate crimes. Ciccone’s gang tries to catch club members in the act of committing crimes. Sometimes they suggest the crimes. Frequently, these government agents facilitate real or imagined crimes – going so far as to act out episodes of “guerilla theater” (a term used by an Assistant U.S. Attorney following one of these investigation) including staged gunfights and game planned drug transactions. Typically, these investigations involve extensive electronic and other surveillance and data mining of club members in the hopes of catching someone somewhere doing something illegal. What those members get caught doing are usually minor assaults and minor drug and firearms transactions that would be prosecuted in state court if they were committed by anybody but a motorcycle club member. But, motorcycle club members and associates are almost always prosecuted under the racketeering statutes called RICO and VICAR which carry penalties of up to life imprisonment. Although it is not illegal to belong to a motorcycle club, club members are frequently coerced into pleading guilty to that non-existent crime. The ATF, to a lesser extent the FBI, and with increasing frequency the Department of Homeland Security are all at war with motorcycle clubs. The war is international and it is intended to drive all motorcycle clubs out of existence. Creative legal strategies have been devised to punish members for simply belonging to clubs like the Vagos, Mongols and Outlaws.
In the most successful investigations, ATF agents or their proxies, called Confidential Informants or Sources of Information, actually join clubs in order to both gather information about the membership and practices of the target organization but also, when the opportunity presents itself, to discover or manufacture reasons to prosecute club members. It is an astonishingly expensive war on social and political dissent. It has intensified since the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks. It is, in fact, the greater part of the domestic “war on terror.” This part of the war against Al Qaeda is legitimized by rhetoric. Members and associates of clubs like the Vagos and the Outlaws are routinely called “domestic terrorists” and “street terrorists.” The clubs themselves are usually called “transnational gangs.”
Falco was an agent proxy in Operation 22 Green, Operation Black Rain and Operation Black Diamond. The names of these investigations are coined by bureaucrats for their estimated public relations effect.
Operation 22 Green employed two confidential informants, many dozens of ATF Agents and local police and lasted three years. During that time Falco and another informant made 25 alleged contraband purchases. At the conclusion of the long investigation police seized 132 legal firearms and two illegal firearms, 46 grams of cocaine, a total of about ten ounces of methamphetamine (I neglected to ask Wyatt/Falco if he cooked that crank), $15,000 in currency that was all later returned, firecrackers which were identified in the press as “explosives,” more than one thousand rounds of legally purchased and owned ammunition and numerous articles of clothing that indicated the wearer belonged to or supported the Vagos. Police also confiscated personal computers, photo albums, family souvenirs, cell phones and other personal items. The raids themselves were intended to punish their victims for belonging to a motorcycle club. At the conclusion of 22 Green 700 militarized police carried out an infantry assault intended mostly to punish club members and their families by wrecking their homes.
During the raids one Vago was found to have a Chinese throwing star embedded in a wall. He was charged with possession of a deadly weapon. Another Vago, a former martial arts instructor, home made a set of nunchucks thirty years before then literally nailed them to his garage wall as a decoration. He was charged with manufacturing a deadly weapon. During the dawn raids, a mother was pulled from her shower and dragged outside naked. A nine-year-old girl was only allowed to urinate if she let two Sheriffs watch.
Falco’s crowning achievement in this investigation was the tape recording of incriminating statements by a man who had knowledge of a homicide. The homicide was the result of a drug robbery gone wrong. One shot was fired, arguably by accident. One man was killed and a woman was wounded by the same bullet. Two subjects were charged with murder. One of them became a cooperating witness and was sentenced to one year in jail for voluntary manslaughter. The other suspect, Daniel Lee Foreman, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. It was not an open and shut case. Foreman would later write, “I was originally offered a seven year plea agreement on this same case…. The fact is, I turned it down on principle. Why should I accept any time for a crime I hadn’t committed?”
Falco told me, “Operation 22 Green was successful in my eyes, just for the murder case alone….”
After entering the witness protection program in 2007 Falco relocated to Lynchburg, Virginia and worked as a mechanic. He decided the next year “to return to my life undercover, but this time as a well-paid informant.” He volunteered with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to try to infiltrate the Hells Angels in Ontario in return for $1 million. When that fell through his mentor and hero Kozlowski introduced him to the Richmond, Virginia chapter of the Mongols. At the same time, Kozlowski was working undercover as a member of the Cypress Park, California chapter of the Mongols. It was the conclusion of ATF Operation Black Rain and the Virginia Mongols were entirely the invention of the ATF. The Bureau, using a paid confidential informant named Daniel Horrigan and a source of information named Lars Wilson, established the Virginia Mongols as a way to gain information about other motorcycle clubs in Virginia. After the raids that officially concluded Black Rain, the three ATF agents and two paid confidential informants who comprised the Virginia Mongols applied for membership in another motorcycle club, the American Outlaws Association.
That investigation was eventually named Operation Black Diamond. Twenty-seven Outlaws were indicted for racketeering in June 2010. Most of them pled guilty to racketeering, which might sound impressive unless you understand that under current case law every organization is a racket and every member who has broken any law in the last ten years is a racketeer. The Boy Scouts and the Catholic Church are, technically, rackets. Virtually no one beats a racketeering charge at trial. Everybody except for the very rich and powerful pleads guilty to racketeering because it is usually the smart move. One Outlaw was gunned down by federal agents in Maine. The charges against another were dropped. The racketeering acts with which the men were charged included having illegal slot machines in Outlaws clubhouses, buying and selling contraband and several minor and not so minor assaults.
The big target in Operation Black Diamond was Outlaws National President Jack Rosga, a 53-year-old grandfather with no criminal record who was convicted of racketeering and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Falco/Chef played virtually no part in Operation Black Rain and was mostly an observer during Operation Black Diamond. All of the war on the motorcycle outlaw menace in this moment in America is a kind of a circus. And in that circus Ashley/Falco/Charles/Chef was once one of the clowns. And that proves to be the single most annoying thing about “his” book. The putative author has no story to tell.

7

“How did you connect with Kerrie Droban?”
“I saw Kerrie on Gangland,” the snitch answers. “So, I read her book. I thought it was great. I found her email address and asked if she would be interested in writing my book.”
Blatchford?
“Blatchford was doing a story on the Vagos and he was referred to me. We talked on the phone and I told him I would love to do an interview with him. I watched him for years in L.A. and have always enjoyed his reports. He was very nice, professional. Other than that I don’t know much more about him.”
“Who referred you?”
“Blatchford was referred to me by my agent. He seemed to be a bright and nice guy. He loves to expose the truth about gangs, which I think is a noble thing.”
Falco’s agent is San Diego literary agent Jill Marsal. Marsal politely declined to comment about the Falco book. But she probably represents Falco in only a limited way called “hip-pocketing” which means she represents Falco for this one project. Her relationship with Kerrie Droban is more established.
Droban is an attorney, a former prosecutor and a mother who practices law in a country club suburb north of Phoenix. She aspires to earn what Robert Frost’s called the “gift word,” which is “poet.” Droban is widely reviled in the outlaw world. Many club members think her total lack of sympathy for and her fatuousness about motorcycle outlaws is annoying. And, just when she is starting to enjoy some commercial success she seems to be fading as a writer. Long before she became a biker authority Droban wrote a few lines I particularly like.

I’ll tell you about my days in Kenya:

 

                                                          Inevitably, flying termites litter the porch

With wings in the season of heavy rain.

Males struggle naked on the stones,

Their female mates already gone.

Umbula, the cook, fries them in chocolate.

 

I cannot describe the taste

There has never been much money in poetry and after her days in Kenya, if there actually were days in Kenya, Droban became a prosecutor. Her prince turned out to be a Glendale, Arizona homicide detective named Sergei Droban. She turned to prose and she had no more success than most writers until her social and professional connections introduced her to the ATF infiltration of the Arizona Angels. Her first publishing success was Running With The Devil. It was the best book published about Operation Black Biscuit. Although, that is faint praise. The other writers were the pompous and self-important Julien Sher, the psychotherapeutically intriguing Jay “Bird” Dobyns and the children’s book author Nils Johnson-Shelton.
Voila! The poet began to appear in publicity photos wearing a black leather jacket. Step by step, Droban stopped being a writer and instead became a “brand.” As dogs learn to sit up and beg, she learned to say, “My author brand is graphic realism. Raw, gritty stories that demand an audience.” Marsal became her agent and she sold Droban’s second biker book, Prodigal Father, Pagan Son: Growing Up Inside the Dangerous World of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, to a mystifyingly successful writer and editor at St. Martin’s Press, named Rob Kirkpatrick.
Kirkpatrick, 43, became a big success after he wrote a bad and un-insightful book about the year 1969 called 1969. He sold and was paid for what the world most needs now, yet another biography of Bruce Springsteen, and he published a biography of former Senators shortstop Cecil Travis. He has been described as “a journalist, a historian, a sociologist, and a sportswriter.” He has been a talking head on the History Channel and he “also writes about film, music, sports, and cultural issues for The Huffington Post.” After he published Prodigal Father, Pagan Son he bought the rights to Droban’s collaboration with Wyatt/Falco in November 2011.
About his work as an editor Kirkpatrick has written, “I specialize in narrative nonfiction and have built an eclectic list including history, sports, pop culture, and biography/memoir. I look to publish entertaining and compelling stories – especially books that should have been written before but hadn’t – and seek to effectively position all my books with memorable titles, enthusiastic blurbs, and eye-catching covers. In my ‘free’ time, I’ve also completed a PhD in English….”
Kirkpatrick ignored a request to answer basic questions about the Falco book. The questions he would not answer included “How was the book fact checked? Was it submitted to the ATF for authorization?” “Should a ‘true-crime’ book be true? Is it necessary that it be true?” And, “Briefly, in what ways are you responsible for this book?”
I believe he wrote the book blurb that he expects will “effectively position” the Wyatt/Falco/Droban collaboration. The blurb argues, “In separate investigations that spanned years and coasts, Falco risked his life, suffering a fractured neck and a severely torn shoulder, working deep undercover to bring violent sociopaths to justice.” Falco’s injuries are significantly overstated. The snitch couldn’t keep up with an ATF agent while riding his motorcycle in the rain in Virginia, ran onto the grass and went over the high side.
Kirkpatrick continues, “Falco’s engrossing account of the dangers of the biker underworld and justice is perfect for fans of FX’s Sons of Anarchy as well as Hunter Thompson’s classic Hell’s Angels.”
Kirkpatrick’s job is to create book products that pander to niche marketing categories. With this book he is chasing the Sons of Anarchy audience. He is also chasing after people who have read Hunter Thompson’s book about the Angels. He wants to tell those audiences a story that looks to him like a proven success. In other words he thinks the snitch’s tale is the exact same story that has sold well for almost fifty years. And also, he thinks Falco’s book is exactly the same as a story that was invented in a conference room in Hollywood. He either doesn’t care or notice that neither Droban or Falco is exactly in Thompson’s league as a writer, or for that matter even Kurt Sutter’s.
You should know about Kirkpatrick because whatever story Falco told Droban, and whatever story Droban wrote, it has now been tailored to fit a well worn editorial formula. This is simply how modern publishing works – just as Blatchford trading his cache as a journalist to ingratiate himself to Marsal and Kirkpatrick is exactly how modern journalism works. This is how Jenna Bush became a best selling author and journalist. Kirkpatrick exemplifies what Jay Dobyns meant several years ago, by “some 5th Avenue pogue whose biggest risk in life has been to decide how much of his 401k to take out to buy his yacht.” St. Martin’s offices are on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.

8

The product of all these invisible social and economic forces, of Wyatt/Falco’s egomania, Kirkpatrick’s fatuousness and Droban’s ambition, is a dismal and bloated vampire novel with Falco starring in the role of Van Helsing. Just as the snitch now called Falco truly believes in his own importance I truly believe that publishing this waste of perfectly good trees should be prosecuted as an environmental crime. Most of what Wyatt/Falco/Droban/Kirkpatrick tell readers are lies. Not mistakes, not hyperbole but simply lies. There are so many lies that a legion of fact checkers would go blind trying to correct them all. Over and over, Vagos, Mongols and Outlaws are described as rabid, ravenous wolves. Civilians are innocent, fluffy, little bunnies. Oh no, little bunny! Don’t go in that bar! No! No!
Because Falco did so little other than get stoned and incriminate a man who may or may not be guilty of murder, much of the book attempts to describe what Wyatt/Falco dreamt. “I dreamed of rushing rapids, of light shallow water, of warning Vs in the ripples. There’s something down there, I shouted into cold winds. But no one heard me. River left. I paddled furiously toward shore. River left. Get out. Get out. Eddy the boat. Obstacle ahead.” Apparently Droban thought that if she just free associated enough of this crap, the word count might eventually total the number specified in her contract.
Most of the book is written in a narrative voice authors usually use to manipulate their readers into closely identifying with a fictional hero. “My heart hammered against my chest. Surrounded by dark shapes clad in denim and dirty patches of heat, I had never felt more alone. As an informant, I had no backup, no surveillance team, no one to hear the bullet penetrate my skull if things soured…. Not only had I confirmed for the government that the Vagos trafficked in drugs and illegal weapons; I had also established they were involved in committing homicides, the violent trademark of motorcycle gangs. I swelled with a sense of duty, of serving society. My role was no longer about self-preservation, it was about justice.”
Over and over Falco wears his duplicity like a Silver Star:
“I wanted to shout out, ‘Not me, not me, I’m not one of them. I’m one of the good guys.” “I wasn’t my costume, I wasn’t a badass. I was one of the good guys.” “Through our testimony we would likely join the ranks of other ‘brave and noble’ men who paid the price to crush Al-Qaeda terrorists or chill further mob violence.” “Meanwhile, Koz worried that I had become too soft, ‘too nice, too much of a gentleman’ gangster. He didn’t want me to be like ‘fucking James Bond,’ but he urged me to ‘be more aggressive, act more like a real gangster.’” “For three years I knew my role, and the culmination of my life’s work.” “Strangely, the lying bothered me the most even though I had been deceptive about my life since I was nineteen years old: first as a drug dealer, then as an informant and now as a completely revised person.” “Like soldiers returning from war, I imagined I experienced similar post-traumatic stress.” “Neither Twist nor the Vagos loved me or each other, they loved the idea of me and their brotherhood.” “For the briefest of moments I felt what a celebrity must.” “The whole idea that Vagos would defend each other, even die for each other, was bullshit. Code, club colors was all illusion and delusion. The seduction of being someone else was an addiction.” “I drifted off to my safe place, my subconscious.” “Some experiences are too profound to translate: war, military service, and life undercover.” “In a few hours, I would return to that lonely place, to the underworld, inhabited by undercover operatives, where my life completely transformed.”
Really sings doesn’t it? Maybe it was the prose Blatchford loved. How about you? Do you think you would like to read another 70,000 words of this?
The phony Falco informs his eager audience that all Vagos are phonies. “The notion that motorcycle gangs had any interest in charities or children was perverse. They needed money to fund their drug and arms deals. And they fit into the real world the way sociopaths blended, by mimicking human emotion and wearing acceptable masks, by pretending to care about children’s causes.”
And, among other atrocities, members of the Outlaw Motorcycle Club are anti “little people.” In one of the dozens of story lines in this insider account Falco becomes afraid that his new club brothers might force him to fuck the three-foot-tall porn star Bridget the Midget. “That night I crawled into the van, but sleep eluded me. Bridget floated into my conscience.” Into his “conscience.” Not his consciousness but his conscience.

Postcript

I finish Falco/Wyatt/Charles/Droban/Kirkpatrick’s rotten book and abandon the interview with him. I know before I write half of it that this article is already a loser. I don’t want to write about Falco. I don’t like Falco. I want to punch him in the face.
I want to punch Falco in the face that night on the Strip. I want to punch somebody in the face as I make the always thrilling, diving right turn from Sunset onto La Cienega with a very important taxi in a hurry just behind me. I want to punch the cab driver in the face. I want to punch somebody in the face because I have been told, by people who love me, that I have anger issues.
And, also I want to punch somebody in the face because we now live in a moment of lies. The government lies to us. The government lies to itself. The police lie to judges. Doctors lie to patients. Charles Falco, Kerrie Droban and Rob Kirkpatrick are all lying. And, I know those lies are tomorrow’s historical truth. And, if I throw enough punches at history maybe I will leave a mark.

OFF THE WIRE
California law makes it illegal to possess and carry certain types of knives. Many are confused as to what types of knives are legal, and which types are illegal. For purposes of this blog we will seek to shed some light as to what constitutes legal carry of knives.
Per the penal code there are many types of “knives”, each with it’s own description and set of laws. These include, ballistic knives, switch blades, folding knives, dirk or dagger, belt knives, assisted opening knives, disguised knives etc. As a general rule of thumb, most exotic types of blades are outright illegal for the common citizen to possess, sale, manufacture, etc. See California Penal Code Section 12020(a)(1) for detail.
What Types of knives can be legally carried?
The three most common types of knives are folding knives, switch blades and fixed blade knives also know as dirks or daggers. We will define each type of knife and explain the laws surrounding them.
Folding knives are knives that “opens with one hand utilizing thumb pressure applied solely to the blade of the knife or a thumb stud attached to the blade, provided that the knife has a detent or other mechanism that provides resistance that must be overcome in opening the blade, or that biases the blade back toward its closed position” . All folding knives are legal. California Penal Code Section 17235. As long as they are in the folded position they can be carried in a concealed manner. There is no blade length restriction per the penal code.
Switch blades are generally defined as knives that look like folding knives but lack the above elements. (thumb stud, bias toward the closed position etc). They include spring blades, snap blades, gravity knives or any knife which can be opened automatically. Automatically, meaning by a mechanism, spring, gravity, flick of the wrist etc. The blade must be 2 inches in length or longer in order to be classified as a switch blade. Switch blades are illegal to sell or give away. They are illegal to carry in public, concealed or open. Penal Code section 17235.
For fixed blades (known as a dirk or dagger), or a folding knife in the open and locked position, they must be carried “openly”. California Penal Code section 16470 classifies a dirk or dagger as a knife or instrument with or without a hand guard that is capable of ready use as a stabbing weapon that may inflict great bodily injury or death. Per the penal code there is no length limit as long as it is carried openly. A knife carried in a sheath that is worn openly suspended from the waist of the wearer is considered open carry and is legal. Penal code section 20200. Carrying a concealed dirk or dagger is illegal pursuant to Penal Code Section 12020(a)(4).
There are restrictions as to carrying knives when entering schools, Universities and Colleges, and Public buildings open to the public such as courts, city halls, police stations etc. For Schools K-12, no knives with blades longer than 2.5 inches are allowed unless they are required for particular work type duties. Razor blades and box cutters are also prohibited. Penal Code section 626.10. For colleges and Universities, no fixed blades bigger than 2.5 inches are allowed. However there is no restriction on folding knives as long as they don’t fall under the category of switch blades. For state or local public buildings, it is illegal to carry any knife with a blade of more than 4 inches onto the premise. California Penal Code Section 171b.

OFF THE WIRE
By Matt Agorist
7 Simple Steps from a Cop on How to Fight Every Speeding Ticket and Win: http://bit.ly/1MZqHOU

Do you want to discover the secrets on how to beat your speeding ticket in court?
25% of all Speeding Tickets Are Issued in Error!

It is estimated that in 2014 that there were over 41,000,000 speeding tickets issued in the USA and that over 25% of these were issued in error.

The most common errors include shadowing, RFI inference, cosine angle error, mechanical interference and devices that are out of calibration.

But out of these 41,000,000 speeding tickets only 5% challenged their citation in court.

And out of this 5% less than .05% beat their ticket or have it dismissed.

Why?  Because they were not prepared!

The radar gun or lidar gun the police officer used to issue you your speeding ticket is a scientific instrument and because of this the officer must be certified and by law, must follow certain requirements.

So if you’re planning on fighting your ticket in court, we put together this guide to help disqualify the officer’s testimony and his/her equipment, so you have a better chance of winning your case.
Prepare Yourself Before You Ever Get Stopped

Before, during, and right after the stop are the most critical times to prepare your defense if you plan on fighting your speeding ticket.

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Speeding-Ticket

Because of this, it’s CRITICAL that you remember EVERYTHING that is happening around you and document it:

    What was the traffic flow like
    What signs are on the roadway
    The condition of the roadway
    Other witnesses
    What is the weather like

As you’re doing this, look for a safe place to pull over for you and the police officer.

If you’re on the highway in busy traffic, put your flashers on, pull over to the right and consider exiting at the first exit.
The Approach

Once you’re pulled over and stopped STAY IN YOUR CAR!

Many police officer shootings occur as the officer is approaching a violator. Because of this, his/her stress levels are high, and he/she is watching everything you and the occupants of the car are doing.

DO NOT:

    Reach into the glove box
    Reach under your seat

DO

    Keep your hands in plain sight

Your only job at this point is to reduce the officer’s stress level as much as possible.
The California Stop

One strategy to reduce the officer’s stress level is called the California Stop.

As the officer is exiting his car, roll down the driver’s side window.

If it is at night, turn on your interior lights

Then place your hands on the top of your steering wheel palms up, facing your face.

Doing this, the officer can immediately see that you’re not an immediate threat, and his stress level is reduced.
License, Registration, Insurance Card, any Weapons?

Now that the officer is standing next to your car one of the first things he is going to ask you is for your license, registration, insurance card and if you have any weapons in your possession.

If you do have any weapons, tell him where they are and follow his/her instructions and hopefully you’re properly licensed to possess them.
Do You Know Why I Stopped You?

Remember, everything you say or do will be documented by the officer so don’t admit anything, especially that you were not paying attention.

Just say “no officer, can you explain to me why you stopped me?”
Obey the Officer’s Requests

After the officer obtains the required documentation he may ask you to step out of your car or to remain in your car, just follow his commands.

Can I See Your Radar/Laser Gun?

If the officer says that he used a radar or laser gun, seem curious and ask the officer if you can see it and if he would be willing to explain to you how it works.

If the officer does allow you to see it, take a mental picture of the device, getting the manufacturer’s name and model number.

If he refuses to show you the gun, then just ask him if he could explain to you how it works.
The Citation

As some point, the officer is going to either have you sign the citation or just hand you a copy.

While he is still with you, review the citation to see if he documented the type of device he used to measure your speed.

If he didn’t ask him/her to put on the citation the type of device he/she used.
Documentation

Remember everything you do or say is being documented and possibly even being recorded by the officer.

It’s your job to do the same!
After the Stop

After the stop, find a safe place to pull over and write down EVERYTHING that happened. Then return to the area and snap photos of the area with a camera or your smartphone.
Get Ready for Your Case

Next it’s your job to get ready for your trial.
Step #1 – Know What the Officer Shot You With

To properly prepare your case, you first need to know what type of device the officer used to clock your speed.

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Police-Radar-Gun
Police radar guns transmit microwave radio signals, and it this type of enforcement that accounts for most speeding citations.

Police lidar guns transmit a narrow beam of light in the near inferred light spectrum and they account for 20% of all traffic citations.

Other ways an officer can clock your speed are using a timing device such as a stopwatch or VASCAR, or following behind you clocking your speed using their speedometer.

Because of this, you need to know EXACTLY what the officer used to measure your speed.

Many jurisdictions will note on the citation what type of device was used and even the device’s serial number.

If this is not documented on your citation, then you may need to follow-up with a friendly telephone call to the agency or officer that issued you the citation and inquire.
Step #2 – Start by Downloading These Free NHTSA Guides

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is responsible for developing training programs responsive to the Uniform National Standards established by the Highway Safety Act of 1996.

Because of this, the NHTSA has published guidelines both police agencies and officers MUST follow when operating radar or laser.

As we will be referencing several portions of each of these guides in this article to help you build your case, we would recommend “googling” these titles and download these free PDFs now:

Speed-Measuring Device Performance Specification: Across-the-Road Radar Module

Lidar Speed Measuring Device Performance Specifications

Police Radar Instructor Training Course

Basic Training Program in Radar Speed Measurement
Step #3 – Have an Understanding of Case Law
Case Law Regarding the Use of Police Radar

If you were cited by an officer who used a police radar gun, your next step is to have a understanding of these most significant case laws pertaining to the use of radar in speed enforcement.

State of Florida v. Aquilera (1979)

This infamous case is known widely as the Miami Radar Trial. After a local television reporter showed a house clocked at 28 mph and a palm tree clocked at 86 mph, the story broke nationwide and radar was quickly shown to be less than accurate. In this case the Dade County Court sustained a motion to suppress the results of radar units in 80 speeding ticket cases.

The court’s opinion stated that the reliability of radar speed measuring devices as used in their present modes and particularly in some cases, has not been established beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt, nor has it met the test of reasonable scientific certainty.
United States v. Fields (1982)

District Court in Ohio ruled that it was not possible to establish from the radar results whether the defendant was traveling at 43 mph or whether the Speedgun 8 radar unit was measuring the rotation of the ventilation fan at the sewage pumping station next to the officer’s car.

The court also found that the officer was not qualified to operate the radar unit since he did not know the requirements for correct operation of the unit. In addition, the officer did not calibrate it before use, on that occasion.

Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Honeycutt (1966)

This case is a very common prosecution weapon against the 24 hours of classroom and 16 hours of field training requirement. In this case the court ruled that an officer should not be required to know the scientific principles of radar.

The court also ruled that the officer only needs to know how to properly set up, test and read the radar unit. As such, a few hours of instruction should be enough to qualify an officer to operate the radar unit.

State of Connecticut v. Tomanelli (1966)

In the case, which is the same year as the Honeycutt case, the Supreme Court of Connecticut ruled that “outside influences may affect the accuracy of the recording by a police radar set sufficient to raise a doubt as to the reliability of the speed recorded.”

The court also stated that tuning forks must be proved to be accurate to be accepted as valid tests of a radar unit. In order to establish the accuracy of the radar unit the operator must testify to the following:

    That he made tuning fork tests before and after the defendant’s speed was recorded.
    That the tests were made by activating 40, 60 and 80 mph tuning forks and by observing that the unit responded correctly in each case.

State of Minnesota v. Gerdes (1971)

The Supreme Court of Minnesota ruled that where the only means of testing the accuracy of a radar unit is an internal mechanism within the unit, and there is no other evidence of the motorist’s speed other than the radar reading, the conviction cannot be sustained.

The court also established the following conditions for proving the accuracy of the radar unit:

    The officer must have adequate training and experience in the operation of the radar unit.
    The officer must testify as to how the unit was set up and the conditions the unit was operated under.
    it must be proven that the unit was operated with a minimum possibility of distortion from external interference.
    The unit has to be tested with an external source, such as a tuning fork or an actual test run with another vehicle with an accurately calibrated speedometer.

People of New York v. Perlman (1977)

The Suffolk County District Court ruled that the radar device was not proved to be accurate since no external test had been performed before or after the arrest. This case is significant since it established the criteria of testing before and after a citation is issued.

State of Wisconsin v. Hanson (1978)

In this landmark case, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin set minimum conditions for the use of radar as evidence. Sufficient evidence to support a speeding conviction with moving radar will require testimony by a competent operating officer that:

    He had adequate training and experience in radar operation
    The radar unit was in proper working condition at the time of the arrest
    The radar unit was used in an area where there was a minimum possibility of distortion
    The input speed of the officer’s car was verified; the car’s speedometer was expertly tested within a reasonable period after the citation was issued
    All testing was done without the radar unit’s own internal calibration device being used

State of Florida v. Allweiss (1980)

The Pinellas County Court ruled that the testing methods for radar equipment are legally insufficient. “The use of such a tuning fork furnished by the manufacturer in this court’s opinion is tantamount to allowing the machine to test itself.

A tuning fork furnished by the manufacturer is merely an extension and part of the total speed measuring apparatus.
Case Law Regarding the Use of Police Lidar

If an officer used a police lidar gun to cite you, then your next step is to have a basic understanding of these most significant case laws that pertain to the use of lidar in speed enforcement.

Admissibility of Motor Vehicle Speed Readings
714 A.2d 381, 391-92 (New Jersey Superior Court 1998)

The Superior Court of New Jersey ordered that admissibility to lidar is subject to the following rules:

    Expert testimony is not required.
    Officers must be properly trained in the use of lidar and that training must be documented.
    The lidar must be tested according to procedures recommended by the manufacturer.
    The court further ordered that the lidar be tested against a known speed.
    Speed reading obtained by lidar are not affected by temperature, the degree of ambient light, or light to moderate rain. Readings shall not be accepted during heavy rainfall or while snow is falling.
    Speed reading made at distances up to 1,000 feet are admissible. Readings obtained in excess of 1,000 feet shall be admitted only with supporting evidence and expert testimony

State of Hawaii v Abiye Assay

Once an officer has completed a course of instruction and certified to operate lidar – training is not done. Officers must understand (memorize) 11.2 Principles of Operation.

For example, during the known-distance test officers must testify that the lidar uses proven time-distance formulas (pulse principle) and the speed of light (universal constant) to determine the known distance. Since the lidar utilizes one microprocessor to calculate time-of-flight and thus confirms the correct pulse repetition frequency, the lidar can accurately determine speed.

Then officers must obtain, read, and understand the manufacturer’s operator’s manual (10.7 Certification) for the particular lidar used and follow the manufacturer-recommended procedures for testing. Officers must further test the lidar as outlined in 11.16 Testing the LIDAR:

Known Speed Test. All lidars must include a Technician Certification (10.7 & 11.16) every 3 years in accordance with manufacture’s specifications and NHTSA standards. (Note: New lidars come with a Technician Certification from the factory.)

Officers must successfully complete Visual Speed Estimations, Enclosure 13.2 and be prepared to present this information in a court of law. During operation officers must understand and follow a proper tracking history (11.4 Lidar Tracking History) and be prepared to testify as to visual observations and speed estimates prior to clocking with lidar.

Officers must understand all lidar effects (11.5Lidar Effects), including proper operation to avoid any of these effects. Officer must be currently certified (10.7 Certification) to operate radar/lidar. Finally, the officer must prepare all court cases as outlined in this manual. (10.8 Court Testimony, 10.9 Traffic Evidence Kit)
Step #4 – Get the Manufacture’s Manuals

Next you will want to obtain the manuals from the manufacturer for the speed measurement device used by the officer.

Sometimes a simple search on Google can locate these.

If not, you then may have to contact the manufacturer to purchase a copy and/or subpoena the manual through the courts from the police agency.

Take special note what the manufacturer’s recommendations are as far as:

    Installation
    Calibration
    Use and Care of
    Any training and certification that may be required
    Recommended record keeping
    Tuning fork care of the device and recommendations

Step #5 – Subpoena Records

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Subpoena (1)



Next, you will want to contact the court to find out the procedures in obtaining the following records from the police agency through a subpoena:

    Officers training records
    Officers disciplinary reports
    Radar/Laser device maintenance records
    Tuning fork calibration records (radar)
    Officers certification records for the device
    Annual calibration records for the device
    Daily calibration records for the device

Step #6 – POST Records

All states have what is called Police Officer Standard Training (POST) regarding the certification and use of speed measurement devices.

Contact your state agency and request copies of these.
Step #7 – Preparing Your Defense

Now that you have all the information you need, it’s time to go through all these manuals, training records, and training guides to discredit the officer and the equipment he/she used to issue you your citation.
Here are some examples:

Was the Officer Properly Trained/Certified to Use the Equipment?

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and case law requires that the officer issuing you the citation be properly trained and certified for the device he/she used to issue you your citation.

Once you receive his training records, check this, along with the operator manual for that particular radar/lidar gun to see if any updated training was required.

Was the Radar/Lidar Device Operated Properly?

One example we assisted in preparing a defense on was regarding an officer who targeted vehicles with his laser gun, aiming at their reflection in his side view mirror.

During the questioning of the officer, the defendant asked in what training guide and/or manual could the officer reference that this type of targeting was approved.

Because the officer could not provide this information, the case was dismissed.

When Was the Radar/Laser Gun Last Certified?

In 2004, a reporter from the Hartford Courant newspaper contacted us regarding a speeding ticket she received and asked for some tips.

The first thing I asked her to do was to check the calibration certification records on the radar gun the officer used to issue her the citation.

A few days later she called us back and related that the last certification was done over 4 years ago.

Did the Officer Properly Calibrate the Radar/Lidar Gun?

It is required that the officer perform a calibration check prior to and after issuing any citations during his/her shift as outlined in the manual for that particular make/model.

However, we have found that even if the officer may have performed this calibration test, they never documented it. This is how you can impeach an officer regarding his/her test.

One of the first things a police recruit is ever taught in training is to document EVERYTHING.

Thus, this calibration test should be documented by the officer either on the citation that was issued, in his personal notebook, on the logbook, or on the units calibration records.

Did the Officer Use the Correct Tuning Fork(s)?

Each tuning fork used for calibration is designed for a particular make/model of radar and/or laser gun and is serialized.
Check this serial number against the calibration records for that particular unit while also noting the last date of the calibration of the tuning fork(s).

Are There Any Cracks or Chips in the Tuning Fork?

A strategy we have shared with clients is to subpoena the tuning fork(s) used during the calibration and check them prior to the trial.

Because tuning forks are made from a light aluminum alloy, if dropped, small chips and/or cracks may form, which will impact the accuracy of the tuning fork.

If these chips and/or cracks are observed, then while the officer is on the stand, introduce these tuning forks into evidence asking if these were the ones used to calibrate the gun.

Once he/she does confirm this you can then introduce into evidence the facts on how this could impact the officer’s calibration test.

Was There a Shadow Error?

A Shadow Error occurs when the moving radar’s “Low Doppler” incorrectly locks onto a large metal object like an 18 wheeler in front of the patrol car and adds the speed differential to the opposite lane target vehicle’s speed.

Was There a VSS Error?

Low Doppler is used to determine the patrol vehicles speed. Shadowing has and is being eliminated by interfacing the police radar gun into the vehicle’s speed sensor. This is known as VSS or Vehicle Speed Sensor interface.

Now that the patrol car’s speed is obtained by the vehicle’s own speed sensor, the low Doppler signal from the police radar gun can be compared and accuracy is increased.

Was There a Cosine Error?

Cosine error is standard with both radar and laser guns. The greater the transmission angles of the gun to the target vehicle, the greater the error.

Who does the error favor?

Well if it was a stationary radar gun or a laser gun, the error is in YOUR FAVOR!

An example would be a stationary speed radar/lidar gun transmitting at a 10′ degree angle from the approaching target vehicle. The target vehicle’s actual speed is 60 mph, but the radar gun shows 59 mph.

However, if it is a moving radar, the consign angle could put you at a disadvantage.

Moving radar was developed so an officer could measure your speed while he is driving.

To do this, the moving radar has to capture the speed of his vehicle and the speed of your vehicle and then the internal computer displays both his speed and your speed on the display.

The speeds are computed accurately as long as the officer is within a ten-degree angle as you approach.

However, if your vehicle is at a greater angle than this, it’s anyone’s guess who has the edge.

Was the Officer’s Heater or Air Conditioner On?

In 2004, the Pennsylvania State Police purchased hundreds of new radar guns.

They were clocking rocks at 70 mph.

This is an example of mechanical interference as the police car’s heater/air conditioner fan was producing the erroneous speed-reading.

The fact remains; radar and laser guns still make mistakes.

If you successfully apply all the information in this article, you should have a very good chance of beating your next speeding ticket.
Need More Help and/or Advice From Radar Roy?

Since 1997 Radar Roy has helped thousands of people just like you beat their speeding tickets in court through his helpful guides and resources found on his website RadarBusters.com

In 1995, Radar Roy retired at the rank of Lieutenant from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and then went on to teach you how to fight the system.

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/7-simple-steps-fighting-speeding-ticket-win/#qodzzecmWZmx5HgD.99

Ten Most Notorious Outlaw Biker Gangs.

BY: William J. Felchner
Source: factoidz.com
US - The outlaw biker gang can trace its origins to the period after World War II where returning veterans and other roadies began to organize themselves in clubs, pining for the freedom, action and nonconformity that the motorcycle offered. One of the seminal events in outlaw biker history was "The Hollister Riot," which took place over the July Fourth 1947 holiday weekend in Hollister, California, where some 4,000 motorcycle enthusiasts invaded the small town. The ensuing ruckus was later sensationalized in the July 21, 1947, issue of Life magazine, marking a famous milestone in biker history.
The Hollister Gypsy Tour, as the event was billed, included the Boozefighters, a South Central Los Angeles motorcycle club founded in 1946 by World War II vet William "Wino Willie" Forkner (1921-1997). Forkner reveled in his reputation as a biker hellraiser, and reportedly served as the inspiration for Lee Marvin's Chino character in Columbia Pictures' The Wild One (1953), which also starred Marlon Brando as bad boy Johnny Strabler, leader of the fictional Black Rebels.

Here are ten notorious outlaw biker gangs that rule the road in biker history. These are the so-called "1%ers," the bikers who operate out of the mainstream as compared to the other 99% of motorcyclists who abide by the law and norms of society. Kick start your engines and show your colors…

Hells Angels (1948-present)

Unarguably the best-known outlaw biker gang in history, Hells Angels owes its name to World War II and possibly the 1930 Howard Hughes movie of the same name. During Big Two, there did exist the United States Army Air Forces 303rd Heavy Bombardment Group (H) of the U.S. 8th Air Force which billed itself as Hell's Angels, flying B-17 combat missions out of Molesworth, England, from 1942-45.

Hells Angels was formed in the Fontana/San Bernardino, California, area on March 17, 1948 as an offshoot of the Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington, a California motorcycle club founded in 1945 by American veterans of the air war. Other independent chapters of Hells Angels later sprouted up in Oakland, Gardena and San Francisco.

Hells Angels eventually spread its wings, with the club now sporting charters in 29 countries, including Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Greece, Denmark, France, Turkey and the Dominican Republic.The Hells Angels insignia is the infamous "death's head," designed by Frank Sadilek, a former president of the San Francisco chapter.

Both American and Canadian law enforcement have labeled the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) a crime syndicate, asserting that its members routinely engage in drug trafficking, extortion and violence. Hells Angels garnered notoriety at the Altamont Free Concert on December 6, 1969, when they were hired by the Rolling Stones to act as stage security. Mayhem ensued at the drug/alcohol fueled event that boasted of a crowd of 300,000, with four people losing their lives.

Mongols (1969-present)

The Mongols was founded on December 5, 1969 in Montebello, California, by Hispanic veterans of the Vietnam War. Reportedly denied membership in Hells Angels because of their race, the Mongols eventually branched out, currently boasting of chapters in 14 states and four foreign countries.

Law enforcement has classified the Mongols as a criminal enterprise, engaging in loan sharking, drug trafficking, racketeering, theft and murder for hire. ATF agent William Queen, using the alias Billy St. John, successfully infiltrated the Mongols in 1998, resulting in 53 Mongol convictions.

The Mongols and their hated rivals Hells Angels engaged in an infamous brawl and gunfight at Harrah's Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, in 2002. When the smoke had cleared, one Mongol and two Hells Angels lay dead on the casino floor.

Pagans (1959-present)

Lou Dobkins, a biochemist at the National Institute of Health, founded the Pagans in Prince George's County, Maryland, in 1959. By the late 1960s, the Pagans were the dominant biker club on the East Coast, riding British Triumph motorcycles (later traded in for Harley Davidsons) and sporting their distinctive patch depicting the Norse fire god Sutr wielding a flaming sword.

The Pagans currently operate in eleven states, with Delaware County, Pennsylvania, serving as their Mother chapter. American law enforcement has classified the Pagans as a criminal enterprise, engaging in a host of illegal activities, including gun running, drug trafficking, arson, methamphetamine production and distribution, prostitution, racketeering and murder for hire.

In 2002, the Pagans and Hells Angels clashed at the Hellraiser Ball in Long Island, New York, where ten people were wounded and one Pagan was allegedly shot and killed by a Hells Angels member. Three years later, the Vice President of the Hells Angels Philadelphia chapter was killed by gunfire while driving his truck on the Schuylkill Expressway, with the Pagans allegedly carrying out the hit.

Outlaws (1935-present)

The Outlaws can trace their history back to 1935 when the McCook Outlaws Motorcycle Club was formed out of Matilda's Bar on old Route 66 in McCook, Illinois. In the ensuing years, the club morphed into the McCook Outlaws, the Chicago Outlaws and the American Outlaws Association (A.O.A.). Their first out of state chapter came in Florida in 1967. In 1977, the Canadian biker gang Satan's Choice joined the Outlaws franchise, making it the first chapter outside of the United States. Today, the Outlaws are active in some 14 states, with international chapters in the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Sweden, Thailand, Norway, Poland, the Philippines, et al.

The Outlaws sport a distinctive patch comprised of a skull and crossed pistons. Their official motto, adopted in 1969, is "God forgives, Outlaws don't."

Law enforcement has categorized the Outlaws as an organized crime syndicate, engaging in drug trafficking, murder, extortion and prostitution. The Outlaws have had their run-ins with police and other biker gangs. In 2007, Outlaws member Frank Rego Vital was shot and killed outside the Crazy Horse Saloon in Forest Park, Georgia, by two Renegades motorcycle club members who had reportedly acted in self-defense.

Bandidos (1966-present)

The Bandidos was founded by Marine Corps and Vietnam War veteran Don Chambers in San Leon, Texas, in 1966. The club's official motto is "We are the people our parents warned us about," with a big Mexican in sombrero brandishing a machete and pistol adorning the club's distinctive patch. The Bandidos currently boast of 104 chapters in the United States, along with international chapters in Germany, Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Costa Rica, Belgium and the Channel Islands.

Law enforcement has classified the Bandidos as an organized crime syndicate, engaging in murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, gun running and witness tampering. From 1994 to 1997 the so-called "Great Nordic Biker War" was waged in Scandinavia pitting Bandidos versus Hells Angels in a bloody turf war that resulted in eleven murders. Vagos (1965-present)

Originally called the Psychos, Vagos was formed in Temescal Valley, California, in 1965. The club's distinctive green/red patch pictures the Norse god Loki straddling a motorcycle. Vagos currently operates mainly in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Both the FBI and the ATF consider Vagos an outlaw biker gang, engaging in drug trafficking, gun running, auto theft, money laundering and murder. In 2002, however, Vagos members turned in the estranged wife of a Pomona, California, police detective who had attempted to hire a Vagos hit man to murder her husband.

Law enforcement has successfully conducted several undercover investigations of Vagos and their illegal activities. In 2004, authorities arrested 26 Vagos members/associates and seized $125,000 in cash, drugs and weapons.

Pennsylvania Warlocks (1967-present)/Florida Warlocks (1967-present)

The Pennsylvania Warlocks was founded in Philadelphia in February 1967. The club's distinctive patch features the Harpy, the legendary winged beast from Greek mythology. The Pennsylvania Warlocks boast of chapters in New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, Minnesota and Massachusetts. The Pennsylvania Warlocks have been linked to organized crime and methamphetamine production and distribution.

The Florida Warlocks was founded by U.S. Navy veteran Tom "Grub" Freeland in Orlando, Florida, in 1967. The club's logo is a blazing eagle while their official motto is "To find us you must be good. To catch us…you must be fast. To beat us…you must be kidding!" The Florida Warlocks have chapters in South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, the United Kingdom and Germany. The Florida Warlocks were successfully infiltrated by the ATF in 1991 and again in 2003, with convictions for drug and weapon charges resulting from the latter.

Sons of Silence (1966-present)

The Sons of Silence was founded in Niwot, Colorado, in 1966. The club sports a distinctive patch featuring the American Eagle superimposed over a large "A"– highly reminiscent of the Anheuser-Busch logo. The gang's official motto is "Donec mors non separat"– Latin for "Until death separates us."

The Sons of Silence boast of chapters in Illinois, Wyoming, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Kentucky, North Dakota, Mississippi and Germany. The Sons of Silence have been implicated in drug trafficking and weapons violations.

Highwaymen (1954-present)

The Highwaymen was established in Detroit, Michigan, in 1954. The club's distinctive patch features a winged skeleton sporting a leather jacket, motorcycle cap and the black and silver colors. "Highwaymen forever, forever Highwaymen" serves as the gang's official motto.

The Highwaymen currently have chapters in Michigan, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Norway. The Highwaymen Motorcycle Club has been the subject of intense law enforcement scrutiny through the years. In 2007, the FBI arrested 40 Detroit Highwaymen members/associates on a variety of charges, including drug trafficking, theft, racketeering, insurance fraud, police corruption and murder for hire.

Gypsy Joker (1956-present)

The Gypsy Joker was founded in San Francisco, California, on April 1, 1956. The club's official patch features a grinning skull. Forced out of San Francisco by Hells Angels, the Gypsy Joker headed north to Oregon and Washington state in the late 1960s.

The Gypsy Joker has some 35 chapters worldwide, including active clubs in Australia, Germany, South Africa and Norway. The club is especially high profile in Australia, where in 2009 five Gypsy Jokers engaged in a drug-related shootout with a rival "bikie" gang (as they are called Down Under) in Perth.

Ten More Notorious Outlaw Biker Gangs

Here are ten more infamous biker gangs, along with where established and years active.

•Free Souls (Eugene, Oregon, 1968-present) •The Breed (Asbury Park, New Jersey, 1965-present) •Rebels (Brisbane, Australia, 1969-present) •Grim Reapers (Calgary, Canada, 1967-1997) •Iron Horsemen (Cincinnati, Ohio, mid-1960s-present) •The Finks (Adelaide, Australia, 1969-present) •Brother Speed (Boise, Idaho, 1969-present) •Devils Diciples (Fontana, California, 1967-present) •Solo Angeles (Tijuana, Mexico, 1959-present) •Diablos (San Bernardino, California, 1964-present) About William J. Felchner William J. Felchner's many feature articles have appeared in such periodicals as True West, Hot Rod, Movie Collector's World, Sports Collectors Digest, Persimmon Hill, Big Reel, Corvette Quarterly, Old West, Antiques & Auction News, Storyboard, Goldmine, Autograph Collector, Warman's Today's Collector, The Paper & Advertising Collectors'
Frontier Times, Television History, Illinois and Military Trader.

OFF THE WIRE

All State Knife Laws – Interactive Map with Knife Laws by State:

Find more detailed information here, including an interactive map:

texas-knife-laws-state-knife-laws-by-state

US Knife Laws- State Knife Laws by State

1. Alabama Knife Laws

What is Legal

Alabama has one of the best knife laws in the US.If you don’t like legal speak, here is the basics of what are legal under Alabama knife laws.

Balisongs/butterfly knives are legal.
Switchblades, gravity knives, automatic and assisted opening knives are legal.
Stilettos, dirks, and toothpick knives are legal.
All folding knives are legal.
Bowies are legal if carried open (like on your hip).
Bowies are legal to carry concealed if you are on your own property.
Double sided knives are legal, no  matter the size.
If the knife fits in your pocket, it is legal.
Out the front knives are legal.
What is Illegal

Here are notes on what kinds of knives are illegal under Alabama knife laws.

Bowies and things that are like Bowies are illegal if concealed.
Bowies are illegal to have in your vehicle.
A machete might be classified as a Bowie and it would be illegal if you carry it concealed.
A 11″ butcher knife has be found to be like a Bowie in court so don’t plan on using it in a crime.
Selling Bowies to people under 18 is illegal.
2. Alaska Knife Laws

What is Legal/Illegal in Alaska

Pocket knives are legal.
Balisongs are in a legal gray area.
Stilettos and dirks are in a legal gray area.
Out the front knives are in a legal gray area.
Bowie knives are in a legal gray area.
Large knives are in a legal gray area.
Gravity knives are illegal.
Switchblades are illegal.
Above is a brief review of Alaska knife law. The law specifically states that pocketknives are legal to both own and conceal carry. It also states that gravity knives and switchblades are illegal to own. Other types of knives are not outright banned, but may fall under the “deadly weapons” or “dangerous instrument” category. Alaska’s definition of a deadly weapon is a bit vague and depends a lot on court precedence as well as how crafty your lawyer is. For instance in Liddicoat v. State, the Court held that a steak knife was a deadly weapon. It’s definition of a dangerous instrument is not much clearer, and much of the law rests on Court decisions, not the statutes.

3. Arizona Knife Laws

What is Legal/Illegal in Arizona

Pocket knives are legal.
Balisong knives are legal.
Switchblades, gravity knives, Bowie knives, and stilettos are legal.
Knives of any length are legal.
It is legal for anyone over 21 to carry knives concealed.
It is illegal to not inform a police officer when they stop you that you are carrying a concealed knife when the knife is not a pocket knife.
It is illegal for someone under 21 years of age to carry a non-pocket knife concealed.
It is illegal to bring a knife into schools.
Outside of what is listed above, it is illegal to use a knife to commit a behavior that is already illegal. What this means is that it is illegal to rob a bank with a knife and you will be penalized more severely than if you robbed a bank without a weapon.

4. Arkansas Knife Laws

What are Legal Knives Under Arkansas Knife Law

Balisongs are legal.
Switchblades, automatic knives, gravity knives, and similar knives are legal.
Dinks, stilettos, and other stabbing knives are legal.
Bowies and other large knives are legal.
Knives of all sizes are legal.
Basically, if it has a blade, it is legal.

5. California Knife Laws

Legal Knives in California

Bowie knives are legal.
Large knives are legal (no restrictions in size).
Carrying knives in the open is legal in California.
Carrying knives concealed is legal in California for most knives.
Illegal Knives under California Knife Law

Misleading knives are illegal. These include: cane knives (and shobi-zues), lipstick knives, belt knives, pen knives, air gauge knives, and pen knives.
All undetectable knives are illegal. These include knives that won’t set off metal detectors.
Dirks, daggers, and stilettos are illegal.
Ballistic knives are illegal.
What the law is trying to get at are knives usually used by criminals to commit crimes. These are knives that don’t look like knives or don’t have a use as a tool. For example, you can’t do much with a dagger besides stab things.

6. Colorado Knife Laws

These knives are legal to own:

Dirks, daggers, push knives and stilettos are legal.
Bowie knives and other large blades are legal.
Disguised knives like belt knives, pen knives, cane knives, and lipstick knives are legal.
Balisong/buterfly knives are in a legal gray area.
Ballistic knives are illegal.
Gravity knives and switchblades are illegal.
These knives are illegal to carry concealed:

All knives less than 3.5 inches are legal.
All fishing and hunting knives of any length are legal.
All knives over 3.5 inches are illegal.
7. Connecticut Knife Laws

All Knives Are Legal to Own:

Balisongs, automatic knives, gravity knives, and switchblades are legal to own.
Dirks, stilettos, daggers, and push knives are legal to own.
Disguised knives like lipstick knives, cane knives, and boot knives are legal to own.
Bowie knives and other large knives are legal to own.
Basically, any knife is legal to own and have in your home.
Some Knives Can Not be Carried (Open or Concealed):

Automatic knives over 1.5 inches are illegal.
Switchblades over 1.5 inches are illegal.
Stilettos are illegal.
Blades longer than 4 inches are illegal.
8. Delaware Knife Laws

Knives that are Banned in Delaware

Balisong knives are legal.
Bowie knives and other large knives are legal.
Disguised knives like belt knives, lipstick knives, and cane knives are legal.
Throwing knives are legal.
Stilettos, dinks and daggers are legal.
Knives that will not set off metal detectors and have a point tip are illegal.
Knives with brass knuckles are illegal.
Switchblades and gravity knives are illegal.
Throwing stars are illegal.
If a knife does not fall into any of the illegal categories above, it is legal to own.

Limits to Carrying Knives

It is legal to carry a 3 inch pocket knife concealed.
Other than a 3 inch pocket knife, carrying any other type of knife concealed is illegal.
If the knife is not banned, you can carry it in the open. Only concealed carry is limited. Concealed means close enough by you that you can readily use it while being covered by something. Having a knife in your car counts as being concealed.

9.Florida Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

Balisong knives are legal.
Belt knives, cane knives, and other disguised knives are legal.
Bowie knives and other large knives are legal.
Throwing stars and throwing knives are legal.
Undetectable knives (knives that will not set off metal detectors) are legal.
Ballistic knives are illegal.
The law does not limit individuals from owning, selling, or buying any knife except for ballistic knives.

Limits on Carry

You can open carry any knife.
Box cutters, multi-tools, and other work knives are legal to carry concealed.
In most cases, conceal carry of a common pocket knife with a blade of less than 4 inches is legal.
Anything outside of this has not been expressly banned or allowed.
10.Georgia Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own in Georgia

Balisong knives, often called butterfly knives, are legal.
Bowie knives and other large knives are legal.
Throwing stars and throwing knives are legal.
Disguised knives such as cane knives, belt knives, and lipstick knives are legal.
Push knives, stilettos, switchblades, dirks, and daggers are legal.
Spring powered ballistic knives are legal.
Knives that are undetectable with a metal detector are legal.
In Georgia, there are no limits on the possession of knives. You can own any knife you want. There are only limits on carry knives.

Limits on Carry

It is illegal to carry, open or concealed, a knife that is larger than 5 inches without a permit.
For knives greater than 5 inches, you need a weapons permit.
11.Hawaii Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own Bowie knives and other large knives.
It is legal to own throwing stars and throwing knives.
It is legal to own disguised knives like belt knives, lipstick knives, and push knives.
It is legal to own undetectable knives (knives that won’t set off metal detectors).
It is legal to own dirks, daggers, and stilettos.
It is illegal to own balisong knives.
It is illegal to own switchblades
Only balisongs and switchblades are banned in Hawaii. Any other type of knife is legal.

Limits on Carry

You can open carry any knife.
You can not conceal carry dirks, daggers and knives similar to that.
You can not conceal carry knives with knuckles like some WWI trench knives.
You can conceal any other type of knife.
12.Idaho Knife Laws

No Knife Ban

Balisong knives are legal.
Switchblades, automatic knives, and other quick release knives are legal.
Bowie knives and other large knives are legal.
Throwing stars and throwing knives are legal.
Stilettos, dirks, and other stabbing knives are legal.
Disguised knives like belt knives, lipstick knives, cane knives, and key knives are legal.
Spring powered ballistic knives are legal.
Pocket knives of any size are legal.
Age Restrictions on Possession

Need parental consent to possess a bowie or dirk if under 18.
Can not possess a bowie or dirk if under 12 unless your parents are with you.
There is no ban on the possession of any type of knife in Idaho. You can buy and own any knife you want. However, taking it outside of the house is a different situation…

Limits on Carry

It is legal to open carry any knife.
It is illegal to bring any knife (open or concealed) besides a 2.5″ pocket knife to school.
It is illegal to conceal carry any dirk, bowie, or dangerous weapon.
It is illegal to conceal carry a knife, even if you have a permit, when intoxicated
13. Illinois Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own in Illinois

Balisong knives are legal.
Disguised knives like cane knives, belt knives, and lipstick knives are legal.
Throwing knives are legal.
Bowie knives and other large knives are legal.
Throwing stars are illegal.
Ballistic knives are illegal.
Switchblades and other automatic knives are illegal.
The state of Illinois only banned the possession of throwing stars, switchblades, ballistic knives, and knives that open with a press of the button.

Limits on Carry

You can carry any knife as long as it is not one of the banned knives listed above and that you do not have the intent to harm someone or break the law. The law goes into more details on this…

14. Indiana Knife Laws

What is Legal

Balisong knives are legal.
Bowie knive are legal.
Dirks, daggers, and stilettos are legal.
Assisted knives are legal.
Disguised knives like cane knives, lipstick knives, and belt knives are legal.
Switchblades and other automatic knives are legal.
What is Illegal

Ballistic knives are illegal.
Throwing stars are illegal.
Restriction on Carry

There are no limits to concealed or open carry as long as you do not bring a knife to school. The Indiana state code is available for anyone to read online but the excerpts below contains the code as well as an explanation.

15. Iowa Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

Balisong knives are legal.
Switchblades and automatic knives are legal.
Dirks, daggers, stilettos and other stabbing knives are legal.
Bowie knives and other large knives are legal.
Disguised knives like cane knives, belt knives, and lipstick knives are legal.
Ballistic knives are illegal.
Only ballistic knives are outlawed in Iowa law.

Limits on Carry

It is legal to open carry any knife.
It is illegal to conceal carry a switchblade.
It is illegal to conceal carry a dagger or stiletto.
It is illegal to conceal carry a knife whos blade is greater than 5 inches.
It is illegal to conceal carry a balisong knife.
It is illegal to conceal carry disguised knives like cane swords and lipstick knives.
16. Kansas Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own Bowies and other large knives.
It is legal to own dirks, daggers, stilettos, and other stabbing knives.
It is legal to own disguised knives like belt knives, lipstick knives, and cane swords.
It is legal to own switchblades and other automatic knives.
It is legal to own gravity knives.
It is legal to own undetectable knives (knives that will not set off metal detectors).
What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal to own ballistic knives.
It is illegal to own throwing stars
17. Kentucky Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own ballistic knives.
It is legal to own balisong knives.
It is legal to own switchblades and other automatic knives.
It is legal to own dirks, daggers, stilettos, and other stabbing knives.
It is legal to own disguised knives like belt knives, lipstick knives, and cane knives.
It is legal to own undetectable knives (knives that will not set off metal detectors).
It is legal to own Bowie knives and other large knives.
There are no banned knife types in Kentucky.

What is Legal to Carry

It is legal to open carry any knife.
It is legal to conceal carry any ordinary pocket knife or hunting knife.
Anything besides a pocket or hunting knife can be considered a deadly weapon and would be banned from concealed carry.
18. Louisiana Knife Laws

What is Legal/Illegal to Own

It is legal to own Balisong knives, also called butterfly knives.
It is legal to own dirks, daggers, stilettos, and other slim knives.
It is legal to own disguised knives like belt knives.
It is legal to own undetectable knives–knives that will not set off metal detectors.
It is legal to own throwing stars and throwing knives.
It is legal to own Bowie knives and other large knives.
It is illegal to own switchblades and other automatic knives.
The only banned knife in Louisiana are switchblades. However, if you are a law enforcement officer, you might be able to get an automatic opening knife because there is an exemption for “rescue knives” in the law.

Limits on Carry

Any knife is legal for open or concealed carry as long as it is not a switchblade.
19. Maine Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own Bowie knives and other large knives.
It is legal to own dirks, stilettos, daggers, and other slim knives.
It is legal to own throwing stars and throwing knives.
It is legal to own disguised knives like cane knives, belt knives, and lipstick knives.
It is illegal to own switchblades, automatic knives, and balisong knives.
The only banned types of knives are automatic opening knives. Balisong knives were found to fall under this category.

What is Legal to Carry

It is legal to carry any knife in the open.
It is illegal to carry daggers, stilettos, and knives designed for harming others.
Any knife outside of those 3 are legal to conceal carry.
The law bans the carry of “other dangerous or deadly weapon usually employed in the attack on or defense of a person.” This means that, as long as the knife was not designed to attack other people, it is fine to carry concealed.

20. Maryland Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a balisong knife, also called butterfly knife.
it is legal to own dirks, daggers, stilettos, and other slim knives.
It is legal to own switchblades, gravity knives, and automatic knives.
It is legal to own ballistic knives.
It is legal to own disguised knives like belt knives and lipstick knives.
It is legal to own throwing stars and throwing knives.
It is legal to own undetectable knives.
It is legal to own Bowie knives and other large knives.
There are no limitation on the type of knife you can own in Maryland.

Limits on Carry

You can not conceal carry a throwing star, dirk, switchblade, gravity knife, or bowie knife.
You can not open carry a throwing star, dirk, switchblade, gravity knife, or bowie knife with the intent to harm someone.
You can open or conceal carry any sized pocket knife you wish.
If a knife is not listed above, it is most likely to be legal for concealed or open carry. Read on to see why.

21.Massachusetts Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

Balisong knives, also called butterfly knives, are legal to own.
Switchblades and automatic knives are legal to own.
Ballistic knives are legal to own.
Dirks, daggers, stilettos, and push knives are legal to own.
Knives with brass knuckles are legal to own.
Disguised knives like cane knives and lipstick knives are legal to own.
Bowie knives and other large knives are legal to own.
Throwing knives and throwing stars are legal to own.
There is no knife ban in Massachusetts.

Limits on Carry

It is illegal to carry, open or concealed, switchblades, dirks, daggers, stilettos, ballistic knife, double edge knives, and knuckle knives.
It is illegal to carry anything that is perceived as dangerous while disturbing the peace or being arrested.
Folding knives, Swiss army knives, and kitchen knives are legal to carry as long as you do not behave in a way that makes them dangerous.
There are a few more details to the law that can’t be explained in bullet points. Read below for the full explanation.

22. Michigan Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

Butterfly knives, also called balisong knives, are legal.
Dirks, daggers, stilettos, and other stabbing knives are legal.
Throwing knives and throwing stars are legal.
Bowie knives and other large knives are legal.
Hidden knives like belt knives and lipstick knives are legal.
Undetectable knives (knives that do not set off metal detectors) are legal.
Switchblades, automatic knives, and gravity knives are illegal.
What is Legal to Carry

All knives, except for banned ones, are legal for open carry.
It is legal to carry a hunting knife concealed.
It is illegal to conceal carry dirks, stilettos, daggers, and other stabbing items.
On top of this, you can not carry a dangerous weapon with intent to harm.
The law only limits the carry of dirks, stilettos, daggers, and other sharp, double bladed stabbing tools. If a knife can not be used to stab (has no point), it can be carried concealed as long as you do not have intent to harm someone.

23.Minnesota Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

Balisong knives are legal to own.
Dirks, stilettos, daggers, and other stabbing knives are legal to own.
Disguised knives like lipstick knives are legal to own.
Bowie knives are legal to own.
Throwing stars and throwing knives are legal to own.
All other knives are legal to own.
Only switchblades are illegal.
What is Legal to Carry

Knives with utility purposes are legal to carry.
Knives that can be used as weapons are legal to carry as long as you do not have intent to harm others.
It is illegal to recklessly use a knife that was designed to be a weapon.
It is illegal to carry a knife that was designed to be a weapon (and not a tool) with the intent to harm others.
Those are the general guidelines, read further to see the full details on what you can and can not own and carry.

24. Mississippi Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own Balisong knives, also called butterfly knives.
It is legal to own dirks, daggers, stilettos, and other slim knives.
It is legal to own disguised knives like belt knives.
It is legal to own undetectable knives–knives that will not set off metal detectors.
It is legal to own throwing stars and throwing knives.
It is legal to own Bowie knives and other large knives.
It is legal to own switchblades, gravity knives, and automatic knives.
Mississippi does not restrict ownership of any type of knife for those over the age of eighteen, who have not been convicted of a felony.

What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal for a minor or a convicted felon to own a bowie knife
It is illegal for a minor or a convicted felon to own dirk knife
It is illegal for a minor or a convicted felon to own a butcher knife
It is illegal for a minor or a convicted felon to own a switchblade
Limits on Carry

It is illegal to carry concealed any bowie knife
It is illegal to carry concealed any dirk knife
It is illegal to carry concealed any butcher knife
It is illegal to carry concealed any switchblade or automatic knife
You may carry any knife concealed if it is concealed in your vehicle, and not on your person.
You may carry any knife concealed if you are participating in a sports activity where such a knife is legitimately used.
You can open carry any knife in Mississippi, unless you are a minor or a student on educational property.
25. Missouri Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own dirks, stilettos, and other slim knives.
It is legal to own boot knives and other daggers
It is legal to own Balisong knives, sometimes called butterfly knives.
It is legal to own undetectable knives–knives that will not set off metal detectors.
It is legal to own throwing stars and throwing knives and even throwing axes.
It is legal to own Bowie knives and other large knives.
What is Illegal to Own

It is a Class C Felony to own a switchblade knife in Missouri, unless the person possessing the switchblade is in compliance with applicable federal law. The federal law, which governs possession of switchblades, is 15 USC Chapter 29. The law allows a person to possess and/or carry a switchblade on or about his person if the blade is less than three inches long and the person has only one arm, or the knife contains a spring or other mechanism designed to create a bias toward closure of the blade.

26. Montana Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, stiletto, or other push knife
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
It is legal to own a Bowie knife, or other large knife
It is legal to own throwing knives or throwing stars
It is legal to own disguised knives such as cane knives and lipstick knives
What is Illegal to Own

A switchblade knife is illegal to own in Montana unless you are a collector who is registered with the Sheriff in the county where your collection is kept.

Limits on Carry

It is illegal to conceal carry a dirk
It is illegal to conceal carry a dagger
It is illegal to conceal carry any knife with a blade four inches long, or longer
It is illegal to possess or carry any knife with a four inch blade or longer in a school building
It is illegal to conceal carry any weapon while intoxicated
It is illegal to conceal carry a weapon into a government office, bank or financial institution, or a place that sells alcohol for onsite consumption
It is illegal to conceal carry any “deadly weapon”
It is legal to open carry any knife that is legal to own in Montana
It is legal to carry any knife that is legal to own in your vehicle, concealed or openly
27. Nebraska Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

Balisong knives are legal to own
Bowie knives are legal to own
Dirks, daggers, and stilettos are legal to own
Ballistic knives are legal to own
Disguised knives like cane knives, lipstick knives, and belt knives are legal to own
Switchblades and automatic knives are legal to own
What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal for a person who has been convicted of a felony to own a knife
It is illegal for a person who is a fugitive to own a knife
It is illegal for a person subject to a domestic violence protective order to own a knife while knowingly violating such order
28. Nevada Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
It is legal to own Bowie and other hunting knives
It is legal to own throwing knives and throwing stars
What is Illegal to Own

any knife which is made an integral part of a belt buckle
switchblade knives
Restrictions on Carry

It is illegal to possess or carry a dirk, dagger, or switchblade on school or childcare facility property or in a vehicle owned by a school or childcare facility
It is illegal to conceal carry a dirk
It is illegal to conceal carry a dagger
It is illegal to conceal carry a machete
It is illegal to conceal carry any knife which is made an integral part of a belt buckle
It is illegal to conceal carry any knife which could be considered a dangerous or deadly weapon
It is legal to conceal carry a pocketknife
It is legal to open carry any knife that is legal to own
29. New Hampshire Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

In New Hampshire, it is legal to own any type of knife, as long as you have not been convicted of a felony against the person or property of another or of a felony drug related offense. Yes, machetes are legal.

What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal for a person who has been convicted of a felony against the person or property of another or of a felony drug related offense to possess a:

Stiletto
Dirk or dagger
Switchblade knife
knife considered to be a deadly weapon
30. New Jersey Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
It is legal to own disguised knives like lipstick knives
It is legal to own a Bowie knife
It is legal to won throwing stars and throwing knives
Any weapon for which a person has an explainable lawful purpose for owning
What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal to own any weapon, with the purpose to use it unlawfully against the person or property of another
It is illegal for a person convicted of certain crimes (see below) to own a gravity knife, switchblade, dirk, dagger, stiletto, or other dangerous knife
It is illegal for certain mentally ill people to own a gravity knife, switchblade, dirk, dagger, stiletto, or other dangerous knife
It is illegal to own a gravity knife, switchblade, dirk, dagger, stiletto, or other dangerous knife with any explainable lawful purpose
A conviction for aggravated assault, arson, burglary, escape, extortion, homicide, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, bias intimidation, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of weapon for an unlawful purpose, manufacture or transport of a prohibited weapon, unlawful possession or sale of a controlled dangerous substance, or endangering the welfare of a child prevents a person from owning certain types of knives in New Jersey.

31. New Mexico Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a Bowie knife
It is legal to own throwing stars or knives
It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a stiletto
What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal to own a switchblade
It is illegal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
32. New York Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a hunting knife
It is legal to own a dirk or dagger
It is legal to own a stiletto
What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal to own a pilum ballistic knife
It is illegal to own a metal knuckle knife
It is illegal to own a cane sword
It is illegal to own throwing stars
It is illegal to own any knife if you are not a U.S. citizen
It is illegal to own any knife adapted for use primarily as a weapon
It may be illegal to own a gravity knife, without a valid hunting and/or fishing license
It may be illegal to own a switchblade knife, without a valid hunting and/or fishing license
33. North Carolina Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own bowie knife
It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a switchblade
It is legal to own a gravity knife
It is legal to own a disguised knife, such as in a pen or lipstick
What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal to own any spring-loaded projectile knife
It is illegal to own a ballistic knife
It is illegal to own any weapon of similar character to a projectile or ballistic knife
34. North Dakota Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own any type of knife in North Dakota. North Dakota has no laws making it a crime to own any kind of knife.

Restrictions on Carry

It is illegal to conceal carry a gravity knife or switchblade
It is illegal to conceal carry a machete
It is illegal to conceal carry a scimitar, backsword, or sabre
It is illegal to conceal carry a stiletto
It is illegal to conceal carry a sword
It is illegal to conceal carry a dirk or dagger
It is illegal to conceal carry any knife with a blade 5 inches or longer
It is legal to open carry any type of knife
35. Ohio Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a switchblade or gravity knife
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife as well as Balisong trainers
It is legal to own a ballistic knife
It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a Bowie knife
It is legal to own a stiletto
What is Illegal to Own

It is legal to own any type of knife in Ohio.
36. Oklahoma Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a bowie knife
It is legal to own a switchblade or gravity knife
It is legal to own a sword cane
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife as well as Balisong trainers
It is legal to own a stiletto
What is Illegal to Own

It is not illegal to own any kind of knife in Oklahoma.
Restrictions on Carry

It is illegal to conceal or open carry a dagger
It is illegal to conceal or open carry bowie knife
It is illegal to conceal or open carry a dirk knife
It is illegal to conceal or open carry a switchblade knife
It is illegal to conceal or open carry a spring-type knife
It is illegal to conceal or open carry a sword cane
It is illegal to conceal or open carry a knife with a blade that opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring, or other device in the handle of the knife
It is illegal to conceal or open carry any “offensive weapon”
As the no carry law states that it is illegal to carry a weapon, “upon or about” the person, Oklahoma’s no carry law extends to items carried in a vehicle, not just on a person.

37. Oregon Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a Bowie knife
It is legal to own a switchblade or other automatic knife
It is legal to own a ballistic knife
It is legal to own a gravity knife
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife and Balisong trainer
It is legal to own a stiletto
What is Illegal to Own

Oregon law does not restrict the ownership of any type of knife for those who have not been convicted of a felony. As a matter of fact, in 1984 in State v. Delgado, the Supreme Court of Oregon found that former Oregon statute § 166.510(1) was unconstitutional because it prohibited the mere possession and mere carrying of a weapon. The Court believed that restricting the possession and open carrying of weapons for non-felons was a violation of a person’s right to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution.

38. Pennsylvania Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own Bowie knife
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
It is legal to own a penknife
It is legal to own a concealed knife, such as in a lipstick or belt buckle
It is legal to own any kind of hunting knife
What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal to own a dagger
It is illegal to own any automatic knife
It is illegal to own a sword cane
It is illegal to own any implement for the infliction of bodily injury, which serves no “common lawful purpose”
39. Rhode Island Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a stiletto
It is legal to own a sword cane
It is legal to own a concealed knife, such as in a belt buckle or lipstick
It is legal to own a Bowie knife
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
It is legal to own a switchblade
What is Illegal to Own

It is not illegal to own any type of knife in Rhode Island, so long as you do not intend to use it unlawfully against another.
Restrictions on Carry

It is illegal to conceal carry a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is illegal to conceal carry a stiletto
It is illegal to conceal carry a sword cane
It is illegal to conceal carry a bowie knife
It is illegal to conceal carry any knife with a blade more than 3 inches in length
It is legal to open carry any type of knife in Rhode Island
40. South Carolina Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a switchblade
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly, knife
It is legal to own a Bowie knife
It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a stiletto
It is legal to own a disguised knife, such as in a lipstick or belt buckle
What is Illegal to Own

It is legal to own any type of knife in South Carolina.
Restrictions on Carry

It is legal to conceal carry dirk
It is legal to conceal carry a switchblade knife
It is legal to conceal carry a Balisong, or butterfly knife
It is legal to conceal carry a Bowie knife
It is legal to conceal carry a stiletto
41. South Dakota Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a switchblade, or any type of automatic knife
It is legal to own a ballistic knife
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
It is legal to own a Bowie knife
It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a stiletto
It is legal to own a sword cane
It is legal to own a disguised knife, such as in a belt buckle or lipstick
What is Illegal to Own

It is not illegal to own any type of knife in South Dakota
In 2006, the legislature repealed the only law prohibiting ownership of any type of knife. The former statute, 22-14-19, made it illegal for a person to own, possess or sell a ballistic knife.

Restrictions on Carry

Any knife may be carried openly or concealed
South Dakota’s statutes discuss dangerous weapons and carrying concealed weapons, however neither of the statutes apply to knives, as its definition of “concealed” is “any firearm that is totally hidden from view.”



42. Tennessee Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a Bowie knife
It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a disguised knife such as in a belt buckle or lipstick
It is legal to own a stiletto
It may be legal to own a butterfly knife, however, one should check with an attorney first, as Tennessee’s definition of a switchblade could include a butterfly knife. Courts in most states would call a butterfly knife one that opens by “gravity or inertia”, which is how Tennessee defines a switchblade knife. However, other Courts have viewed butterfly knives, not as automatic or gravity knives, but as a type of pocketknife. As of June 2013, Tennessee’s Courts have yet to weigh in.

What is Illegal to Own

Tennessee Code § 39-17-1302 makes it illegal to own a switchblade knife or any other implement for the infliction of serious bodily injury or death, which has no common lawful purpose.

Restrictions on Carry

It is illegal to open or conceal carry a switchblade
It is illegal to open or conceal carry any knife with a blade exceeding four inches in length, with the intent to go armed.
43. Texas Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own throwing stars or any type of throwing knife
It is legal to own dirks, daggers, stilettos, and other stabbing knives
It is legal to own a bowie knife
It is legal to own a sword or spear
It is legal to own a switchblade knife
It is legal to own a pocketknife
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal to own a gravity knife
The Texas state legislature does not limit other knives.



44. Utah Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a stiletto
It is legal to own a bowie knife
It is legal to own an automatic or gravity knife
It is legal to own a disguised knife, such as a lipstick or belt buckle
What is Illegal to Own

Utah law creates two categories of people who may not own certain weapons, defined as “dangerous weapons”.

A category I restricted person is someone who:

has been convicted of a violent felony under Utah Code Ann. § 76-3-203.5
is on probation or parole for any felony
is on parole from a facility is under contract with the Division of Juvenile Justice Services, that provides 24-hour supervision and confinement for youth offenders who have been committed to the division for custody and rehabilitation
has been adjudicated delinquent, within the last 10 years, for an offense that if committed by an adult would have been a violent felony under Utah Code Ann. § 76-3-203.5
is illegally or unlawfully in the United States
45. Vermont Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a stiletto
It is legal to own a bowie knife
It is legal to own a disguised knife, such as a lipstick or belt buckle
It is legal to own throwing starts or knives
What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal to own a switchblade with a blade that is 3 inches or longer
Restrictions on Carry

It is illegal to carry openly or concealed a dangerous or deadly weapon with the intent of using it to harm another.
It is illegal to carry openly or concealed a dangerous or deadly weapon onto school or government property.
Vermont law does not place any other restrictions on the carrying of knives. In 1903, in State v. Rosenthal, Vermont’s Supreme Court said that under the general laws, a person may carry a dangerous or deadly weapon, openly or concealed, unless he did it with the intent or avowed purpose of injuring another.

46. Virginia Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a bowie knife
It is legal to own a switchblade
It is legal to own a ballistic knife
It is legal to own throwing stars or other throwing knives
It is legal to own a stiletto
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
What is Illegal to Own

It is legal to own any type of knife in Virginia.
Restrictions on Carry

It is illegal to conceal carry a dirk
It is illegal to conceal carry a bowie knife
It is illegal to conceal carry a switchblade knife
It is illegal to conceal carry a machete
It is illegal to conceal carry a ballistic knife
It is illegal to conceal carry throwing stars or oriental darts
It is illegal to conceal carry any knife of a like kind to one of the above listed knives
47. Washington Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own bowie knife
It is legal to own a stiletto
It is legal to own a disguised knife, such as a lipstick or belt buckle
It is legal to own throwing stars
What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal to own a switchblade or other spring blade knife in the state of Washington.

Restrictions on Carry

It is illegal to conceal carry a dirk
It is illegal to conceal carry a dagger
It is illegal to conceal carry any dangerous weapon
It is illegal to open or conceal carry any weapon into a Courtroom
It is also illegal to carry or display a dagger, sword, knife, or other cutting or stabbing instrument in a manner or under circumstances that would cause alarm or show an intent to intimidate another. In 1994, in State v. Spencer, the Supreme Court of Washington held that there must be a sufficient basis for the alarm, such that a reasonable person would be alarmed. Also in 1994, the Court held, in State v. Byrd, that because the display of a weapon in a manner that caused reasonable fear or alarm could be done without intent, a violation of the statute did not require intent. This means that one does not have to intend to cause alarm or fear in order to be guilty of a crime under the statute.



48. West Virginia Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a stiletto
It is legal to own a switchblade
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
It is legal to own a Bowie knife
It is legal to own a ballistic knife
What is Illegal to Own

West Virginia law does not prohibit the ownership of any type of knife.

Restrictions on Carry

It is illegal to conceal carry a dirk, dagger, or other stabbing knife with a blade over 3 ½ inches
It is illegal to conceal carry a switchblade, or any automatic knife
It is illegal to conceal carry a gravity knife
It is illegal to conceal carry a Balisong, or butterfly knife
It is illegal to conceal carry any instrument capable of inflicting cutting, stabbing, or tearing wounds
It is illegal to conceal carry any “deadly weapon”
49. Wisconsin Knife Laws

What is Illegal to Own

It is illegal to own a switchblade knife
It is illegal to own a gravity knife
It is illegal to own a butterfly knife
It is illegal to own any knife substantially similar to a switchblade, gravity knife, or butterfly knife
Restrictions on Carry

It is illegal in Wisconsin to carry a concealed and dangerous weapon.

Definition of Various Knives

A switchblade is defined as any knife having a blade which opens by pressing a button, spring or other device in the handle or by gravity or by a thrust or movement. In State v. Krause, the Appellate Court upheld Mr. Krause’s conviction for carrying a concealed dangerous weapon, finding that his knife, which had a blade that was serrated on one side, sharp on the other, and had a point at the end, was a switchblade. The blade was contained in two casings: the serrated blade fit into one of the casings and the cutting edge in the other. The casings were secured by a clasp, that when removed, allowed one casing to fall away from the other by the force of gravity, exposing the blade.

Neither the Wisconsin code nor its case law offers a definition of any other type of knife. When words or terms are not defined by the legislature, in the state code, Court’s use the ‘plain English meaning’ of the word, or that meaning provided in Webster’s dictionary.

50. Wyoming Knife Laws

What is Legal to Own

It is legal to own a switchblade
It is legal to own a Balisong, or butterfly knife
It is legal to own a bowie knife
It is legal to own a dirk, dagger, poniard, or other stabbing knife
It is legal to own a stiletto
It is legal to own a gravity knife
What is Illegal to Own

Wyoming law does not prohibit the ownership of any type of knife.

Restrictions on Carry

It is illegal to conceal carry a deadly weapon in Wyoming.

Has anything been particularly challenging for you this season?



by Christina Radish
On the FX drama Sons of Anarchy, Emilio Rivera stars as Marcus Alvarez, the Founder of the Mayan Motorcycle Club, and the President of its Oakland Charter. This season, the Mayans and the Sons are getting tighter than ever, running drugs for a Mexican Cartel and having to rely on each other to survive by battling common enemies.
During a recent interview to talk about Season 4 of the popular series, actor Emilio Rivera talked about his surprise with the direction his character is taking, that he hopes his character will get to stay alive for awhile longer, how things will get crazier and crazier throughout the rest of the season, that the show is one of the best things he’s ever done in his life, and that he recently did an episode of The Mentalist and has a number of films coming out. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

 
Question: Because Alvarez started as quite an adversary for the Sons, were you surprised at how much they’re working together now? Were you surprised at the direction the character is taking, and might take in the future?
EMILIO RIVERA: (Show creator) Kurt [Sutter] is a really smart man and he follows what’s going on in the outside world and incorporates it to the Sons of Anarchy world. He keeps it pretty tight. It wasn’t really a far-fetched thing. I was hoping it would happen that way, so I could probably stay alive longer. I hate it when I get in trouble with the Sons because I don’t know if they’re going to put a bullet in my head or what. But, right now, as long as we’re friends, I think I’ll be alive, so I’ll see what happens. I’m happy we’re friends, though. We’re sure stronger as a team, like that.
Will viewers continue to see the friendship between the Mayans and SAMCRO?
RIVERA: I hope so. I really don’t know how they’re going to go with it, but I hope so because, as long as we’re friends, I hope to stay alive longer, unless one of them takes me out. It’s cool because I know that when I’m working with them, as actors, I get to hang out with [Ron] Perlman and Charlie [Hunnam]. It’s really cool.

Are there going to be any more consequences for the Sons or your gang?
RIVERA: Yes, starting from last week and through the rest of the season, it just gets crazier and crazier and crazier for me. I think this is the best season of all and, from here on out, you don’t want to miss nothing. You can’t miss anything because it’s just going to be crazy. It’s a crazy ride.
Will you be getting revenge on who shot you?
RIVERA: I can’t say.

With your history with SAMCRO going back a long way, was Alvarez approached by Clay (Ron Perlman) to kill John Teller?

RIVERA: I can’t say. I can’t say nothing about none of that, when we talk about the show. I love my job too much. I’ll just plead the fifth on that one.
RIVERA: No. I appreciate the work. I eat it up. Give me whatever you want to give me because it just gives me more stuff to do. I get to go to different places in my memory bank, and I dig it. I love it. I’m glad Kurt gave me the opportunity to do some things this year, and we’ll see what happens. I don’t know how the season’s going to end and I’m just hoping I stay alive. I don’t know if I got picked up in the fifth season, so I’m hoping I’m around for the fifth season.
Having done a lot of different projects in your career, what’s it been like to stay with a character and one show for four years now?
RIVERA: I love it. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. It’s really great. The fans are great. I ride motorcycles, so I do a lot of events, and the fans give us a lot of love. I’m having a great time, I really am.

How did you prepare for this specific character?
RIVERA: It’s like I go into this little mode. I do it with anything I do, and once I’m in, I stay there until they say, “Cut.” I’m a sociable guy, but when it comes to work, when I’m on set, I just become him. I feel I’m him. He’s not really much of a joker, but I am. I like to kid around, and Alvarez is more like a serious business type guy. And then, when they say, “Cut,” it’s time to go home. I don’t have to say much, then I can have fun again, like I usually like to do. I’ve just played this guy for a long time. He’s easy to get to now because I’ve been doing it for so long, and I’m digging him. For that, I went back somewhere in my life. I don’t want to say where I went, but it was somewhere in my life, where I was this guy. You go to different things in your life. He’s hard, but he’s got a heart.
Is it true that you auditioned for another character before being cast as Alvarez?
RIVERA: No, in the original pilot, I was actually a character named Hawk. I was a Sons guy, but the role because Tig later on, which went to Kim Coates.

How has playing Alvarez changed your personal views?

 RIVERA: As far as the biker world, I really got into it more. I have a lot of respect for the bikers, which I’ve always had. I didn’t really pay attention to them because they’re just always around, but now I really see what they’re about, and they’re really no joke. They’re not going to be taken lightly. I like what they do for the people. Just don’t cross them. Just like anybody, they’re really out there just to have fun, to enjoy themselves, and to share a comradery. They do a lot for the people, but just don’t mess with them, or like in the show, you’ll face the consequences.
Did you learn to ride for the show, or did you already know how to ride?
RIVERA: I’ve been riding for 36 years. I started when I was 14-years-old. I was one of those crazy guys, riding wheelies up and down the streets, all the time. I love riding. It’s in my blood.
What kind of motorcycle do you ride?
RIVERA: I have a few. I have a Deluxe, all choppered out. It’s pretty gangster. Then, I have a Heritage soft tail, made 1940s style. And, I just had a new one built for the show, that’s a Road King. It’s a real pretty bike. I ride five days out of the week. In fact, I take my bike as much as I can, especially with L.A. traffic. You want to get in and out, all the time.
RIVERA: All the time, bro. Before the show started, I hung out with real bikers, anyway. I had a lot of biker friends, and even more so now. Everybody loves the character. They love the show. Everybody’s trying to put in their own ideas of what we should do and what we shouldn’t do, but pretty much everybody loves the show. It’s good, and it’s good that we have the real guys digging the show because then you’re doing something right.
What is the chemistry like between actors, on and off set?
RIVERA: It’s like a brotherhood. On screen, we have to pretend we hate each other, or dislike each other, or don’t want to talk or listen to each other, but off camera, it’s just one big happy family. We hang out off the show and we play cards together and go have dinner together. It’s really a good time. We can talk about some of our own problems that we have as friends, which is nice. We see each other as friends, but also as co-workers. They’ve got stuff to say, even from life experiences, so it’s a little bit of something from everybody. It’s really nice.
Are there any traits that you share with Alvarez, or is there a major difference between the two of you?
RIVERA: He is very serious, and I like to have fun. I joke around a lot. You can’t mess with Alvarez, as you can mess with Emilio. He loves his family. Every time things go down, he’s always saying, “Go take care of my family.” He watches his family, and that’s the way I am with my family. It’s family first, all the time.

Have you learned anything by playing this character, or is there any part of this experience that you’ll take with you, through the rest of your career?
RIVERA: He’s a tough guy, and I’ve played tough guys, pretty much all of my career. He’s a different guy, though. What I like about him is that he’s always in control. You have not seen Alvarez lose control once, if you think about it. Sometimes he wants to, but he holds it in. I love Alvarez. He’ll be with me, for the rest of my life. As long as I ride motorcycles, which God willing is another 50 years, I’ll always have Alvarez in my heart. I’m hoping for 10 seasons of Sons of Anarchy.
Did you always want to be an actor?

RIVERA: Yes, since I was a kid, but then I got side-tracked with gangs and drugs for a long time, so that really put a big hold on me. But, the stuff I learned from the streets, I carry on to what I do nowadays. What you see up there is really real stuff that I draw from, that couldn’t be taught in school, but I learned it in my upbringing, which I don’t approve of. I don’t say, “Go do this and that, to do what I do.” It’s stupid, but that was the way it worked out for me. I get to put it up on the screen now.
Even though you’ve been acting for years, do you still get nervous when you walk onto a new set?
RIVERA: I still get nervous Sons. I hope I never lose that. That’s the whole fun part of it. I did stage for many years before I did the TV and film thing, and to me, that’s my high. When they say that the camera is rolling and my stomach is going and I get into it, then I’m not nervous no more. But, before I go on, I’m always nervous, and I hope I never lose that. That’s my high. I really dig it.
What are some of the things that you had to change about yourself to make your dreams come true?
RIVERA: For me, I have 21 years, clean and sober. I know that, if I was still doing what I did before, I would never do what I’m doing now because I wouldn’t really listen to anybody. I thought nobody could tell me what to do. I was just a hard-headed guy. I got clean and sober, 21 years ago. That, for me, was a big plus, in doing what I do right now.
Do you have any other roles coming up?
RIVERA: I sure do. Actually, I just did an episode of TheMentalist on CBS. And then, I’ve got about seven movies coming out, and I’m working on three right now. It’s been crazy. The show has done so much for me. Some of this stuff was already booked, but it’s good stuff. I’ve got four movies that open next year. I’m not a serious regular on the show, so I’m able to book stuff in between Sons.
What do you think the key is to working so much?
RIVERA: I always try to go in prepared and am nice to everybody. You’ve got to hang out with these people 12-14 hours. And, a lot of times, work just brings you more work, especially in a small circle. I worked with Kurt [Sutter] before on TheShield. If I look back on my resume, a lot of work has been with people like Spike Lee and Steven Soderbergh. It’s all been with the same people, over and over again, or people that they know, so it’s cool.

OFF THE WIRE
Sami Gallegos, ABC10 News 
Nowadays, nearly everyone carries a cellphone. So what if your local law enforcement agency could follow the whereabouts of your cell phone, without ever issuing you a warning?
That's how radio frequency measurement equipment, also called 'Stingrays', have often been used by law enforcement agencies, including the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. The devices are also called cell site simulators, digital analyzers, triggerfish or International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers.
By mimicking cell phone towers, 'Stingrays' are able to capture a cellphone's location signals and identifying information.
In 2014, after filing numerous public records requests, ABC10 broke the story on law enforcement agencies in Northern California using the controversial devices during police investigations.
HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN USED IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA?
The use of 'Stingrays' in our region dates as far back as 2007, according to a Criminal Investigation Division report from the Oakland Police Department. According to that report, an Oakland police task force made 21 arrests using the devices.
Other departments ABC10 identified as using the devices include the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, San Jose Police Department, San Francisco Police Department, Alameda County District Attorney's Office and Fremont Police.
But the devices are also used by agencies across the country.
The American Civil Liberties Union identifies 54 agencies in 21 states and the District of Columbia that are using the technology in providing public safety.
ARE 'STINGRAYS' LEGAL UNDER FEDERAL LAW?
Civil liberties groups have cried foul on the use of these devices, which are able to track cell phones inside private homes and also collect identifying information from a large number of bystanders' phones. All without the issuance of a search warrant.
But the federal government does stand by law enforcement's legal use of these devices. Though only recently were rules put into place for how agencies may use them.
Earlier this month, the United State Department of Justice released its first set of guidelines for using 'Stingrays.'
It's now required under federal law that agencies attain a search warrant supported by probable cause before they may use a 'Stingray' in their investigation. The guidelines clarify that simulators may not collect data contained in the phone (such as emails, texts, contacts lists and images) during the course of criminal investigations.
The guidelines also state all data collected by a 'Stingray' "must be deleted as soon as that device is located, and no less than once daily."
“The Department of Justice's new policy on cell-site simulators, or 'Stingrays,' is a welcome first step and will help bring an invasive surveillance technology closer to our constitutional privacy standards," California Congressman Ted Lieu, (D-Torrance), who sits on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said in a press release after the new guidelines were announced.
Rep. Lieu added he would ask the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to examine this issue.
HOW ARE LOCAL AGENCIES RESPONDING TO THE NEW GUIDELINES?
Tuesday, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department held a press conference to clarify the department's use of 'Stingrays.'

But ABC10's investigative reporter Thom Jensen, who broke the story on the department's use of the simulators, was bared from entering the event.

________

OFF THE WIRE
US Court: Wearing Unearned Military Medals Is Free Speech......

OFF THE WIRE

OFF THE WIRE

Ask yourself

If you’re not under investigation, should the government be able to:

1. monitor your phone calls?
   
2. read your emails and view the photos I send?
   
3. see what you search for on the Web?
   

Government surveillance explained

Stakeouts have always been an essential tool for law enforcement and national security. The difference now is that they’ve moved beyond binoculars, bugs and bad guys: surveillance has gone digital. All that data we generate through our daily activities online allows governments to keep an eye on lots of people at once, in hopes of catching the ones who are up to no good. It’s like grabbing a giant haystack just in case there might be a needle inside.

Stored info is vulnerable info

In order to tailor personal experiences for you, virtually every technology company you interact with collects and stores some amount of your personal information. Under certain circumstances, those companies can be forced to turn over your information to governments.
So what should companies do? They can be proactive about protecting users’ information by limiting data collection to what’s needed, making data anonymous where possible, and deleting data when it’s no longer necessary. This is what we practice at Mozilla.

The solution: Safeguards

When surveillance is too broad or lacks key safeguards – like getting a warrant from a judge – it can be abused, either accidentally or on purpose. And our personal privacy is what’s at stake. In order to protect our personal liberties and maintain our trust in the Internet, Mozilla’s policy team proposes that government surveillance must follow three fundamental principles:

Minimal impact

Efforts should be made to collect only the information that’s needed, without compromising Internet infrastructure, technology companies’ data systems, or users’ trust.

Accountability

Governments should be held accountable. This means being transparent and specific about information collection, and answering to independent oversight and to the public.

User security

Strong encryption and security keep us safe from many kinds of criminals. Governments shouldn’t weaken the security of all in the name of spying on a few.

Act before you react

We all have the right to live a full online life without fear of surveillance. Rather than give up your freedom, take back your control.

Take a stand

The first thing we can all do is keep our eyes and ears out – and make our voices heard.

Get informed

Start with a simple online search to learn about your government’s stance on surveillance, so you can make informed decisions about your privacy.

Stay updated

Sign up for the Mozilla newsletter (English only). We actively track issues of mass surveillance and other threats to the Web, so we’ll let you know about opportunities to speak out.

Close your blinds

These quick steps can help protect you from overreaching surveillance practices.

Browse carefully

Always look for the padlock in your browser’s address bar. Find out more.

Cap your camera

Put a sticker in front of your webcam when you’re not using it.

Watch the Wi-Fi

Be careful when using a public Wi-Fi network. Find out more.

Change your locks

Passwords are an essential tool for shielding information from prying eyes.

Choose strong PINs and passwords.

Here are some Mozilla tips for creating a strong password for every device and account. And get in the habit of changing your passwords once a year.

Don’t use a single password everywhere.

Would you use the same key for your front door, your car, and your safety deposit box? Probably not. Keep track with a password manager instead. See instructions for Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari and Opera.

Do the two-step

For the best protection, take advantage of 2-step authentication wherever it’s offered. Find out more.

Try encryption

Encryption is a bit like scrambling a frequency: it turns information into codes that can only be read if you have the right keys.
No software provides perfect protection from spying, but Mozilla programmers recommend these easy encryption tools to take your online security beyond basic.

Phone apps

These apps use encryption to secure your phone calls, texts, picture and video communications.

Android

• Signal

iOS

• Signal

Device encryption

Use these on your devices to make sure the only eyes that see your personal information are the ones you authorize.

Mac

FileVault— a free and built-in way to encrypt your Mac’s startup disk

Windows

Use BitLocker (Windows Pro) or a free program called Diskcryptor (standard Windows versions).

Linux

Full-disk encryption is usually offered when you set up your system (it’s called LUKS).

Android

See instructions here for your Android device.

iOS

Have an iPhone, iPad or iPod? See instructions here.

Blast your surveillance smarts

OFF THE WIRE
BY: Raheem F. Hosseini
Source: newsreview.com

OFF THE WIRE

Motorcycling And Using Marijuana. As of January 2016, 23 states and the District of Columbia allow marijuana for medical use, and 4 states – Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington as well as DC – allow it for recreational use by adults 21 and over. Still, even in those states, it is not legal and considered unsafe to operate any motor vehicle while impaired by marijuana because of the risk of distorted perception of time, space, and speed. To raise awareness regarding riding a motorcycle while under the influence of the medical and/or recreational drug, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is producing an educative “Marijuana Awareness Kit’ to explain the risks of impairment. This kit will be available for purchase in February and can be used by anyone interested in being a facilitator for special events, riding club meetings and rallies, and community outreach programs. No certification from MSF or prior experience as a teacher is required. With this kit, participants to the educative program will get a sense of the challenges a “high” motorcyclist would face when dealing with traffic or road emergency situations.

OFF THE WIRE
As we enter the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are preparing to fast from sun up to run down. And, according to reports, it appears the United States soldiers may be forced to do the same.
According to reports, cultural advisers have spent weeks educating our soldiers about Ramadan. Ali Hassan briefed about 150 personnel about Islam. And in order to honor the holiday, American service men and women are expected not to smoke, drink, drink coffee, or eat in the daylight anywhere off base.
Although some believe that they are just attempting to respect the cultural environment, it is a bit disconcerting to think that our soldiers are being forced to practice a religion—even if it isn’t happening on our ground.

OFF THE WIRE



If you are currently enrolled in Social Security, or are about to become eligible, please pay close attention to the following message.
It is a historic amount of money.
Currently, as many as 21.3 million Americans could be eligible for large payouts from these benefits.
And if you are one of them, your time is quickly running out to step forward and claim what is rightfully yours.
Here's what you need to know.
The banning of these benefits has been set in motion thanks to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015-2016.
In Section 831 of this legislation, it clearly states this reform was intended to prevent recipients from collecting more money from the Social Security Administration (SSA) than Congress intended.
With the Federal debt quickly approaching $19 trillion, not surprisingly, these dramatic changes were passed in both the House (266-167) and Senate (64-35) with overwhelming majorities.
And this past November President Obama signed the reform into law.
This is obviously not an opinion that is shared by the American people themselves, though.
And you owe it to yourself to do whatever it takes to ensure you are not short-changed from the biggest reform to Social Security in nearly four decades.
Because, to be absolutely clear, a lot of people stand to lose a lot of money if they don't act now.

• A provision that could allow you to collect a one-time, lump-sum check from Social Security for as much as $124,174.

• A "restricted application" that can boost your income by $63,648.

• A massive overhaul to Medicare payments and deductibles. Take the amount you were expecting to pay for Medicare. Now slash that number in HALF. That's how much you could be saving!

• (Continued below…)

Congress justified this aggressive reform by stating they were closing unintended loopholes.
And what will undoubtedly come as a shock to many Americans is just how big these loopholes are.
The examples listed above are just the tip of the iceberg.
Laurence Kotlikoff is a former member of President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisors, who is currently with the National Bureau of Economic Research.
He believes many Americans could be missing out on $50,000 from these little-known (and soon to be gone) Social Security benefits.
But for some, that could be a drastic underestimate.
Consider this:

• If you are single and over the age of 60, you could miss the chance to add $84,240 to your bank account over the next five years.

• If you are married, another of these disappearing provisions allows you to call up your Social Security clerk, make a simple six-word request, and immediately raise your income by an extra $1,329 a month.

• If you are a parent or grandparent there is a 2-step filing method that could provide enough money to pay for your children, or grandkids, to get both a bachelor's and master's degree.
  
  There is $2.5 billion available, just in this program, for the taking.
  
  And we all know the cost of education has been going through the roof. You must find out if you are eligible!

• (Continued below…)

This has understandably caused some backlash.
A PBS column has reported that with this legislation:
Forbes has written that this reform:
And Time questioned the manner in which everything was put together, noting:
The media's assessment of this situation may be spot on.
But it doesn't change the fact that this is happening.
These benefits are going to disappear very soon.
Fortunately, if you are already a Social Security recipient, or soon to be one, you can do something about this.
There is Good News.
If You Are Eligible and Claim These Banned Benefits NOW, You Will Be Grandfathered In.
You have paid into Social Security your entire working life.
12.4% of every single one of your paychecks is contributing to this safety net.
You have earned these benefits.
This money is available to you.
And if you do not step forward and claim it now, Congress and the SSA will make it impossible for you to do so in the coming months.
But you must move fast.
Which is why I'm going to help you get every dollar you have coming your way.
I'm going to help you use Social Security to take back your retirement.
And we're going to start right now.
My name is Keith Fitz-Gerald.

I have spent more than 34 years in the markets as an analyst, consultant, and quantitative trader.
I cut my teeth at some of Wall Street's biggest firms, including Wilshire Associates, which oversees more than $8 trillion for over 600 institutional investors.
And today I'm the Chief Investment Strategist for Money Morning.
We are a large financial publisher located in Baltimore, MD.
And we are not associated with the Social Security Administration.
Our mission is simple.
Month after month, my team and I work tirelessly to provide our 1 million readers with the guidance and information they need to protect and grow their wealth.
We have identified Social Security as the greatest chance we have to dramatically improve the financial futures of people across the country.
The numbers here are impossible to ignore.
With each day that passes, an estimated 11,536 Americans become eligible to receive Social Security benefits.
And currently, three out of every four seniors rely entirely on this safety net for their monthly income.
Unfortunately, too many fail to take full advantage of Social Security.
But it's not their fault.
The Social Security Administration has 2,728 rules governing their benefits and thousands upon thousands of additional sub-rules outlined in their Program Operations Manual.
But even the SSA admits that the way they are worded:
That may be why a Boston College study determined that retirees pass up $10 billion every year in Social Security benefits they're entitled to.
However, the SSA has looked to rectify this by streamlining their disclosures.
So if you are willing to dedicate the time, you can dig through their complimentary publication and find details on each of Social Security's benefits (banned or otherwise).
You could also speak to one of their agents or hire a financial advisor to sort through everything.
But why should you have to jump through all of these hoops?
My team and I believe that it shouldn't be so difficult to get what you deserve from this safety net.
And this situation is only going to get worse.
Americans were already missing out on $10 billion a year. And now this new reform is putting $11.4 billion on the chopping block.
So it's perfectly natural if you are feeling outrage over this. Nobody likes the idea of getting the short end of the stick.
But, in reality, there is another side to this story.
Frankly, there is an enormous opportunity here.
Could you pay off your mortgage?
Could you take your entire family on a once-in-a-lifetime trip across Europe?
Could you finally retire?
All of this could be right in front of you, courtesy of Social Security.
And that's just one of the exciting opportunities we discovered while investigating these banned benefits.
May 1, 2016, is barreling towards us like an out-of-control locomotive.
There is nothing we can do to change this inevitability.
But we are going to help YOU.
We've compiled everything you need to know in order to secure your piece of this estimated $11.4 billion.
It's detailed in the special report:
For example, Banned Social Security Benefits reveals:

• The 6 Words You Will NOT Want to Forget
  (They Can Boost Your Monthly Social Security Checks By $1,329)
  
  By simply repeating this six-word phrase to a Social Security clerk, you could add an extra $1,329 to your checks each month.
  
  

  Use a Banned Benefit to Buy Your Dream Car!

  Would you like a new convertible, SUV, or luxury sedan? You could use the extra cash you receive to make that happen!
  This newfound cash could be enough to cover a new car payment, plus the insurance, with enough left over for your gas.
  
  Or, you could just save it up for a rainy day.
  
  The choice is yours.
  
  Banned Social Security Benefits will provide you with the phone numbers to call and even a state-by-state list of office locations so you can quickly find the closest one to your home.

• The "Restricted Application" That Could Let You Cash in on a $63,648 Windfall
  
  Surprisingly, 21.3 million people could be eligible to collect up to an extra $63,648 in Social Security payments.
  
  But tens of millions miss out.
  
  All because they don't know about this "restricted application."
  
  Which is a shame, because $63,648 can go a long way.
  
  It's enough to pay for a luxury RV equipped with top amenities like a master bedroom, a full kitchen with granite countertops, and a spacious living room.
  
  You could take it across the country to visit the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, and Key West.
  
  Or you could use this enormous windfall to help your kids or grandkids.
  
  It's up to you.
  
  Banned Social Security Benefits gives you all of the details on this simple "restricted application" and how to turn it into an incredible cash generator.

• An Amazing 6-Figure Lump-Sum Loophole!
  (If You Could Use an Extra $124,174 Right Now, Take a Look)
  
  You have to see this to believe it.
  
  There is a shocking provision buried deep in Social Security's rulebook that could allow you to receive a lump-sum check for up to $124,174 from the SSA.
  
  Are you looking to pay off your mortgage in one shot?

  Retire in Style While Enjoying Your Own Private Beach Getaway…

  …Thanks to Banned Social Security Benefits
  
  
  This could be your ticket.
  
  Have you always dreamed of owning a villa in the Bahamas where you can spend your winters?
  
  Or, maybe you are tired of the 9-to-5 grind and finally want to start your retirement.
  
  An immediate 6-figure boost to your net worth can make this a reality.
  
  And it's all possible thanks to one of the disappearing loopholes where Americans can obtain "larger benefits than Congress intended" (Sec. 831 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015-2016).

• Single and Over 60? Don't Miss an Incredible Opportunity to Realize Your Dreams!
  
  Are you single or widowed, and over the age of 60?

  Enjoy Tee-Time at Augusta

  …Membership at one of America's most exclusive country clubs could be within your reach!

  And don't worry about the pricey dues either. Learn more in Banned Social Security Benefits.
  
  
  If so, you need to consider taking a few steps to become eligible for a unique Social Security provision.
  
  Because it could make you $84,240 richer.
  
  You could use this money to buy a brand new 26-foot saltwater fishing boat or a fully loaded Mercedes E-Class Sedan.
  
  Or, if you're an avid golfer, this small fortune could be used to join Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and T. Boone Pickens as members of Augusta National Golf Club.
  
  And even if you are currently engaged (or in a long-term relationship), this is still something you won't want to miss.
  
  In fact, you could collect enough money to pay for a romantic cruise for two around the world.
  
  So let's not waste another moment!

Receive FULL Medicare Benefits…
For "Half Price!"

Are you worried about the out-of-control costs for doctor visits and prescriptions?

Worry no more!

Enjoy full Medicare coverage PLUS a 50% "discount" off what you were expecting to pay.

These incredible savings apply to your payments and even your deductible.

How is this possible?

Banned Social Security Benefits reveals everything you need to know!

• Attn: Parents and Grandparents!
  (Here's the Secret for Making the SSA Pay For Your Kid's Bachelor's + Master's + Medical Degree!)
  
  Since the 1970s, college tuition rates have risen 1,728%, far outpacing inflation.
  
  So if you are a parent or grandparent, then most likely the skyrocketing costs of education are keeping you up at night.
  
  Fortunately for some eligible recipients, Social Security may have a solution for this unacceptable predicament.
  
  In the report, you'll discover an exciting two-step process where you combine one of the banned benefits with another that isn't disappearing.
  
  Together, they could trigger a windfall that's big enough to pay for your children or grandkids to get their bachelor's and master's degrees…

  Use Social Security to Give Your Kids and Grandkids the
  Bright Future They Deserve… TODAY!

  Studies show a college education can mean an extra $1 million in career earnings and a master's degree can lead to an additional $1.4 million.
  
  
  With possibly enough left over to send them to medical school.
  
  Imagine being able to cover all of their education costs free and clear.
  
  Imagine them not being weighed down by the burden of student loans that take decades to pay off.
  
  You could give them an incredible head start on life.
  
  And here's another surprise.
  
  Your kids or grandchildren don't even have to be newborns or toddlers for you to take advantage of this opportunity.
  
  If they're 10-, 15-, 21-, 35-years-old, even older, and meet certain criteria, you could be eligible to receive some serious cash.
  
  Banned Social Security Benefits will show you how you could put all of this to work immediately.

***PLUS, if college isn't in your children's plans, you can still claim this money. You are going to want to see if you're eligible ASAP.
Because it could be worth up to $239,220!

• Divorced? You Could Make an Extra $15,948 a Year From Your Ex's Social Security!
  (Even BEFORE Your Former Spouse Starts Collecting)
  
  There is a single line on your last tax return that could reveal if you're eligible to claim as much as $15,948 a year from this tactic.
  
  And you don't have to feel guilty, because this won't negatively affect your ex's benefits.
  
  Frankly, you don't even have to let your former spouse know what you're up to.
  
  So you can keep a clear conscience while you use this money every year to treat yourself to a first-class trip to Las Vegas with your closest friends, a new motorcycle, or a collection of fine Italian suits.

***PLUS,Banned Social Security Benefits reveals an additional opportunity divorced Americans can utilize that could add $341 a month to each check. It may not sound like a lot, but every penny counts… and this money will keep coming for life.

• DOUBLE-DIP Your Way to Boosting Your LIFETIME Social Security Benefits By 64%
  
  Rumor has it that this powerful filing method is what aggravated Congress the most.
  
  And it was one of the MAJOR catalysts behind their upcoming reform.
  
  Here's why Capitol Hill is all stirred up.

  Travel the World, Buy a Sailboat, or Give Up the 9-to-5 for Good…

  …What you discover in Banned Social Security Benefits could make it a reality!
  
  
  This clever tactic allows you and your spouse to double dip into the Social Security pot.
  
  It works if you are retired, or even if you are still collecting full salaries.
  
  Just make sure you claim it at the right time (which the report will show you how to do).
  
  It could result in your combined payouts rising an incredible 64%.
  
  And it only takes a matter of seconds to claim.
  
  Yet it could grow your income enormously for the rest of your life.
  
  You'll get the full scoop in Banned Social Security Benefits.

• Plus Much, Much More…
  (Including a 2-Step Filing Tactic For Married Couples
  That Could Be Worth $177,000!)

Now, to be clear, you will not be eligible for each of these soon-to-be-banned Social Security benefits, strategies, and tactics.
And claiming some will require more legwork than others.
Which is why we are taking all of the guesswork out the equation.

Banned Social Security Benefits
Makes Everything Easy For You

With each benefit, you will receive:

• Its eligibility requirements

• Which forms to fill out to claim it

• The phone numbers to call to sign up for it

• The amount of money you stand to receive

Locking in just one of the opportunities in this report could mean tens of thousands of extra dollars in your pocket.
If you are eligible for a few of them you may be able to grow your net worth by six figures (or more).
After all, there is $11.41 billion on the table here.
And by "grandfathering" yourself in, you can secure your piece of this money every single year.
All we ask is that you pay a modest shipping fee of $4.87.
That's it.
This offer is only available right here… right now.
And you must hurry, because time is of the essence.
And this urgent report is not the only thing you will receive today.
Not by a long shot.
The opportunity here is too big. There is too much money in play.
Seventy years ago the Chairman of the Social Security Board took to the airwaves and declared that Social Security was helping preserve "a keystone of American democracy."
He proclaimed it gives each hardworking citizen the opportunity "to secure economic independence."
He was talking about the American Dream.
The promise that each of us who has worked hard and paid into the system has earned a comfortable retirement.
Do you feel like the government is keeping that promise?
Of course not.
A few years back, Time magazine reported that a married, middle-class couple now pays, on average, $598,000 in Social Security taxes during their careers.
Yet, when they retire, they can only expect to receive $556,000 in benefits.
This is outrageous.
Forget earning interest.
Forget keeping up with inflation.
Forget breaking even.
That's a $42,000 deficit.
Instead of paying for the "privilege" of Social Security, Americans might as well take their money to the closest slot machine.
They'll have better odds of coming out ahead.
And some people are doing much worse than others.
Social Security Advisors is a high-end consultancy firm in Manhattan. They report that 71% of married couples are missing out on an average of $120,000.
They were owed this money from Social Security, but for any number of reasons, they were never able to collect on it.
It is no longer a viable option to just sit back and assume Social Security is going to give you what you've earned.
You have to take matters into your own hands.
And we're going to help you.
We have created an additional report that we want to rush you right now.
It reveals the 16 benefits that could be next on Congress's chopping block.
The reason?
These Benefits Are So Lucrative They Could Grow Your Net Worth By 7 Figures.
That Is NOT A Misprint.
What is in this report could make you $1 million (or more).
Which is why it's called: Supercharge Your Social Security: 16 Shocking Benefits That Could Make You a Millionaire.
And we want to send you a copy for FREE.
Are these exceptional situations? Absolutely!
For some, these benefits could put them on the receiving end of that rare 7-figure windfall we are all searching for.
However, even if this report doesn't make you a millionaire, by just putting a few of these benefits to work, it could still reward you with tens of thousands of dollars (maybe even hundreds of thousands of dollars).
Open up Supercharge Your Social Security and you'll discover:

• The $156,327 "DRC Provision"
  (Could This Be the SSA's Best-Kept Secret?)
  
  This powerful filing method is literally available to every person eligible for Social Security.
  If you are eligible for Social Security, you are eligible to collect what could be an extra $156k.

  But only 1.4% of recipients are cashing in on this.
  
  
  Yet only 1.4% are currently claiming this money.
  
  This is simply unfathomable when you consider that a Harvard economist has estimated it could be worth $156,327.
  
  So it stands to reason that the vast majority of Americans have no idea that what we call the "DRC Provision" exists.
  
  But you are about to be shown how to harness it.
  
  ***PLUS, Use This to Avoid the #1 Filing Mistake That Could Cost You $17,688 a Year.
  
  Nearly 8 out of every 10 Social Security recipients are making the same costly error.
  
  
  Before you make the #1 filing mistake!

  You could be missing out on $17,688!
  They aren't considering their "crossover" calculation when they file.
  
  That means each of these Americans is leaving potentially $17,688 a year on the table.
  
  Can you afford to be one of them?
  
  I think you could probably find some good uses for that money.
  
  Read up on this benefit in Supercharge Your Social Security.
  
  In fact, the report goes a step farther and shares some helpful online tools you can use for this opportunity.

• This Ivy League "Life Hack" Could Unlock the Secret to DOUBLING Your Monthly Social Security Checks
  
  Wharton is the business school at the University of Pennsylvania – a top Ivy League institution.
  
  And one of its premier statisticians invented a tool that can be described with a single word…
  
  INCREDIBLE!
  
  Remarkably, while this breakthrough has nothing to do with Social Security, in the report you will be shown how to use it for this safety net.
  
  And you'll be happy you did.
  
  In fact, how does collecting $3,501 each and every month sound? (That answer is obvious: It sounds great!)
  
  It could all be thanks to what you'll discover with this Ivy League "Life Hack."

The "Lucky 7" Secret to Becoming a Social Security Millionaire

"It delivers $1,174,858 in lifetime benefits!"

–PBS

Tap into a "Lucky 7" set of benefits and it could grow your net worth by 7 figures.

You could be eligible for this million-dollar payout, even if you've never earned a big salary in your life.

You'll get all of the details in Supercharge Your Social Security.

• Transform Your Social Security Benefits Into a
  No-Hassle, Interest-Free Loan
  (Start a Business! Get Out From Bad Debt! Whatever You Need!)
  
  Even most financial planners don't know this, but you can essentially get a one-year, interest-free loan from Social Security.
  
  This is a great option if you are looking to start a business, or want to pay off some of your higher interest credit card bills.
  
  Or maybe you just need quick cash and you don't want to trigger penalties by selling retirement assets early.
  
  As you'll see in Supercharge Your Social Security, this money is yours to do with as you please.
  
  

  		I'm Retired!
  		I Would Like an Extra Eight Grand!

  
  The SSA has created a benefit that allows you to kick-start your retirement with a one-time $7,972 payday.
  
  There are three ways to qualify.
  
  And each is covered in this report.

• Have You Celebrated Your 10-Year Wedding Anniversary?
  (If So, the Social Security Administration Has a Pretty Pricey Gift For You)
  
  The traditional 10-year wedding anniversary gift is tin.
  
  But the SSA has a much better present in mind… cold hard cash.
  
  

  Forget a Tin Pot!
  You'll Actually Want This
  Anniversary Gift

  If you've been married for at least 10 years, you could use this Social Security benefit to add an extra $1,300 a month to your bank account.
  Couples who have been married at least a decade are eligible for as much as a $1,300 a month raise to their Social Security payments.
  
  All they have to do is step forward and claim it.
  
  That can certainly buy a lot of tin candlesticks, tin pots, and tin picture frames.
  
  (Or, better yet, something you actually want.)
  
  Learn how easy it is to receive this money in Supercharge Your Social Security.

• No COLA? No Problem!
  
  2016 marks only the third time in the last 40 years where there will be no cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) for Social Security payments.
  
  This will undoubtedly leave millions of Americans feeling pinched.
  
  But if you filled out the specific form you'll learn about in this report, then you probably won't experience a single sleepless night.
  
  Because you'll have set yourself up to receive an 8% raise for four consecutive years
  
  That's more than double the 3.88% COLA has averaged over the last 40 years.
  
  And this could mean an extra $10,224 a year!
  
  ***PLUS, This Benefit Could Be Used to Collect $193,000!
  (Even if You Haven't "Earned It")
  
  Maybe you were a stay-at-home mom and never paid a single dime into Social Security.
  
  Or maybe you left your career many years ago and believe you didn't earn enough credits to qualify for benefits.
  
  That doesn't mean you are shut off from collecting Social Security. Far from it.
  
  An estimated 12.4 million Americans could be eligible to receive as much as $193,330 (some even more).

• Sick of the IRS Taking Too Much From Your
  Social Security Checks?
  (Protect Yourself With This Unconventional and
  Impenetrable Tax Shelter)
  
  There once was a time when your Social Security checks weren't taxed.
  
  
  Keep your hard-earned Social Security income out of the hands of the IRS.

  All it takes is a few mouse clicks.
  Those days are LONG gone.
  
  Today, depending on your income, up to 85% of your benefits can be taxed.
  
  In other words, you entrusted your hard-earned money to the government during your career.
  
  And much of it they turned around and used to pay for things completely unrelated to Social Security.
  
  Things you may not have voted for if given the choice.
  
  Then when it's time to finally get your money back, the government has the gall to tax you on it.
  
  But instead of getting mad… Get Even!
  
  There is a remarkable way to legally shelter your income so that your Social Security is shielded from the IRS.
  
  You can do it with a few mouse clicks.
  
  Everything is revealed in Supercharge Your Social Security.

• 1 Question… 1 Minute… $106K!
  
  Millions of Americans could claim an extra 6 figures in Social Security benefits with minimal effort.
  
  In fact, if you are in this group, you might have $106,000 coming your way.
  
  Even if you've already started collecting benefits you could still take advantage of this.
  
  To get the process started, all you'll have to do is to fill out a form that is so simple, it should only take you one minute to complete.
  
  There is literally a single question on it.
  
  That's it.
  
  Do not pass this opportunity up!

• Plus So Much More…
  (Including a way for eligible parents to collect an extra $26,304 a year based on their child's work history)

My team and I aren't affiliated with the SSA.
And even if you don't accept these two reports from us, we still strongly encourage you to review the complimentary materials the SSA provides on each of their benefits.
In fact, we're going to help you there, too.
Both reports will show you exactly where on the SSA's website to look for every opportunity we examine.
This way you are able to squeeze every penny you deserve out of this safety net.
You have, without question, earned it!

All we ask is that you cover a modest shipping cost of $4.87.
But before you do that, I want to mention something incredibly important.
And incredibly exciting.
These reports form two pieces of a much bigger initiative.
And you are invited to join it.
It's no wonder so many Americans are forced to lean on Social Security.
Since the recession, salaries have plummeted to levels we saw in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
And thanks to inflation, $1 in 1990 is only worth 54 cents today.
So you can see why USA Today is reporting that:
And The New York Times is warning of:
But the state of our investing is just as perilous.
Most workers have been told that 401(k)s can help secure their retirements.
Well, here's what Wall Street wants you to know:
And here's what they don't want you to know:
That's highway robbery!
How is anyone supposed to get ahead?
How is anybody supposed to retire when facing such impossible odds?
When you take a step back and look at the big picture, what you'll find is startling.
Just to be able to achieve the bare minimum standard of retirement, Americans have to climb out of a $14 trillion hole.
Again, that's not to live lavishly.
That's just to get by.
So many people now believe that retirement has become an impossible-to-reach goal.
But my team and I are doing our part to change that.
We have launched an initiative we're calling Take Back Your Retirement.
And you are invited to join us.

		If you are nearing retirement age, but haven't built up enough financial security to finally enjoy your golden years – this is for you.
		If you have been fortunate to earn a sizeable nest egg, but want to guarantee it provides you with the comfortable lifestyle you deserve – this is for you.
		If you are already retired, but want to make your money work even harder for you NOW than it did during your career – this is for you.

No matter your story or situation – this initiative will empower you with real solutions and real answers for staking your claim to that retirement you have rightfully earned.
These reports will allow you to maximize the money you receive from our most important safety net.
And through this initiative, you will next be sent a collection of additional resources.
Each will help you defend and grow your wealth by capitalizing on other government programs, as well as the investment markets.
The IRS currently receives about $3.3 trillion in tax revenue a year.
But there is a dirty, not-so-little, secret they don't want you to know about.
According to the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) own projections, between now and 2020 the IRS is going to raise AN ADDITIONAL $3.8 trillion from taxes.
That's above and beyond what they are already collecting.
That's the equivalent of an EXTRA $32,623 per U.S. household.
However, we already have about 50% of this country not paying federal income taxes.
So it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out whose door Uncle Sam will come knocking on to cover way more than their fair share of this extra $3.8 trillion.
But you aren't going to be a victim.
We have an escape plan for you.
We combed through all 74,608 pages of the U.S. tax code.
We consulted the top experts in the country.
And from these efforts we created IRS-Proof Your Life.
Within minutes, you'll be able to apply many of the tips and strategies revealed in this simple-to-follow blueprint.
And this could save you tens of thousands of dollars a year in taxes.
Below are just a few examples…

• The #1 Secret for Avoiding an IRS Audit and Pocketing an Extra $1,860
  
  The IRS controls a little-known website that could single-handedly prevent you from being audited.
  
  

  No Audit for You!

  With all of the extra money you could be making, you might think you are at a higher risk of getting audited.

  No way! It's just the opposite. In fact, your reward for implementing the #1 secret for ducking an audit could be an additional $1,860!
  It also reveals a way for you to save an average of $1,860 a year (or more) in taxes.

• The "Invisible" Bank Account That Can "Hide" $100,000 of Your Income
  
  Chances are you have a checking and savings account.
  
  But there is a third account your bank knows about that can act as a 100% legal tax shelter.
  
  Surprisingly, 15.3 million Americans can open up one of these accounts, yet few do.
  
  You're going to want to see if you are eligible ASAP, because it can keep as much as $100,000 out of the hands of the IRS.

• Could You Use an Extra $5,000… $10,000… $25,000 a Year?
  (This Powerful Filing Tactic Allows You to Claim an EXTRA Refund EVERY Year for the Next 20 Years!)
  
  More than 1.3 million Americans are eligible for this.
  
  And if you are over 18-years-old and have paid taxes within the last two years, YOU may be one of them.
  
  

  This 15-Minute Phone Call Could Save You $11,600

  Each year, millions of Americans unnecessarily "surrender" $11,600 (or more) in taxes to Uncle Sam.

  They're tricked into "default filing" even though they're not legally obligated to pay this amount.

  Thankfully, it's possible to opt out of the madness just by making a 15-minute phone call.

  IRS-Proof Your Life shows you how!
  All you have to do is complete a simple, four-page form and send it in.

• Legally Skirt a $1,039 Insurance Tax You Could Owe This Year
  
  If you are a middle-class American living in one of the 34 states revealed in this report, you could be suddenly struck by an aggressive $1,039 insurance tax.
  
  Fortunately, there is a way to avoid this serious hit to your bank account.

• Double Your Home Deduction This Year and EVERY Year for the Rest of Your Life!
  
  One in 10 Americans may qualify for an exciting loophole that allows them to literally double their home loan deductions.
  
  Think about what you could do with that money!
  
  Now let's make it happen!

• Slash Your Dividend Taxes By 60%
  
  You've been responsible. You've patiently built an investment portfolio that will last throughout your golden years. And now it's time for your dividend income to go to work for you.
  
  But politicians regularly target this cash when they're looking for ways to raise taxes.
  
  Fortunately, by filling out an easy form, you can cut your dividend tax bill down by 60%.

• The "Calendar Loophole" That Can Add $6,000 to Your Retirement Account
  
  
  …this "secret" filing date could mean an extra $6,000!
  Everyone knows you have to file taxes by April 15.
  
  But the IRS has a second filing date buried in their tax code for certain Americans.
  
  I strongly suggest marking it down on your calendar.
  
  Because in IRS-Proof Your Life, you'll see how this date could allow you to grow your retirement account by $6,000.

• And So Much More…

Every day, the government hands out an average of $1.41 billion through a series of programs and, frankly, free giveaways that 99% of Americans have no idea exist.
You, and every other taxpayer, are already paying for this cash bonanza.
So you've earned your piece.
It's yours.
You're entitled to it.
But if you don't step forward and claim this money, somebody else will.
Plus, Uncle Sam has also created a series of little-known investment opportunities and carefully negotiated deals that you can't afford to miss.
By taking advantage of these situations a
6-figure reward could be yours.
Here are just a few examples…

• Secure a $966,000 "Life Insurance Policy" for Both You and Your Spouse, Thanks to Uncle Sam.

• Earn 10-18% a Year With One Little-Known Government "Program." (This Investment is Only Available in 29 States.)

• Own a Mansion in Boca Raton, FL, or Aspen, CO, for Pocket Change.

• Receive $127,500 to Open a Winery in Sonoma, CA… a Roadhouse BBQ Joint in Downtown Dallas, TX… or Become a Fishing Charter Captain in Key West, FL.

• Your Neighborhood Bank Could Have $50,000 in Excess Bailout Cash Available For You! (And They Could've Been Sitting on It for YEARS!)

• Travel the World Like Royalty. Stay in Exotic Locations, and Eat the Best Local Cuisines. (The Government Is Footing the Bill.)

• Have your State Send You a Check for Up to $4,999 or More in 14 Days! (Find Out If You're Eligible ASAP!)

• Get $7,500 to Remodel Your Bathroom and $3,329 to Upgrade Your Roof.

• Plus, Much More…

For instance, You Earned it reveals how you can live like a king 100% rent-free in a Norman Castle in France, a Royal Country home in Latvia, a cozy townhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, even a farmhouse with a spa in Auckland, New Zealand.
The options are limitless.
Just fill out a simple online form and you could be on your first getaway within two weeks.
This type of opportunity could allow you to live the retirement of your dreams.
And it's only one piece of this incredible package you are about to receive.
Through this initiative you will receive a free trial subscription to our flagship publication, The Money Map Report.
Money Map Report was started as a way to help everyday Americans capitalize on fast approaching events.
To accomplish this I focus exclusively on six key trends in the markets.

1. Demographics
2. Scarcity
3. Medicine
4. Energy
5. Technology
6. War/Conflict

The world is complicated. From ISIS, to fears of China's stock market collapsing, to central bank madness, it can be hard to determine where the safe havens are for your money.
But if you look throughout history, it becomes very clear that these are the trends that push our economy forward. They are the forces behind the world's biggest developments.
And by focusing on them, my Money Morning team and I have been able to uncover a nonstop series of high reward investment opportunities for Americans who are looking to fortify their retirements. Below is just a small sample:

	Westport Innovations	543%
	SPDR S&P 500	455%
	Chipotle	179%
	Madison Square Garden	350%
	ITT Educational Services	346%
	Vanguard FTSE	449%
	Cheniere Energy	368%
	Goldman Sachs	456%
	Golar LNG	300%
	Ram Energy	421%
	Navios Maritime	400%
	Gilead Sciences	411%
	Aegerion Pharmaceuticals	345%
	ProShares Ultrashort Euro	382%
	Neurocrine Biosciences	400%
	Costco	300%

Every month we release a new edition of the Money Map Report that explores the powerful trends and stories that will impact the economy, the markets, and your wealth.
And you will receive exciting opportunities that allow you to capitalize on these events.
This publication is streamlined. It cuts through the clutter to deliver the exact information you need to know… at the moment you need to know it.

A $585,283 Payday

The average American nearing retirement age has about $127,000 saved up across their investments.
It's simply not enough.
Now, had that money been allocated to the S&P 500 back in 2000, it would've risen 35%, hitting $171,214.
Not bad by any standard. But it doesn't measure up to Money Map Report. It's not even close.
If you were to back-test it, that same $127,000 would've transformed into $585,283 using the Money Map Report's proprietary investing approach.
That's right.
From the bursting of the dot-com bubble, through the Great Recession, and right up until today, this methodology can protect and grow your wealth during periods of crisis and prosperity.
It has, year after year, outperformed the market by a wide margin.
The Money Map Report is priced so nearly anyone can afford it.
In fact, the "ordinary" rate for an annual membership is $199.
(But, through this initiative, you are about to receive something "extraordinary" and FREE.)
As a member you can tap into:

• Monthly editions of the Money Map Report

• Money Map ReportTrade Alerts

• Money Map ReportWeekly Dossiers

• Access to The Money Map Report Intelligence Network

• Money Map ReportAudio/Video Briefings

• Twice-Weekly Tactics and Risk Management Tutorials

• 24/7 Access to TheMoney Map Report Members-Only Website

• The Money Map Report Concierge Service

Become Our Next Success Story!

+$40k-$50k in 6 Months! "In 6 months, I've made between $40,000-$50,000."

– Robert Montrose

A $10,374 Wake Up Call! "You just put $10,374 in my account this morning. You are an answer to my prayers!"

– Nelson Mecham

$36k in 3 Days! "One year ago I wouldn't have thought that someone in the world could make 1,000% in 3 days. Nor that I could make a $36,000 profit in 3 days. Now I know it is possible."

– Eric Duneau

1 Year… $125k "I made approximately $125k for the year."

– Carter Roberts

$70k! "I just made $70,000"

– Devin Chareston

Net Worth… Tripled! "You have tripled my net worth in about a year."

– Bob Kreen

A $405,000 Transformation! "Thanks to you I've made $405,000."

– William Connors

$1.5 Million Profit! "I've profited in excess of $1.5 million. You have my profound appreciation."

– Gary Loest

Nothing makes me prouder than hearing how the Money Map Report has helped change our readers' lives.
Some have used our research and investment guidance to make tens of thousands of dollars, others hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars.
And I look forward to you becoming our next success story.
And it gets even better.
At the end of your trial, if you would like to continue receiving Money Map Report, you will automatically be billed $99 for a one-year subscription.
That's a savings of 60%.
However, if at any time during your trial, you decide that you do not want to continue receiving this publication, simply contact us, and you won't be charged a single dime. No questions asked.
It's that easy.
Just pay $4.87 for shipping. That's it!

From land, to antiquities and art, to currencies and precious metals, this report reveals the secrets to acquiring the most valuable hard assets at the cheapest prices.
Plus, you will discover the safest banks and credit unions.
It also examines specific CDs and income opportunities that are most shielded from risk. For instance, one offers a 12% yield and another can earn you $23,000 a year tax-free! (a $29 value)

If you are looking to retire comfortably, you need INCOME. Passive income. The kind of cash that flows in month after month. That's what this report delivers.
The five cash cows revealed in its pages offer what every income investor wants most: a safe, generous, and rising payout.
In fact, the average annual dividend from these picks is 17.7%. (a $49 value)
A short while ago I mentioned how there are six trends every investor can use to conquer Wall Street.
This report gives you an immediate way to capitalize on each of them.

You'll discover an unconventional energy opportunity that has secretly outperformed the market by 7-to-1. And it's primed to do even bigger things moving forward.
You'll also be able to tap into a biosciences firm perfectly positioned for America's quickly aging population.
Plus, there is a next generation robotics technology set to rise from $91.3 million in revenue today to $1.1 billion by 2020. That's 1,100% growth. And one company is set to be at the center of it all.
This is just a small glimpse of what's in this report. (a $49 value)
These nine small-town retirement havens offer a mix of city sophistication and country charm.

With each destination you'll enjoy gorgeous weather, zero pollution, top hospitals, low crime, and vibrant social scenes bustling with activities.
Most important, with a cost of living that's 32% below the national average, you will get way more bang for the buck.
In fact, you might be shocked at how cheap the good life can be.
One of our favorites doesn't tax the first $41,000 of retirement income. Another is in a state with zero inheritance or estate taxes PLUS no tax on Social Security benefits, either.
One even gives blazing-fast broadband internet service to everyone inside its city limits for FREE. (a $19 value)

• Report: "Banned" Social Security Benefits! 12 Ways to Capitalize Before Congress Outlaws Them on May 1, 2016(a $99 value)

• Report: Supercharge Your Social Security: 16 Shocking Benefits That Could Make You a Millionaire (a $99 value)

• Report: IRS-Proof Your Life! The Ultimate Blueprint For Keeping Uncle Sam's Hands Off Your Money(a $49 value)

• Report: You Earned It! Incredible Shortcuts For Making Easy Money From Federal Programs, Government Benefits and Profit-Packed Deals!(a $49 value)

• Publication: Money Map Report(Free 1- Month Trial)

• Book: The Money Map Method(a $19 value)

• Report: The Hard Assets and Personal Finance Playbook(a $29 value)

• Report: The Top Five Stocks Paying Double-Digit Dividends(a $49 value)

• Report: Six Unstoppable Trends About to Make You Rich!(a $49 value)

• Report: Nine Places to Retire Like a King – And Make Your Money Last Forever (a $19 value)

You have an amazing opportunity in front of you.
You can finally get everything you are entitled to from Social Security and the government.
You can protect more of your money from the IRS.
You can exponentially grow the value of your investment portfolio.
You can live the life you choose without the worries of money.
YOU CAN TAKE BACK YOUR RETIREMENT!
All that's left is for you to join this initiative.
I look forward to us working together.


Keith Fitz-Gerald
Chief Investment Strategist, Money Morning

OFF THE WIRE
'bullet buttons' on semi-auto rifles https://t.co/z04fmIozn
Chris Eger