Quantcast
Channel: Bikers Of America, Know Your Rights!
Viewing all 6498 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

List Of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs Patches

December 18, 2016, 12:30 am
$
0
0
OFF THE WIRE

list of outlaw motorcycle clubs patches
This is an alphabetical list of notable outlaw motorcycle clubs, including those current, defunct, or historic. An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture The following is an alphabetical list of notable outlaw motorcycle clubs, including current, defunct, or historic. Clubs on this list do not necessarily meet Top 10 Notorious American Biker Gangs^Top 10 Notorious American Biker Gangs^When was the international president of The Outlaws Motorcycle Club and The following is an alphabetical list of notable outlaw motorcycle clubs, including current, defunct, or historic. Clubs on this list do not necessarily meet List of outlaw motorcycle club patches This patch is associated with any bikers who consider themselves part of the “outlaw” biker community.Membership. Motorcycle clubs vary a great deal in their objectives and organizations. Mainstream motorcycle clubs or associations typically have elected Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs) are organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises. There are more than 300 active OMGs in Outlaw motorcycle club patches are patches and pins worn by outlaw motorcycle club members to express attitudes, display rank, show affiliation, commemorate events The Outlaws Motorcycle Club has 700 members in 86 chapters and is centered in the upper Midwest, where they compete with Hells Angels for members.Outlaw or “one-percent” motorcycle gangs have been a scourge to the federal government since the 1960s. To this day, there are formidable motorcycle clubs

Images Of List Of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs Patches


Outlaw Biker Patches Motorcycle Club
Biker Gangs Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs
Outlaw Motorcycle Club Patches
Outlaw Biker Patches Motorcycle Club         
↧
Search

BABE OF THE DAY

December 23, 2016, 12:30 am
↧
↧

BABE OF THE DAY

December 24, 2016, 12:30 am
↧

BABE OF THE DAY

December 26, 2016, 12:30 am
↧

BABES OF THE DAY

December 11, 2016, 12:30 am
↧
↧

BABE OF THE DAY

December 12, 2016, 12:30 am
↧

What are Motorcycle Colors?

December 12, 2016, 12:30 am
↧

Everybody should read General John Kelly’s speech about two Marines in the path of a truck bomb

December 12, 2016, 12:30 am
$
0
0
OFF THE WIRE
By Geoffrey Ingersoll, 
Business 
Eight years ago, two Marines from two different walks of life who had literally just met were told to stand guard in front of their outpost’s entry-control point.
Minutes later, they were staring down a big blue truck packed with explosives. With this particular shred of hell bearing down on them, they stood their ground.
Heck, they even leaned in.
I had heard the story many times, personally. But until today I had never heard Marine Lt. Gen. John Kelly’s telling of it to a packed house in 2010. Just four days following the death of his own son in combat, Kelly eulogized two other sons in an unforgettable manner.
From Kelly’s speech:
Two years ago when I was the Commander of all U.S. and Iraqi forces, in fact, the 22nd of April 2008, two Marine infantry battalions, 1/9 “The Walking Dead,” and 2/8 were switching out in Ramadi. One battalion in the closing days of their deployment going home very soon, the other just starting its seven-month combat tour.
Two Marines, Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter, 22 and 20 years old respectively, one from each battalion, were assuming the watch together at the entrance gate of an outpost that contained a makeshift barracks housing 50 Marines.
The same broken down ramshackle building was also home to 100 Iraqi police, also my men and our allies in the fight against the terrorists in Ramadi, a city until recently the most dangerous city on earth and owned by Al Qaeda. Yale was a dirt poor mixed-race kid from Virginia with a wife and daughter, and a mother and sister who lived with him and he supported as well. He did this on a yearly salary of less than $23,000. Haerter, on the other hand, was a middle class white kid from Long Island.
They were from two completely different worlds. Had they not joined the Marines they would never have met each other, or understood that multiple America’s exist simultaneously depending on one’s race, education level, economic status, and where you might have been born. But they were Marines, combat Marines, forged in the same crucible of Marine training, and because of this bond they were brothers as close, or closer, than if they were born of the same woman.
The mission orders they received from the sergeant squad leader I am sure went something like: “Okay you two clowns, stand this post and let no unauthorized personnel or vehicles pass.” “You clear?” I am also sure Yale and Haerter then rolled their eyes and said in unison something like: “Yes Sergeant,” with just enough attitude that made the point without saying the words, “No kidding sweetheart, we know what we’re doing.” They then relieved two other Marines on watch and took up their post at the entry control point of Joint Security Station Nasser, in the Sophia section of Ramadi, al Anbar, Iraq.
A few minutes later a large blue truck turned down the alley way—perhaps 60-70 yards in length—and sped its way through the serpentine of concrete jersey walls. The truck stopped just short of where the two were posted and detonated, killing them both catastrophically. Twenty-four brick masonry houses were damaged or destroyed. A mosque 100 yards away collapsed. The truck’s engine came to rest two hundred yards away knocking most of a house down before it stopped.
Our explosive experts reckoned the blast was made of 2,000 pounds of explosives. Two died, and because these two young infantrymen didn’t have it in their DNA to run from danger, they saved 150 of their Iraqi and American brothers-in-arms.
When I read the situation report about the incident a few hours after it happened I called the regimental commander for details as something about this struck me as different. Marines dying or being seriously wounded is commonplace in combat. We expect Marines regardless of rank or MOS to stand their ground and do their duty, and even die in the process, if that is what the mission takes. But this just seemed different.
The regimental commander had just returned from the site and he agreed, but reported that there were no American witnesses to the event—just Iraqi police. I figured if there was any chance of finding out what actually happened and then to decorate the two Marines to acknowledge their bravery, I’d have to do it as a combat award that requires two eye-witnesses and we figured the bureaucrats back in Washington would never buy Iraqi statements. If it had any chance at all, it had to come under the signature of a general officer.
I traveled to Ramadi the next day and spoke individually to a half-dozen Iraqi police all of whom told the same story. The blue truck turned down into the alley and immediately sped up as it made its way through the serpentine. They all said, “We knew immediately what was going on as soon as the two Marines began firing.” The Iraqi police then related that some of them also fired, and then to a man, ran for safety just prior to the explosion.
All survived. Many were injured … some seriously. One of the Iraqis elaborated and with tears welling up said, “They’d run like any normal man would to save his life.”
What he didn’t know until then, he said, and what he learned that very instant, was that Marines are not normal. Choking past the emotion he said, “Sir, in the name of God no sane man would have stood there and done what they did.”
“No sane man.”
“They saved us all.”
What we didn’t know at the time, and only learned a couple of days later after I wrote a summary and submitted both Yale and Haerter for posthumous Navy Crosses, was that one of our security cameras, damaged initially in the blast, recorded some of the suicide attack. It happened exactly as the Iraqis had described it. It took exactly six seconds from when the truck entered the alley until it detonated.
You can watch the last six seconds of their young lives. Putting myself in their heads I supposed it took about a second for the two Marines to separately come to the same conclusion about what was going on once the truck came into their view at the far end of the alley. Exactly no time to talk it over, or call the sergeant to ask what they should do. Only enough time to take half an instant and think about what the sergeant told them to do only a few minutes before: “ … let no unauthorized personnel or vehicles pass.”
The two Marines had about five seconds left to live. It took maybe another two seconds for them to present their weapons, take aim, and open up. By this time the truck was half-way through the barriers and gaining speed the whole time. Here, the recording shows a number of Iraqi police, some of whom had fired their AKs, now scattering like the normal and rational men they were—some running right past the Marines. They had three seconds left to live.
For about two seconds more, the recording shows the Marines’ weapons firing non-stop…the truck’s windshield exploding into shards of glass as their rounds take it apart and tore in to the body of the son-of-a-bitch who is trying to get past them to kill their brothers—American and Iraqi—bedded down in the barracks totally unaware of the fact that their lives at that moment depended entirely on two Marines standing their ground. If they had been aware, they would have know they were safe … because two Marines stood between them and a crazed suicide bomber.
The recording shows the truck careening to a stop immediately in front of the two Marines. In all of the instantaneous violence Yale and Haerter never hesitated. By all reports and by the recording, they never stepped back. They never even started to step aside. They never even shifted their weight. With their feet spread shoulder width apart, they leaned into the danger, firing as fast as they could work their weapons. They had only one second left to live.
The truck explodes. The camera goes blank. Two young men go to their God.
Six seconds.

Not enough time to think about their families, their country, their flag, or about their lives or their deaths, but more than enough time for two very brave young men to do their duty … into eternity. That is the kind of people who are on watch all over the world tonight—for you.
↧
Search

From the International Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Association

December 13, 2016, 12:00 am
$
0
0
OFF THE WIRE
From the International Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Association (IOMGIA) website.....
https://iomgia.net/
"Organized criminal groups including outlaw motorcycle gangs continue to grow and remain unchallenged in many areas of the world. Gangs of all types have often engaged in charitable and positive outreach events to mask the gang’s violent criminal activities with a veneer of respectability. IOMGIA training provides the information to counter these gangs’ attempts to fool the public. Members of IOMGIA are committed to working together to stop the growth of outlaw motorcycle gangs across the world. We are committed to helping you obtain a clear understanding of the crimes being committed by outlaw motorcycle gang members and the negative consequences associated with the growth of gangs."
Would be interesting to see this training that counters Motorcycle Club attempts to fool the public when engaged in charitable and positive community outreach.
From their 2017 Training Flier...
IOMGIA will not allow attendance or membership to
persons deemed to be involved in conduct off-duty that
is unbecoming or contrary to the stated goals of the
association.
This includes membership in motorcycle clubs
that mimic the structure and/or nature of outlaw
motorcycle gangs to include:
• Wearing three-piece patches
• Requiring probationary period for membership.
• Mandatory Rides
So...does that mean that Law Enforcement Clubs like Iron Order are prohibited? And does this also mean that LE clubs that mimic Outlaw Clubs are themselves....Gangs??
↧
↧

BABE OF THE DAY

December 13, 2016, 12:30 am
↧

Merry Christmas Pass it along, your not the only one, just do it lol

December 13, 2016, 12:49 pm
↧

Why an Iraq War vet walked 5,800 miles from Maryland to Camp Pendleton

December 13, 2016, 5:34 pm
$
0
0
OFF THE WIRE
By FRED SWEGLES /
 STAFF WRITER
After two DUIs and a suicide attempt, Iraq War veteran Jonathan Hancock had hit rock bottom.
Deciding he needed to do something dramatic to restart his life, Hancock made palns to walk across America, reconnecting with brethren from the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines who had fought alongside him in Iraq. He would visit mothers who had lost sons there.
On Monday, 15 months and 5,800 miles after he set out from College Park, Md., on Sept. 11, 2015, Hancock, 33, completed his journey. He walked the final seven miles from San Clemente onto Camp Pendleton, to the 5th Marines Memorial Garden where a reception awaited.
“This is a healing endeavor,” he said. “This is how you start living again, after you go through combat.”
Joining the College Park resident on the final leg were about two dozen brethren, including Iraq War veteranswho had served with him in 2004 during the battle for Ramadi.
“We lost the most amount of men out of the entire Iraq War in a seven-month deployment to Ramadi,” Hancock said. “There were 33 Marines and a Navy corpsman.”
Dianne Layfield of Fremont was the mother of one of those men, 19-year-old Lance Corporal Travis Layfield, who died on April 6, 2004 at Ramadi.
“I heard about this walk and I told him if you come through San Francisco you make sure you look me up,” she said. “He spent about three days with me. I walked the Golden Gate Bridge with him.”
Layfield drove to San Clemente with several friends from the Bay Area so she could walk the final miles within Camp Pendleton with Hancock.
“It’s a healing process for me,” she said. “These are my sons. I’ve adopted every Marine in my life that I can. In every one of them, I see my son. It helps me to heal, and it is so rewarding to know that they are still here for me as well.”
Hancock said one of the most touching experiences of the entire cross-country trek was meeting Layfield.
“It was just an overwhelming flood of emotion,” he said. “I just had this vision in my head that she was seeing her son walk home.”
“It was just an overwhelming flood of emotion,” he said. “I just had this vision in my head that she was seeing her son walk home.”
Marvin Endito, a 37-year-old high school teacher from Thoreau, N.M., flew to Southern California to walk the final leg with Hancock.
“I actually got to know him in a very specific way,” Endito said. “Me and him were on a rooftop and they blew it up. They put explosives right under us. His squad leader went down ... was dazed, was out of it. Jonathan took charge.”
The bond they formed that day lives on, Endito said.
“I’ve been following him,” Endito said of the walk chronicled on social media. “I didn’t get to see him on his way out here, but I couldn’t miss this. I flew. I should be in class right now. I couldn’t miss this.”
The group walked San Clemente’s beach trail from North Beach to Park Semper Fi to pose for pictures in front of San Clemente’s Marine Monument. Wayne Eggleston, creator of Park Semper Fi, was there to welcome them.
“I really like San Clemente,” Hancock replied, recalling his time at Camp Pendleton. “I’m glad I could end this here.
“It’s therapy,” he said. “It’s getting out, PTSD, dealing with depression and all that stuff. One of the best therapies is being around others who experienced the same thing that you did.”
Hancock said he would return to College Park, wrap up some loose ends and move to North Carolina where his son lives.
“I’ll just take this second chance at life,” he said.

Contact the writer: fswegles@scng.com or 949-492-5127


↧

Ten Most Notorious Outlaw Biker Gangs

December 20, 2016, 12:58 am
$
0
0
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.
↧
↧

A Little Education on the MC World

December 21, 2016, 12:30 am
$
0
0
OFF THE WIRE
  • Written by  
  • I write this article with respect to all and to help educate those who want to understand a little of the MC world.  My knowledge is most likely not complete as I am female and not privy to several things in the male only MC world, but what I have learned and know to be true is what I am sharing with you today. Please visit the links I provide to further educate yourself.
     As long as there are people, this world will always be a place filled with ego, hidden agendas and subterfuge and on the other side, honesty, integrity and loyalty. 
    There are good cops who do their jobs with integrity just as there are bad ones.  There are good priests who don't go around molesting young boys just as there are those who do harm.  There are good politicians who truly want to make a positive difference and others who lie and manipulate, cheat and steal.  There are good bikers, riders and enthusiasts who just want to ride and do good and there are those who do bad and also ride.

    In the cruising-touring segment of the motorcycle community there are so many political mine fields to walk through, largely due to the mis-information doled out by the police, the main stream media and the people involved in the motorcycle clubs.

    Our community has grown so fast, here in Canada, in 2003 there were 350,000 registered for highway use motorcycles, that number in 2013 was just over 700,000.

    With that growth comes ignorance of our culture and traditions. And no, I am not being demeaning.
    It is up to the "Old Guard" to teach the young ones, the new ones and remind the returning ones, how the motorcycle community is structured and why.

    There used to be a time when I could walk into any biker rally and by scanning the patches of the people around me, I knew who was who and where I wanted to be.  Not so today.  Today our patches and colours have a diluted hierarchy, a muddying of the colours so to speak.  And that alone is enough to cause tension. We have laws and bylaws that see patch holders forced to remove their cut in order to go into a drinking establishment or licensed event.  Now you really are in a mine field.

    We are human and as such, many of us seek others of like mind to share the connection the ride provides.

    Many who are drawn to the motorcycle community are "A" type personalities, independent thinkers and consequently we often times don't play well with others.  Hence, almost every day of the week a new club is springing up or one is shutting down, generally over disagreements on how a club should be run or by a dominant who will not allow a certain cut to be present.

    My article yesterday on my time with the Snow City Crew of the Iron Order Motorcycle Club has stirred some controversy, mostly from members of other MC's in the US and Ontario.  These people accuse the Iron Order MC of being a cop club, and with the recent shooting of a Black Piston's MC  patch holder by a prospect of the IO MC, well let's just say things in the US look set to get real ugly.

    The Black Pistons MC is a support club of the Outlaws MC.

    Let's get a little bit of a history lesson going on here...

    Motorcycles have been embraced by people of all walks of life, including women, since their inception, but our community experienced a huge shift and growth after World War II.
    Not unlike the one it has seen in the last ten years.

    You hear the term "Brotherhood" used a lot in the community, but many don't understand the term, at least not fully and not as it is uniquely meant in our community.

    Many men returning from the war after serving in combat units that were tight knit brotherhoods came home and felt like islands.  No one in the civilian world could relate to them and the horrors they saw and sometimes committed in the name of war.  After all no one in the civilian world had ever relied upon another man to have his back and keep him safe.  No one in the civilian world had experienced the deep fear, the deep gratitude and the deep sorrow of war in the way these men had, so how could they understand them?

    Not unlike our soldiers today, these men, many of them suffered from what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

    They grew up in a time when men didn't complain, they didn't share their emotions much and no one recognized PTSD for what it was.  The only people they were comfortable with were those that they didn't have to explain anything to - their fellow soldier.  Many of the original "Outlaw" Clubs were founded by ex service men and ex police officers. They do after all share a similar "Brotherhood" in their jobs.  The man on the battlefield that does not put his brother before himself was considered a coward and generally didn't last long in combat.  Your very life relied on the man behind you, beside you and in front of you.  You ate together, worked together and protected each other in ways your own biological family members would never dream of, hence the term "Brotherhood".

    Many of these men of like mind and experience also self medicated by partying, to put themselves as far away from the horrors and nightmares as they could.  We see the same issues today.

    The infamous Hollister riot of July 4th 1947 is what gave rise to the term 1% Outlaw Biker.
    According to history, the Gypsy Tour Motorcycle Rally Revival event, an AMA sanctioned event saw way more bikers than in years preceding the war. The small 4,500 person town was swelled to over flowing and as happens with large groups of intoxicated people, their were fights, drunk riders stunting and racing, people sleeping on the streets and anywhere they could lay their head down as there was a huge shortage of accommodations.

    The AMA was erroneously attributed with the following statement that many believe is the beginning of the term 1% and Outlaw being used in our community:
    "The trouble was caused by the one per cent deviant that tarnishes the public image of both motorcycles and motorcyclists" and that the other ninety-nine per cent of motorcyclists are good, decent, law-abiding citizens."

    Nontheless that is the Urban myth about how Outlaws MC's and 1%ers got their name.
    The truth is that many of these men formed clubs after this event in retaliation to the way the AMA treated them and their hard partying ways.

    Traditional MC's that are sanctioned by the AMA or CMA here in Canada sometimes sport a three piece patch and are law abiding clubs.  In the 1980's many clubs did choose to sew their top and bottom rockers to their center patch to differentiate themselves and some adopted MCC as part of their name, while others kept the MC.  Many AMA sanctioned MC's are actually racing clubs....

    The Yonkers MC is the Oldest known MC formed in 1903, they started as a bicycle club.  
    They are what is termed a Traditional MC: Wear a three piece patch, are AMA Sanctioned, a men's only club, the adhere to a strict code of conduct. It is not clear if they require a prospecting phase.
    The 13 Rebels Motorcycle Club is another one of the oldest MC's around, founded in 1937 and was founded by 13 top AMA racers, again, wears a one piece patch, AMA sanctioned and men only.  Their moto is: "Not to bully the weak. Not to fear the powerful." They adhere to a strict code of conduct. Although they wear a one piece patch, their code is similar to that of the traditional 3 piece patch clubs.
    Another MC sanctioned by the AMA is the Wingmen who have been around since the late 70'S
    http://www.9339mc.com/index.html, they wear a three piece patch, have a strict code of conduct and require a prospecting phase.
    Confused yet?
    MOST but not all Outlaw motorcycle clubs started out as motorcycle clubs with a drinking/partying problem.  They simply wanted to have what they deemed to be fun.
    The Boozefighters MC were founded by "Wino" Willie Forkner after he was ousted from the 13 Rebels MC for his rowdy ways.  They were formed in 1946 and started with the philosophy of Ride, Party & Brotherhood.  There in lie the major differences in the Traditional AMA sanctioned MC's and  the non AMA sanctioned Outlaw MC's.
    Family oriented, but hard partying describes most Outlaw MC's, many consider themselves to be basically law abiding but all will defend their families, their brotherhood and their country.
    What ties these clubs together under the banner of Outlaw is their prospecting period. YOU EARN your patch, you don't just buy it.  The patch is club property and it is a privilege to wear it and the responsibility of every prospect and patch holder to protect that property.  
    These types of clubs seldom if ever claim a territory.
    1%er MC's are yet again different. They not only wear the three piece patch and have a prospecting phase, but they generally sport the 1% diamond on their chest. Not only are these MC's not sanctioned by the AMA but they claim territory.  
    The Outlaws MC were formed in 1935 originally as the American Outlaws Association
    The Hells Angels MC were formed in 1948 
    The Bandidos MC were formed in 1966 
    NOT ALL Outlaw Clubs are 1% Clubs, but all 1% Clubs ARE Outlaw Clubs.
    So now that we have a little bit of history on who and how Outlaw MC's are and came to be, and you are thoroughly confused - let's get on with the Iron Order MC controversy.
    It is my understanding that the 1% MC world resents the Iron Order for primarily two things: 
    1) not asking permission to exist from the dominant clubs and not following CoC Protocols especially since they are not AMA sanctioned.
    2) they are considered by many a cop club because they allow law enforcement officers as members if they can pass the prospecting phase and one of their founding members was a cop.
    There are deep rivalries and hatreds in the US in particular when it comes to this MC and they were not made any better by the shooting in Jacksonville that took place last week.
    The entire Outlaw MC world is a mine field.
    Many Veteran's MC's are Outlaw MC's that have a prospecting phase and allow police officers in their fold.
    Many Police MC's are Outlaw MC's in that they require a prospecting phase and sport a three piece patch and some of those MC's have been known to conduct themselves as if they were 1% clubs.
    Our community is fraught with politics and pressure from the outside and the inside.
    The fighting amongst the MC's can turn deadly in a heart beat and remember, many of the people drawn to these types of clubs have military, police and fire fighting backgrounds and generally the muscle to back up their point when in an altercation.  
    You do not have to be a "criminal" club to get caught up in the worst of situations, you do that by putting that patch on your back.  Even when you ask permission of a local dominant and get it, that doesn't mean that when you travel you have the right to wear your patch in their territory,  or so I am told.
    Many clubs that have started in the last 10 years or so have not followed the protocols of going to the dominant of their region before sporting their cut, some because they didn't know that was protocol (there's that whole education thing) and some because they do not believe that in the land of the Free, the home of the Brave, that they should have to.  That is because many of them have military or police service time in their background and feel they fought for their right to be who and what they are.  Some clubs don't agree with that mind set.
    Their argument is who did the Hells Angels, the Bandidos, the Rebels, the Outlaws or any other club pre 1988 ask permission of for their right to exist?
    The CoC that set out the protocols was founded in 1988, in Canada they are the Ontario Confederation of Clubs and in the US - NCOM National Coalition of Clubs 
    That causes tension, like it or not.
    If you choose to wear the cut of an Outlaw Club, then you need to be prepared for the day when, not IF, you have to defend that cut and your brothers and yes, that can mean with your life.
    If you are what is termed a Law Abiding MC, that means little if a member from a territorial club resents your presence and decides to "handle" things.  
    This is a man's world, one where violence is justified as protection of one's patch, brother and territory first and foremost.  All men on both sides of the fence swear an oath to their club and their brothers.  And whether any of them get the irony of it all or not, they will all die to defend what they believe in.
    The irony of the situation from a female's perspective is that they are separated by so little.
    They have far more in common than they might think, but grudges, personalities and other forms of rivalry abound.
    They all believe in Freedom, Brotherhood, Family, Loyalty, Integrity.  They all EARN their patches, and they are all rebelling against society and its structure in one way or another. And yet, so many can't stand each other.
    It is not a world for the faint of heart.  It can get ugly. Very ugly.  But no matter who I have ever talked to be they Outlaw MC or 1% MC member, they all feel the same way, their membership in the club of their choice is as essential to them and their lives as breathing is for the rest of us.
    The rivalry, the angst, the political issues aside, every man I have ever met that has taken the steps to hang around, prospect and ultimately become a patch holder says the club has changed their life and given them something that was missing in their lives.
    There are many who THINK they seek that kind of brotherhood. There are few who make the grade.  
    And that my friends is what I know about the MC world.
    Have a safe day...
    Belt Drive Betty
    Editor & Rider
↧

Ten Most Notorious Outlaw Biker Gangs...............

December 26, 2016, 12:30 am
$
0
0
OFF THE WIRE
BY: William J. Felchner
VIDEO,
http://youtu.be/CWNmCnyjUEA
Source: factoidz.com
USA - 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.
↧
Search

BABE OF THE DAY

December 27, 2016, 12:30 am
↧

BABE OF THE DAY

December 28, 2016, 12:59 am
↧
↧

BABE OF THE DAY ANA

December 14, 2016, 12:30 am
↧

The Social Security check is now (or soon will be) referred to as a "Federal Benefit Payment?"

December 14, 2016, 12:30 am
$
0
0
OFF THE WIRE
The Social Security check is now (or soon will be) referred to as a "Federal Benefit Payment?" I'll be part of the one percent to forward this. I am forwarding it because it touches a nerve in me, and I hope it will in you. Please keep passing it on until everyone in our country has read it.
The government is now referring to our Social Security checks as a "Federal Benefit Payment." This isn't a benefit. It is our money paid out of our earned income! Not only did we all contribute to Social Security but our employers did too. It totaled 15% of our income before taxes.
If you averaged $30K per year over your working life, that's close to $180,000 invested in Social Security.
If you calculate the future value of your monthly investment in social security ($375/month, including both you and your employers contributions) at a meager 1% interest rate compounded monthly, after 40 years of working you'd have more than $1.3+ million dollars saved!
This is your personal investment. Upon retirement, if you took out only 3% per year, you'd receive $39,318 per year, or $3,277 per month.
That's almost three times more than today's average Social Security benefit of $1,230 per month, according to the Social Security Administration. (Google it – it’s a fact).
And your retirement fund would last more than 33 years (until you're 98 if you retire at age 65)! I can only imagine how much better most average-income people could live in retirement if our government had just invested our money in low-risk interest-earning accounts.
Instead, the folks in Washington pulled off a bigger "Ponzi scheme" than Bernie Madoff ever did. They took our money and used it elsewhere. They forgot (oh yes, they knew) that it was OUR money they were taking. They didn't have a referendum to ask us if we wanted to lend the money to them. And they didn't pay interest on the debt they assumed. And recently they've told us that the money won't support us for very much longer.
But is it our fault they misused our investments? And now, to add insult to injury, they're calling it a "benefit", as if we never worked to earn every penny of it.
Just because they borrowed the money doesn't mean that our investments were a charity!
Let's take a stand. We have earned our right to Social Security and Medicare. Demand that our legislators bring some sense into our government.
Find a way to keep Social Security and Medicare going for the sake of that 92% of our population who need it.
Then call it what it is: Our Earned Retirement Income.
99% of people won't SHARE this. Will you?
This Blew My Mind
↧

On December 2, 2016 a PA Superior Court overturned the conviction of Dennis Katona, identified by authorities as a former member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club.

December 14, 2016, 12:30 am
$
0
0
OFF THE WIRE

Why Conviction of Pagans MC Member was Overturned

On December 2, 2016 a Pennsylvania Superior Court Order overturned the conviction and sentence of Dennis Katona, identified by authorities as a former member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club convicted for possession and the intent to distribute a controlled substance. Despite Katona’s connection, prosecutors claim he was acting alone and without the club’s involvement. 1

Essentially the court determined that evidence obtained from the search of Katona’s home was inadmissible because independent probable cause is required for each intercept of a conversation occurring in a private residence. Therefore, a warrant allowing consensual intercepts of an individual in his home over a 30 day period violates both the US and Pennsylvania constitutions.2

The Superior Court’s Decision


In a 2-1 decision, the Court majority overturned Kastona’s conviction based on the state’s Supreme Court precedent case Commonwealth v. Brion decided in 1994. The Court argued that the constitution requires a judge to approve a search warrant when a wired informant enters someone’s home as opposed to meeting them on the street, in a car or in a restaurant. In Brion, the court held:

“Because the right to privacy in one’s domain is sacrosanct, we hold that Article 1 § 8 of the Pennsylvania Constitution precludes the police from sending a confidential informer into the home of an individual to electronically record his conversations.” 3

The Superior Court reasoned that a clear and unambiguous reading of both Supreme Court precedent and enacted legislation requires independent probable cause for every intercept in a private residence under both the state and federal constitutions. 4

“Because society places a higher expectation of privacy in a face-to-face conversation taking place within an individual’s home compared to a telephone conversation, a 30-day period of time in which to obtain such in-home intercepted communications does not comport with the protections afforded by the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 8 of the Pennsylvania Constitution.”5

Although the Superior Court’s decision is positive for advancing protections against illegal search and seizures, the decision will likely be appealed.

What Happens Next?


Deputy State Attorney General Michael M. Ahwesh, who prosecuted the case reports, “I fully anticipate we will file an appeal.” 6  The state has two appeal options — requesting a new hearing before a nine-judge panel of the Superior Court or requesting a hearing before the state Supreme Court. 7

The Katona court prefers a state Supreme Court review. The court concluded by writing, “we are cognizant of the fact that this court will not be the final word on this issue. We strongly advocate that our Supreme Court review this case and determine whether our interpretation is in line with its seminal decision in Brion. We recognize this decision has broad ramifications for law enforcement.”8

Katona, who is currently serving 40 to 80 months in prison for his 2014 conviction on drug charges, could ask a judge to release him on bail pending an appeal. 9

Conclusions


Although dissenting Judge Eugene B. Strassburger argued that “requiring police to seek a judge’s approval each time they sent the informant into the home would be a burden”, most constitutional protections, “including the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizures, are supposed to be burdensome,” says Katona’s attorney Paul Boas. “It is burdensome to get a warrant, read a suspect the Miranda warnings, pick a jury and hold a trial.”

“This is a democracy. It’s not supposed to be easy. We’re in big trouble the day law enforcement stops complaining about how hard it is for them.”10

Footnotes


1 Pittsburgh Action News 4, Nov.11, 2014, Former Pagans head guilty, sentenced for drugs. Deputy Attorney General says it appears Katona was dealing the drugs “on his own. We don’t think the club was involved.”

2 Com. v. Katona, D. No. 1995 WDA 2014, 2016 PA Super 269. p.3  “The crux of appellant’s suppression claim is whether the June 29th search was unconstitutional because it was based on a May 16, 2011 order signed by Judge John Blahovic that authorized consensual intercepts by a confidential informant (“CI”) over a 30-day period in appellant’s home. Specifically, as a result of numerous in-home intercepts, probable cause was established for the full search of appellant’s home. Appellant asserts that the May 16th order violated our Supreme Court’s decision in Brion, in that it allowed for unlimited intercepts in his home over a period of 30 days.”

3 Commonwealth v. Brion, [652 A.2d 287 (Pa. 1994),] and as codified in 18 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 5704(2)(iv)

4 See Supra Note 1 at p.10  “We find that, based on a clear reading and the intent of both the Brion decision and the statute, a separate finding of probable cause was required for each in-home intercept.”

5 See Supra Note 1 at p.13

6 Tribune Review Live, Court overturns conviction, sentence of former leader of Pagans, Dec.2, 2016. http://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/11578375-74/state-judge-court

7 Id

8 See Supra Note 1 at p.14
↧
Viewing all 6498 articles
Browse latest View live
Search