Rosario C. Fuentez arrested

Police in Milwauke said they've arrested a man in connection with a July 4 shooting incident in which four people were killed and two injured.Two alleged accomplices are still being sought.The arrested man Rosario C. Fuentez, told police that the and two other men were armed when they confronted a Milwaukee street crowd in retaliation for the assault and robbery of one of the other men by alleged gang members. The men hid behind houses before Fuentez walked into the crowd and opened fire, police said.
Relatives of some of the victims say the slain people were not gang members.

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Nomads motorcycle gang $90,000 4WD bombed

$90,000 4WD under which the pipe bomb exploded was in the care of a former member of the Nomads motorcycle gang who had switched allegiance to rivals Notorious.
He now controls security for a Kings Cross identity and drives the car for the businessman, who lives elsewhere in Sydney.Police said up to eight shots were fired near the car, parked in Walkers Dr, Lane Cove North, before the bomb exploded about 3.50am.Bomb squad called in ... Device explodes under car The blast damaged the undercarriage and interior and would have caused serious injury had anyone been inside.A second, unexploded device beside the 4WD, was removed and later detonated by police.The man linked to the car shares the townhouse with a woman and a young child, who were home when the pipe bomb exploded.Police said he was refusing to co-operate with investigations. The blast left residents of the 14ha estate in shock. Some revealed they feared the man and his associates, many of whom drove motorcycles and expensive carsAs bomb squad officers, detectives and forensic experts combed the scene, locking in more than 100 residents, neighbours revealed they were aware "bikies" were living among the 201-apartment complex.Residents said the occupants did not appear to work and there were often motorcycles parked outside. The 4WD owner also had a red Ferrari 355."I'm scared of them. They are intimidating," said one mother, who would not be named.Another added: "As far as I'm concerned it couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke."They have a lot of nice cars but I don't know if anyone works."Mother-of-one Sue Ibanez, whose townhouse overlooks the blast site, said: "It's hard to imagine it could happen here. My daughter was in bed with us and our room is right there. Who knows what could have happened?"Detective Inspector Peter Yeomans said the eight shell castings and two bombs were not a warning - they were meant to cause harm.

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124 people have been killed in just one week in Mexico’s Drug Wars

The most violent area was the north-western state of Sinaloa, where 43 deaths
were reported. In Chihuahua, 40 people were killed over the past week, the daily La Jornada reported. In Sinaloa’s capital, Culiacan, teachers, students and university employees, dressed in white, protested the increasing violence yesterday. They placed white carnations on a symbolic tomb and held 10 minutes’ silencefor the more than 500 people who have been killed in the state this year. In the tourist town of Mazatlan on Saturday, a group of men fleeing the police after allegedly killing a senior police official, took 40 people hostage at a restaurant in a shopping mall. Mexico has recorded more than 2,000 slayings this year amid turf wars
between narcotics trafficking cartels. The centre-right federal government in Mexico City hasdeclared war on the drugcartels, sending the federal law enforcement and the Mexican Army to bolster local police in some regions.

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San Bernardino gang members Harold Lee Phillips,Sidikiba Greenwood sentenced to more than 90 years to life each.

Two gang members will spend the rest of their lives in prison for their part in a 2005 gang retaliation shooting, in which Mynisha, 11, was killed and her older sister, Jaynita, 14, at the time, was wounded. Mynisha's family sat stoically Friday in San Bernardino County Superior Court as Judge Brian McCarville sentenced gunman Harold Lee Phillips, 26, and organizer Sidikiba Greenwood, 37, to more than 90 years to life each. Heavily guarded by plainclothes officers and San Bernardino sheriff's bailiffs, Mynisha's family declined comment after the sentencing and was quickly whisked away. Deputy District Attorney Ron Webster said the court remains vigilant in its concern for the family's safety. "The family is still very distraught. I'm just glad they could be here," Webster said. "This day will never bring back their 11-year-old daughter, but we will continue to fight this gang problem for the loved ones that continue to be lost." Greenwood, whose wife sat in the courtroom with their three children and quietly cried, was sentenced to 109 years to life, including five life sentences. Last month, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder, two attempted murder charges, conspiracy and shooting into an inhabited dwelling. Greenwood also was convicted on the sentencing enhancements of deadly use of a firearm and committing a crime to benefit a criminal street gang.
Phillips was given a total of 94 years, 4 months to life in prison, which includes three life sentences. Phillips, who was on parole from the California Youth Authority at the time of the crime, was found guilty of second-degree murder, two attempted murder charges and the same enhancements as Greenwood.
Both sat motionless as their sentences were given. Only Greenwood chose to speak to Mynisha's family, standing to face her mother and expressing remorse for his actions. "I wanted to tell Mynisha's family I'm sorry for their loss," Greenwood said quietly. "It was never my intention for their daughter to get hurt."
Greenwood's sister, Cynthia Jones, cried uncontrollably and had to leave the courtroom. Her friend, Jay Bib, held her and said, "There are victims on both sides." Harold Phillips Sr., who watched quietly as his son was sentenced, said his son asked his mother not to come to court today.
"It's a travesty. It was unintentional," Phillips Sr. said of his son's sentence. "I'm unemployed but I hope to be counseling youth soon to prevent them from making the same mistakes my son made."
The pair were among a dozen San Bernardino gang members involved in the Nov. 13, 2005, shooting. According to the San Bernardino County probation report, the gang sought revenge for the killing of fellow gang member Barry Jones four days earlier.

In retaliation, they fired into an apartment they believed housed a member of the rival gang. Authorities have said that the gang member they were after had moved out and Mynisha's family had nothing to do with gangs.

Mynisha was shot in the chest and died shortly after arriving at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Her sister was shot in the arm and survived.

Other defendants in the case are awaiting trial or sentencing. Sinque Beiama Morrison, 32, will be retried following a mistrial which was declared May 5. Michael Barnett Jr., 21, also is being tried separately. One man, Tyshon Karrien Harris, is already in state prison, and two others are expected to be sentenced Aug. 22.

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fugitive Italian Mafia leader, Salvatore Parisi, was arrested

fugitive Italian Mafia leader, Salvatore Parisi, was arrested on Friday by the Italian Carabinieri or paramilitary police on the outskirts of the Sicilian town of Monreale. Parisi, 54, has been accused by the anti-Mafia authorities in Catania of being part of a criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking. The authorities in the Sicilian capital Palermo also believe that he is a top member of the notorious Porta Nuova Sicilian Mafia family in Palermo. Reports say that the Mafia leader was hiding out in an apartment close to Monreale. When he saw the Carabinieri approach, he attempted to escape on a scooter but was arrested a few minutes later.
Parisi has already escaped arrest twice before, first in October 2007 in an operation carried out by the authorities in Syracuse in eastern Sicily and in February this year in a separate operation jointly conducted by the Italian police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. Italy's four main criminal organisations are the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra in Naples and the surrounding Campania region, the 'Ndrangheta in the southern region of Calabria, and the Sacra Corona Unita in the southern Puglia region.

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Busted three individuals associated with gang activity

Chilliwack RCMP busted three individuals associated with gang activity Wednesday evening, and, in the process, found a stash of drugs and drug paraphernalia as well as some unusual weapons at a local home.The Crime Reduction Unit noticed an apparent drug sale taking place near the intersection of Young Road and Hocking Avenue at 7:10 p.m. on July 9. They apprehended the three suspects on charges of trafficking in a controlled substance and also obtained a search warrant for a residence associated with the individuals.Police conducted a search of a home at the 46300 block of Chilliwack Central Road where they found various equipment likely being used to prepare drugs for sale on the street.
That would be things like scales, baggies, materials to cut drugs," RCMP spokesperson Const. Lea-Anne Dunlop said.Investigators also found approximately 11 grams of heroin, equalling about 110 street buys, and approximately 30 grams of crack cocaine, which amounts to about 150 street buys, at the residence. The police estimate the value of the drugs to be about $4,700.During the search, they also recovered a crossbow and a prohibited sword cane.The Chilliwack RCMP Crime Reduction Unit is focusing on several organized crime and gang members related to drug trade in the area, a business they estimate is tied to approximately 90 per cent of all property crime in the community. Police also say the three arrested during Wednesday's bust are likely part of this network."The three individuals are known to police and are known to have organized crime associations," Dunlop said.The three were in custody at press time and expected to appear in provincial court in Chilliwack.

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20-year-old facing the second-degree felony charges told police he is a "Blood" and a member of the Black Mafia Gangsters and Piru Street Gang

20-year-old man was charged with aggravated robbery with a gang penalty enhancement after robbing two men, beating them up and leaving them in the middle of a baseball field in their underwear.
The two men met up in the baseball field at Bingham High School on June 26 when they were approached by a man carrying a handgun who told them to empty their pockets, according to court documents filed in the 3rd District Court on Thursday.
The man with the gun pointed it toward the head of one of the victims and said, "I should just shoot you right now," the documents state. While they were being robbed, the victims also saw five more men coming toward them, including the 20-year-old facing charges.
That man and the others then kicked and punched the two victims until one of them lost consciousness, according to court documents.
At some point, the men ordered the two victims to undress, and left them on the field wearing only their underwear and socks.
The attackers took the victims' clothing, car keys, cell phones and wallets.
The 20-year-old facing the second-degree felony charges told police he is a self-proclaimed "Blood" and a member of both the Black Mafia Gangsters and Piru street gangs.

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One Order and Klansman police have the names of the four suspects involved in the murder and are in hot pursuit of them.

Word has been spreading in Spanish Town and its environs that the peace between criminal gangs---One Order and Klansman--has been broken.Sources say tension has been high in the old capital following the murder of the Chairman of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company, Douglas Chambers.
Members of the Klansman Gang have been accused of carrying out the killing.
But speaking with RJR News, Operations Officers for the Area Five Police, Superintendent Newton Amos is urging residents of Spanish Town to remain calm.He urged residents to allow the police to carry out the investigation into the murder of Mr. Chambers and to desist from any form of violence.According to Superintendent Amos the police have been making progress in the investigations."We believe that so far the investigations are heading in the right direction what we are asking is that members of the public especially those who are in a position to determine people's thinking and thought that we do not be reckless or careless in making assumptions on a serious matter like this,"
"If there is a concern it should be channeled through the police so that we don't heighten the tension that now exist in Spanish Town between those two rival gangs,"He said the police have the names of the four suspects involved in the murder and are in hot pursuit of them. "We are raiding and picking up people and we will continue in this direction. We are well aware of those who may have been involved and therefore the investigation that is being led by ACP Carl Williams in charge of Area Five and the team...we only ask people to be patient because when we are finished with the file we are sure that those who are responsible will be held and brought before the courts," he said.

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Vato Loco Boys, Sureno 13, Players for Life, and North Side Gangsters arrests

Nine of the gang members were arrested based on outstanding state arrest warrants and are being held in state custody on criminal charges including burglary, theft, assault, drive-by shootings, weapons violations and various misdemeanor charges. All nine are under immigration detainers so that if they're released from state custody, they'll be detained by ICE. All 22 people arrested are from Mexico, and allegedly are associated with the Vato Loco Boys, Sureno 13, Players for Life, and North Side Gangsters. (ICE news release, July 2)In a three-day operation ending June 27 in the Richmond, Va., metropolitan area, ICE Gang Investigation Unit special agents arrested 20 people the agency described as "known gang members" and 21 it referred to as "identified gang associates" from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. (In past sweeps, the agency has implied that "gang associates" may include family members cohabiting with the alleged gang members—see INB, Oct. 28, 2007) According to ICE, those arrested were affiliated with the MS-13, Sur-13, Latin Kings, and Vatos Locos street gangs. ICE said five search warrants were served and "numerous cases are being presented for federal and/or state prosecution."The operation involved collaboration with agencies including the Virginia State Police, Virginia Office of the Attorney General, US Attorney of the Eastern District of Virginia, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Chesterfield County Police Department, Chesterfield County Probation and Parole, United States Secret Service, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the US Postal Inspection Service. (ICE news release, June 27)In a statewide New Jersey operation carried out from June 15 through June 21, led by the ICE Office of Investigation in Newark, agents arrested 76 "gang members" and 20 "gang associates" from El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. The gang members allegedly belong to the MS-13, La Mugre, LA-13, DDP, Trinitarios, Mexican Mafia, Los Pitufos, Vatos Locos, Bloods and Crips street gangs. According to ICE, only three cases are to be presented for federal prosecution, while seven people were arrested on state charges and 30 of those arrested were merely "unlawfully present" in the US. Three weapons were seized along with what ICE described as "gang paraphernalia." Agencies collaborating in the sweep included the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, West New York Police Department, Newark Police Department, New Brunswick Police Department, Passaic Police Department, Union City Police Department, Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, and Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office. (ICE news release, June 23; The Record, Hackensack, NJ, June 24)In a two-day operation announced June 12, ICE agents arrested, or in some cases assisted in arresting, 22 people in the area of Brockton, Mass. Those arrested included 11 "gang members and associates" and 11 other people accused of federal and/or state criminal violations, including administrative immigration violations, who were encountered during the operation. Of the 22 people arrested, 16 are US permanent residents whose criminal convictions may render them eligible for deportation, according to ICE, while five are living in the US without permission and one had a prior deportation order. The arrested immigrants are from Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Haiti. The operation was carried out in partnership with the Brockton Police Department, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office, the US Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, ATF, the Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance, and the police departments of the Massachusetts cities of Boston, Fall River, Stoughton and Taunton. (ICE news release, June 12)In a statewide Georgia operation culminating on June 7, ICE agents arrested or helped to arrest 127 nationals of Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala who were living in Dalton, Savannah, Albany and the Atlanta metropolitan area. Those arrested included 122 people the agency identified as gang members, and five it identified as gang associates. Seven people were to be prosecuted on federal charges of illegal re-entry after deportation, and 19 were arrested for state charges or had outstanding arrest warrants. Two weapons were seized during the operation.
Cooperating agencies included the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the ATF, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI); the city police departments of Atlanta, Canton, Cartersville, Chamblee, Dalton, Forest Park, Gainesville, Kennesaw, Marietta, Powder Spring, Roswell, and Sandy Springs; the county police departments of Clayton County, Cobb County, Dekalb County, Gwinnett County and Henry County; and the sheriff's offices of Atkinson County, Bartow County, Cherokee County, Coffee County, Douglas County, Forsyth County, Gwinnett County, Hall County, Rockdale County, Tift County and Whitfield County. (ICE news release, June 10)In a six-day ICE-led operation announced on June 8, 149 people were arrested in the Texas cities of Houston, Conroe, Galveston, Sugar Land, Bryan, Richmond, Beaumont and Corpus Christi. According to ICE, 67 of those arrested were "gang members and their associates," allegedly affiliated with 22 different street gangs. Of the total 149 people arrested, 32 were US citizens arrested on outstanding warrants. The 117 non-citizens arrested in the sweep were from Belize, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Pakistan. Seven of those arrested were females. Of the 67 people who were identified as "gang members and associates," 20 were arrested on outstanding state arrest warrants and turned over to local authorities; one was arrested on an outstanding federal drug arrest warrant. The other 46 people arrested were present in the US without permission; 28 of them are facing federal criminal charges for illegal entry or illegal re-entry after deportation.The Air and Marine branch of US Customs and Border Protection provided air support for the operation. Other agencies assisting the operation included the Houston Police Department's Gang Task Force and the police forces of the cities of Beaumont, Conroe, Corpus Christi, La Porte, Orange, Port Arthur and South Houston; the sheriffs' offices of Brazos, Fort Bend, Harris, Jefferson and Montgomery counties; and US Postal Inspectors, FBI, ATF, and the US Attorney's Offices for the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas. (ICE news release, June 8)From June 2 to 5, agents operating out of ICE's office in San Antonio, Texas arrested 32 "gang members and associates," including 23 in San Antonio and a total of nine in Austin, Laredo and Harlingen. Of the 23 detained in San Antonio, 18 were arrested on state criminal charges while seven were arrested on federal charges. Agencies participating in the operation included: San Antonio Police Department, ATF, US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, US Marshals Service's Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, Bexar County Sheriff's Department and Bexar County District Attorney's Office. (ICE news release, June 6)

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Mob boss Shaun Te Kahu and mob member Barry James Pennicott have been jointly charged with arson

Mob boss Shaun Te Kahu, 37, and mob member Barry James Pennicott, 27, have been jointly charged with arson and appeared on the fresh charges in the Invercargill District Court yesterday.They have also been jointly charged with aggravated burglary armed with a hammer and an air rifle of the Road Knights' headquarters, while Pennicott also faces two fresh theft charges.
The pair are among a group of mob members arrested on a raft of charges late last month.As well as the new charges laid yesterday, Te Kahu also faces two charges of theft of Harley Davidson motorbikes and two charges of intentionally damaging those motorbikes by fire, while Pennicott faces charges of intentionally damaging two motorbikes.Also appearing yesterday were Craig Arthur Reid, 36, and Pihama John Tauroa, 32, who are jointly charged with Pennicott on the intentional damage charges. None of the four men entered pleas to any of the charges, nor were any applications made for bail. All four were remanded in custody to July 15.Invercargill CIB head Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Cowie said the arson charges did not mean the end of the investigation into the fire."We're happy to get to this point but the investigation is ongoing." Yesterday's additional charges had been laid as a result of police investigations and in tracking down witnesses to the fire, he said.While police were still probing the Balmoral Dr fire they had also yet to conclude investigations into a house fire in Severn St next to the Mongrel Mob's headquarters two days after the initial fire, he said.The armed offenders squad, bolstered by police reinforcements from Dunedin, was maintaining a high presence on Invercargill streets to quash any potential gang flare-ups, Mr Cowie said.

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Brolin Delmont Berry member of Gangster Disciple gang in Chattanooga received a 10-year sentence

Reputed Gang Leader Berry Gets 10 Years For Sale Of Cocaine
Reputed gang leader Brolin Delmont Berry on Monday received a 10-year
sentence for selling more than 50 grams of cocaine last November.leaders of the Gangster Disciple gang in Chattanooga. A gang which according to Berry, is 180 strong. He said the Chicago gang had 70,000 members, and nationwide the Gangster Disciples counted a million members.Berry has an extensive criminal record, although he has no prior felonies and none of his previous charges involve weapons or violence, officials said.Judge Mattice said he had carefully read all of the letters in the defendant's behalf and he had some response before announcing the sentence."Mr. Berry, from what I've read in these letters, you must be leading a double life. You appear to be a good family man who does good work in the community, but I can't believe you would be involved in such illegal activity," Judge Mattice addressed the defendent."You have an extensive criminal history with very little time served. We try to send a message when we give people a second chance, but people must learn from their mistakes.
"If you don't, you eventually get prosecuted in a federal court room and that's the case here today," Judge Mattice added.Berry said he is not a bad person and not really involved in gang activity like was originally thought.He then asked the court for another chance.Judge Mattice then added provisions for drug and alcohol treatment for Berry while he's incarcerated.He said, "You are a relatively-young man who I hope will learn from this experience and become a positive member of our society."I'm also asking that you be given a good medical evaluation and that you receive a minimum of 500 hours of drug abuse treatment."Angela Glover was also scheduled for sentencing on charges of theft of $83,000 from the Business Development Center in North Chattanooga.
Ms. Glover, the former director of that center, had been fired in December 2006 on charges of accounting discrepancies.Her case was passed until Aug. 18, when she faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine up to $1 million as well as requirement to make restitution.

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Rosario "Ross" Gangemi died of natural causes in a Melbourne hospital

The funeral of Rosario "Ross" Gangemi would probably have looked, and sounded, much the same if it had been held in his birthplace in Calabria, Italy, rather than in Moonee Ponds.More than 250 mourners attended the service on Monday, among them the high profile industrial negotiator and gangland figure Mick Gatto.Many of the congregation that packed St Monica's Catholic Church had also been seen at funerals well known to viewers of the Underbelly television series.But on Monday, their shirt buttons were done up to the neck, ties were neatly in place and proper homage was shown for a man who had almost no public profile, but who commanded plenty of quiet respect.A steady stream of limousines delivered those who remain of the generations of Italians who did their business, whatever it was, without ostentation.Small men in cashmere overcoats over dark suits kissed cheeks as they arrived and moved into the church, the most senior taking the reserved seats nearest the front.Gangemi was one of the most influential members of the Calabrian Mafia - the 'Ndrangheta - in Victoria.Since his death, his links to Melbourne's Benvenuto family which once ran the criminal rackets that flourished at the city's fruit and vegetable market, have been revealed.Frank Benvenuto, son of the former "Godfather" Liborio Benvenuto, was one of the 20-plus victims of Melbourne's recent underworld murder spree.Australian police believe Gangemi was instrumental in extortion at the markets and Italian police implicated him in the 1963 murder of Melbourne underworld figure Vincente Angilletta.Gangemi died of natural causes in a Melbourne hospital last Saturday week.

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"full patched" member of the Bandidos the sergeant-at-arms, the club's enforcer, for the Cairns chapter testified against his "mates".

In August last year,"full patched" member of the Bandidos the sergeant-at-arms, the club's enforcer, for the Cairns chapter testified against his "mates".
and another Bandido, who cannot be named, pleaded guilty to their role in the arson and received five years' jail, wholly suspended.
Last week, Brisbane District Court Judge Gilbert Trafford-Walker sentenced Whittaker, 33, and Thomsen to five years' jail, to be suspended after they have served 20 months, for the "more significant part they played".
He then handed Glavas, 47, a four-year sentence for his role in planning and providing tools, to be suspended after serving 16 months.
John Debilla, the getaway driver who was not a gang member, was jailed for three years, to be suspended immediately.AKA Steve remains in hiding and knows he can never return to Queensland."Almost every day I wake up and check my car for bombs. I change cars a lot and never stick to routine."The day they attack me is the day I will go to jail for the rest of my life . . . if I don't die."Steve formally joined the Bandidos in 2004 after being involved with bikie gangs for 14 years."I joined because I liked the men and the whole brotherhood thing, the loyalty and respect," said Steve, who had met several members while earning a living as a drug dealer on the Sunshine Coast.His criminal connections and past dealings with the club ensured a rapid rise through the ranks.Within 12 months, Steve was made a "full patched" member of the Bandidos and was the sergeant-at-arms, the club's enforcer, for the Cairns chapter."It's a lifestyle. It takes your whole life and your life completely changes. Your family becomes a Bandido . . . the club comes first and all your brothers come first," he said.
"We were a law unto ourselves. There is no feeling in the world of riding in the front of a pack of 500 men . . . you feel unstoppable."
Steve embarked on hedonistic binges on drugs and alcohol that could last for weeks.
"I didn't really use drugs before joining the club, then I was popping 20 pills and snorting lines of coke," he said.
Senior Bandidos had dubbed Steve "the future of Queensland" because of his diehard loyalty to the club's needs.
"I would do anything for the club. I have done s--- that I will never talk about and I have paid with my life a hundred times."The Bandidos are one of 12 outlaw bikie gangs that now have chapters in Queensland, boasting more than 700 members, according to police estimates. The stakes are high for these gangs. Financial rewards are dependent on the protection and expansion of criminal enterprise.Territories, often designated by the presence of a clubhouse and member-owned businesses, ensure ongoing profitability.Steve said crime and the outlaw bikie gang culture of "one-percenters", those bikies who declare themselves the 1 per cent of society who defy the law, go hand-in-hand.
"While you've got an outlaw culture, you've got crime . . . even if you have never done a crime before in your life, you soon will," he said.
The gangs are involved in criminal activities ranging from drug distribution to extortion and contract killings.It is a culture whose members' propensity for violence to resolve conflict has played out nationwide in shootouts, murder, bashings and firebombings.
Chapters each have members with "underground connections" but most will set up their criminal enterprises at a distance so as not to bring "heat" on the club.
The Bandidos also have a strict code of conduct – mandatory attendance at the clubhouse every Friday night, never leaving before the president, and strict dress code.Members are expected to pay a monthly fee to help with maintenance, rent and other members experiencing financial difficulty."I was pretty wealthy when I came into the club and I left broke, owing money to other members; at one stage, I was in debt $50,000."As sergeant-at-arms, meting out brutal beatings to fellow members and externally to anyone who stood in their way became a frequent "duty" for Steve.He was convicted of assault and grievous bodily harm in Cairns after a brawl with police when they tried to question the group over a bashing at a local hotel.
He would not detail the penalties for members if they broke club rules, saying only that punishment varied from fines to demotion within the club and being assaulted.
About two years ago, gang life turned treacherous at Steve's Brisbane chapter as a national war between the Bandidos and Rebels erupted.The bloody feud between the country's two largest gangs was sparked by the defection to the Bandidos of several senior interstate members of the Rebels."The law within the clubs is that to defect to another club you have to have left your club for two years in good standing. There has to be a cooling-off period of two years," Steve said.
Defection between clubs was taken seriously as gangs fear members will betray secrets, leaving them vulnerable to attack.
The battle reached a point where once-sacred areas such as members' homes and businesses were no longer no-go areas."You see a Rebel in a shopping centre, it's your job as a Bandido to take him out, no matter what, otherwise you'll be thrown out of the club," Steve said.
"The war between the Bandidos and Rebels has been going for two years. The last one went for seven and I don't ever see this one ending."An attack on a Sunshine Coast Rebel in 2006 by Bandidos sparked a series of violent clashes and broke an already uneasy truce between the Queensland-based gangs, which had decided to keep clear of the national war. The Rebel was run off the road and bashed, suffering serious spinal injuries. He told police he had been in a traffic accident.In February last year, in an alleged revenge attack, members of the Rebels drove into a group of Bandidos riding in formation at Ningi near Bribie Island.The Rebels, who have been charged over the incident, allegedly bashed Bandidos with baseball bats and axe handles.
"I had taken some leave at the time, because I needed a break," Steve said. "The loyalty and respect had gone in our chapter. Before you could trust a brother with your life, but that was gone. (But) I was getting calls that brothers were getting hurt and I had to go back.
"After this happened (Ningi), there was a lot of talk about revenge on the Rebels."
It was this event which lead to Steve's downfall.
In what many would believe to be a suicide mission, Steve and three fellow gang members torched the Rebels' "mother" clubhouse at Albion on Brisbane's northside.
Steve said he was forced to take part in the revenge arson attack or he would have been "beaten to a pulp". Had he refused to take part, his club would have ejected him on "bad standings", leaving him open to attack from every member of the Bandidos.
He said they would have attacked him on sight and removed his club tattoos with an angle-grinder or oxy-torch.
"If I had been thrown out, they also would have called the Rebels and said I had been kicked out of the club because I had done the arson.
"I had nowhere to go," he said.
Steve later told police that discussions about the revenge attack had been held between himself, club vice-president Ivan Glavas, sergeant-at-arms Kenneth James Whittaker and the then past-president Blair Raymond Thomsen.
He said an initial attempt on the Rebels' Albion clubhouse on March 26 last year failed, but Thomsen ordered Steve to leave a business card from the Bandidos' Sunshine Coast chapter in the door.
"The reason I think he wanted to do the (Albion) clubhouse is because there is more history, more memorabilia, it's the mother chapter of the Rebels," Steve said.
The following day, the four men again entered the property.
Whittaker climbed on the roof and was passed four jerry cans containing 40 litres of petrol that he poured through a hole he made using a crowbar. He then tossed a lit match into the building and leapt to safety as the clubhouse exploded.
In the days following the arson, Steve said, he had armed confrontations with members of the Rebels, after they twice attacked him on the Sunshine Coast.
In the first attack at his Yandina rental property, he woke in the early hours of the morning to hear people on his roof.
"I put my family in the bathroom and I ran out with a shotgun and handgun just firing shots . . . I saw them and knew who it was."
No one was harmed in the incident which Steve never reported to police.
The second attack was outside a paint shop at Nambour when he and another member were allegedly confronted by three armed men.
He said the men knew he was there after being tipped off by a mutual associate who kept them updated about Steve's movements.
"They (allegedly) fired shots into my car, they missed me but shot a chunk of my hair off as I dived into the air . . . I was unarmed at the time. But if I had been, someone would have died," he said.
The following morning, Steve confronted one of the men at gunpoint over the incident saying his family could have been in the car when they attacked. He refused to talk to police.
"The cops came and we had to flick our guns . . . it was serious s---."
Steve said he asked for help from his club, but received none.
"We wore no balaclavas, no gloves, and I read in the news police had tape of the arson. I felt like my brothers had abandoned me and I didn't want to lose my family.
"I was left with no choice but being the fall guy."
At the same time the Queensland police bikie Taskforce Hydra was closing in on the Bandidos and raided Steve's Sunshine Coast home, which was in Rebel territory.
Frightened for the safety of his family and feeling like he had nowhere to go, Steve did the "unthinkable" and turned to the police task force for help.
"It nearly killed me doing it, turning on the club."

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Robert English high-ranking leader of a local street gang now is in jail awaiting trial after being charged for threatening area residents with a gun

Berwyn man known as a high-ranking leader of a local street gang now is in jail awaiting trial after being charged for threatening area residents with a gun.
Bond was revoked for Robert English, 32, 3826 Euclid Ave., Berwyn, at a preliminary hearing Tuesday after he was charged with one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon within 1,000 feet of a park and three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.Cicero gang crimes tactical officers arrested English late Saturday night after a resident reported a man with a gun on the 1300 block of 57th Court in Cicero, police said.According to reports, English was brandishing his gun at unarmed people in the neighborhood in a threatening manner, and police recovered the weapon.Before the arrest, English had been out on bond awaiting trial for child endangerment charges in Berwyn. In May, Berwyn police said he co-hosted a large party at his home where two young children were present, dozens of gang members were cited with disorderly conduct, and one man was charged with felony possession of a weapon.English also was awaiting trial on charges of aggravated battery against a Cicero police officer in February and an armed robbery in Chicago last month.English faces up to 30 years in prison for the charges, according to a Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman.Cicero police spokesperson Dan Proft said English is known as a high-ranking leader of a local street gang and has an extensive criminal history.
“This is someone police are very familiar with, and it’s through dealing with thugs like this guy that police know how the hierarchy and personnel work within a local street gang ... and his position in it,” Proft said, adding that the Cicero Police gang crimes unit has information cards on more than 6,000 known gang members

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Hells Angels Santa Rosa clubhouse raided by a SWAT team using an armored vehicle

Santa Rosa clubhouse of the Hells Angels was raided early Wednesday by a SWAT team using an armored vehicle, as part of raids that also hit the Healdsburg home of a suspected gang member and the club's San Francisco headquarters.Investigators sought evidence to document club membership and criminal connections involving Jonathan Joseph Nelson of Healdsburg and Mark Anthony Guardado of San Francisco, both suspects in beatings last spring in Petaluma."We're looking for supporting evidence about who these people are," Petaluma Police Capt. Dave Sears said.
The two men have been charged in connection with an altercation in February outside McNear's Saloon & Dining House in Petaluma. A man was jumped and badly beaten, eve after he lost consciousness, Sears said.The two also were charged in a March beating that injured a man outside Henny Penny's restaurant on the north end of Petaluma Boulevard, Sears said.Nelson and Guardado have pleaded not guilty in both cases, according to court records.The felony charges include allegations the two men acted in participation with a criminal street gang -- allegations that could add prison time if they are convicted.Investigators also sought information bolstering assertions that both men hold or held high-ranking positions in the organization. A Sonoma County sheriff's department attorney identified Nelson as vice president of the Sonoma County chapter and Guardado as president of the San Francisco chapter during court testimony in May.Their attorneys have argued there is no evidence linking them to gang activity. Hells Angels members say they are wrongly linked to criminal conduct, arguing they are a social motorcycle club and not a gang.
Defense attorney Martin Woods, who represents Nelson in the case, on Wednesday cited a federal court of appeals decision ruling it lawful to associate with the Hells Angels."Within Sonoma County itself there have been have been different opinions from different experts on the issue of whether the Hells Angels qualifies as a criminal street gang," Woods said. "It has been my belief that it does not, and that this case we're presently dealing with is where the prosecution is attempting to set some sort of precedent on the issue."Both defendants have filed $5 million claims against Sonoma County for excluding them from the courtroom because they were wearing shirts with Hells Angels insignia.Superior Court Judge Ken Gnoss had prohibited the clothing on the grounds that the symbols are meant to intimidate and threaten.Nelson's Healdsburg home on Oak Leaf Avenue was one of the three locations searched simultaneously beginning at about 5 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators did not say if he was home at the time.Petaluma police served the search warrant there, while Santa Rosa SWAT members raided the Santa Rosa clubhouse on Frazier Avenue.
Two FBI tactical teams conducted the search in San Francisco, where Guardado was arrested on an unrelated charge of alleged drug possession, Sears said.
No arrests were made in Sonoma County, Sears said.At the Santa Rosa clubhouse off Petaluma Hill Road, the black steel door with the club decal had been battered, apparently in authorities' attempts to get in. They ultimately entered through another door.

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Man was stabbed and shots were fired during a fight between rival outlaw motorcycle gangs at a Los Banos peace rally

man was stabbed and shots were fired during a fight between rival outlaw motorcycle gangs at a Los Banos peace rally on Saturday.The incident occurred at Victory Outreach Church’s Stop the Violence Rally held at Pacheco Park, according to Los Banos Police Department Commander Dan Fitchie.
The rally, which also included a car and bike show, was attended by numerous members of the Mongols motorcycle gang.There were no problems until approximately 3 p.m., when nearly a dozen members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang rode by the park and confronted the Mongols, Fitchie said.An argument ensued between rival gangs, and quickly escalated to a physical fight, Fitchie said. During the fight allegedly five or six shots were fired from a .40 caliber handgun.Fitchie said it doesn’t appear that anyone was struck by the bullets being fired but during the fight but a Hells Angel prospect -- somebody who is trying to join the motorcycle gang -- sustained a stab wound to his left torso.The victim was airlifted to Memorial Hospital in Modesto where he was treated and released.Several law enforcement agencies, including off-duty officers from the Los Banos Police Department, Merced County Sheriff’s deputies and California Highway Patrol officers, descended on Pacheco Park to investigate the incident.During the investigation, Fitchie said police recovered several shell casings and two unfired bullets. Police also discovered a magazine to a semi-automatic weapon during a pat-down of one of the participants, identified as Atwater resident Kellen Brenton. Brenton, 58, is a member of the Hells Angels according to police.Brenton also allegedly had a whip with a metal handle on his motorcycle. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of possession of a dangerous weapon.According to a Merced County Jail spokesman, Brenton is still in custody at the main detention facility in Merced, his bail has been set at $500,000.Further investigation brought officers to a Los Banos house where several of the Hells Angels had congregated. A search warrant was obtained to try and locate the gun used in the shooting but no weapon was found inside the residence.Fitchie said he is waiting for results from a gunshot-residue test to see who the person was that fired the bullets. He added that reports show that it was a member of the Hells Angels gang that allegedly fired the weapon."The investigation is continuing as it appears tensions are mounting and we have concerns (the violence) will continue," Fitchie said.
A motorcycle show scheduled for July 11 at the Los Banos Fairgrounds will have more security than usual, he said.
The Rev. Chris Castaneda from Victory Outreach Church said he was saddened by the incident. He said this was just the kind of violence his church was trying to bring awareness to.
"It kind of brings confirmation, there is a violent element in our city," Castaneda said. "You know I remember a time when you could say that Los Banos was a very safe place."Victory Outreach has held the anti-violence rally off-and-on for the past eight years as a way to communicate to youth the risks of becoming involved in drugs and gang activity.
Castaneda also said next year's event will go on as usual. If anything he is more determined to get more people involved."We have to bring awareness and come together as a community," he said.

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maximum security Edmonton prison clash between rival prison gangs during a recreation period Tuesday afternoon

clash between rival prison gangs during a recreation period Tuesday afternoon at the Edmonton Institution. It wasn't known Wednesday which gangs were involved.
The men were wielding homemade knives and eight of them were stabbed. One inmate was shot by a guard, said Correctional Services of Canada spokesman Rick Dhym.
"Warning shots were fired," said Mr. Dhym. "He refused to give up his weapon and stop attacking another inmate."
Ground ambulances and a helicopter were called to the prison northwest of Edmonton to transport the injured men to hospitals in the city.
About 40 inmates remained in the yard, refusing to go back to their cells. Guards had only recovered three weapons at that point and were concerned that some of the men still had knives, Mr. Dhym said.Yells could be heard from outside the gates as guards attempted to negotiate with the men.
At one point a man yelled, "Give us some f---ing water!"
The negotiations didn't work.The inmates broke into a fenced off-area where nine cords of wood, enough to fill the boxes of nine pickup trucks, were kept for an on-site ceremonial sweat lodge.By 10 p.m. local time, two fires were blazing in the yard and three fire trucks were sitting in the prison parking lot on standby.Inmates set the prison sweat lodge ablaze and guards shot six canisters of tear gas into the yard about an hour later.As flames shot further into the night sky, the firefighters could no longer attack the blaze from above with aerial hoses, fire spokeswoman Nikki Booth said.A crew of four firefighters had to go into the yard.
"They had to unroll their hoses and get escorted in" by a tactical unit, Ms. Booth said. "These are not situations that paramedics or firefighters generally face."After the tear gas ended the standoff, around 11:20 p.m. local time, prisoners were taken from the yard one at a time, strip-searched for weapons, washed down and returned to their cells, Mr. Dhym said.The maximum security prison remained under lockdown Wednesday, as police and correctional officers investigated what happened.
No prison staff members were injured during the incident.
Eight people were taken to hospitals Tuesday. Two were in critical condition. Two more people were treated at hospital Wednesday for minor injuries.It is not clear what the inmates were trying to negotiate for.Violent incidents are not uncommon in the maximum security prison, said Kevin Grabowsky, regional president for the union that represents correctional officers.
"Our gang problems are pretty serious. There's always a tension inside," he said.
In June 2007, 60 inmates refused to go back into their cells and broke into the sweat lodge area, burning the wood inside and some plastic chairs. In 2001, seven inmates were injured in a violent incident when 50 men refused to re-enter their cells.

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Gypsy Jokers motorcycle gang leader has been arrested after police seized a cache of weapons from a Blair Athol house

senior member of the Gypsy Jokers motorcycle gang has been arrested after police seized a cache of weapons from a Blair Athol house yesterday.
Police from the Crime Gangs Taskforce and Firearms Branch confiscated a sawn-off shotgun, knives, a baton and some drugs.
Two 48-year-old men from Blair Athol have been granted bail on firearms and weapons offences, to reappear in Holden Hill Court at a later date.

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Keith Cowell, 52, his son Matthew, 17, and 33-year-old lorry driver Tony Dulieu - were slaughtered by sub-machine gun in an underworld feud

Ian Jennings heard gun shots, screaming and crying as a he hid in the back garden of a suburban home after escaping the carnage.The three victims - Keith Cowell, 52, his son Matthew, 17, and 33-year-old lorry driver Tony Dulieu - were slaughtered by sub-machine gun in an underworld feud over the quality of cocaine that had been supplied by Jennings, St Albans crown court heard.Jennings's mother Christine, 54, was shot in the foot and stabbed andMatthew's girlfriend Claire Evans, 23, was also stabbed as she frantically protected her 4-year-old daughter Courtney in a bedroom.
Jennings, the man who had brought the drugs to the Cowells' house in Plaw Hatch Close, was saved because he was getting himself a drink in the kitchen when two men burst in.Shaven-headed Jennings, who was dressed in a track suit and trainers, told the jury: "Two Asian guys came in through the front door and told everyone to get on the floor. They shot the dog. I ran straight out through the kitchen, through the back door and into a passage to the rear garden.He said he tried to climb over a fence to escape but collapsed in stinging nettles. "All I could hear were gun shots, crying screaming and glass breaking." He said he heard his mum's voice and Claire and her baby screaming.Jennings said the noise lasted for four or five minutes before he heard a car screech off.The prosecution says the man armed with the machine gun was Miran Thakrar, who was angry after having been supplied with low grade cocaine for 16,000 in a previous deal. He had been expected to receive a higher grade of the drug called 'Shine'.He said the first deal had come about when Matthew told him he wanted to sell some 'Shine' cocaine to Miran Thakrar, known as Mike, whom he met at a funeral. Jennings said he was not happy about dealing with Mike because he did not know him. But he said the Cowells had assured him he was all right."They said they knew the person and said they were happy to deal with him. They said his father had nightclubs and he was wearing Armani suits," he said. Also there was no Shine available he supplied the Cowells with the low grade 'Repress' to supply to Mike.Miran Thakrar was furious when he realised he had not received Shine and made threats to the Cowells saying he wanted his money back, it was alleged.
Jennings told them to get "Mike" to contact him. In an angry phone call he said Mike threatened to "put one in" Matthew and Keith Cowell over the drug deal and made threats to him. He said: "He was talking like a 'Tupac rapper' or some gangster. I told him to 'f*** off.'"But, he said, two days later Mike phoned again, said he was sorry and asked to do a second deal, this time for a kilo of cocaine. A price of
£30,000 was agreed he said. The exchange was to be made at the Cowells' home on August 28 last year.Jennings and the two Cowells had each made £500 on the previous deal. But he said this time the Cowells were not making any money and he was only receiving £500.He said he recognised Mike's voice as he shouted at the victims to get on the ground because he had spoken to him several times on the phone.
Miran Thakrar, 24, and Kevan Thakrar, 21, plead not guilty to the murder of Keith and Matthew Cowell and Tony Dulieu, from Billericay, Essex, at the Cowells' home in Plaw Hatch Close, Bishop Stortford on August 28 last year.Miran Thakrar, of no fixed address, and Kevan, of Lomond Way, Stevenage, also deny the attempted murders of Claire Evans and Christine Jennings in the house on the same day and having an Ingram Mac 10 sub machine gun with intent.Their brother Jay Thakrar, 25, of Lomond Way, Stevenage, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assisting an offender. One relates to providing petrol between August 27 and August 30 for the burning of a car used by Miran Thakrar, and the other alleges he assisted Kevan Thakrar to evade arrest.Their father Atul Thakrar, 47, of Compton Place, Northwood, Middlesex, has pleaded not guilty to assisting Kevan Thakrar to attempt to leave the UK between August 28 and September 5.Co-defendant Amanda Dansie, 21, of High Street, Buntingford, has pleaded not guilty to assisting in the escape of Miran Thakrar from the UK between August 28 and September 9.Yilay Tufensoy, 20, of Nags Head Road, Enfield, denies two charges of assisting an offender. In one charge he is alleged to have assisted Miran Thakrar flee the UK and in the other he is accused of assisting Kevan Thakrar's attempts to flee the UK.

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Red & White Crew (RWC), a division of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, has admitted to involvement in the brutal Gothenburg murder

29-year-old was indicted on Wednesday for a brutal Gothenburg murder in which investigators believe an innocent man was burned to death after being accidentally caught up in a gang feud.The incident took place in December 6th of last year following a fracas involving rival motorcycle gangs the night before.The following day, a 44-year-old labourer from Poland, who investigators now believe had nothing to do with the incident, became the victim of one of the most vicious murders in Gothenburg of the last decade.“I can state that the victim was alive when someone set him on fire. The man had previously been seriously stabbed and slashed with an axe,” said prosecutor Göran Hansson to the Göteborgs-Posten (GP) newspaper.
The 29-year-old, who has ties to the Red & White Crew (RWC), a division of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, has admitted to involvement in the crime.The accused, who describes himself as having a fixation with violence, has been judged mentally sound by forensic psychiatrists.However, there are indications that he may be sentenced to some form of psychiatric care if convicted.According to GP, it took police quite a long time to identify the 44-year-old victim, a Polish citizen who was working as a handyman on temporary employment visa.Two other men with ties to the RWC were also detained in connection with the crime, but were later released after a month in custody.However, one of the men, a 24-year-old, was arrested a few days later and will shortly stand trial on charges of having murdered a vegetable vendor in Säve, north of Gothenburg at the end of January

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'Big Willem' van Boxtel former president of Amsterdam's Hells Angels chapter is suing

former president of Amsterdam's Hells Angels chapter, 'Big Willem' van Boxtel, is suing the justice ministry for more than €1m in damages because his private and business life have been 'ruined' by groundless allegations against him. Van Boxtel was thrown out of the Angels after he was falsely accused of planning to blow up underworld leader Willem Holleeder. Other Hells Angels are also preparing claims, the Parool reports on Wednesday.

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Darnell Snell arrested for allegedly carrying a concealed 9-mm handgun to a Bloods street gang member's funeral in Roosevelt

arrest of Darnell Snell, 25, undercover police detectives at the funeral noticed that Snell kept adjusting an object in his waistband -- an object that looked like a handgun, police said.The detectives closed in on Snell, of 93 North 17th St., Wyandanch, and arrested him on a weapons possession charge after they found a loaded 9-mm handgun in his waistband, police said.Snell was arraigned in First District Court, Hempstead, on Saturday before Judge Rhonda Fischer, who set bail at $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash. As of Monday, Snell had not posted bail, court records showed.
The Friday arrest came after Nassau police sent undercover Bureau of Special Operations officers to the area of St. Francis and Frederick avenues for an intensive patrol during the Bloods gang member's funeral.
One of the officers saw Snell "adjusting what appeared to be a handgun in his waistband. After seeing the defendant adjust his waistband a second time," officers moved in and arrested Snell without incident, a police report said

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Grenade exploded in south Dublin yesterday morning as gang warfare restarts

A rock was used to smash the front door window of the family home in Drimnagh, before the grenade was thrown into the property.The attack occurred about 20 minutes after the family had gone to bed. They had been watching television until 2am. The grenade was identified as being a lethal Yugoslav fragmentation device, which exploded with such ferocity that shards of metal riddled radiators and walls throughout the house, even reaching as far as the attic.The indentations in the walls were described as "bullet-like".Garda sources said the attack was the latest violent incident in a murderous feud between south Dublin gangs. It followed an attack on another house in Drimnagh last week in which a grandmother was shot and a baby narrowly escaped injury. There was also an attack on the home of two elderly grandparents.Garda sources said it was a miracle the four adults and two children asleep in the property were not seriously injured or killed in yesterday morning's attack.
The intended target --a suspected associate of the leader of one of the warring gangs -- was not at home.A red Fiat Punto, later found burnt out nearby, is being examined by forensics experts to see if it was used in the grenade assault.
Garda sources say innocent relatives, including parents and children of gang members, are now being seen as legitimate targets in the feuding as leaders of the factions and their henchmen protect themselves with tight security.
The south city residential enclaves of Crumlin and Drimnagh have been embroiled in a long-running feud between drugs gangs. One faction, led by drug dealer, Freddie Thompson, is at war with another gang, whose leader is behind bars but still thought to be directing his associates. They have access to guns and ammunitions, such as pipe bombs and grenades, some supplied by former dissident republicans. At least 10 lives have been claimed so far and scores more people have been injured.
Last week's cycle of violence began on Tuesday, when gunmen pulled up at a house in Knocknarea Avenue, in Drimnagh, and fired shots through the front door.
A grandmother in her 50s, who police said was an innocent bystander, was shot in the shoulder as she cradled an eight-month-old infant. She was released from St James Hospital on Friday where she was treated for her injuries. Later that night, in an undisguised act of revenge, gunmen opened fire on an elderly couple's home in The Coombe area at 11.30pm. The house of the couple -- innocent relatives of one of the gang leaders -- was shot at three times.
The next day, another gun attack followed on three suspected gang members who were in a car on Galtymore Road, Drimnagh. The intended targets managed to escape.
Gardai sought to prevent further retaliatory attacks by launching dawn raids on the feuding gangs on Thursday morning. Around 100 detectives conducted 36 searches on homes and apartments used by the gang members and their associates

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Patched Mongrel Mob members from Christchurch and one from Dunedin were arrested yesterday

Two patched Mongrel Mob members from Christchurch and one from Dunedin were arrested yesterday, confirming reports that reinforcements from further north had arrived in the city, but police said tensions between the Mob's Invercargill chapter and the Road Knights had eased off after reaching boiling point last week.An Invercargill Mob member was also arrested yesterday and appeared in the Invercargill District Court on charges of possessing an offensive weapon and resisting police, while one of the Christchurch members also appeared on a resisting charge.Police maintained a security vigil around the court as six people believed to be connected to the Road Knights appeared on charges unrelated to the tensions.The side entrance to the court was locked, as it had been each time gang members appeared this week, with every person entering the court searched and scanned by a metal detector.Apart from a single drive-by in Don St by four patched Mob members in a Ford Falcon, and a couple of members outside the court, who told The Southland Times they were "waiting for a bro", there was little sign of the tension in the city during the past week.Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Cowie, of Invercargill CIB, said while the feud had appeared to ease, police were aware it could just be a calm before the storm.
"It's quietening down, but we have to be realistic based on history (between both gangs) and we need to keep a high profile." At least 10 officers from Dunedin had been drafted to help during the weekend, and police would maintain a high profile, he said.However, police did not know what had led to the stoush between the gangs, he said. "There has been no leadup ... there's nothing that we can see, but they don't just go and burn down a pad without there being something." Despite suggestions of gang members en route to Invercargill, including a report of 30 boarding an inter-island ferry in Wellington on Tuesday, police had yet to see any gang members in the south from north of Christchurch, Mr Cowie said.Southland area commander Inspector Tony O'Neill said police had brought in extra staff to boost resources after the fires and would maintain that presence in a bid to "take the heat out of the situation".A feud between the gang factions was sparked last week after the Road Knights' Balmoral Dr headquarters was razed. Two motorbikes belonging to the gang were allegedly stolen by senior Mongrel Mob members and later torched.
Several days later a property in front of the Mongrel Mob headquarters in Severn St was burned down last Saturday night in what police dubbed a possible "revenge attack". However, the property owner said this week the only link with the Invercargill gang was the location of the house.

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Francesco Lenti sentenced to six years in penitentiary for shooting dead a member of the West Toronto Hell Angel

Outlaw biker Francesco Lenti showed little emotion today as a judge sentenced him to six years in penitentiary for shooting dead a member of the West Toronto Hells Angels in a Vaughan strip club.Lenti, 61, who goes by the nicknames Frank and Cisco, nodded and waved his handcuffed hands to a half dozen family members in Newmarket Court today before he was led away after hearing the sentence handed down by Mr. Justice Michael Brown.The judge noted that Lenti opened fire on four bikers connected with the Hells Angels early in the morning of Dec. 2, 2006, after he heard from police that the club had taken out a murder contract on his life.Court heard Lenti was targeted for murder because he spurned a membership offer and instead tried to revive the rival Bandidos gang."It (shooting) did involve a measure of provocation," the judge told court.The judge noted that Lenti turned himself in to police and pleaded guilty to manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault.
However, Brown added that the courts must strongly denounce the use of guns in public places. "The use of guns to settle disputes is a scourge in our community," the judge said.No members of the Hells Angels were present in the courtroom, guarded by members of the York Regional Police paramilitary tactical unit.David (Dred) Buchanan was fatally shot in the lobby of the strip club, while Dana (Boomer) Carnegie and Carlo Verrilli were seriously wounded.
Court heard that Buchanan held the senior position of sergeant at arms of the West Toronto Hells Angels, meaning he was in charge of enforcing club discipline.
Court also heard that Verrilli was promoted to full membership in the Hells Angels within a week of the shooting.The judge noted that a surveillance video inside the club captured Buchanan and other Hells Angels aggressively confronting Lenti in the lobby of the club, where he was in charge of security.
"Mr. Buchanan was yelling and swearing at Mr. Lenti," Brown said. "... Mr. Lenti appeared to be trying to calm the situation down."Brown said that the original sentence for the shooting was 10 years, but he deducted four years for time already served in jail.Lenti has already served 19 months in custody. Prisoners routinely receive two days credit for every day spent in pre-trial custody, but the judge said that he was giving Lenti enhanced credit because he served his jail time in a segregation cell, away from other prisoners.Court earlier heard that Lenti was segregated from other inmates in Lindsay jail because of concerns that a prisoner with ties to the Hells Angels might try to carry out the murder contract.Two Hells Angels were in custody in Lindsay on charges of conspiracy to murder Lenti at the same time that Lenti was in the same jail, awaiting trial.Mark Cephes Stephenson of the Hells Angels' Oshawa chapter remains in custody in the Lindsay jail, awaiting trial for the alleged murder conspiracy plot.
Remond Akleh of the elite Hells Angels Nomads chapter, was also locked up in Lindsay on the murder conspiracy charges, but has since been freed on bail.It took Lenti just six seconds to fire seven shots in the confrontation, the judge noted.
Lenti's pistol has never been recovered.

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Robert J. Shannon,allegedly oversaw the smuggling and distribution of narcotics for the Hell’s Angels

Federal prosecutors have charged two Canadian men who allegedly ran a drug smuggling ring for the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club that involved stuffing hollowed out logs, cargo containers and propane tankers with cocaine and marijuana.
Robert J. Shannon, 38, of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, and Devron D. Quast, 38, of Abbotsford, British Columbia, were arrested in early June after meeting with an undercover federal agent. The pair traveled to the U.S. to discuss a deal with the agent, who posed as a drug trafficker.Law enforcement agents spent three years investigating the operation and have seized more than 1,300 pounds of cocaine, 7,000 pounds of “B.C. Bud” marijuana, and $3.5 million in cash. Thirty-eight people have been charged with drug trafficking and related offenses in the case.
According to court documents, Shannon allegedly oversaw the smuggling and distribution of narcotics for the Hell’s Angels, including transporting drugs inside false walls of cargo containers, in loads of commercial lumber, and in large PVC pipes hidden inside a propane tanker.
Quast was allegedly responsible for the transportation of the drugs, even guaranteeing to Canadian marijuana suppliers that drugs would be smuggled successfully into the U.S. He agreed to pay the suppliers $425 per pound of marijuana if any load was seized by law enforcement or lost, according to court documents.If convicted, Shannon and Quast face up to life in prison, based on the amount of illegal drugs involved in the case.
In addition, federal agents arrested Richard Jansen of Chilliwack, British Columbia, for his alleged role in transporting the drugs. Jansen is the owner of Scorpion Transport Services.

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Accused 26 alleged members of the Hispanic gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, of crimes ranging from murder to drug activity.

Twenty-six alleged members of a street gang said to be among the deadliest in the United States faced arrest after indictments were returned against them.
Prosecutors said the indictments were returned by a grand jury in Charlotte, N.C., and accuse 26 alleged members of the Hispanic gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, of crimes ranging from murder to drug activity.
Law enforcement officials say MS-13 is based in Charlotte and has up to 50,000 members worldwide, about 10,000 of whom are believed to be active in at least 38 U.S. states and is so big that 2004 the FBI created a task force that focuses specifically on it.An official report on the gang said members smuggle illicit drugs, primarily powder cocaine and marijuana, into the United States and distribute the drugs throughout the country, with some gang members also involved in alien smuggling, assault, drive-by shooting, homicide, identification theft, prostitution operations, robbery and weapons trafficking.The 26 were charged under the federal Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act and authorities began executing the arrest warrants Tuesday, CNN reported. Four North Carolina slayings were included in the indictments.

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Julius Robinson targeted by members of the Omaha Mafia Bloods.

Julius Robinson's friends say Robinson was targeted by members of the Omaha Mafia Bloods, a group of largely young white men from Millard that Omaha police consider to be a street gang.
18-year-old Robinson was shot to death Sunday night along a tree-lined Millard street."His dad brought him out here to prevent this from happening," said friend Dan Kuhr, a former Millard South classmate and teammate of Robinson's.
Authorities have issued a warrant for the arrest of 18-year-old Daniel C. Miller, a graduate of Millard's alternative school, accusing Miller of first-degree murder in Robinson's slaying.Police say they are not yet ready to say whether the killing of Robinson was gang-related. But they say they are aware of Omaha Mafia Bloods members in and around Millard and say the group does fit the definition of a criminal gang.
"OMB in Millard? Yes, we do have enough information to consider them a gang in Omaha," said Lt. Richie Gonzalez of the Omaha police gang unit.
And regardless of whether the shooting of Robinson outside a suburban apartment complex was gang-related, the killing does make it clear that youth violence in Omaha is not limited to north and south Omaha.Dave Gehrls, an ordained minister who has been leading prayer vigils at the sites of Omaha shootings, held two such vigils Tuesday night. One was at 40th and Spencer Streets, marking the latest shooting death in north Omaha. The other was in Millard just south of 128th and Q, where Robinson fell."I don't know what happened here," said Gehrls, director of Omaha ministry for Christ for the City International. "We just know violence is spreading in our city, and we have to address the issue."Though many of Robinson's friends dispute the notion that the shooting was related to gang activity, they make it clear it did stem from a rivalry between two groups of Millard-area youths.
Robinson's friends say they know the identities of four youths they say were in the car from which Robinson was shot, including the one they say wielded the gun.

Robert Elliott was with Robinson and another man Sunday night at 128th and Deauville Drive when they came face to face with the occupants of a tan Chrysler Sebring.
"We were here walking out to the road. All I saw was a gun come out, it was on the windshield and I heard the first pop," Elliott said.
He said he pushed Robinson to the ground behind the sign for the Oak Ridge Apartments and heard two more shots. The car drove away, and Elliott quickly realized Robinson had been shot in the chest. Elliott watched Robinson's eyes roll back, and Robinson later was pronounced dead.While some of Robinson's friends refer to OMB as a gang, others dispute the notion. They say it isn't a criminal enterprise, just a group of Millard gang wannabes with nothing to do.
"They don't do anything but sit around a house all day," one of Robinson's friends said.Friends also give conflicting accounts of whether Robinson himself was in a gang. His girlfriend termed the group of mostly white, former Millard South students with whom Robinson hung around a gang, but she said it was more just a close-knit group of friends."His gang was a family," said Michelle Rayborn, who said she had been dating Robinson for more than a month.While some Robinson associates have suggested Robinson once had been a member of OMB, Elliott disputed that, saying Robinson never had been and had rebuffed the group. Members of Robinson's family, who live about a mile from the shooting scene, have publicly disputed the notion he was a gang member.
Regardless, Robinson's friends say there was a running feud between Robinson and members of the OMB, many of whom also had attended Millard South. (Miller had attended Millard West before graduating from the Millard Learning Center.)
Robinson had made his feelings about the rival group clear, putting up on his personal MySpace page, "F - - - OMB." The friends say a member of the rival group posted a threat on the Web page in response.
Gonzalez stressed that Omaha police cannot say until they complete their investigation and make arrests whether OMB members were behind the shooting.But those OMB initials aren't new to police.
Gonzalez said they know of OMB members who have committed crimes in and outside Millard — one of the criteria to be considered a gang. OMB graffiti also has been found spray-painted around Millard.
Police think OMB also draws members from other parts of the city, including northwest Omaha. He said police have been working with school resource officers in Millard to educate school officials about the gang.
Millard school officials are aware of the Omaha Mafia Bloods and are watchful for gang activity in general, said Kraig Lofquist, the district's director of pupil services.
Lofquist said security staff and administrators from Millard's middle and high schools have attended presentations by the Omaha police gang unit. School resource officers assigned to the district have shared information with their schools, he said.
"I don't think we have a gang problem," he said. "But to be really honest with you, from time to time we have gang members in our schools."Situations involving gang members, Lofquist said, rarely happen on school grounds.But just this month, the Millard school board specifically prohibited gangs, their apparel and hand signals in the district's student code of conduct.
"The more proactive you are, the better off you are," Lofquist said.
During and after the Millard prayer vigil on Tuesday night, Robinson's friends tearfully shared memories of him.
Kuhr said he first met Robinson in seventh grade, when they were wrestlers for rival Millard middle schools. Kuhr later ran into Robinson and his father fishing at Chalco Hills, and they became fast friends.
Kuhr said Robinson had an outgoing personality that would light up a room, and he was a standout athlete in both wrestling and football.
Robinson was a running back and linebacker on the Millard South team last fall and had a key fumble recovery in the Patriots' win over rival Millard North. But he did not finish the season with the team, apparently for disciplinary reasons.
Kuhr says "some old stuff came back to get" Robinson.
In April, police cited Robinson on suspicion of disorderly conduct at the school over an incident in which he was accused of twice shoving a classmate to the floor. The case was set for trial next month.
Kuhr said both he and Robinson, who didn't graduate with his class this spring, were planning to finish their degrees at Millard's alternative school beginning this fall.
"He was determined to be the first person in his family to go to college," Kuhr said.
Instead, Robinson's friends are now planning for his funeral and angrily awaiting an arrest.After many of the youths had left the prayer vigil, J.D. Elliott, the father of the young man who had witnessed the killing, gave his own thoughts on what is going on in Millard. Does he think there's a gang problem there?
"Seriously, yeah," the contract truck driver said. "They're not part of national gangs, but they've got their own goings on. It makes me mad."

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The gun was used to shoot a 31-year-old Bikie in the leg while he was standing outside the tattoo parlour in George Street, Windsor

Heavily-armed police swooped on a house in Scarvell Avenue, McGraths Hill, at about 5.20pm (AEST) yesterday and arrested the 33-year-old man.
Investigators also seized several items including a .22 calibre handgun during a raid on a house in Chaucer Road, Riverstone, earlier in the day.
Police say it will be alleged the gun was used to shoot a 31-year-old man in the leg while he was standing outside the tattoo parlour in George Street, Windsor, on Monday night.The victim is also allegedly a member of the same outlaw motorcycle gang.The 33-year-old man has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possessing a shortened firearm without a permit and firing a gun in a manner likely to injure.He's been refused bail and will appear at Parramatta Local Court later today.The arrest was the culmination of an investigation by Windsor detectives and the State Crime Commands Gangs Squad who combined to form Strike Force Tracksuit.Detective Inspector Steve Blackmore from Hawkesbury Local Area Command said the arrest was an outstanding result, given it was achieved in an environment where all parties were reluctant to assist police.
This sends a clear message to all outlaw motorcycle groups that they are not above the law and police will always strongly pursue all criminal matters, he said.

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5th Street Bulldog Gang Members conspiracy to commit murder and participation in a criminal street gang

Fresno Police are now investigating the city's 20th murder of the year, after the victim succumbed to his injuries on Friday. Police say 26-year-old Francisco Solano of Fresno was shot back on June 18th, near the 3400 Block of E. Woodward. Solano was rushed to Community Regional Medical Center for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries on June 20th.
Three arrests have already been made in the case. Police have arrested 19-year-old Joshua Martinez, 18-year-old Eric Almarez and 22-year-old Rocky Gonzales. All of the men were booked in the Fresno County Jail where they have been charged with attempted murder (which will now be changed to murder), conspiracy to commit murder and participation in a criminal street gang. A 17-year-old juvenile was also arrested; he was booked into the Fresno County Juvenile Hall on the same charges as the other men. Police say all of the men are validated 5th Street Bulldog Gang Members.

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