White Trash Networks : News

Union boss Brian Parker says he does not have a close relationship with controversial figure George Alex after a string of intercepted phone calls and texts between the two were revealed at the unions royal commission.
Mr Parker, who has stood aside as NSW secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), told the commission on Thursday he had no personal relationship with Mr Alex, who called him "Sparkles" and ended phone calls with "I love ya."
"He's an employer in the industry," Mr Parker said.
Intercepted calls show Mr Parker and Mr Alex, who has been linked to a series of labour hire companies at the commission, arranging evening meetings at Mr Alex's apartment, sharing a joke and Mr Parker seeking Mr Alex's sponsorship for his niece's overseas softball tour.
In one 2011 phone call, Mr Parker arranged a meeting at Mr Alex's office, telling him: "I've got to tell you a whole heap of things. You're going to be a bit shocked, I think".
Mr Alex asks Mr Parker if he is "with us", to which Mr Parker replies "a hundred per cent".
Mr Alex ends the call saying: "I love ya, you're the best" and calling Mr Parker by his nickname, Sparkles.
Mr Parker said there was nothing unusual in Mr Alex using his nickname and ending calls with "love ya" as he said those things to many people.
Asked by counsel assisting the commission, Sarah McNaughton SC, what Mr Alex meant by asking if he was "with" him, Mr Parker said it was just a figure of speech.
Records from Mr Alex's mobile phone also show Mr Parker tried to call him on the morning of January 28, 2014 - the day a Fairfax Media story linked Mr Alex, the CFMEU and bikie gangs in the supply of labour to Sydney's Barangaroo construction site.
When asked why he, as a union man rang Mr Alex, "a boss", Mr Parker replied: "To get the lowdown from Mr Alex about what was going on in the media probably."
Mr Parker was asked why the CFMEU gave enterprise bargaining agreements (EBAs) to some labour hire firms that had a history of "phoenixing".
Phoenix companies - which collapse owing worker entitlements then re-register under a new name - are a subject of inquiries at the commission.
He said the union would give EBAs to phoenix companies to protect the wages and conditions of the employees.
Mr Parker was asked about a labour hire company, Capital, that was linked to Mr Alex and an EBA it secured from the union in 2014.
"There are companies there bigger and a lot worse than probably even some of Mr Alex's companies, out there in the industry," he said.
The hearing resumes on Friday.
Mr Alex is due to appear before the inquiry next week.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/aap/article-3128538/Public-sector-union-members-strike.html#ixzz3dQYBPbUo

HOLLISTER, Calif. —Bikers and booze don’t always mix, so Hollister city leaders are trying to control one by limiting the other.

With the annual Fourth of July motorcycle rally less than three weeks away, the City Council approved an emergency ordinance that forces bars and liquor stores in the downtown area to stop selling drinks and alcohol at midnight.

Hollister bar owners are, not surprisingly, unhappy.

"Some instances of violence increase, (more) DUI’s, obviously. We are trying to figure out a way to sort of quell that and make it a safer downtown," Police Chief David Westrick.

Westrick said he made the midnight cut off recommendation for three reasons.

The 2014 motorcycle rally ended violently after three bikers were shot by a rival biker gang at a gas station outside of the rally. Secondly, most violence and drunkenness at the rally occurs after midnight. And the final straw was last month’s bloody biker brawl in Waco, Texas, that left nine dead.

Bar owners say they understand the chief’s motives, but argue that the bike rally is one of their busiest weekends of the year.

"Monetarily, it's going to be a good size hit. My main concern is people being so disappointed, especially if they drove all day to get here. That's going to be really kind of sad," said Charisse Tyson, owner of Johnny’s Bar.

Johnny's Bar is one of the most popular spots during the 3-day event.

The emergency ordinance also applies to beer gardens, which will now have to stop selling alcohol at 8 p.m.,

The police chief said, "I understand their concerns. At the end of the day, public safety is always going to trump that."

http://www.ksbw.com/news/hollister-city-council-decides-booze-and-bikers-after-midnight-dont-mix/33636946

HUNDREDS of motorcyclists are expected to descend on a North-East town tomorrow (Friday, June 19) for the funeral of one of the region’s most legendary bikers.

The funeral of Jungle, the former head of the Darlington Hell’s Angels chapter, will take place at 1.30pm at St Cuthbert’s Church, in Darlington.

The proud grandfather, formerly known as George Pamler, died just days after his 65th birthday.

Scores of bikers are expected at the funeral and will follow the funeral procession to the church, before parking up in the market square.

http://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/13340875.Hundreds_expected_at_the_funeral_of_legendary_North_East_biker__Jungle/

WACO -- An attorney for a man charged in the May 17th Twin Peaks shootings filed a subpoena to get surveillance video from the Waco restaurant during the shootings.

F. Clinton Broden, who represents Matthew Alan Clendennen, sent a press release late Thursday stating that the City of Waco moved to quash or block the subpoena.

According to the press release, the subpoena was served on Patrick Keating, an attorney with Haynes & Boone in Dallas and the attorney for the Waco Twin Peaks franchisee. Mr. Keating had previously agreed to accept service of the subpoena on behalf of his client and to produce the video in compliance with the subpoena by 9:00 am on June 26, 2015.

The City of Waco moved to quash the subpoena Thursday afternoon. According to Broden's press release, the only party that can move to quash a subpoena is the party to whom the subpoena is issued, in this case the Waco Twin Peaks franchisee.

“It is troubling that the City of Waco would go to such lengths to suppress this video,” said Broden. “The Waco Police have repeatedly given the public contradictory information about the events at Twin Peaks and have said that the video will support its current version of the facts, yet they have now taken this extraordinary measure to interfere with the subpoena process,” he added.

Waco Police issued a separate press release Thursday stating they would not be releasing any additional details about what happened in the months leading up to the shootings between the two biker gangs, the Bandidos and Cossacks, allegedly involved in the shootings.

The press release also stated that Waco Police detectives have been completing search warrants for the cell phones that were confiscated in the incident.

http://www.kcentv.com/story/29410760/bikers-subpoena-quashed

‘Our goal was to be prepared to protect the community should anything get out of control, it was that simple.’
– Paso Robles Police Chief Robert Burton today discussed new details regarding the precautionary measures taken last Friday in preparation for the Vagos motorcycle club traveling through town. Dozens of law enforcement officers from around the county surrounded the police station Friday night and barricaded Pine and Park streets.

“The Paso Robles Police Department and San Luis Obispo County Gang Task Force received information that the Vagos outlaw motorcycle club and other motorcycle clubs would be gathering in Northern San Luis Obispo County over the weekend. We had information that they would be staying in and around the city of Paso Robles starting on Friday. Due to the fact that the gathering would draw members from across the US and other countries, and (due to) the fact the Vagos are a documented outlaw motorcycle gang by the federal government, I took the necessary precautions to protect this community,” Burton said.

Burton confirmed that the Vagos did travel through Paso Robles on Friday, beginning in the morning. The department learned about the Vagos’ intended route through police intelligence. Burton said that this was not the first time that the department has carried out such as operation. No incidents were reported during the bikers’ visit.

“Although we did not expect any major issues surrounding the gathering, it is well known that should any rival outlaw motorcycle gangs decide to gather here at the same time we could certainly experience violence between the gangs which could affect the safety of our community members. In addition, there is always the potential for things to get out of control with a large gathering without a rival gang in the area,” he said.

“For the above reasons I asked for support from allied law enforcement agencies over the weekend. Our goal was to be prepared to protect the community should anything get out of control, it was that simple. The planning for the weekend was a success and we did not have any major issues that threatened the public’s safety. If at any time had we experienced any issues I would have notified the public of any immediate threat to their safety…My job is to ensure our community and visitors are protected, and that is what was accomplished this past weekend.”

Additional officer support was called in from every agency in the district, and streets were blocked off around the police station to provide additional parking for the officers, according to Burton. Heightened patrol was also employed throughout the city.

http://pasoroblesdailynews.com/police-chief-shares-details-of-biker-gang-precautions/37974/

OTTAWA
More than 40 people accused in Operation SharQc have lost their long battle before the courts after the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear their case.

Last September, Quebec Superior Court Judge James Brunton stopped proceedings for multiple murder charges against 42 people arrested in SharQc, an investigation that targeted almost every member of the Hell’s Angels biker gang in Quebec and led to charges being filed against 156 people in April 2009.

The Crown wanted to appeal that decision. The accused claimed that prosecutors could not do that, but the Court of Appeal ruled against them.

Since the Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear their case, the Court of Appeal ruling stands.

On May 7, 14 accused pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder. That brought to 101 the total number of guilty pleas in the case.

In May 2011, Brunton also ordered the released of 31 accused because of unreasonable delays in their case. His decision was upheld by the appeals court in April 2013 and the Supreme Court of Canada in January 2014.

http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/supreme-court-wont-hear-appeal-of-those-charged-in-sharqc

Dallas, TX

Dallas criminal defense attorney Clint Broden recently spoke at a press conference about the arrest of Matthew Clendennen, after filing a federal civil rights lawsuit on his behalf.

Hewitt, Texas – A federal civil rights lawsuit has been filed against the City of Waco, arresting police officers, and others linked to the arrest of 177 bikers in Waco, Texas on May 17, 2015. One of the individuals taken into custody, Matthew Alan Clendennen, recently brought forth the suit following his arrest, asserting he was not a participant in the fighting that broke out in the parking lot of the Twin Peaks restaurant. Clendennen, who is a member of the Scimitars Bike Club and operates a landscaping business, says he spent two weeks at the Jack Harwell Detention Center, not knowing why he had been detained.

According to Clendennen he heard the commotion and subsequently left the patio to take cover on the inside of the restaurant before being included in the broad police sweep. The biker is a graduate of Baylor University and former firefighter.

Clendennen is represented by Dallas based criminal lawyer Clint Broden of Broden Mickelsen Helms & Snipes. Broden recently spoke about his client’s case at a press conference in Hewitt, stating he has filed a complaint against justice of the Pete Peterson in addition to a request with the Justice Department to determine whether civil rights violations occurred in the mass arrests. The attorney also said he intends to add Waco Police Chief Brent Stroman to the list of those named in the complaint.

“It is obvious from his statements that the Waco police – and he leads the Waco police – are not properly trained to determine what probable cause is… The fact that he is still unapologetic for what happened gives some indication that the policy makers in the city of Waco have a long way to go in training their police officers properly,” Broden said during the emotional press conference.

Some of the bikers arrested remain in jail. Multiple attorneys were present at the press conference on behalf of their clients, both in and out of custody.

Broden’s partner Michael Snipes also stated of the arrest warrants issued in the cases, “That is the only thing that is individualized on these warrants in these cases, was the names of the various defendants. The rest of the probable cause is exactly the same.”

The federal lawsuit says:

It was the policy of the City of Waco, as decided and approved by their policymakers, to cause the arrest and detention of numerous individuals belonging to motorcycle clubs who were in or around the Twin Peaks restaurant at the time of the incident, regardless of whether or not there was individualized probable cause to arrest and detain a particular individual and to do so based on “fill in the name” complaints without individualized facts. This policy was carried out repeatedly, and as a result, over 170 people were arrested and detained, with each one of those persons given the identical $1 million bond, with no regard to their individual situation.

http://www.justicenewsflash.com/2015/06/25/lawyer-accused-biker-waco-police-properly-trained-determine-probable_20150625135033.html

FORMER Rebels bikie AJ Graham has assembled a high-powered legal team to fight his deportation.

Graham, 48, was arrested by Department of Immigration and Border Protection officers during a major operation at Kingston last week.

He is being held in NSW’s Goulburn Prison pending deportation.

The Mercury understands Graham has retained the services of four senior lawyers to prevent him being sent home to his native New Zealand.

They are preparing an appeal to Federal Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to reverse his decision in the case.

Graham has lived in Australia for 38 years, and has a wife and children in Hobart.

There is also the possibility of an appeal to the Federal Court.

The legal push comes as a Facebook page opposing Mr Graham’s deportation has reached more than 1200 followers.

Organisers of the “Keep Aaron Joe Graham (AJ) in Tasmania” site are organising a fundraiser for him.

Tickets for a traditional Maori feast and auction are set to go on sale within days.

The New Zealand-born bikie was a founding member of the Rebels in Tasmania and former president of the club’s Kingston chapter.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Mark Mewis said outlaw motorcycle gangs were not welcome in Tasmania.

“The New Zealand national who was detained last week in a joint operation with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection has a significant criminal history including drug, firearms and assault offences,” he said.

“He is a fully patched member of the Rebels OMCG and former president of the Kingston chapter.

“While OMCGs may seek to ingratiate themselves into the community though various means, the truth is OMCGs — particularly the Rebels — in this state are linked to the importation and distribution of drugs.

“OMCGs are not motorcycle clubs they are well-organised criminal gangs and they are not welcome here.”

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/legal-team-fights-against-deportation-of-rebels-bikie-aj-graham/story-fnjj6012-1227415147399

A FORMER Bandidos bikie associate who stabbed two other men in a Fortitide Valley nightclub has been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years’ jail.

Justice Debra Mullins ordered that James Peter Arapeta Holt be eligible for parole on March 11, 2018.

Brisbane Supreme Court was today told Holt stabbed another man seven times in the “space of seconds” after a brawl erupted at Brisbane’s Hot Gossip nightclub.

An agitated-looking Holt, now 24, had later been seen outside the Fortitude Valley premises, yelling “I’m going to smash those coconuts” as he punched the air.

Holt pleaded guilty today to two counts of a malicious act with intent and one count each of unlawfully possessing a stun gun and unlawfully possessing drugs.

Prosecutor Phil McCarthy said Holt wounded two men — Leo Salesa and Geoffrey Talavave — with a fold-out knife after a fight broke out in the early morning of September 1, 2013.

The court heard Holt had gone to the nightclub with alleged members of the Bandidos, Brett Pechey and Anthony Toumpas.

Following an earlier confrontation between the groups, which Holt was not aware of, a fight had broken out between the men about 4.30am.

“The fight seemed to be initiated between Salesa and Pechey,” Mr McCarthy said.

“Witnesses at the scene heard words exchanged between the pair across the nightclub and Salesa is described as moving with pace from the dance floor directly at Pechey, punching Pechey in the face and knocking him off his feet through a freestanding metal barrier.”

Mr McCarthy said as the brawl escalated, Holt was seen reaching into his pocket and unfolding a knife “to come to the aid of defending Pechey”.

The court heard Holt struck Talavave once with the knife from behind and into the lateral chest. The wound was found to be 5cm in length and 10cm deep, Mr McCarthy said.

“It is accepted the defendant was aiding in self-defence of another at that point in time but it was accepted the response in defending his companion Pechey was excessive in those circumstances with the use of the knife,” he said.

The court heard bottles were thrown, glasses were broken, tables overturned and young patrons ran from the nightclub “in a panic”.

Mr McCarthy said Holt then went to the corner of the nightclub where security guards were trying to pull a brawling Salesa and Toumpas apart.

He said Holt moved in towards Salesa, delivering a “number of blows” with the unfolded knife to Salesa’s upper body.

“Salesa was struck and wounded seven times by the defendant over the space of seconds,” he said.

After Salesa fell to the ground, Pechey and Toumpas continued to attack him.

An agitated Holt was observed by police outside the nightclub repeatedly yelling “f---ing coconuts”. He was patted down, however no weapons were found at that point and he was let go.

He was later arrested at the home he shared with his girlfriend.

The sentencing hearing continues.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/bandidos-bikie-associate-jailed-for-brisbane-nightclub-stabbing/story-fnii5v6y-1227414866760

Queensland police say they have dealt a “defining blow” to the presence of the Mongols bikie gang in the state after arresting 10 Mongols bikies on suspicion of trafficking ice.

More than 280 police swooped on 50 properties across Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Gladstone and the Gold Coast on Tuesday morning in what was the culmination of an 18-month investigation.

Charges have been laid against 111 people – including the club’s alleged Queensland president Nick “the Knife” Forbes, 45, its 26-year-old treasurer and a 29-year-old man police will allege was the club’s enforcer.

The trio was among 10 patched members to be charged with drug trafficking, and police will allege they were each selling $100,000 worth of the drug a week.

Taskforce Maxima Detective Superintendent Mick Niland said: “The hierarchy of the Queensland chapter are all arrested and charged.

“We consider at this time we have decimated the Mongols’ Gold Coast chapter.”

Niland said 16 of the club’s 100-plus members were known to be in Queensland.

When asked how many were yet to be arrested, he replied: “There might be a couple.”

Under Queensland’s anti-gang legislation, a club’s office bearers can be sentenced to an additional 15 or 25 years behind bars if found guilty of serious offences such as trafficking.

The latest operation resulted, police say, in the seizure of $900,000 worth of various drugs including ice, cannabis, cocaine, MDMA pills and steroids.

Police allegedly uncovered hydroponic cannabis set-ups, a pill press and a meth lab hidden inside a poker machine at various properties.

Forbes’ steroid supply was allegedly found in a chicken run at his house.

His arrest was significant because a club’s highest-ranking members typically let others take the fall and kept their own hands clean, Detective Inspector Terry Lawrence said.

“We will allege we have evidence he has been pulling the strings in the distribution, sale or trafficking of that drug,” he said.

Officers have referred four properties to the state’s corruption watchdog for a proceeds-of-crime investigation and seized a jet ski and $30,000 in cash.

Niland said more than 320 bikies had severed ties with their clubs to date, and offered blunt advice to those who remained: “Disassociate. Have nothing further to do with the club.”

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jun/23/queensland-police-decimate-mongols-bikie-gang-after-drug-arrests

PASO ROBLES — Two Paso Robles downtown Street blocks were closed Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20, to provide extra parking and a staging area for several county police agencies that were called in as a precautionary measure by Paso Robles police due to a report of possible biker gangs’ increased activity in the area.

The Paso Robles Police Department and the San Luis Obispo County Gang Task Force received reports earlier in the week that the Vagos motorcycle club, a Federally documented outlaw motorcycle gang according to the PRPD, and other motorcycle clubs would be gathering in Northern San Luis Obispo County over the weekend.

http://www.pasoroblespress.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=11810

Six months after the early morning raids that saw alleged Hells Angels and Fallen Saints members in Saskatoon led away in handcuffs, only one of them remains in custody and no trial dates have been set on the hundreds of charges.

The one man still behind bars, Ryan Hillman, was in Saskatoon Court of Queen's

Bench this week applying for release based on the delay so far in the case - and further delays that are anticipated before it's finally heard in court.

"My argument was that nothing has really happened (since the arrests) and there's been a delay, and that delay should give Mr. Hillman a right to another bail hearing," his lawyer, George Combe, said outside court.

On Jan. 14, at the culmination of an investigation dubbed Project Forseti, police in Saskatchewan and Alberta raided 19 locations in seven cities and arrested 14 men, including two fullpatch Hells Angels members and the president of the Fallen Saints motorcycle club. Four more men were arrested in the following weeks, bringing the total to 18.

Police said they seized $8 million worth of drugs in the raids, including fentanyl pills of the same type as those that killed three Saskatoon teens last year. They also seized cocaine, marijuana, heroin, Dilaudid pills, methamphetamine and 200 guns.

Police touted the fact that the bikers were taken off the streets, but as of this week, 17 of the 18 accused are out on bail. Many of them are on conditions so strict that their lawyers are regularly in court to get exceptions for a weekend trip out of town, for example, or to make sure a condition is worded to allow the accused to be in his detached garage if police come to check whether he's in his "approved residence."

The most recent court appearance for the 17 who are out of custody was on Wednesday; their cases were adjourned another month, to July 27.

Hillman was in court on Tuesday to argue he should be released, too. Evidence presented at the bail hearing is subject to a publication ban, including details about the allegations against him.

He's charged with conspiracy to traffic marijuana, trafficking marijuana, aggravated assault, possessing weapons for a dangerous purpose and unauthorized possession of prohibited weapons. In May, police laid more than two dozen additional weapons-related charges against Hillman.

Lawyers for all the accused are still receiving and reviewing disclosure from the Crown, which includes recordings of more than 30,000 telephone calls relating to Hillman alone, Combe said.

The lawyers will all need to co-ordinate their schedules to select preliminary hearing dates, which Combe said he doesn't expect to happen until the fall - meaning it's possible the preliminary hearing could be scheduled sometime in 2016. Before a trial begins, numerous Charter applications related to the way the police gathered evidence in the case are likely to be filed.

Justice Ron Mills reserved his decision on Hillman's release to an unspecified future date.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Project+Forseti+accused+seeks+release+cites+delay/11165036/story.html

A BIKIE crackdown that would use legislation to declare 27 gangs as criminal groups will be opposed by the Liberal Party as it demands greater court oversight of anti-association laws.

The Advertiser can reveal a majority of the Liberal partyroom has agreed to move amendments to the State Government’s latest anti-gang laws when debate resumes.

The most significant change is opposing Labor’s plan to use legislation to declare bikie groups — including the Mongols, Hells Angels and Rebels — as organised crime gangs.

Opposition Deputy Leader Vickie Chapman said the Liberals supported a system where the Government could make regulations outlawing gangs that were subject to judicial review.

Regulations are submitted to Parliament by ministers and can be rejected by vote of either house.

Ms Chapman conceded this system could mean some of the 27 gangs the Government wishes to outlaw, particularly those which operate outside SA, would not be declared.

Ms Chapman said a judicial review would ensure proper process was followed by the minister.

“We will not accept an autocratic list at the command of (Attorney-General) John Rau, that he wants us to just rubber stamp and bypass even any process rules,” she said.

“With a strengthened regulation procedure, they can still achieve their objective.

“But we won’t give a statutory endorsement blind.”

Under current laws, police must convince a Supreme Court judge that a particular group has been formed with the purpose of carrying out acts of organised crime or violence.

Once the court outlaws a gang, further controls can be placed on its members to ban them from meeting or associating. Police have not yet sought a declaration from the Supreme Court.

The Government says the current system is too complex and getting the evidence required for a declaration is impossible. It says Parliament should instead declare the gangs as outlaws itself.

The Opposition is also demanding Parliament’s crime and public integrity committee be given access to police intelligence used to justify gang declarations made by the Government.

Mr Rau last night said the Liberals were opposing the most important part of his crackdown.

“They’re trying to have their cake and eat it too,” he said. “They’re trying to appear like they’re supporting this, but they’re gutting the Bill so that the only thing that is the same is the name.

“They’re opposing it, but they don’t want to say that because they haven’t got the guts.

“They are so internally split, that the only decision they can take is a non-decision.”

The legislation was debated in the Lower House a fortnight ago, when former Liberal leader Isobel Redmond revealed a split in the party and pledged to oppose the legislation.

Several other Liberals including Ms Redmond’s former deputy Mitch Williams also voiced concerns about Parliament declaring gangs illegal with “no proof”.

The Government says debate on the crackdown may resume in the Upper House this week.

Under Labor it would be illegal for:

Bikie groups to recruit.

For members to be out in public with two or more others from their group.

To enter licensed premises wearing club colours or logos.

Meetings to be held at prescribed locations.

Parliament would pass a law banning 27 groups and police could then apply to the court for powers to stop members from meeting.

The Liberals propose:

Groups not be banned using legislation.

Instead, the Government would provide a regulation to Parliament naming a gang.

The regulation could be voted down by either House.

It would also be subject to a judicial review and could be rejected if the court found the Government did not have enough evidence that the gang was involved in organised crime.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/sa-bikie-laws-liberals-to-oppose-crackdown/story-fnii5yv8-1227420849770

UPPER DARBY >> Methamphetamine reared its ugly head this week during raids on a barber shop and two residences Friday afternoon.

Upper Darby Narcotics Unit joined forces with the Delaware County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force for the almost simultaneous raids in Drexel Hill.

Calling meth worse than heroin, police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said officers are seeing it more and more.

Five people were arrested, three for drug trafficking and two for drug possession, after search warrants were served at Marturano’s Barber Shop, 812 Concord Ave., and an apartment on the first block of South State Road, at 3:55 p.m., and an apartment on the 3800 block of Berkley Avenue, 90 minutes later.

Besides seizing methamphetamine, police confiscated two handguns, two motorcycles, a Warlocks Motorcycle Club jacket, a total of $2,209 and brass knuckles.

Michael Marturano, 32, of the first block of South State Road, and his girlfriend, Gina Whittaker, 25, of the 2500 block of Stoneybrook Drive, Drexel Hill, were arrested during the first raid.

John McCauley, 45, and Margaret Guinan, 43, both of the 3800 block of Berkley Avenue and Charles Halfpenny, 36, of the 3900 block of Dennison Avenue, Drexel Hill, were taken into custody after the late afternoon raid on Berkley.

“We have received neighborhood complaints about the barber shop and the apartment on Berkley,” Chitwood said. “Marturano was cutting the meth up for selling when we went in and Whittaker came into the barber shop while we were there. McCauley was dealing out of his apartment. These raids were a joint effort because of the time frame. We wanted to hit the barber shop and his apartment (on State Road) at the same time.

“You very, very rarely see Methamphetamine but all of a sudden we’re seeing it more and more. Meth is really bad. Users get whacked out. It makes them very violent and very aggressive. We’re starting to see it more and more. Methamphetamine is raising its ugly head and it’s the ugliest you can see.”

According to Chitwood, one of the guns was seized from the barber shop and the other from the Berkley apartment. Continued...

http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2015/06/29/region/doc55915b1b77485066029773.txt

It's now been a year since a shocking murder in the tiny Conception Bay North community of North River spread fear and disbelief throughout the area, and despite some signs of progress, there still haven't been any arrests in the killing of Dale Porter.

Porter, 39, was brutally and violently killed on his property during the early hours of June 29, 2014.

When contacted Monday, RCMP Staff Sgt. Boyd Merrill said there was nothing new he could report on the investigation.

"I have been given no updates nor comments for media purposes," Merrill wrote in an email to CBC News.

Hopes of a breakthrough in the case were raised nearly three months ago when the RCMP said results from DNA evidence collected at the scene put investigators in "a position to act on these results."

CBC News also reported in February that investigators believe two associates of the Vikings Motorcycle Club, Allan Potter and Daniel Leonard, are leading suspects in the case.

But the weeks and months have slipped by, and family members and friends of Dale Porter continue to wait for justice.

Porter's death came after a night of drinking and partying at a nightclub in nearby Bay Roberts.

Sources say a group planned to continue the party at Porter's house, but revelry turned to shock after Porter was discovered lying in his driveway, taking his dying breaths.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/rcmp-quiet-on-first-anniversary-of-dale-porter-s-murder-1.3131642

THE Hells Angels Motorcycle Club have spoken out to deny they are on a bloody mission of revenge involving a "shoot on sight" order being issued from America.

The media-shy motorcycle club has rarely spoken publicly since being formed in Australia in 1975. But the Herald was contacted yesterday by a senior member of the Sydney chapter after a report in a Sydney newspaper yesterday that claimed the club had been issued "a shoot Comanchero on sight" edict from America.

"No Hells Angels member or delegate - USA, worldwide or in Australia - has ever ordered its members to shoot Comanchero, or any other person, on sight," a senior member of the Hells Angels Sydney chapter said.

The refutation comes after several months of heightened tension between members of motorcycle clubs, with the NSW Government recently creating new laws that will allow the police to declare some motorcycle clubs as criminal gangs.

A police operation, Strike Force Raptor, was formed to combat bikie violence, with the high-profile unit making 52 arrests since being created last month.

In an organised meeting with the Herald, a senior Hells Angels member spoke out against what he said were "lies in an attempt to produce public hysteria".

The article published yesterday stated "the gang's American leaders" had ordered Australian chapters to shoot Comanchero members on sight in "a deadly bid to repair the gang's shattered image".

It stated that the Big Red Machine, as the club is known, had a long-held policy of "instant retaliation". But the senior member, authorised to speak to the Herald, denied the allegations.

"Hells Angels USA or worldwide have not and never would order Australian chapters to address any issue in Australia, especially would never order to shoot anybody on sight."

He also said the club has never had a policy of instant retaliation, nor had the international club ever expressed concerns regarding its reputation in Australia. Nor had the Australian chapters been banned from the world run, he said.

The Hells Angels were concerned the "lies" in some media reporting could incite a bikie war and helped to support the new legislation.

The club had not been contacted to verify yesterday's story, he said.

http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/840244/hells-angels-deny-shoot-on-sight-order/?cs=4067

Victim's family sue cafe owners following the death of biker

The family of one of the bikers shot dead during a horrific biker gang shootout in the car park of a Texas cafe in May are suing the cafe owners.

The shootout which took place on 17 May, ocurred after Twin Peaks cafe in Waco went ahead with hosting a meeting between rival motorcycle clubs, despite receiving warnings from the police of tension between two biker gangs, as previously reported on MotorbikeTimes.

According to a suit filed concentrating on the death of one of the bikers, Jesus Delgado Rodriguez, Rodriguez' widow and plaintiff, Mary Rodgriguez, is seeking undetermined damages from the cafe's parent company for negligence, as well as a trial by jury on the basis of negligence.

Authorities say the incident derived from an apparent confrontation between the Cossacks and the Bandidos, both of whom are classified as gangs by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Along with the nine fatally shot, 18 others were injured and 177 people were arrested and held on bonds, charges of engaging in organised criminal activity.

It is not known who fired the shots that struck the nine who died and the results of the autopsies and ballistic analyses have not been made available to the public.

Of those who were arrested, four have been released, mostly on released bonds and no prosecution.

Vietnam War veteran, Rodriguez, had no past criminal history. According to a preliminary autopsy report, the 65-year-old man, otherwise known as Mohawk, died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso.

Widow, Mary, told the Associated Press that her late husband's death was "something that shouldn't have happened."

"I think the police should have stopped it," she said.

In March, Waco police became aware of the increased tension between the Cossacks and the Bandidos, according to spokesman police sergeant, Patrick Swanton.

Twin Peaks cafe had failed to cancel the event, according to the lawsuit, despite police authorities raising concern with Twin Peaks regarding the restaurant hosting a meeting of the Confederation of Clubs and Independents, which is a coalition of motorcycle clubs that advocates riders safety.

http://www.motorbiketimes.com/news/people/human-interest/lawsuit-filed-against-cafe-owners-after-biker-dies-at-twin-peaks-biker-gang-shootout-$21385491.htm

To an outsider, it might not make much sense that a group of motorcycle riders can call themselves outlaws, yet be offended at being called gangsters or criminals.

But the words have a world of difference contends a lawyer who has represented the Houston-born Bandidos Motorcycle Club, which law enforcement authorities consider a criminal gang that has an alleged hand in drug trafficking and other crimes.

"It is a slander, it is a word used by law enforcement to paint them as something they are not," said Las Vegas based lawyer Stephen Stubbs. "They are doing it in a way that says, 'These people are bad. Listen to us.'"

The Bandidos, which law enforcement says is among the largest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang in the United States, have been in the spotlight since some Bandidos were among 177 arrested following a Waco shootout that left nine people dead and 18 wounded.

Authorities have said the Waco incident was sparked by a gang rivalry between the Bandidos and a lesser known group, the Cossacks, and that they came to Waco to settle a score.

Stubbs has said repeatedly that the Bandidos were not the aggressors during a clash that broke out in the parking lot of a Twin Peaks restaurant, and is among many lawyers who have called on authorities to release surveillance videos that will let the facts be known to the public.

Stubbs said it is completely different for a person to refer to himself as an outlaw biker than it is to say he lives outside the law.

He said back when outlaw motorcycling began decades ago, it was a term used to describe riders who did not fit into the norms of society because they preferred long hair, piercings and tattoos and maybe not being as polite as some people might have preferred.

The Bandidos began in the Houston area in 1966 and have held a strong presence here ever since.

He pointed back to the American Motorcycle Association requiring riders joining its motorcycle runs to wear suits. Young veterans who were coming back from World War II wanted instead to wear blue jeans, white T-shirts and black leather jackets.

In separating himself from those who rode in T-shirts and jeans, the association's president said decades ago that 99 percent of the nation's motorcycle riders were law abiding.

"People made patches that said One Percenter," Stubbs said, "and afflictively gave the bird to the American Motorcycle Association and said, 'We are not you.'"

He said being an outlaw biker is not about breaking the law, but living free.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/To-biker-lawyer-outlaw-not-the-same-as-criminal-6374053.php

LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) –We hear them rev their engines and see them drive in packs.

"Bikers," are all around us on our valley roads.

They are a part of an inner circle few get to know. They reject the stereotype that they're criminals to be feared. Terms such as "outlaws" and "gangs" are offensive to most of them. In reality, they say the biker world is all about brotherhood.

There are the Bandidos, Regulators, The Vegas Flare, Crazy 88's and High Rollers. These are just some of the Las Vegas Motor Clubs cruising our valley roads.

"It's exciting. It's exhilarating. It's a lot better than being in a car," says Big Red, a member of the Las Vegas Regulators.

"Aw! It's a beautiful thing. It's all about a brotherhood and a camaraderie," he says.

The togetherness brings a wealth of characters.

"As Marines we are always a part of our country and our community," says Ghost, the president of the Marine Riders Las Vegas Chapter.

"I'm a biker...but I'm also a business owner. I'm also a retired individual. I'm also 100-percent disabled. I hate being classified as a biker," he adds.

Then there are outlaw motorcycle clubs – these are clubs that make their own rules, don't conform to mainstream culture and are not sanctioned by the American Motorcyclists Association.

Like the Pissed Off Bastards of Berdoo. "Gator" is his name-- at six-five and over 300-pounds he's the ambassador for his club. "Bikers get a bad rap because we look scary with our tattoos," says Gator.

"Ghost" is set on shedding the negative stereotypes the public has linked to motorcycle clubs.

"Because I ride a motorcycle and long beard and I have tattoos it doesn't make me less of a community," he says.

Earlier this year in Texas, a biker fight turned deadly outside a restaurant leaving nine dead. "Ghost" believes this does not represent what motor clubs are all about. "In every one of those organizations you could potentially have a bad egg--and that bad egg doesn't represent what that organization is about," he says.

Stephen Stubbs is a biker enthusiast.

"People are scared what they don't know," he says.

Stubbs feels motorcycle clubs are misunderstood. "Motorcycle clubs are not gangs. You compare a street gang with a motorcycle club they are so vastly different."

While many bikers may prefer the term club member, under law enforcement's watchful eye, many are seen as simply gangs.

Charles Falco, a law enforcement consultant and former DEA agent who wanted to keep his cover, spent five years infiltrating the Vagos, Mongrels and Outlaws motorcycle groups and urges caution.

"They're very sophisticated. They're structured like the military, a lot of members are ex-military so they're highly trained for combat," says Falco.

Duane Chapman, also known as dog the bounty hunter, was once a member of the motorcycle club the Devil's Disciples.

"A lot of these guys are very intelligent and they were trained by the military. These are brothers with different mothers. This is like blood. They are thick," says Dog the Bounty Hunter.

"Lucy Loo" with the Las Vegas Red Riders does not know where she'd be if it wasn't for her involvement in a bike club. The real estate administrative assistant wishes people got to know bikers first hand.

"We are good people. It's about charity. It's about supporting people," says Loo.

And big bucks, the bikers we talked to claim they are big gifters, raising cash and donating their time to fundraising for various community causes. A Bandidos attorney confirms the generosity.

"They do provide help for people that need help and you know the government can try to attribute some sort of sinister version in order to make these guys look bad saying they're trying to look good," says Kent Schaefer.

Back in Las Vegas, "Chewwy" as everyone knows him with the Marine Riders stresses all he rides with our good people.

"Really these are some of the best -- but whole hearted guys and woman that you could ever imagine," says Chewwy.

Beyond the beards and tattoos there's a lesson to be learned.

"It's the old adage don't judge a book by it's cover."

http://www.news3lv.com/content/news/story/Las-Vegas-bikers-battle-a-bum-rap/sUoa-I6q_EW5ocm9Eafz9A.cspx

THE son of Hells Angel enforcer Peter “Skitzo” Hewat is back behind bars.

Beau Hewat was locked up on remand on Tuesday after being charged with fresh drug and dishonesty offences.

Police allege in a detailed remand summary, seen by the Herald Sun, the 26-year-old is a chronic drug user who has no regard for the law and no interest in reforming his bad-boy ways.

A magistrate hoped that stringent conditions, including supervision and drug treatment, would keep Hewat out of trouble.

When police raided his home on Tuesday they allegedly found drugs and a large cache of drug paraphernalia including a glass pipe, electronic scales and ledgers.

They detailed in court documents that they also allegedly found cash and tools, and seized items they allege are evidence of trafficking methylamphetamine.

Defence lawyer George Balot earlier told the court his client was recovering from an ice addiction and needed medical attention in custody.

Hewat will return to court later this month where it is expected an application for bail will be made.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/son-of-hells-angels-bikie-peter-skitzo-hewat-jailed/story-fni0fee2-1227435892265

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