Mokbel's former girlfriend bashed

 

Drug boss Tony Mokbel's former lover has been bashed by a balaclava-clad man who chased her through a Melbourne cafe. The woman was hit with either a bar or a tool outside the Essendon cafe on Friday morning, police said. She was then chased back through the cafe by the man, who was wearing a dark-coloured balaclava, and the assault continued inside. Police said the victim was a Port Melbourne woman aged in her 40s. Media reports say the woman is Danielle McGuire, who is Mokbel's former de facto partner and has a child with him. Detective Senior Constable Andrew Porter said the victim was a regular at the cafe, but would not say if she was targeted. "Police aren't sure of a motive at this stage. We can't say whether it is random or something that she has been targeted," he told reporters. "She was hit with an unknown object, either a bar or some similar tool to the head and to the arm." Det Sen Const Porter said nothing was stolen from the victim, nor was anything said to her during the attack. The woman was treated by ambulance officers for minor injuries. Ms McGuire was recently seen by the hospital bedside of injured Bandidos enforcer Toby Mitchell. Mr Mitchell was shot outside a Brunswick gym in November.

Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle slapped, choked and 'threatened to slit' girlfriend's throat,

 

THE girlfriend of Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle has told police he slapped, choked and threatened to "slit'' her throat because he thought she was cheating on him. Documents tendered to Central Local Court yesterday allege she endured  two and half hours of abuse by  Buddle in the couple's Clovelly flat with their 11 month old daughter present. Buddle, 27,  was charged with  two counts of  being armed with intent to commit indictable offence, one count of assault and one of affray. Melanie Terwisscha, 27,  alleges she was woken by Buddle about 3am on Tuesday morning when he said they needed to talk.   She went back to sleep and woke about  5.30am to feed her baby. It was then, she told police he followed her into the lounge room and began asking her the "usual questions'' and started to swear. "Have you been cheating on me,'' he asked. When she denied the allegation things escalated,  the statement said. He slapped her across the back of the head and  grabbed her by the throat until she couldn't breathe. Ms Terwisscha alleges Buddle threaten to kill her and her family, "I told you never f.... with me, I will  f....ing kill you. I'll kill your whole family.'' She said their 11 month old daughter was crying throughout the entire time. Buddle, the National President of the Comanchero bikie gang  walked into the kitchen and returned with a large black handled silver carving knife approximately 30cm in length. He licked the blade and said he would "'slit your f... throat. You have been playing around on me like a gronk. You think I wouldn't find out, I find out everything.'' Police then allege the victims sister, Amy Terwisscha received a phone call saying  the accused had "beat the sh.. out of Melissa." She told police she went to the flat in Clovelly where she also lived and saw Buddle kick her sister in the stomach with his left foot while the couple were in the bedroom. The pair went out of sight and then she  heard was her sister say: "Please don't stab me.  Please don't stab me.'' Amy said Melissa told her later he had tried to stab her with a pen and stomp on her head. Amy went to the nearby  Clovelly hotel and rang police who later arrested Buddle on Coogee Bay road. Mr Avni Djemal  appearing for Buddle said his client was not a flight risk and the victims father had contacted him saying he believed Mr Buddle  was no threat to his daughter,. He also said the alleged victim had not signed statement about the allegations. Mr Djemal said Ms Terwisscha was living with her father at Pendle Hill.   He said the victims father had in fact gone surety for Mr Buddle's bail on an unrelated matter. "Mr Buddle is also in the process of acquiring two concrete pumps and has several pending contracts.'' He said for this reason and the fact he gave financial support to his mother and daughter he was not a flight riosk. The court also heard Buddle was diagnosed  with Bi-polar disorder and was on prescription drugs including valium. He claimed he had been denied access to the drugs while in police custody. Magistrate Julie Hurber refused bail saying she was not satisfied the accused was not a risk to the allege victim or that he was not a flight risk. She ordered he be allowed to have his prescribed  medicine and ordered he appear in Waverley court on April 16.

Police dismantle Notorious bikie gang

 

1700 bikies have been arrested and more than 3800 charges laid during a three-year operation that also dismantled the Notorious outlaw motorcycle gang. The NSW Police Gang's Squad launched Strike Force Raptor in March 2009 in response to escalating violence between rival bikie gangs. Police say a total of 1696 people were arrested and charged with 3857 offences including riot and affray, assault causing grievous bodily harm, assaulting police and manufacturing prohibited drugs. Also seized were 387 firearms, $2.2 million in cash and numerous illegal drugs, while four clandestine laboratories were put out of business. Police say the Notorious gang, responsible for many public shootings and other criminal activities, was also dismantled as a direct result of their operations. "This has been a highly-successful operation and the results demonstrate the need for us to keep the pressure on outlaw motorcycle gangs and their associates," commander of the Gangs Squad, Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis, said in a statement.

POLICE have swooped on a convoy of Hells Angel bikies as they arrived on the Gold Coast this afternoon as part of the outlaw gang's national run.

Highway Patrol and motorcycle police pulled over about 50 bikies shortly after they crossed the border into Queensland.

The convoy of about 100 bikes roared in to the tourist strip about 2pm after earlier stops at Byron Bay and Bangalow.

 

Hells Angels bikies arrive on the Gold Coast as part of their national run. Bikies arrive at Tweed Heads.

Source: The Courier-Mail

 

They will stay in Surfers Paradise over the weekend.

The procession passed two police command posts where dozens of officers had been waiting for their arrival.

A police escort followed the bikies once they passed Sexton Hill, just south of the Queensland border.

Hells Angel bikie charged over handgun in car

 

Police say they have charged a senior member of the Hells Angels bikie gang after finding a gun and cash in his car in Sydney's south-west. The 26-year-old was one of four men in the car when it was stopped and searched by officers on the Hume Highway at Campbelltown late on Friday night. Police allegedly found a loaded .45-calibre pistol and a large sum of cash in the car. The men initially denied owning the handgun and were allowed to leave. But after forensic examination of the gun, police attended the man's Merryland's home yesterday and arrested him. Officers allegedly also found 470 grams of cannabis in the man's house and more in his car. He has been charged with a string of weapons and drug offences and is being held in custody ahead of a court appearance today.

Guns, cash seized in Perth bikie raid

 

Police have seized guns, drugs and $400,000 in cash in a raid on the home of a Comancheros bikie gang associate in Perth and charged him with a string of offences. Gang Crime Squad officers raided the 34-year-old man's Morley home and a Bassendean factory unit on Friday as part of investigations into drug dealing and property laundering offences. Police said the man was an associate of the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle gang and their search warrants yielded two handguns, two rifles, a silencer, 28 grams of methylamphetamine and over $400,000 in cash. The man appeared in the Midland Magistrates Court on Friday charged with possessing a prohibited drug with intent to supply, two counts of unlawfully possessing money, eight charges of illegally possessing firearms, ammunition and a silencer, and four charges of failing to keep firearms safe. Police said the Proceeds of Crime Squad would freeze $2 million worth of the man's property.

A MAN who joined the Comanchero motorcycle club in search of role models was yesterday jailed for seven years for the manslaughter of a rival gang member.

 

Christian Menzies, 29, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of affray last November over a bloody brawl inside Sydney Airport in March 2009. He faced a retrial after the Supreme Court jury could not reach a verdict on the alternative charge of manslaughter, but he subsequently pleaded guilty to the offence.Anthony Zervas, the brother of Hells Angels member Peter Zervas, was killed during the brawl between the rival motorcycle gangs. Menzies is the 12th man to be sentenced over the fatal airport fight which took place in broad daylight in front of scores of terrified passengers and terminal staff. Justice Robert Allan Hulme jailed Menzies for at least three years and eight months and a maximum of seven years two months. He said Menzies was part of the group of Comanchero who initiated the melee and was a major participant in what he termed "wanton and significant violence". Justice Hulme said Menzies was a major player in the deadly fracas, in which Mr Zervas suffered stab wounds and massive head injuries when he was attacked with bollards and kicked, punched and stomped on as he lay on the floor of the domestic terminal. In an affidavit, Menzies said he became involved with the Comanchero, in part, because of the absence of his father. He said the gang had provided him with role models, and made him feel important.To the family of Mr Zervas, Menzies said he was "sorry for the loss of their son, brother and loved one". The judge said even though Menzies had two previous convictions for violent offences his prospects of rehabilitation were good because he had left the Comanchero.

AK-47 rifle seized in raid on Sydney house

 

A man has been charged after police allegedly found an AK-47 assault rifle in a western Sydney house, in what officers describe as a rare find. Police from the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad raided a house on Brennan Street, Yagoona, about 3.30pm yesterday. They allegedly found the gun, a 30-round magazine and a military helmet, before arresting the 46-year-old man. "It's quite rare that we find AK-47s in NSW," a State Crime Command spokeswoman said. "[They're] not something that you come across regularly." The man was charged with possessing a prohibited firearm and not storing a firearm safely. He was due to appear in Bankstown Local Court today. In August last year, police charged a Hells Angels associate after allegedly finding two of the guns in his home in Claremont Street, Merrylands. The AK-47 is a lightweight, automatic rifle known to be the weapon of choice for members of the Taliban and al-Qaeda, among many other fighters around the world. The weapon found in yesterday's raid will undergo ballistic examination, police said.

Finks bikie jailed for police assault

Finks bikie has been jailed for five months for assaulting a police officer who tried to stop a fight. Dylan Jessen, 22, pleaded guilty in Adelaide Magistrates Court to aggravated assault on a police officer and to hindering police. It stemmed from an incident at the rear of the Dublin Hotel at Glenelg last May. Police had been called to break up a fight involving Jessen and he turned and punched an officer who had grabbed him from behind. Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Bolton said Jessen then punched the officer again and wrestled with another officer, then ran off. The court heard Jessen had a history of violence, including a conviction over a brawl involving rival gangs in Hindley Street in the city. Jessen will be eligible for release from prison in August.

Two alleged associates of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang will face court

 

Two alleged associates of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang will face court on drugs charges after officers from the Gangs Squad’s Strike Force Raptor executed search warrants on two homes in Sydney’s south-west. Additionally, a 15-year-old boy is being dealt with under the Young Offenders Act after police seized a stun gun and cannabis. About 6am today (Monday 12 March 2012), Strike Force Raptor officers executed search warrants on homes at Heckenberg and Lurnea following investigations into ongoing criminal activities. At the Heckenberg home, police located small amounts of steroids and amphetamines, more than 200g of cannabis packaged for supply, drug paraphernalia and cash. A 44-year-old man was arrested and taken to Green Valley Police Station where he was charged with possess anabolic steroids, two counts of supply prohibited drug, and deal with the suspected proceeds of crime. He was granted conditional bail to appear at Bankstown Local Court on 4 April 2012. Police also seized a stun gun and a small amount of cannabis. A 15-year-old boy will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act for the offences of possess prohibited drug and possess prohibited weapon. At the Lurnea home, police located a small amount of cannabis, cash and a quantity of fireworks. A 43-year-old man will be issued court attendance notices for the offences of possess prohibited drug and possess explosives to face court at a later date. Strike Force Raptor was established by State Crime Command’s Gangs Squad in 2009 and is a proactive and high-impact operation targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs and any associated criminal enterprises.

Perth bikie associate on firearms charges

 

A bikie gang associate has been charged with multiple firearms offences following a police raid on a home in Perth's north. Gang Crime Squad officers searched the home in Ellenbrook on Monday and arrested a 24-year-old man who is an associate of the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle gang. Police said they seized a sawn-off shotgun, an air rifle, a crossbow, knuckledusters, an imitation AK47 rifle and unlicensed ammunition. The man has been charged with aggravated possession of a firearm, possessing an unlicensed firearm, possessing a controlled weapon, two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon, possessing stolen or unlawfully obtained property and three counts of possessing unlicensed ammunition. He will appear in the Midland Magistrates Court on March 27.

Michel Smith, a Quebec member of the Hells Angels wanted se 2009 in connection to 22 murder cases, has been arrested by authorities in Panama

 

Michel Smith, a Quebec member of the Hells Angels wanted se 2009 in connection to 22 murder cases, has been arrested by authorities in Panama, according to media reports. However, officials from the Surete du Quebec and RCMP were not immediately able to confirm or deny the reports. According to the RCMP, Smith is a member of the South Chapter of the Hells Angels and goes by the nickname "L'animal." He has been on the run since 2009 in connection with a police crackdown on the Hells Angels biker gang. He faces 29 criminal charges - including 22 murder charges. Citing Panamanian local media and Agence France-Presse, the QMI news agency reported that Smith, 49, had been detained by police Friday evening in the Playa Coronado region, on the Pacific Ocean coast of the Central American nation. A Canada-wide warrant issued by the RCMP said he was being sought for murder, gangsterism, drug trafficking and related conspiracy charges. His Central American connections were known to authorities. "Smith is likely to visit Panama and speaks French," the warrant stated. Const. Erique Gasse of the RCMP's C Division in Montreal said he had relayed a request for official word on Smith's status to RCMP officials in Ottawa, who did not immediately return a phone call. Asked for confirmation of the arrest report, Surete du Quebec spokesperson Sgt. Christine Coulombe said: "I have no information on this." Smith is "considered to be violent," according to the warrant. Aside from "L'animal," his aliases have included Mike Smith-Lajoie, Michel Lajoie-Smit and Michel Lajoie. The warrant describes Smith as 172 centimetres tall and weighing 95 kilograms, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Two alleged associates of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang will face court on drugs charges

Two alleged associates of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang will face court on drugs charges after officers from the Gangs Squad’s Strike Force Raptor executed search warrants on two homes in Sydney’s south-west. Additionally, a 15-year-old boy is being dealt with under the Young Offenders Act after police seized a stun gun and cannabis. About 6am today (Monday 12 March 2012), Strike Force Raptor officers executed search warrants on homes at Heckenberg and Lurnea following investigations into ongoing criminal activities. At the Heckenberg home, police located small amounts of steroids and amphetamines, more than 200g of cannabis packaged for supply, drug paraphernalia and cash. A 44-year-old man was arrested and taken to Green Valley Police Station where he was charged with possess anabolic steroids, two counts of supply prohibited drug, and deal with the suspected proceeds of crime. He was granted conditional bail to appear at Bankstown Local Court on 4 April 2012. Police also seized a stun gun and a small amount of cannabis. A 15-year-old boy will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act for the offences of possess prohibited drug and possess prohibited weapon. At the Lurnea home, police located a small amount of cannabis, cash and a quantity of fireworks. A 43-year-old man will be issued court attendance notices for the offences of possess prohibited drug and possess explosives to face court at a later date. Strike Force Raptor was established by State Crime Command’s Gangs Squad in 2009 and is a proactive and high-impact operation targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs and any associated criminal enterprises.

Alleged Quebec Hells Angels member arrested in Panama

 

Quebec fugitive -- and alleged member of the Hells Angels -- who is wanted on murder charges has been arrested in Panama, local media reports say. Michel Smith, 49, who was linked to Quebec's deadly biker war in the 1990s, was reportedly arrested Friday. Smith -- whose nickname is "animal" -- has been on the run since 2009. He was taken into custody by local police in the tourist area of Playa Coronado on the Pacific Ocean coast, according to local reports. The reports said he had been under surveillance for about two months before his arrest. Smith faces 29 charges, including 22 counts of murder. Police in Canada had not confirmed the news as late Sunday night. Smith is to be extradited back to Canada, police officials in Panama said in a news release. Smith has long been alleged to be among the top men affiliated with the Hells Angels when it was at war with the Rock Machine biker gang in the 1990s and early 2000s. The gang war killed more than 150 people. While most of the victims were members of the rival gangs and their affiliates, two prison guards and an 11-year old boy -- a bystander -- also died. An RCMP warrant describes Smith as 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 210 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Wheels of Soul outlaw motorcycle gang member pleads guilty

 

Allan "Dog" Hunter, 33, of Chicago, was present during the March 6, 2011, shooting death of Javell T. Thornton, 32, also of Chicago, at 126 South Main St. according to a federal indictment. As part of his plea, Hunter, a member of the Wheels of Soul outlaw motorcycle gang, admitted Thursday in federal court that he conspired with other members of the gang to dispose of several firearms after the shooting. WOS was in Marion for a meeting at a private motorcycle club. In the early morning hours of March 6, a fight at the gang's after-hours party spilled onto the sidewalk on South Main Street. When the dust settled, three men were injured with stab and gunshot wounds, and Thornton was dead. The federal indictment states that Anthony R. Robinson shot three victims in the back as they fled the party, killing Thornton and seriously injuring another. Hunter reportedly fired a handgun indiscriminately into the crowd while wearing a bulletproof vest. Robinson has been indicted on one count of murder in aid of racketeering activity and one count of attempt to commit murder in aid of racketeering, along with other federal charges for murder and racketeering activities in other states, according to the federal indictment. Eighteen members of the WOS were indicted on federal charges June 9, 2011. One member allegedly stabbed another person in the head during a fight at a Chicago motorcycle club, then shot another in the stomach. The indictment says gang members are required to carry weapons - mostly guns, but also hammers, knives and other weapons.

Hells Angels bikie war will explode in Kings Cross.

 

POLICE investigating the Hells Angels have launched a new taskforce amid fears a full-blown bikie war will explode in Kings Cross. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the operation, code-named Strike Force Cheviot, was set up after 40 to 50 members of the Hells Angels descended on the red-light district last month. Police believe the "unprecedented" act may have been designed to send a message to rival bikie group Nomads, which have long controlled security in the area. Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis, commander of the NSW Gangs Squad, said police had been watching the situation closely since the February 5 incident. "Yes, we are aware and monitoring the situation with what happened at Kings Cross that night with the Hells Angels", Mr Katsogiannis told The Sunday Telegraph. "It was an unprecedented act from the Hells Angels and that's why it's important the Gangs Squad involved ourselves from the beginning. "Safety of the community is our top priority and we will not be allowing any OMCGs (outlaw motorcycle gangs) to carry on with that type of behaviour". Police are investigating a possible outbreak of violence between the Nomads and the Hells Angels, who have been on an expansion and recruitment drive for months around Sydney. It is one of several lines of inquiry being probed by Cheviot detectives. They are also looking at a credible allegation that Hells Angels members went to Kings Cross to confront a member of the Nomads clan who works in the area. The man, who for legal reasons cannot be named, was formerly a member of the Hells Angels but "patched over" several months ago. Since then he has been performing unofficial security tasks for nightclub premises in Kings Cross, including venues aligned with local identity John Ibrahim. Law enforcement sources said when the Hells Angels descended on the nightspot they arranged themselves across the road from a club where the man was believed to be working, and demanded he come outside. "That forms part of several lines of inquiry we are looking at," Mr Katsogiannis said, adding that officers from Strike Force Raptor were patrolling Kings Cross on the night of the incident and quelled the situation. "If they (Raptor police) didn't intervene at the time, it could have been a lot worse". Police have connected the Nomads member with some of the recent shootings across southwestern Sydney, all of which are under investigation. In November, The Sunday Telegraph revealed the individual was the target of a drive-by attack at an Oporto restaurant in Merrylands, which occurred two days after he was released from custody. Mr Katsogiannis said Strike Force Cheviot officers, would continue weekend patrols of Kings Cross to prevent any outbreaks of violence for "as long as it takes".

Drive-by targets site of Melbourne killing

 

A drive-by shooting has targeted a Melbourne home where a man was shot dead only three days earlier. The peppering of gunfire struck a parked car and a fence of a Preston home in the city's north about 5am (AEDT) on Tuesday. The shots narrowly missed striking four people who were sleeping in the home. The street was blocked off while worried neighbours stayed indoors and were later interviewed by officers door-knocking the area. Armed crime detectives are now investigating any links between the drive-by shooting and the death of 35-year-old Mathew Schmidt, who was gunned down on Saturday in the driveway of the home while visiting his family. Neighbours had heard shouting in the driveway that day, moments before a single shot rang out. Mr Schmidt later died in hospital and detectives soon laid a murder charge against a 64-year-old man, who faces a committal mention in May. Police say the getaway car used in Tuesday's drive-by was spotted speeding out of Ambon Street and heading west, but a detailed description has not been released. Neighbours have described the street as the scene of drug dealing and ongoing disturbances.

Gang Member Pleads Not Guilty In Stabbing Death

 

documented gang member accused of stabbing a transient 19 times after the defendant issued a gang challenge to the victim pleaded not guilty Thursday to a murder charge. Josue Hernandez Gutierrez, 20, was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail in connection with the slaying of 48-year-old Emiliano Cortez of San Diego. Gutierrez was arrested Monday outside a friend's College area home. Deputy District Attorney Kristian Trocha told Judge David Szumowski that Gutierrez and a 14-year-old boy attacked Cortez about 4:45 a.m. Saturday as he was walking in the 3700 block of T Street, about a half-mile from the home where the victim lived with relatives. Gutierrez issued a gang challenge, and for some reason, the victim responded that he was from a rival gang, the prosecutor said. The defendant then stabbed the victim 19 times, including 10 to the back, Trocha said. Cortez died Saturday night, according to the prosecutor. The 14-year-old was arrested Tuesday at a Chula Vista residence. His case is being handled in Juvenile Court. Police disclosed no suspected motive for the slaying, except that it was believed to be gang-related. There was no evidence that a robbery or other crime was involved, San Diego police Lt. Kevin Rooney said. Residents of the area where the killing happened told investigators a loud argument and a man's screams prompted them to look outside, at which point they saw someone lying on a sidewalk and two people running off to the east. It was unclear why Cortez was walking through the inner-city neighborhood just east of downtown San Diego, though he apparently was not on his way home. Gutierrez was charged with murder, a gang allegation and the use of a knife. He faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted. A status conference was set for March 1 and a preliminary hearing for March 7.

Mongols Motorcycle Gang Member Convicted of Murdering President of San Francisco Hells Angels

 

federal jury found Christopher Bryan Ablett, a/k/a “Stoney,” a member of the Modesto Chapter of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang, guilty of all four felonies with which he was charged including murder in aid of racketeering, assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, using a firearm during a crime of violence, and using a firearm causing murder during a crime of violence, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced. The charges stemmed from the defendant’s gang-related murder of Mark “Papa” Guardado, the president of the San Francisco Chapter of the Hells Angels, on September 2, 2008, at 24th Street and Treat Avenue in the Mission District of San Francisco. Evidence at trial showed that Ablett traveled to San Francisco to visit a friend. He was armed with a foot-long military knife and a .357 magnum revolver. Ablett brought with him a Mongols full-patch vest and t-shirt that only a full member of the Mongols is allowed to wear. According to testimony from Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) gang expert Special Agent John Ciccone, and former Mongols undercover ATF Special Agent Darrin Kozlowski who infiltrated the gang, the Mongols are an organized criminal motorcycle gang whose primary rival is the Hells Angels motorcycle gang. When word traveled to Guardado that the defendant was wearing a Mongols patch shirt in a bar in the Mission, Guardado went to the street outside the bar and approached Ablett. A fight broke out during which Ablett stabbed Guardado four times and shot him twice, killing him. According to the testimony of FBI Special Agent Jacob Millspaugh, the case agent, the defendant’s phone records showed that he spent the next several hours calling people who were identified as members of the Mongols—showing that he was reaching out as part of the Mongols communication network. The jury rejected the defendant’s defenses of self-defense, defense of his friends, and heat of passion after the defendant took the stand and testified. The jury also found that the defendant murdered Guardado to maintain or increase his position in the Mongols gang, and that the Mongols engaged in racketeering activity. Ablett is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2012. He faces a possible sentence of three terms of life in prison plus 10 mandatory consecutive years, a $1 million fine, and five years of supervised release. Specifically, for the charge of murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 United StatesC. § 1959, Ablett faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life without parole. For the charge of assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 United StatesC. § 1959, Ablett faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. For the charge of using a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of 18 United StatesC. § 924(c), Ablett faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. And for the charge of using a firearm causing murder during a crime of violence, in violation of 18 United StatesC. § 924(j), Ablett faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 United StatesC. § 3553. The case was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorney Christine Wong, Assistant United States Attorneys Kathryn Haun, Wilson Leung and William Frentzen, paralegal specialist Lili ArauzHaase, legal techs Marina Ponomarchuk, Daniel Charlier-Smith, and Ponly Tu, all of the Organized Crime Strike Force and Violent Crime Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the San Francisco Police Department.

Forces open fire on Kerobokan jail, which houses Schapelle Corby and the Bali Nine

 

INMATES at an Indonesian prison in Bali, which holds 12 Australians, have taken over the jail again after a second night of riots. Some 400 heavily armed police and military forces were gathered outside the overcrowded Kerobokan prison, which holds 1,000 inmates, including 12 Australians convicted of drug smuggling. "The prisoners took over the prison again, which forced security personnel to fire warning shots into the air," provincial military command spokesman Wing Handoko told AFP. "The rioters wanted their friends being treated in the hospital to be taken back because they were afraid they would be mistreated by security forces," he added. An AFP reporter heard three minutes of continuous gunfire, but it was not clear if there were any casualties. A flaming torch made of rags wrapped around a pole was flung from inside the prison and landed near a television vehicle, but was extinguished before the fire could spread.  Riots continue in Kerobokan prison The prison was without light because electricity, cut off during Tuesday's rioting, still had not been restored by authorities. "There are 51 foreign prisoners from 17 countries at the prison. We will give them special security if the situation warrants," Handoko said before the shooting. It was not clear whether the most recent riot was close to the wing where Australian or other foreign prisoners are housed. Shouting and the rattling of the prison's inner gates were heard before police opened fire, but after the shooting silence and darkness descended upon the jail with inmates and security forces in a tense stand-off. Heavily armed forces had stormed the prison early Wednesday to regain control after inmates took over the prison during a night of arson and stone-throwing. All 12 Australian prisoners at Kerobokan, including two on death row and six serving life sentences, were safe after that trouble, Australia's foreign ministry said after Indonesian police had regained control of the facility. Some 100 heavily armed police and military had stormed the jail on the holiday island at around dawn on Wednesday, firing volleys of rubber bullets. Officials said they intervened after attempts to negotiate with the rioting prisoners had failed, and after some inmates managed to get hold of firearms. Three inmates had been injured in the legs, and a police officer was lightly hurt, police said. Among the Australians at the jail are convicted drug trafficker Schapelle Corby and a group known as the "Bali Nine", who were caught attempting to smuggle drugs from Bali. Up to 1,000 armed security forces backed by armoured vehicles and water cannon were stationed Wednesday morning outside the jail, which is in a suburban area of Bali seven kilometres from the tourism hub of Kuta beach. But police said the situation had returned to normal by late afternoon, and that only about 30 armed personnel had remained outside. Police and local reports said Tuesday's trouble began when one inmate stabbed another prisoner on Sunday, touching off reprisals that erupted into a full-blown riot. Prisoners began trashing cells and throwing stones at the guards who were forced to abandon the jail - built for just 300 inmates but now housing more than three times that many prisoners, both male and female. Police said the inmates were in charge for more than seven hours - from around 11pm Tuesday until 6.45am the following morning. Prison staff said the jail's registration office, including the files of prisoners, was destroyed in a blaze. After the rioting Tuesday, Michael Chan whose brother Andrew Chan is one of the Bali Nine, said he was worried about his brother given that during a previous riot "things got pretty bad, and they were in lockdown for a couple of days". Corby's family said she was well, with the women's wing of the prison untouched by the violence. There have been a number of riots at the jail in recent years, including one triggered by a police drug raid in June. It is one of Indonesia's most notorious prisons, with a combustible mix of inmates including convicted murderers, sex offenders and others guilty of violent crimes.

A Hells Angels member and a man said to be a gang associate were arrested and charged with knowingly taking part in the manufacture of a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.

CAMDEN police and special units have seized 7.5 kilograms of the drug ice estimated to be worth $1 million from a Narellan property. Officers executed search warrants on Tuesday, February 14. A Hells Angels member and a man said to be a gang associate were arrested and charged with knowingly taking part in the manufacture of a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug. The two, a Narellan man, 36, and a Catherine Field man, 41, faced Campbelltown Court last week. A Narellan woman, 30, was charged with two counts of possessing a prohibited drug in relation to cannabis and amphetamines found at the Narellan property. She will appear in Camden Court on March 12. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Richmond said two sophisticated laboratories had been found. "The two clandestine laboratories shut down by police this week were sophisticated and capable of making large quantities of prohibited drugs [methylamphetamine]," Chief Inspector Richmond said. "Those drugs will no longer be making their way to local streets and causing harm to members of the community." Large quantities of chemicals were also found and members of the Drug Squad's chemical operation team dismantled the laboratories.

Hells Angels member has sentencing moved

 

Mark Duclos, 48, of Fairbanks, Ala., had his sentencing moved to coincide with fellow Hells Angels club member George Caruso, 58, of Shirley, Mass. Duclos and Caruso were involved in a stabbing that took place during last year's Sturgis motorcycle rally. Duclos, who was found guilty of aggravated assault, was scheduled to be sentenced today, Feb. 21, though his sentencing was moved to March 5 at 10:45 a.m. along with Caruso. The pair were involved in a fight between the Hells Angels and the Mongols motorcycle club on Aug. 10, which resulted in a stabbing, sending a Mongols member and a Hells Angels member to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Aggravated assault is a class three felony and carries a maximum punishment of up to 15 years in prison and up to a $30,000 fine. Simple assault is a class one misdemeanor and carries a maximum punishment of up to one year in jail and up to a $2,000 fine.

Dartmouth shooting victim connected to Hells Angels

 

A man found dead on a Halifax-area road Sunday night had a Hells Angels connection and was shot in the back of the head, thechronicleherald.ca has learned. Halifax RCMP identified James Alexander (Sandy) Lyle, 55, as the victim and have declared his death a homicide. It’s Halifax's second homicide this year. “He died of a gunshot wound and a weapon has been recovered,” Halifax RCMP spokeswoman Const. Tammy Lobb said Tuesday afternoon. “I’m not revealing where it was recovered because that’s part of the investigation." Lobb said police will analyze and trace the gun. Two separate sources told thechronicleherald.ca that Lyle was shot in the back of the head. Lobb would not talk about any possible motive or suspects in the killing. She said no arrests had been made by late Tuesday afternoon. Lyle had a long history of drug dealing and was arrested in a major operation against the now-defunct Halifax chapter of the Hells Angels. That Dec. 4, 2001 sweep, called Operation Hammer, took in half of the membership of the Halifax chapter, which ended up closing as a result. About 200 police officers took part in the raid, in which police stormed the gang’s Dutch Village Road clubhouse, plus other sites in Halifax, Kings County, Bible Hill and Sherbrooke, Que. They arrested a trio of Hells Angels – Clay Gordon MacRae, Jeffrey Albert Lynds and Arthur Daine Harrie – along with Lyle, well-known criminal James Melvin Sr., and 15 others. Lyle was charged with trafficking marijuana. Harrie was arrested in Quebec on the day of that raid. Lynds was found dead of an apparent suicide in his Montreal jail cell last month. He was awaiting trial for two murders in that province in 2010. In March 1991, Lyle received a five-year sentence – his only federal stint - for running a cocaine operation from his Maple Street home with his younger brother Martin Ellsworth Lyle. Lyle was also found guilty of possessing a loaded .45 calibre handgun. Martin Lyle was given three years. Around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday, a passing motorist saw a body on the side of Montague Road in Montague Gold Mines and called police. Emergency Health Services were called to the scene and tried unsuccessfully to revive the victim, Lobb said. On Monday morning, a number of police investigators went to a home on Dartmouth’s Cannon Terrace and confirmed it was connected to the suspicious death. Police were still at the home Tuesday. Provincial records name James Lyle and Carla Balsor as the home’s owners. Officers were seen working inside a garage at 14 Cannon Terrace and later removed a Honda SUV from the scene. Lobb said there were no drugs in the home, which has been searched since the killing. Neighbours said the home has a surprising amount of security, which includes surveillance cameras, frosted windows and an intercom at the front door. Lyle and Balsor used to live on nearby Sea King Drive, but sold that house in 2007. Balsor is the owner of the Rodeo Lounge and Restaurant in Burnside. The Mounties are asking anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in Montague Gold Mines or around the house on Cannon Terrace on Sunday to contact them. Lobb would not say if Lyle was at his home before he was found on Montague Road.

Federal agents bust heroin operation at Stillwell Ave. auto shop in the Bronx, arrest 2, seize drugs and gun

 

Federal narcotics agents busted a heroin operation at a Bronx auto shop this month, severing a million dollar supply chain that stretched to Long Island, court records indicate. They raided Mobile Creations, a luxury car customizing shop, on Feb. 7 after nabbing a Suffolk County drug dealer attempting to sell 68 grams of heroin. The dealer ratted out his supplier, who gave up his source at Mobile, at 1631 Stillwell Ave. near Pelham Parkway in Morris Park, according to a complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal Court. The drug task force officers had the supplier set up a meet with James Gainer, who allegedly operated out of the Bronx shop, and arrested the suspect with 500 grams of heroin he planned to sell for $28,500, according to the complaint. They also snatched Mobile Creations manager Robert Bishun after finding 1.5 kilograms of cocaine and 250 grams of heroin hidden in a vehicle at the shop, and $40,000 in cash concealed in a Mercedes-Benz sedan registered to Bishun. The officers seized a .40 caliber handgun, loose ammunition and $30,000 cash from the shop’s office, along with pay-and-owe sheets detailing millions of dollars in narcotics transactions. The complaint charges both men with drug dealing and possession and Bishun with possessing a firearm linked to trafficking. Four drug grinders and a scale were also found in the shop, according to the complaint. The Suffolk County supplier told the agents he met Gainer at Mobile Creations to buy at least 100 grams of heroin a week. Repair shops and auto parts stores line Stillwell Ave., a quiet street that abuts Metro-North Railroad tracks. The facade of Mobile Creations sports colorful signs featuring Bentleys, Range Rovers and other luxury cars. "I just work here 10-6," said Mike James, a mechanic at Mobile Creations, on Monday. "This is a legit shop." "The shop has been around for over 10 years and they do high-end customization of cars," said Javier Solano, Bishun’s lawyer. "They do Lamborghini-style doors. They do $25,000 rims, $30,000 audio systems." Bishun and Gainer are being held without bail and have not been indicted yet, said Solano. Gainer’s lawyer, Lawrence DiGiansante, declined to comment.

COMANCHERO bikie who kept his membership a secret from his father has become the eleventh man to be sentenced over Sydney's fatal airport brawl.

 Zoran Kisacanin, 25, was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter last November, but guilty of riot and affray in relation to the March 2009 brawl. Anthony Zervas, the brother of Hells Angel member Peter Zervas, was killed during the violence involving the rival motorcycle gangs. Justice Robert Allan Hulme jailed Kisacanin in the NSW Supreme Court for at least three years two months and a maximum of five years and three months. "The Comancheros and Hells Angels motorcycle gangs were, in effect, at war with each other," the judge said. "The offender was a nominee member of the Comancheros. "He was subject to its strict rules requiring loyalty and prohibiting cowardice." The judge said Kisacanin played a role in the fighting - which generally involved wrestling, punching and kicking - and also picked up a bollard. But there was no evidence as to what he did with it. The judge said the participants in the riot were prepared to "engage in wanton and significant violence regardless of the presence of many airline and airport staff and members of the public". In an affidavit, Kisacanin said he became involved with the Comancheros after meeting members at a local gym. He said that the gang "sounded like good fun hanging out with the guys and being part of a brotherhood". As his mother and brother were in Serbia, his only family in Australia was his father and he kept his involvement secret from him. The judge noted Kisacanin has been housed with his Comanchero colleagues in jail, saying he "had no idea what to do if (he) was alone in prison". After promising to cease association with the club on his release, his father has agreed to let him live and work with him in a painting business. Comanchero national president Mick Hawi is yet to be sentenced after being found guilty of murder, while another club member is to be sentenced for manslaughter in March. Eight other Comancheros and two Hells Angels members have already been sentenced for their roles in the brawl.

DNA link alleged to child shooting scene

Police allege they have DNA evidence linking a prospective member of the Hells Angels to a home invasion during which an 11-year-old boy was shot at Semaphore in Adelaide. The man has been refused bail in the Magistrates Court. Former Fink Mark Sandery was enraged when his son was shot in their Military Road home last September. The boy was sleeping with his brother in a bedroom when the shots were fired, wounding him twice in the left leg. Five months later, Arron Cluse, 21, has been charged and faced court over the home invasion. Police have told the court they found Cluse's DNA on a hammer used to smash windows at the scene. Arron Cluse has been refused bail They also claim to have found two balaclavas at Cluse's house and glass fragments from the windows. The prosecutor has also revealed Cluse's now-former home was riddled by 14 gunshots last December, then set alight a month later. Fearing for his safety, Cluse fled interstate to stay with family. Defence lawyer Aaron Almeida has told the court Cluse will plead not guilty and there is no motive or evidence to link him to the shooting. Magistrate Robert Harrup refused bail, ruling the charges were too serious and the accused was a flight risk, a judgment that distressed his family and friends.

Rebels gang member on run

 

A gang member released on electronic bail has ripped the monitoring device from his leg and gone on the run. Bernard Simon Monk, 32, is wanted for breaching electronic bail while facing a charge of possession of methamphetamine for supply. Northland police spokeswoman Sarah Kennett said officers had been searching for Monk since he fled from a Whangarei house on February 12, after an electronic device was removed. Monk, a Rebels motorcycle gang member, is described as Caucasian, 1.8m tall and of medium to solid build. When the gang moved into a building in Porowini Ave in April last year, Monk acted as the gang spokesman. Preferring to be called "Guru", he told the Northern Advocate the club "wanted to cement itself in the community and have a positive impact". He said police claims the gang had Australian links and were known for manufacturing and dealing methamphetamine was propaganda and their club had a "no-drugs policy". At the time, Monk said: "Police have gone overboard, talking about drugs and crime when they have nothing to substantiate it. "We are here to make friends with the community and that won't happen by dealing drugs. It's not a gang. "We are motorcycle enthusiasts and we don't have any involvement in meth." The gang have since moved out of the Porowini Ave building. Police believe Monk has contacts in Whangarei and Auckland. Mrs Kennett said members of the public should not approach Monk. If anyone spotted him they should call police immediately.

THE Hells Angels has set up a chapter at Bondi Beach.

A deal has been done with rival bikie gang the Comanchero to "'divvy" up the lucrative eastern suburbs drug trade, police sources said.

The Hells Angels announced the Bondi chapter on their website yesterday.

Police intelligence indicates the Hells Angels recently established a clubhouse close to Bondi but not on the beach.

"We know both gangs have been looking to set themselves up there," a senior NSW police officer said.

"The two groups would have come up with some sort of boundary line between Maroubra and Bondi."

The Comanchero have traditionally had strong footholds in Maroubra and Coogee.

"It's pretty obvious the two have spoken to each other and decided on who has what territory," the officer said.

Two years ago a series of incidents, including a car bombing in the eastern suburbs, were attributed to a turf war between the Comanchero and Notorious.

Police suspect the recent peace deal may have come about with many of the Notorious members now "patching over" to the Hells Angels.

The officer said both gangs were on recruitment drives and constantly looking for new areas to expand.

Hells Angels hopeful 'shot son of former Fink Mark Sandery'

 

PROSPECTIVE Hells Angels member fired shots into the bedroom of a former Finks member's children, hitting his son twice in the leg, a court has heard. Aaron Cluse, 21, of no fixed address, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday charged with offences including aggravated acts to endanger life. Police allege Cluse was one of up to four people who stormed the Semaphore home of former Fink Mark Sandery in September last year, when Sandery's 11-year-old son was shot. Magistrate Bob Harrap refused to grant Cluse bail in any form, saying the allegations were "serious", he was considered a flight risk and protection of the community was paramount. The court heard Cluse was a prospective member of the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang and that his father was a full member interstate. Police allege that at 10.20pm on September 30, Cluse and three or four others broke into Sandery's home at Military Rd, Semaphore, by smashing several windows and bashing down the front door. Inside the Adelaide bikie war Man arrested over shooting of 11-year-old boy The Daily Telegraph, 2 days ago Police target illegal gun trade Adelaide Now, 7 days ago Thugs behind the mayhem The Daily Telegraph, 5 Feb 2012 Bikie boss silent on son's killer The Australian, 30 Jan 2012 New raid in hunt for bikie clues Adelaide Now, 17 Jan 2012 "At least two persons gained access inside ... then a number of shots were fired from a handgun into a bedroom occupied by two children," the police prosecutor said. "There was an 11-year-old and a nine-year-old boy sleeping in separate single beds at the time. "The 11-year-old was struck (by bullets) in the upper left leg and lower left leg near his ankle," he said. "The victim himself stated he was asleep, then awoken by the noise of people running through the house." Police recovered a hammer from the Semaphore home that allegedly had Cluse's DNA on it. Glass fragments were also found inside Cluse's car, that police said were from the crime scene. Cluse was first questioned by police about the shooting in mid-December. Several days later, Cluse's former residence at Burton was shot at more than 14 times, the court heard. "Then in January this year the same premises was the subject of a deliberate arson attack that caused $150,000 damage," the prosecutor said. Aaron Almeida, for Cluse, said his client had been in contact with police since December and was not a flight risk. Mr Harrap remanded Cluse in custody to appear again in May. Police prosecutors said the investigation into the shooting was continuing.

Five members of the Rebels motorcycle gang have been charged with affray

 Five members of the Rebels motorcycle gang have been charged with affray after a brawl at a hotel in southern New South Wales last Saturday. Police say about 70 patrons fled the hotel at Goulburn when a group of men started fighting in the bar area. Five men, aged between 18 and 43, were arrested yesterday. They have been given conditional bail and are expected to appear in court next month.