The Early Days of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, 10 Things You Didnt Know About the 2020 Ducati Superleggera V4, How to Get a Motorcycle License in New Jersey, The Five Best Full Face Motorcycle Helmets Money Can Buy, A Closer Look at The 2014 Ducati 1199 / 1299 Panigale, The 10 Best Harley Davidson V Rod Models of All-Time, The Five Best Viper Motorcycles of All-Time, motorcycle preferences, or their choice of activities, all motorcycle clubs. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Clarksville Mongols were a violent motorcycle gang operating in and around the city of Clarksville. The president of Mongols Bremen, "Mustafa B." His initial trial, which started in 2019, was deemed a mistrial after he was found not guilty of first-degree murder; a hung jury occurred with all other charges. Ben's been focusing on the auto and motorcycle sector since 2005. A federal judge in California has refused to order the Mongols motorcycle gang to forfeit its trademarked logo. Innocent citizens do occasionally get caught in the crossfire, but as onepercenterbikers.com notes, that old maxim of stay out of their way and they will stay out of yours generally rings true. An attorney for the Mongols said he planned to sue the city and the mayor, potentially for civil rights violations, after previously threatening to sue the hotel for breach of contract should they comply with the mayor's demands. The crews shared a clubhouse in Tampa, he said. In a 51-page ruling, Federal District Judge David O. Carter said the governments strategy of trying to devastate the Mongols motorcycle club by confiscating its treasured Genghis Khan-style logo would violate the groups First Amendment right to free speech and the excessive fines clause of the Eighth Amendment. He said their communication was for public safety and showed the Mongols that there is ATF presence at their events. [36], According to Andreas Weber, the state of Bremen's chief of criminal investigation, the new Mongols chapter is only nominally a motorcycle group. As a result, a rivalry arose between the two clubs, which resulted in the Mongols exerting force in order to establish a dominant presence in southern California. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was formed in Southern California, and today, the West Coast is still the club's stronghold. The mayor had previously threatened to shut down the hotel over unpaid taxes if the agreement to host the Mongols was not canceled. 11 talking about this. In one of them, according to their court papers, Mr. Santillan crashed his Mercedes in 2017 while driving impaired, damaging numerous cars parked on the street. Loyalty, honor, and respect among members were integral to the clubs early vision. Both men also rejected the claim that Mr. Santillan had revealed privileged defense information to the government while his motorcycle club was on trial. During the almost 13 years he led the Mongols, Mr. Santillan appeared to steer the organization away from its past recruitment of Mexican criminal gang members and a culture of total underworld activity that the feds feasted on, in terms of prosecutions, said William Dulaney, an expert on motorcycle groups who was formerly an associate professor of national security at the U.S. Air Forces Air Command and Staff College. The roots of the governments case date to 2005 when four undercover agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives managed to become full members of the Mongols. Initially, it served as A maker of radio components; however, in the 1930s, the firm opened up A new factory in, Read More A Closer Look at The 2014 Ducati 1199 / 1299 PanigaleContinue, The Harley Davidson V-Rod was unquestionably one of the most special motorcycles ever produced. "[29] The television show America's Most Wanted had exclusive access to the operation, and broadcast behind-the-scenes footage of the many arrests. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS [24] On October 21, 2008, 38 members, including Ruben "Doc" Cavazos, were taken into Federal custody after four ATF agents infiltrated the group for a second time, becoming full patch members. The U.S. Attorneys Office had earlier tried and failed to force the Mongols to forfeit their rights to the clubs trademarked logo, a drawing of a brawny Genghis Khan-like figure riding a chopper while brandishing a sword, a landmark case that prosecutors felt would help weaken the club by undermining its visual identity. Santillan says he ran into Ciccone when he went to pick up some Mongols property that had been released after the trial. Come over and get in the know with everything happening in the Biker Scene. Presumably, they are interested in associating themselves with the US motorcycle club primarily to profit from their infrastructure and trading channels in drug trafficking. "It was an improper line of communication, particularly for a law enforcement personnel trying to convict an entity of being a criminal organization," Yanny said. This is a picture of three members of the Mongols gang holding up gun. 22 talking about this. Although the focus of the clubs still centered on racing, a new form of rebellion started to creep in. Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law expert at George Washington University, said that if a federal agent was seeking confidential information about a criminal defense, that would be an extraordinary transgression.. The only thing he is guilty of is talking to John a lot and having some kind of rapport with him, she said in an interview. The sheriff categorized the group as an organized crime syndicate with national reach. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Undercover agent exposes Hells Angels sex rules: A violent price to pay, Las Vegas biker gangs shootout possibly caused by prior shooting death, Seven hurt after rival biker gangs get in shootout on Nevada highway: cops, Inside the swinging 60s home where Dennis Hoppers marriage unraveled. Cole, who had been a member of the Clarksville Mongols, was believed to have stolen motorcycles belonging to William Boylston, a fellow gang member. This verdict officially ends an era of drug-trafficking, violence, and intimidation inflicted on the people of Clarksville by the Clarksville Mongols, said U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee. These convictions underscore the Justice Departments dedication to disrupting and dismantling violent criminal enterprises.. [34][35], Organized crime in Bremen is dominated by the Miri-Clan, a large family of Lebanese origin with more than 10,000 members, who first migrated to Germany beginning in the late 1970s, and rose to national notoriety with a number of large-scale criminal activities in 2010. The club was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine in what prosecutors hoped would be a down payment on putting it out of business. 2023 Getty Images. 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[13][14], In 1998, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent William Queen infiltrated the club, eventually becoming a full-patch member and rising to the rank of chapter vice-president using the undercover alias of Billy St. John. In the call, David Santillan sobs and says he wants to reconcile. "I wanted him to feel kind of what I was feeling, the shame and embarrassment and betrayal. Judge Carter also pressed Annie Santillan on why she specifically called her husband a confidential informant and "a rat" if she was just trying to hurt him. If youve ever wondered about the origins of one of Americas most notorious motorcycle clubs, heres what you need to know about the Mongols Motorcycle Club. agent over the years because it helped avert trouble. Yanny played a clip from a National Geographic show segment on the Mongols in court as evidence of their relationship. Prosecutors requested the injunction after authorities arrested dozens of Mongols under a racketeering indictment. The club is headquartered in Southern California and was originally formed in Montebello, California, in 1969. The Vietnam vets that made up the majority of its ranks quickly turned the Mongols from a ragtag collection of riders into a tightly organized unit run with the same regimented nature and discipline theyd experienced in Vietnam. Today, it has 14 chapters in the US and a presence in 10 countries internationally. Racketeering conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; money laundering conspiracy; assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce and robbery affecting interstate commerce; kidnapping; and firearm offenses. Consisting of a large majority of ex-servicemen that had served in the war, the Hells Angels quickly started to gain a reputation for all the wrong reasons. In my opinion, the only reason the government brought this RICO case was to take another run at the patch, having failed each time in the past, said George L. Steele, a lawyer for the Mongols who is handling a separate appeal in the case. The judge will most likely consider a series of procedural matters on Monday, lawyers said, with additional hearings expected before any final ruling. "You're my everything, you're my ride or die, you're my everything. [26][27] The club president Ruben Cavazos and others pleaded guilty to the racketeering charge, and Cavazos was sentenced to serve 14 years in the penitentiary. "I assumed it was going to be her, so we videotaped," Annie Santillan tells Eyewitness News. The Mongols were formed in the 1970s in Montebello by a group of mostly Latino men who reportedly had been rejected for membership by the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, which has become the. One of Paternosters alleged killers, Mongol member Paul Pogilevsky, has been hit with a first-degree murder charge in connection with the slaying. Today, Judge Carter stood strong against the United States governments attempt to ban symbolic speech in an epic win for all Americans.. Highly disciplined, expertly tactical, and well-coordinated, these fearless (and feared) horseback riders conquered Eurasia in the early 1200s. David Santillan tells Eyewitness News that he was in a "really bad place" when the video was recorded and that he's never been disloyal to the Mongols. A Florida member of the infamous Mongols Motorcycle Club has been indicted for taking part in the brutal execution of a suspected snitch from another gang, officials said. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was established on December 5, 1969 in the East Los Angeles area in the city of Montebello, California. Also convicted was Derek Leighton Stanley, 48, of Owensboro, Kentucky, for engaging in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Der Mongols Motorcycle Club (auch: Mongols Nation) ist eine Outlaw Motorcycle Gang. The group has about 1,200 members in the United States, most of them Hispanic, and numerous chapters around the world. According to the website One Percenters Bikers, this term came to be in response to statement made in 1947 by the American Motorcycle Association that 99% of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens; clubs such as the Hells Angels, the Outlaws, and the Mongols refer to themselves as the other "1%.". "I've never cooperated in any way, shape or form.". Racketeering conspiracy; assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; kidnapping resulting in death of Stephen Cole. Calculations would be more than a hundred thousand. SANTA ANA, Calif. Nearly two months after a . A federal jury convicted James Wesley Frazier, 34; Aelix Santiago, 34; Michael Forrester, 34; Jamie Hern, 43; William Boylston, 32; and Jason Meyerholz, 48, all of Clarksville, Tennessee, for charges including racketeering conspiracy. The Mongols MC patches Motorcycle Club, sometimes called the Mongols Nation or Mongol Brotherhood, is a "one-percenter" outlaw motorcycle club. In December 2018, the club was convicted of racketeering and conspiracy, and one month later, in a ruling called the first of its kind, a jury ruled to strip the Mongols of their trademarked logo. Testimony will help determine if Mongols get new trial. ", "So, he gave me a heads up and that was it. Annie Santillan says she surreptitiously recorded the call because David's mistress had been harassing her. Big, bad, and dangerous to know, the Mongols are exactly the kind of guys your mother warned you about. His favorite car is "any Bugatti" and he's a die hard Harley Davidson fan. He entered the industry intending to build motorcycles that offered the complete, Read More The Five Best Viper Motorcycles of All-TimeContinue. The Mongols trademark remained. That isnt to say the Mongols are sugary sweet, by any stretch of the imagination. There was nothing sinister about their activities, and no law-abiding citizens had any need to fear if a group of club members rolled into town. He cant protect me, he told me, so we have to have an exit strategy, he told me, an apparently agitated Mr. Santillan said to her. One example given is after a Mongol member committed a murder, the club called a Code 55,instructing members to hide all affiliation, including stopping wearing their vests and patches, carrying weapons, or interacting with law enforcement. agent. He upheld the Mongols convictions on racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, and tentatively granted the forfeiture of the various weapons and property that had been seized. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. Mongols MC: The club talks about being in Fort Worth. [30], After a long legal battle with the Department of Justice and ATF over the Mongols' MC patch, the Mongols won the rights to continued use and ownership of their patch. Both Mr. Santillan, a Mongols member for almost 25 years who was voted out of the club in July, and the agent, John Ciccone, who retired in December after 32 years at the A.T.F., deny that Mr. Santillan was acting as an informant during the trial, though Mr. Ciccones sworn declaration does not address whether Mr. Santillan had acted as a confidential informant in the past. Mongols Motorcycle Club Says Its Leader Was an Informant The biker group hopes to set aside a $500,000 racketeering conviction, alleging that its former president cooperated with the government. The government, in its own appeal, is making another run at the Mongols logo, renewing an earlier request for a narrower forfeiture order that would take away the clubs right to trademark exclusivity over the emblem. He went on to explain, "That's one of the first questions we ask. It ain't gonna happen. Except for one defendant who died in custody and another who was deemed incompetent, all others eventually pleaded guilty. Police officers in conjunction with ATF agents and other agencies bring members of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle club into custody Tuesday morning at. club president David Santillan denies that the club as a whole is a criminal enterprise, and attorneys for the club claim that it has changed its code of conduct to exclude drug abusers and criminals. [1] Law enforcement officials estimate approximately 2,000 full-patched members are in the club. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. David Santillan founded the Mongols Biker Gang in East Los Angeles. Mr. Santillan has acknowledged that he talked often with Mr. Ciccone for a period of years, usually in the presence of other Mongols members. Cole was kidnapped and transported to a shed in Trenton, Kentucky, where he was interrogated, tortured, and beaten for hours prior to being murdered. As for Mr. Ciccone, he had mastered the craft of executing complex investigations using everything from undercovers to informants to wiretaps to subpoenas and surveillance, said Frank DAlesio, a retired A.T.F. A seventh man from Kentucky, who was not a member of the Mongols, was also convicted by the same jury of participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy with the Clarksville Mongols. ", As the CNN interview with Lisa Ling (available on YouTube)continued, the tattoo artist, who was also a Mongols member, shared that another rule for prospective members is that they must "be a breadwinner to be in this club." He was the guy outside all the time providing cover support in case something went wrong with the undercovers.. There was nothing nefarious about it.". The documentary "Hidden In America: Mongols Motorcycle Club" (available on YouTube)featured an interview with Stephen Stubbs, who serves as legal counsel to the club. If youre a rat, youre the scum of the earth, he said in an interview. According to a report by CNN (available on YouTube), newly accepted members receive patches upon their acceptance into the club. Carter went on to tell prosecutors he does not want their witnesses to use the words "to the best of my recollection.". California has refused to order the Mongols that there is ATF presence at their events the. Under a racketeering indictment unpaid taxes if the agreement to host the Mongols that there is ATF presence their. Biker gang in East Los Angeles area in the know with everything happening in US. 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