A Hooters in New Castle, Delaware cancelled it’s Wednesday bike night yesterday and instituted a no colors policy after a well publicized dust-up between members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club and men who have been widely identified as former Pagans. The slightly risqué restaurant on Du Pont Highway has been a haven from anti-biker hostility for the last dozen years.

The weekly summertime event attracted representatives from the complete spectrum of motorcycle enthusiasts from sport bike riders to patch holders. Restaurant manager Steve Rudolph told radio station WDEL that he cancelled bike night because he “didn’t want to put employees at harm.”

When the fight broke out at about 8:30 p.m. on June 5th, there were more than a hundred motorcycles in the parking lot. Police said then that the fight involved about 15 Pagans and 35 former members of the club. Initial reports said the fight was between Pagans and members of the Thunderguards Motorcycle Club. The Thunderguards are a black club that has been attracting bad publicity in Delaware for the last six months.

Witnesses told the Delaware News Journal that no Thunderguards were involved. A man identified by the paper as Stoney Woods said “I was standing right there when it broke out. The Pagans had their colors on, but the others didn’t have nothing. It was Pagans and other guys.”

An unidentified man was hit with a bottle and sustained an injury that required 11 stitches and 10 staples to close. He was treated and released at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. Thirty police cruisers from the Delaware State Police and the New Castle and Wilmington police departments responded to the disturbance.

Police are stumped. State Police Sergeant Paul Shavack told the News Journal he is focused on the man who committed the assault with the bottle. “We’ll do some interviews, review some surveillance video. And when a member of the public gives us a tip on that individual, we’ll move from there.”

Boulder City Municipal Court Judge Victor L. Miller ruled this morning that the arrest and subsequent actions of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department were “malicious” when Vegas Metro officers arrested a Mongol named George Olivo a year ago during the club’s national run.

Olivo was accused last June 24th of Obstructing a Public Officer and of being a Pedestrian Under the Influence On a Highway. Boulder City Attorney David Olsen filed those charges against Olivo after Vegas Metro told him the charges were not contrived and that there was dash cam video to prove it. Olsen dismissed the charges against Olivo when Vegas Metro couldn’t supply the video. This morning the judge ruled that Vegas Metro owes Olivo $571 for his trouble in fighting the case. Judge Miller also ruled that Boulder City did not act maliciously.

Runaround

Olivo was represented by Las Vegas attorney Stephen “Bowtie” Stubbs (with family in photo above). The bogus arrest complaint will now be included in a federal civil rights suit Stubbs filed on behalf of the Southern Nevada Coalition of Clubs last year. The lawsuit cites multiple instances of blatantly illegal harassment of motorcyclists in southern Nevada.

Vegas Metro and its lawyers behaved stupidly and unfairly from the moment they decided to punish Olivo for being a Mongol in Boulder City. Miller subpoenaed the video of the arrest last September and again last November. Las Vegas police said they could not produce the video without an “event number.” The department then refused to supply the event number until Stubbs filed a Motion to Compel the department to produce the number.

Las Vegas police officials then simultaneously denied the existence of the video to Stubbs and assured the Boulder City Attorney’s Office that there was video. If the video ever surfaces it will prove that Olivo was both cooperative and sober.

Stubbs Speaks

In a motion filed yesterday Stubbs wrote, “Every act made by LVMPD in this case is evidence of malice, including, but not limited to: arresting Defendant under bogus charges, encouraging Attorney Olsen to file charges with a false promise of providing additional video evidence, ignoring the first round of subpoenas and forcing Defendant to issue further subpoenas, ignoring subsequent subpoenas, obstructing the defense by purporting not to know their own event number for the incident and forcing Defendant to get a court order, lying to defense counsel about the existence of video evidence, further lying to Defense counsel in a sworn affidavit denying the existence of video evidence, and ignoring a court order to provide the video evidence (only after Defendant provided conclusive evidence that video evidence did, in fact, exist).

“If LVMPD was honest from the start, Defendant would have not been arrested, and there would not have been a criminal case. Even if Defendant was arrested by mistake, if LVMPD was honest from the start, the charges never would have been filed and there would not have been any costs to be reimbursed….”

An electric motorcycle company named Zero Motorcycles in Scotts Valley, California has a development contract to supply blacked out and quiet dirt bikes for the United States Special Operations Command.

The motorcycles produce much less heat than gasoline powered bikes so they are more difficult to identify with infrared sensors. The company also calls the bikes “nearly silent.” The Special Operations model is called the “MMX.”

According to a Zero press release, “an undisclosed number of MMX motorcycles are currently undergoing full operational testing.”

Specs

Zero claims the MMX produces 54 horsepower and 68 foot pounds of torque. Both numbers are higher than unofficial measurements for Harley-Davidson’s 883 Sportster with a stock exhaust. The little Sportster produces about 53 horsepower at 6000 RPM and 49 foot pounds of torque at 4100 RPM. The MMX will also operate in three feet of water.

The MMX has a keyless ignition and uses battery packs that each allow the bike to operate for up to two hours. The manufacturer says the battery packs can be replaced in about 60 seconds and recharged in “around an hour.”

The Special Operations motorcycle also features a “specialized military dash for quick and centralized mainline controls,” a headlight switch for “night-time stealth,” “integrated wiring to accommodate quick installation of front and rear infrared systems” and “aggressive foot pegs and hand guards for optimal control.”

Marketing Speak

Zero Motorcycles was founded in 2006 and appears to be the current top dog in the emerging market for electric bikes. The company’s motorcycles are built around a lightweight aluminum frame and it calls its electric motor “revolutionary.” Zero’s public relations are at least professional.

According to Abe Askenazi, Chief Technology Officer for Zero Motorcycles, “The military needed a very specific set of core features on the MMX, and we were incredibly thankful to work side-by-side with them to deliver such a unique product. The great news for our civilian customers is that we made the decision to incorporate into our 2013 MX, FX and XU retail motorcycles virtually all of the powertrain enhancements associated with satisfying this project’s stringent military requirements. Our 2013 product is truly ‘military grade.’”

Zero also sold 59 motorcycles to the government of Hong Kong in May.

America’s brief heyday was probably the interlude between the big World War and the smaller war nobody is still really allowed to talk about. Maybe the heyday stretched into the golden age of disco. It probably ended with Reagan and it is definitely over now, for sure. But, the ghosts of that time haunt us all.

America’s and the world’s fascination with all things Harley-Davidson and motorcycle outlaw is really nostalgia for the way we were before the current time of benevolent Stalinism. We now live in a world where Michael Bloomberg must be smarter than everybody else because he is a billionaire. And because he is a billionaire and must be smarter than all the non-billionaires it is his duty to ban big gulps, and the Second and Fourth Amendments. Bill Maher has been campaigning recently to have the Second Amendment repealed. After all, he argues, if Swat has guns why would you possibly need one?

Yet there remains a significant subculture of benighted Americans who, against all reason, continue to yearn for just yesterday when jobs were disposable instead of workers.

The Devils Ride and Sons of Anarchy both pay homage to that lost time before it was a felony to punch a cop; when men were the masters of their own fate and when the going got rough you could just get on your bike and escape into the west and make a fresh start. Boys don’t watch The Devils Ride because they are interested in Sandman or White Boi. They watch because they want to be Sandman or White Boi. They don’t want to be Michael Bloomberg or Bill Maher.

Harley has been cashing in on this nostalgia for the last free years since AMF got out of the motorcycle business. The times may have changed but the memory, maybe it is an embellished memory on the cusp of becoming a myth, is undaunted. Some weeks it manifests as a circus. This morning the circus pulled into Rome. This Sunday it will be blessed by the Pope.

Hooray For Harleywood

Harley-Davidson, a company that until recently was so covered in the American flag that sober men would tattoo the company’s name on their arms, has been emphasizing its global market for the last few years. To that end the Motor Company presented the Pope with two of its motorcycles and a leather jacket on Wednesday in honor of Harley’s 110th birthday, One of the bikes was signed by Pope Francis predecessor, the former Pope Benedict XVI. One of them will go into a Vatican museum. The other will be auctioned off for charity. Maybe Michael Bloomberg will buy it.

Thursday the circus pitched its tents in Ostia, a port city near Rome. The event there is expected draw 100,000 visitors over four days. Thirty-five thousand of them are expected to ride in. The event will feature test-rides, beer, bratz, a tattoo booth and lots of Harley tee-shirts.

Sarah Hauer, writing in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, interviewed a 15-year-old Britain named Adey Scammell. Scammell rode in from England with three friends. When he arrived he had a Harley eagle with two pistons tattooed on his back. Scammell told the Journal Sentinel. “Short of us coming to Milwaukee, this is the next best place.” When Hauer asked him what he likes about Harleys he replied, “the noise, the look and everything that goes with it.”

By “everything that goes with it” Scammell was probably referring to what Vladimir Putin, in an address to the Night Wolves a few years ago in Sevastopol, called “the tempting feeling of freedom”.

Blessing Of the Bikes

This Sunday an estimated 1300 Harleys will ride into Saint Peter’s Square for a blessing of the bikes by the Pope. Toronto’s Globe and Mail described the blessing as “nothing short of a marketing triumph.” Of course it is. “It is impossible to imagine rival motorcycle makers getting such attention and privileges,” the Globe and Mail continued. “The blessing of the Hondas or the Suzukis? Forget it.”

John Wheeler, a Harley executive whose job has something to do with international perception management, told the Journal Sentinel, “the brand and its American ideals translate across cultures.”

“Many people already know the Harley brand, even though we don’t sell in their country,” Wheeler continued. “People know that we stand for personal freedom, individualism and boldness.”

Thirty-five percent of Harley’s sales are now outside the United States. After Rome, the Harley-Davidson noise and freedom circus will travel to China, Austria, India, New Zealand, Germany, Australia, South Africa, Mexico and Brazil. Then the circus will return to Milwaukee for Labor Day Weekend.

In the last several days a commenter named John Furin has published multiple inflammatory and insulting comments on this site. Saturday, for example, this commenter wrote about Peter B. “Hormone” Schlette, Jr.’s obituary, “He was a Poser Now hes worm dirt.” On a story about The Last American Outlaw, a documentary by a British film maker about former Hells Angel George Christie, Furin wrote “Rebel Your a Lier.

Here’s what’s going on.

John Furin is the screen handle for Nightmare one percenter of the Chester faction of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club. This faction of this club was involved in a highly publicized gunfight with members of a large and well known club named the Warlocks Motorcycle Club that has most of its chapters in Florida. The shooting occurred near Orlando last September and Schlette was one of its victims. The Florida Warlocks wear a Phoenix or Warbird patch. Both the Chester and Philly factions of the Warlocks wear a Harpy totem on their backs.

Nightmare who calls to harass me from a telephone number in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and tells me he is a Florida resident, describes himself as the Boss of the Southeastern region of the “True and Original Warlocks” or “Red and White Warlocks” Motorcycle Club. The Southeastern Region of the Red and White Warlocks encompasses the Eastern Seaboard from the South Carolina-North Carolina state line to Key West.

Nightmare one percenter, who has an amazing ability to speak loudly for long stretches of time without inhaling, strongly disapproves of a story published here on June 3rd titled “The Philly Outlaws Case.” He specifically objects to the second sentence in that story which reads: “The Philadelphia Outlaws, who used to be the Philadelphia Warlocks, became the target of the FBI’s Organized Crime/Labor Racketeering Squad.”

The Aging Rebel has reconsidered the sentence and believes it most accurately and succinctly describes the very complicated, involved and sometimes strange events which led to the foundation of an AOA chapter in Philadelphia and its relationship to the Warlocks Motorcycle Club founded in Southwest Philadelphia in 1967. (Nightmare insists the club was founded in 1965.) The June 3rd story was not about the history of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club but about an FBI entrapment of members of the Outlaws in Philadelphia. Consequently, the June 3rd story has not been modified.

As for the shooting in Florida last September: This page understands that there are multiple versions of that tragic event and that the case is not yet adjudicated. The Aging Rebel will continue to try to cover that ongoing case fairly and without screwing up anybody’s defense.

Nightmare one percenter is not a source and has not been a source in covering that case. The Aging Rebel does not identify sources for information published here unless a source explicitly or implicitly agrees to be identified. Nightmare one percenter simply disagrees with this page’s coverage of that case.

At this time this page has nothing more to report on the Florida shooting case or the case involving members of the Philadelphia chapter of the Outlaws.

Rebel

Gangland on Discovery is gone but now there is Gangsters: America’s Most Evil on Biography. The first episode of this season of the show, airing Tuesday June 18th at 10, is titled, “The Mongol Warlord : Ruben ‘Doc’ Cavazos.”

And, some few of you might wonder what the hell I am doing in it. From what I can tell, I don’t really have much to say on the subject of the Mongols during the Doc years. But this website does believe in transparency. And there are undoubtedly some of you out there who have not yet been on television to talk about how Angels, Mongols, Vagos, Bandidos, Outlaws, Highwaymen, Pagans, Warlocks and so on earn their red, black and green wings.

So here, pretty much verbatim, is how I came to appear, however briefly, in this amazing, postmodern thing.

12/14/12

Dear Mr. Davis,

My name is Liz and I’m working on an A&E/Biography Channel documentary series. We will produce an episode about Ruben “Doc” Cavazos and tell his life story. In my research, I came across your book, Out Bad, and would love the opportunity to speak with you at your earliest convenience. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

Liz Gonzalez

Associate Producer, Asylum Entertainment

Dear Liz,

Tell me more about who you are and the name of your series.

Rebel

Dear Rebel,

Thank you for getting back to me. I work for a TV production company called Asylum Entertainment and the series we are producing is called, Gangsters. Our program is a biography documentary series and each episode will be unique to the subject we are profiling. The series will premiere on The Biography Channel and air on A&E. Are you available to talk sometime next week? Let me know if you need anything else.

Sincerely,

Liz

12/15/12

Dear Liz,

I presume you’ve read what I have had to say about Doc on the website. I don’t think I would have anything more to add to what I’ve already stated. But, let me recommend some people to you who I suspect would be delighted to chat with you about Doc on or off camera:

Frank Girardot who writes about crime for the San Gabriel Valley News frank.girardot@sgvn.com

Chris Blatchford at Fox 11 in el lay who has a little history with Doc chris.blatchford@foxtv.com

Doc’s brother Al at althesuit@xxxxx.com

Doc’s literary agent Alan Nevins at alan@rltagency.net

And, of course Ciccone and Kozlowski and all the gang at Glendale ATF and I am sure you already have their email addresses. I presume you know where Doc is. Right? In case you want to talk to him?

Feel free to write me anytime.

You have a Merry Christmas Liz,

Rebel

12/17/12

Dear Rebel,

Thank you for this information. Your Mongols expertise is integral for our program. Would you be interested in an on-camera interview with us? We would be thrilled to hear all about your book and blog.

Thanks,

Liz

That’s what got me. Liz told me people would be thrilled to hear all about my book and blog. Book sales. Hits. This thing might be worth as much as another $400 in my pocket, I thought. I continued to think about that for another couple weeks.

1/4/13

Hi Rebel,

I’m writing to check in with you. As I mentioned below, we would love to hear from you for our program and only looking to hear about the information you put up on your site. If you don’t want your image in the public, we can always keep your identity anonymous. We can silhouette and distort your voice. Please let me know your thoughts when you have a chance.

Thank you and happy new year,

Liz

1/5/13

Dear Liz,

Sure. Okay. Contact me Monday so we can work out the details.

Rebel

1/8/13

Hi Rebel,

I’m writing to check in with you. I was out sick yesterday, so I apologize for the delay. Would you be available to meet with us on January 22nd or January 23rd? Your interview will take no more than an hour. In any case, let me know what works for you.

Thanks,

Liz

Dear Liz,

Tuesday the 22nd works for me. Keep me informed.

Rebel

Hi Rebel,

Great! What time works for you? 10 am?

Liz

Dear Liz,

Ten is a little early. Where am I going? I don’t have a car. I have a motorcycle. If it rains, I’m not sure that the joy of doing this favor for you quite offsets the chore of riding on the freeway for an hour in the fucking rain. Tell me again. What do you want to know?

Have a nice week,

Rebel

1/9/13

Hi Rebel,

I apologize for any inconvenience. We can set something up in the late afternoon/evening. Just let me know what time works for you. Nevertheless, if the weather or anything else comes up, we completely understand and can reschedule. The interview will be in Sherman Oaks, but if it’s easiest for us to come to you, we can arrange that as well. For your interview, we will ask you questions about your book and blog with the focus on your Mongols expertise. We will definitely plug your book in the show, which will optimistically give your book more readership. In any case, we appreciate very much you taking the time to meet with us!

Talk soon,

Liz

Dear Liz,

Tuesday January 22nd at 11 a.m. in Sherman Oaks is fine if the weather is clear or cloudy. Send me an address. Remind me by email before the 22nd.

Okay?

Have a good day,

Rebel

Hi Rebel,

Sounds good. The interview will be held at:

Courtyard Los Angeles Sherman Oaks, 15433 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, California 91403, Suite#: TBD

I will check in with you prior to the interview. We look forward to meeting you.

Best,

Liz

1/18/13

Hi Rebel,

I’m writing to check in. The weather looks clear for Tuesday. Can we plan on meeting you Tuesday at 11 am?

Thanks,

Liz

Dear Liz,

Yeah, my weather app says sunny and 75. Barring a fatal accident on the 405, I am pretty sure I will be there. Do you have a room number yet? Or should I look for an intern in the parking lot asking every passing motorcyclist, “Are you Rebel? Is your name Rebel?”

Enjoy your weekend,

Rebel

Hi Rebel,

We hope you arrive safe and sound! We won’t have a room number until we check in, but I will be in the lobby waiting for you. Just in case, my phone number is xxx-xxx-xxxx. You will meet my executive producer, Charles Kreisa. We look forward to meeting you next week!

Thanks,

Liz

1/22/13

I was on time. Liz was not in the parking garage or the lobby and she did not answer her phone. Occasional tourists came and went. I was the only person there in a motorcycle jacket and I got the eerie feeling that I was being watched and that whoever was watching me was waiting for me to try to steal something – a lamp maybe or a couch. Eventually a thirty-something, Hollywood-looking, Valley guy asked me if I was Rebel. He was Charles Kreisa, the executive producer who would be interviewing me. He had a very well thumbed copy of Out Bad in his hand with dozens of bookmarks sticking out.

We couldn’t go upstairs yet, he explained, because other interviews were “running a little late.” We talked for about ten minutes and I said the same things I always say: “Don’t trust the police;” “everything you think you know about motorcycle clubs is wrong;” “the Mongols investigation was particularly dirty.” Charles seemed to respect and accept my opinions.

What I really wanted to know was, “Who’s gonna validate my parking?”

“Oh, no problem. I will on the way out.”

So then I realized it was going to cost me fifteen bucks to back out of the interview.

Eventually Liz came down with Thom Mrozek, the public affairs guy for the United States Attorney for the Central District of California. We said hello. I told Mrozek he writes great press releases and he said thanks. Charles told me that John Ciccone, who was the ATF case agent on Operation Black Rain, had been interviewed the day before.

And then for the next two hours, with the promise of book sales fluttering in my head, Charles asked me questions about things I had said in Out Bad and I answered him in the same spirit in which the book was written. From time to time we would stop while the camera guy changed tapes. Then I would clap my hands to synchronize the sound and we would start talking again.

Afterward, I signed a piece of paper and, true to his word, Charles validated my parking.

It was a basically painless experience, except for the construction on the San Diego Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass. And, I was pretty sure that most of what I said wasn’t going to air anyway. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Liz and Charles but I had no idea who told them what they could and couldn’t say on TV.

1/24/13

Hi Don,

I just wanted to send over a quick note to thank you very much for taking the time to meet with us on Tuesday! I will be in touch.

Best,

Liz

Dear Lizbeth,

My pleasure, Liz. I enjoyed meeting you and Charles. Charles needs a colorful nickname. I just hope I gave you something you can use. Remember, call me Donald Charles Davis.

Enjoy your weekends,

Rebel

2/7/13

Hi Don,

Question for you. From your book, I believe you mentioned that Doc’s book and the show Gangland were seized as evidence. Do you know if ATF retained this evidence? Thanks for your feedback.

Dear Liz,

Photographs from Doc’s book and outtakes as well as aired footage from the Gangland episode were “entered into” evidence during US v Cavazos et al. Discovery Channel, or whoever the network was, still owns and airs the Gangland episode. I’m not sure who owns the book. Doc’s plea deal is still sealed. It is likely that Doc’s book was forfeited as part of the plea and sentencing agreement but I don’t know. Doc wouldn’t tell me. Among the many questions I asked William Morrow was “who is getting the royalties from Honor Few Fear None.” William Morrow won’t talk to me. Give them a call. Maybe they will talk to you. Alan Nevins at Renaissance Literary & Talent must know and he will probably talk to you.

Gangland, I think the corporation was Gangland LLC, just gave the outtakes to the ATF. I am sure that the ATF kept multiple copies of everything.

The Mongols saying, by the way is “Respect Few Fear None” which was copyrighted by the San Diego chapter of the Mongols. Dago, and its chapter President Mike Munz, refused to let Doc use the motto for his book so Doc changed “respect” to “honor.”

Does that help?

Ask me anything,

Rebel

Hi Don,

Thank you for this information. This is very helpful. I will let you know if any additional questions come up.

Liz

6/4/13

Hi Don,

I just got the update that episode 13: Ruben “Doc” Cavazos will premiere on Tuesday, June 18th at 10 pm on the BIO channel. I will make sure to send over a DVD once it airs.

Thanks,

Liz

Wondering What I Said

A week later, a friend of mine who rides a motorcycle and sometimes rides with friends asked me about this show. He seemed to know more about it than I did and he was surprised to learn I was in it.

Someone at Biography has written this synopsis of the show:

“Following a deadly brawl between the Hells Angels and Mongols Motorcycle Clubs in 2002, Cavazos came to national prominence. During his reign as the Mongols’ president, he expanded the club’s membership by recruiting local street thugs with affiliations to the Mexican Mafia. Federal agents say Doc’s aim was to take on the Hells Angels and run a massive criminal enterprise engaged in drug running, murder and intimidation. But Doc’s power grab came with consequences. During his time in charge, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives infiltrated the club and piled on the evidence for a federal racketeering indictment. Many Mongols say Cavazos’ hunger for fame would be his ultimate downfall and drive him to turn on his brothers.”

I am pretty sure I would have phrased that a little differently.

And, I still don’t know what I said. In the preview of the episode I have seen, I notice that my dialogue seems to be limited to the words “Doc Cavazos rose rapidly….”

And, I am not sure I am going to watch the show. But some of you might be more interested in it than I am.

You can see a clip from the show here.

The Mongols Motorcycle Club is suing United States Attorney General Eric H. Holder. The government agency Holder administers is ironically called the Department of Justice. And through its support, or puppet, agency called the office of the United States Attorney for the Central District of California, the “Justice Department” has been trying to seize the Mongols name and the club’s logo since October 2008.

The idea has always been to outlaw membership in the Mongols, and eventually all motorcycle clubs, by criminalizing the use of the club’s principal identifiers. Five years ago, to celebrate the arrests of former club president Ruben “Doc” Cavazos and 78 other people, the Justice Department grandly announced.

“The racketeering indictment seeks the forfeiture of the trademarked ‘Mongols’ name, which is part of the ‘patch’ members wear on their motorcycle jackets.

“’In addition to pursuing the criminal charges set forth in the indictment, for the first time ever, we are seeking to forfeit the intellectual property of a gang,’ said United States Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien. ‘The name “Mongols,” which is part of the gang’s “patch” that members wear on their motorcycle jackets, was trademarked by the gang. The indictment alleges that this trademark is subject to forfeiture. We have filed papers seeking a court order that will prevent gang members from using or displaying the name “Mongols.” If the court grants our request for this order, then if any law enforcement officer sees a Mongol wearing his patch, he will be authorized to stop that gang member and literally take the jacket right off his back.’”

John Ciccone, the ATF agent who spent eight months in 2008 and 2009 enthusiastically trying to prove that government press releases carry the power of law, put it more succinctly in a national television appearance two weeks ago. “You know, if you take the patch off them, they’re nobody,” Ciccone said.

Unfortunately some things still aren’t legal even if when they are announced at a big press conference and on television.

The Very Stupid Indictment

Three federal district judges, Florence Marie Cooper, Otis Wright and David Carter have all ruled that the government cannot seize the marks that advertise membership in the Mongols but “Justice,” which literally has all the time and money in the world, was not deterred.

Last February, an Assistant United States Attorney named Elizabeth Yang date-raped a grand jury into indicting “Mongol Nation, an unincorporated association” for racketeering and sought to seize the Mongols insignia yet again. The 44-page indictment was so embarrassingly half-assed that no federal judge would allow it to be filed. Almost five months later this forty-four page thing which cost at least $1 million to create still hasn’t been filed. But there is no guarantee that the big justice machine won’t just keep creating similar nuisance indictments against the Mongols and any other motorcycle club until eventually some prosecutor gets lucky with some judge.

The Mongols law suit, filed by a limited liability corporation named Mongols Nation Motorcycle Club, is intended to put an end to the government’s obsession with stealing the Mongols patch.

The Suit

The Mongols suit asserts:

“Mongols Nation Motorcycle Club has an actual, well founded, and reasonable fear that based on the government’s current and prior actions the government will attempt to take ownership of the marks and thereby unconstitutionally infringe on the Club’s First Amendment rights. If the government seizes ownership of the marks then MNMC will have suffered irreparable harm by chilling, deterring and infringing his First Amendment rights. MNMC has no adequate remedy at law. An actual controversy has arisen and now exists between MNMC and Defendants (which is to say the Department of Justice) regarding Defendants’ ability to seize rights to the marks through RICO forfeiture.

“Wherefore, Plaintiff (the Mongols) respectfully requests the Court enter judgment against Defendants as follows: A. By declaring that the government has no interest in the marks; B. By declaring that the marks are not subject to RICO forfeiture; C. By declaring MNMC and the Club are the rightful owners of the marks; D. By granting costs and attorney’s fees pursuant…(to) applicable law.”

The Mongols are represented by a Burbank attorney named Bob Bernstein.

Stephen Kinzey, the former kinesiology professor at California State University San Bernardino who was nationally famous for a few weeks as the “Devil’s Professor,” is still free on bail and still awaiting trial.

Kinsey was also President of the Mountain Chapter of the Devils Diciples Motorcycle Club and, because he was on vacation when his indictment was announced in September 2011, he was immediately labeled a fugitive. Kinzey was accused of buying pounds of methamphetamine from a San Bernardino man named Jeremy Disney and selling ounces of methamphetamine to small-time dealers.

Eight people have taken plea deals in the case. Hans Robert Preszler, Eric Cortez, Edward Freer, Chelsea Marie Johnson, Elaine Linda Flores, Wendi Lee Witherell, Christopher Allen Rikerd and Stephanie Danielle Padilla all wound up serving about a year in jail or less. Kinzey, Disney and Kinzey’s girlfriend, Holly Vandergrift Robinson, have consistently maintained their innocence.

Kinzey is accused of possession of a controlled substance for sale, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to distribute illegal narcotics, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm and participating in a criminal street gang. His contract with Cal State San Bernardino expired in August 2012.

Press Frenzy

The press conference held to announce the accusations against Kinzey and the seizure of a pound of crank set off a press frenzy 22 months ago.

San Bernardino Sheriff Rod Hoops said, “I have kids in college and to have an associate professor who is a member of the Devil’s Diciples dealing narcotics is quite alarming. I mean, it’s unusual to say the least…. Hopefully, we can get our main suspect (Kinzey) in custody in the next few days.”

One of Hoops’ deputies, Detective Jason Rosenbaum, advised excited reporters, “He’s smarter than the average dealer…He was doing what he could to keep it under wraps…I believe he does have the ability to flee the country because there are (Devils Diciples) chapters in other countries. He also has family out of state.”

The San Bernardino Sun, in an apparent homage to the golden days of yellow journalism, called Kinzey the “Devil’s Professor.” The San Bernardino Press-Enterprise was slightly more restrained. It began its coverage of the Kinzey case under the headline “Meth dealing professor at large.”

Still At Large

Kinzey’s case has been slowed by numerous continuances. The next preliminary hearing for Kinzey, Disney and Robinson is scheduled for August 2nd. The case has not yet been assigned a trial date.

For the last year Kinzey has run a kinesiology consulting business from his home.

Kinzey is represented by attorney James Glick.

The Warlocks Motorcycle Club, the one that wears a Warbird/Phoenix, issued a press release today about the upcoming Discovery Channel Series Warlocks Rising. If you’re lost you can read about that series here.

The press release reads in full:

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE WARLOCKS NATIONAL, LLC

A documentary series will be released on Friday, July 5, 2013 to be aired on the Discovery Channel entitled Warlocks Rising. This documentary purports to depict some members of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club in various personal activities and in various club activities and events. The depictions aired during this series will be the result of the participation of individuals and of the editing process utilized by the publisher. Nothing depicted in this series should be interpreted as being approved or ratified by the Warlocks National, LLC, or any individual chapter or member of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club. Indeed, there are many members of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club who do not approve of this series nor the activities and opinions depicted or expressed therein.

For more information contact Roger B. Butcher, P.A., P.O. Box 620069, Oviedo, Florida 32762-0069, Phone: (407) 321-6635

Almost exactly three years ago, I was sitting in a bar in Oxnard with a Mongol named Target Owens. Owens was going to prison within a month and we had a few beers and talked for awhile about an episode of a History Channel show called Gangland. The Mongols had been the subject of a Gangland episode and Target remembered that was when he started to worry about his club.

“Whenever the television cameras start to come around any motorcycle club,” Target told me, “you have to know there is going to be a big bust within six or eight months.” At the time I couldn’t have agreed with him more.

Gangland might never have aired except for a Deputy Assistant Director named W. Larry Ford at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Ford was one of the geniuses behind the selling of Jay Dobyns – although Dobyns maintains he opened show business doors for Ford, not the other way around. According to public documents, Ford “promoted other investigations and ATF agents to the networks, resulting in documentaries about ATF operations or agents that included: Agent Richard Marianos, Chicago street gangs (two programs: “Vice Lords” and “El Rukns”); Agents Steve Martin and James Langley, Warlocks motorcycle club; Agents Blake Boteler and Darrell Edwards, Sons of Silence motorcycle club; Agent Kenneth Croke, Murder for Hire investigation; agents John Ciccone, Darrin Kozlowski, John Carr, Paul D’Angelo and Greg Giaoni, Mongols Motorcycle Club.”

Gangland LLC, the production company behind the television show liked to brag that it was doing “journalism” and it seemed to understand “journalism” to be a kind of domestic spying that helped put people in prison. In the Mongols case, both aired footage and outtakes from the Mongols production were entered into evidence in federal court. Ciccone described it as, “video footage obtained by ATF from the producers of the television show Gangland who produced an episode concerning the Mongols. The footage included in the clip includes some footage that was broadcast, as well as some that was not. Many of the defendants in United States v. Cavazos, including Ruben Cavazos, are featured in the clip.”

The Warlocks Motorcycle Club was hosed by Gangland and by A&E Networks, the soulless corporation that produced the show. In the Warlocks episode ATF Agent Steve Martin relived his infiltration of the club and bragged about how he engineered a mass arrest to coincide with a Warlocks funeral. Martin expressed the emotional ordeal he went through when he betrayed his friends.

(Martin also bequeathed the bike he rode during that investigation to Dobyns. A story about Dobyns civil case against the ATF, published on this page June 7th and titled “Dobyns Trial Begins Monday,” was illustrated with a cropped photo of Dobyns, without a helmet in direct violation of California law, riding a motorcycle down Catalina Avenue in Redondo Beach. The bike is the same motorcycle Martin rode during the Warlocks investigation.)

So it was a shock to learn from sources not generally sympathetic to the Warlocks that the club would be the subject of a four part, four-hour-long documentary to be cablecast on Discovery and called Warlocks Rising.

Makeup Love

I was so prepared to detest the first episode that I had a lead already written, an illustration already prepared and a particularly snarky video all picked out yesterday. I slept on that, watched the show Saturday morning and was surprised by what I saw. I liked it. As it turns out, Warlocks Rising looks like American television’s makeup blowjob for Gangland. I felt bad about tossing the lead. It quoted legendary, if imaginary, defense attorney Vinny Gambini and I thought it was at least droll. Unfortunately, writers who don’t work for the American secret police are compelled to try to tell the truth, even when a lie would be funnier.

Warlocks Rising is the rarest thing. It is a show about outlaw bikers that is sympathetic to and mostly truthful about its subjects. It may be what Discovery was trying to accomplish when the network bought the ridiculous Devils Ride – which is to Warlocks Rising as professional wrestling is to the Olympic sport.

As portrayed on television, the Warlocks is clearly an evolved and authentic motorcycle club. The members are all lifers and they have their shit together. One subject describes the MC world as a “dangerous lifestyle” which pretty much nails it. They all ride like real, live motorcycle outlaws.

One subject, a grandfather who can’t attend his grandchild’s recital because he has to go to a party for a brother returning from prison, explains to his fully tatted old lady, “You only get out of prison once…er, twice…er…three times in your life.” Many of these guys are grey.

I never got the sense that the subjects of the show were acting, at least not much. If they were acting they are very much better at it than the patch holders of the Sinister Mob Syndicate. When they are self-dramatizing they are authentically self-dramatizing. They are sometimes a little over the top in the same way the entire counterculture is self-dramatizing and over the top.

The party scenes look like club parties. At one point a rude civilian presumes to pull a willing woman away from the brother just released from the penitentiary. A scuffle ensues and just as in real life the club protects the homecoming man from violating the terms of his parole. Men like the civilian in the show usually pay for their rudeness with something between an ego crushing beating and a trip to intensive care or the morgue. The Orlando chapter of the Warlocks is to be commended for its admirable restraint. Of course they knew they were being filmed.

And the show authentically ends with one of the club brothers going down on a highway. Everyone who has spent five minutes around a motorcycle club, probably including men like Jay Dobyns, understands that the most dangerous part of being in a motorcycle club is the motorcycle part.

Orlando

The show is about members of the Warlocks Orlando chapter, which is the club’s mother chapter, and much of it is filmed inside the clubhouse. The first episode was apparently shot before the deaths of three club members named Harold “Davey” Liddle, Peter “Hormone” Schlette and David “Dresser” Jakiela last September. At the time, the Warlocks MC issued a statement that read: “We extend our heartfelt condolences not only to the families of our poor, fallen brothers but to our entire Warlocks Nation. We have all lost three true brothers and they will be remembered!” Four members of the Chester, Pennsylvania version of the Warlocks were charged with murder in the deaths. The accused men are David Maloney, Victor Amaro, Robert Eckert and Paul Smith.

Much of the four accused men’s shared defense will rest on the allegation that between 60 and 75 Warlocks had assembled at the Orlando clubhouse, that the accused knew it and that they felt justifiably threatened by the potentially overwhelming odds. It is certain that some of the subjects of last night’s television show were in the Orlando clubhouse at the time. So, what might be most interesting about Warlocks Rising will be to see how Discovery handles the homicides. It was a major event in the life of the club. Discovery was filming the show when the shootings occurred and if the show is journalism, as opposed to entertainment, it can’t ignore the deaths. It just can’t, because lies of omission are still lies.

And, those facts raise questions that aren’t usually asked outside of newsrooms.

A lot of guns in hands appeared in last night’s show. One can only hope that none of the subjects broke any laws when the cameras were around. But there are so many laws there is always the chance that someone did. So the real question about Warlocks Rising is not its impeccable intentions or its apparent journalistic integrity. The real question becomes how faithfully Discovery’s in-house production company has guarded the outtakes. If the show is as journalistic in intent as it appears to be after one episode, the producers will ignore any subpoenas and eat any resulting contempt charges.

The show was shot in Florida by a production company based in Maryland and is about a motorcycle club that has been the subject of multiple federal investigations in Florida and Virginia. The current murder case is a state case and Florida has a shield law. The federal government does not. So simply airing the show creates its own drama.

For the time being Warlocks Rising is the truest television show ever produced about an outlaw motorcycle club. The subjects are familiar to people who know the counterculture but they are likely to surprise and inform people who are not. And, at least so far before another shoe drops, Discovery should be commended for putting it on the air.

Everybody will start to find out next week whether the show will keep telling the truth or will be satisfied to be just another biker exploitation side show. But Warlocks Rising might be important and you should watch it while you can.

A controversy has erupted over Discovery’s new biker reality show, Warlocks Rising. The argument is loudest and most heartfelt within the Warlocks Motorcycle Club and it is about one of the unwritten rules of the outlaw world, which is don’t use the patch for commercial purposes.

Numerous members of the club, including entire chapters, wanted nothing to do with the four-hour series. “The club didn’t want to be sensationalized,” a source said. The club contracted to participate in the production more than a year ago. The president of the club at the time the contract was signed has since stepped down but, according to the source, the change had nothing to do with the current argument.

Free Reign Media

Discovery Channel has previously said the show was produced by Discovery Channel Productions. That is true in a technical, legal sense but the show was actually researched, photographed and assembled by a company named Free Reign Media LLC which is two guys named Cameron Casey and Stuart Schonfeld and a pigeon hole at the Mailboxes Etc. at 1158 26th Street in Santa Monica.

Free Reign issued a press release last week that stated, “Casey and Schonfeld spent a year developing the storylines of the seven Warlocks members featured in the series. This included hours of journalistic research and interviews with the bikers to flesh out and document their personal stories and family relationships.”

The release describes life in the Warlocks as “a private dark world, one that the Warlocks are very proud of. It was important to them to have someone understand and tell their story the way they wanted it to be told.”

“These are the kinds of stories that you’d expect from a film or narrative piece,” explains Casey. “Until now, we haven’t had access to the one-percenter lifestyle, so it’s the first time we’re seeing these real characters in their real environments on camera. There’s no script or fake drama here. This was definitely the most challenging project I’ve ever worked on in my career.”

Hello! Hello!

The Aging Rebel submitted four questions to Casey by email. Those questions were:

1) First and most important, the show as aired includes the closing credit: “Special Thanks The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.” Why? To what extent was the ATF involved in the production and post production of this show? Are you aware of the implications of that credit?

2) Is this show journalism or entertainment? Who controls the outtakes?

3) I have been told filming on the show began in September. Did it? I know filming continued on the show throughout last fall.

4) Will the show mention the deadly shootout between members of the Chester faction of the Harpy Warlocks and members of the Warbird Warlocks?

Casey Replies

Casey replied:

“Good to meet you and thank you for your interest in the show. We are aware of the controversy and understand the Warlocks’ concerns. We are proud of the show and tried to tell the Warlocks story by focusing on Love/Respect and brotherhood and tried to stay true to the characters, club history and real stories of the club. As story tellers/documentary film makers we take our jobs very seriously and wanted to maintain respect and consideration for Warlocks on all levels. Warlocks are proud Americans and as you know many fought for our country in war and are living patriotic lives and live by principles that at the core are truly American principles.”

“I’d be happy to answer your questions. I’ll review these and get back to you with answers.”

When he does, this page will print his replies.

Couldn’t Be Stopped

A source with knowledge of the production described the ATF credit as an ironically intended “flip-off credit.”

Another source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the club “did try to stop this legally but to no avail.” The source said that pursuing legal action against Discovery would cost “more money than we could ever hope” to collect. He said he believed the show had also cost the Warlocks “dignity” and that after the first airing last Friday the club may never again “be the same.”

This story was published on July 10 and corrected on July 11. The original story said Cameron Casey was “the” producer of Warlocks Rising. It has been corrected to say that he is “a” producer on the show.

Cameron Casey, (above) an owner of Free Reign Media and a producer of Discovery’s new biker reality show, Warlocks Rising, is aware of the controversy the show has incited among members of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club and he has answered four written questions this page submitted to him yesterday.

The questions and Casey’s full and unedited answers follow.

ATF

The Aging Rebel: First and most important, the show as aired includes the closing credit: “Special Thanks The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.” Why? To what extent was the ATF involved in the production and post production of this show? Are you aware of the implications of that credit?

Casey: ATF were not involved with us but they did let us dig into files they had on the club and give us information from their perspective on the club. We are documentary film makers and wanted to look at the story from all angles. We thought having the story told from their point of view (as limited as it was) would be beneficial for viewing audiences to get a full and true picture of what the Warlocks world is all about. Information flowed in one direction only – from them to us. We in no way ever got involved in their investigation processes. (If any were going on at the time or not) We had nothing to do with law enforcement investigation issues.

Outtakes

TAR: Is this show journalism or entertainment? Who controls the outtakes?

Casey: Documentary Film making is by nature a journalistic process of story telling from a fly on the wall perspective. Meaning that we try and be observers as much as possible and not manipulate the situations letting real life happen. Our job was to tell the true Warlocks story as it unfolded in front of us. In capturing real stories and real characters in real situations we can only hope that audiences will find the material worthwhile, valuable, informational and above all exciting and entertaining. THE OUTTAKES ARE CONTROLLED BY DISCOVERY. But most of the extra material not used in the show are discarded.

Timeline

TAR: I have been told filming on the show began in September. Did it? I know filming continued on the show throughout last fall.

Casey: RESEARCH for the show started over a year ago with interviews, phone calls and emails. The shooting started in August and lasted for the entire rest of the year.

The Bodies

TAR: Will the show mention the deadly shootout between members of the Chester faction of the Harpy Warlocks and members of the Warbird Warlocks?

Casey: Due to the sensitive nature of the shooting and the trial there will be little or no mention of the shooting at this time. We did in fact do an episode of the shooting that may or may not come out depending on how popular the show becomes. Tell everyone to watch the show and hopefully we can continue to tell the Warlocks story in subsequent episodes and seasons. They are an amazing – exciting and meaningful brotherhood with legendary stories to tell. Their story should be told.

According to Cameron Casey, a producer on the Discovery Channel reality series Warlocks Rising, Discovery is demanding that this page “take down,” its stories about the show. Cameron says lots of things and The Aging Rebel smells blood. This is how we got here.

The Aging Rebel has published five stories (which is probably at least two more than ideal) about this television program in the last three weeks. On June 21st, this page ran an announcement titled “Warlocks Rising” that the show had been produced and was going to air. That advance was followed by “Warlocks Issue Press Release” on July 4; a favorable review of the show titled “Watch Warlocks Rising” on July 5th; and a story about a growing controversy surrounding the show titled “Warlocks Rising Controversy” on July 9th. In researching the controversy story this page solicited a brief written interview with Casey who replied obliquely:

“…thank you for your interest in the show. We are aware of the controversy and understand the Warlocks concerns, we are proud of the show and tried to tell the Warlocks story by focusing on Love/Respect and brotherhood and tried to stay true to the characters, club history and real stories of the club. As story tellers/documentary film makers we take our jobs very seriously and wanted to maintain respect and consideration for Warlocks on all levels. Warlocks are proud Americans and as you know many fought for our country in war and are living patriotic lives and live by principles that at the core truly American principles.”

The controversy story transcribed the written questions Casey had been asked, noted that he had not answered those questions and promised “When he does, this page will print his replies.”

The next morning, at 11:01 a.m. Pacific Time, Casey did answer those questions and The Aging Rebel, as promised, ran the questions and Casey’s verbatim responses at 2:54 p.m.

Four Questions

The Aging Rebel: First and most important, the show as aired includes the closing credit: “Special Thanks The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.” Why? To what extent was the ATF involved in the production and post production of this show? Are you aware of the implications of that credit?

Casey: ATF were not involved with us but they did let us dig into files they had on the club and give us information from their perspective on the club. We are documentary film makers and wanted to look at the story from all angles. We thought having the story told from their point of view (as limited as it was) would be beneficial for viewing audiences to get a full and true picture of what the Warlocks world is all about. Information flowed in one direction only – from them to us. We in no way ever got involved in their investigation processes. (If any were going on at the time or not) We had nothing to do with law enforcement investigation issues.

TAR: Is this show journalism or entertainment? Who controls the outtakes?

Casey: Documentary Film making is by nature a journalistic process of story telling from a fly on the wall perspective. Meaning that we try and be observers as much as possible and not manipulate the situations letting real life happen. Our job was to tell the true Warlocks story as it unfolded in front of us. In capturing real stories and real characters in real situations we can only hope that audiences will find the material worthwhile, valuable, informational and above all exciting and entertaining. THE OUTTAKES ARE CONTROLLED BY DISCOVERY. But most of the extra material not used in the show are discarded.

TAR: I have been told filming on the show began in September. Did it? I know filming continued on the show throughout last fall.

Casey: RESEARCH for the show started over a year ago with interviews, phone calls and emails. The shooting started in August and lasted for the entire rest of the year.

TAR: Will the show mention the deadly shootout between members of the Chester faction of the Harpy Warlocks and members of the Warbird Warlocks?

Casey: Due to the sensitive nature of the shooting and the trial there will be little or no mention of the shooting at this time. We did in fact do an episode of the shooting that may or may not come out depending on how popular the show becomes. Tell everyone to watch the show and hopefully we can continue to tell the Warlocks story in subsequent episodes and seasons. They are an amazing – exciting and meaningful brotherhood with legendary stories to tell. Their story should be told.

In addition to answering the questions in writing, Casey suggested, “Let’s do a few more stories as an ongoing account of how the show got made etc. If that’s of interest to you.”

Free Reign Media

The Aging Rebel’s reporting on the production used, in part, a Free Reign Media press release issued on July 5th. Among other things that release states:

“Entertainment production company Free Reign Media recently partnered with Discovery Channel on its upcoming Warlocks Rising series, which enters the secret brotherhood of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club, a notorious nationwide group with a stronghold in Florida.”

“Likened to the real-life version of Sons of Anarchy, Warlocks Rising was co-created by Cameron Casey and Stuart Schonfeld of Free Reign Media in association with Discovery Studios. Casey and Schonfeld also served as executive producers along with Eddie Barbini and Brian Knappmiller.”

“Casey and Schonfeld spent a year developing the storylines of the seven Warlocks members featured in the series. This included hours of journalistic research and interviews with the bikers to flesh out and document their personal stories and family relationships.”

Panic Attack

At 3:14 p.m. Pacific, 20 minutes after the most recent story was published, Casey wrote, “Can you hold off printing any more information about Warlocks. The Club is not happy about the information being sent out and it’s causing problems for all of us. I’ll be in touch once I can clear this from the Warlocks.”

At 3:19 p.m., 25 minutes after the interview with Casey ran, he emailed this page to explain that he had misspoken. He wrote “ATF gave us some photos from their archives only. It is standard for Discovery to say thank you to all parties who help in the production.”

At 4:46 p.m. Casey wrote, “Discovery Legal department is very angry and we need to take down the articles that you wrote – First off ATF did not let us into their files – I was wrong. I thought they gave us some reference photos but that’s not the case. And I was not the only person that produced the show. Discovery had an entire team producing this show. So what you wrote is not true. Please take down the articles ASAP.”

The Aging Rebel stands by the stories as currently written. This page has not been contacted by Discovery’s legal affairs department. The, now, six stories this page has published about the show were all intended to either alert readers to the cablecast of Warlocks Rising, fairly and sympathetically review the show or give an equal voice to members of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club who think the show crassly commercializes the Warlocks patch.

Now, or at least real soon now, back to the real news.

Kenny Dale “KB” Brown One Percenter, a proud member of the American Outlaws Association, died early Saturday morning, July 6, while running from the police.

According to published accounts, Brown did not to yield when Cleveland, North Carolina police officers and Rowan County Sheriff’s Office deputies tried to stop him for speeding. Either ignoring or unable to hear the sounds of the resulting pursuit over the roar of his motorcycle, Brown continued on at speeds police allege exceeded 100 miles per hour to Troutman, North Carolina where his 2012 Harley-Davidson struck two utility poles on Main Street before going down. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene.

Brown is survived by his wife Kelly, his son Spencer, his stepson Tyler Joubert, his daughter Kendra, his half-brother Dean, his parents Sanford and Margaret, his grandson Brentley and his Outlaw club brothers.

There will be a service in his memory this Saturday, July 13 at 2 p.m. at Brown’s Farm Lake in Mocksville, North Carolina.

Kenny Dale “KB” Brown turned 41 last December. He died with his boots on.

Requiscant In Pace.

The ongoing good deed called Brothers Behind Bars, which is retired Sons of Silence patch holder Iron Mike Davis’ free newsletter for incarcerated bikers, has been banned in at least two federal prisons.

Terry O’Brien, the warden at United States Penitentiary – Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia began banning the newsletter in April. B.R. Jett, the Nurse Ratched and warden at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota began banning the publication in June.

The newsletter was banned from Australian prisons last year. At the time Iron Mike told The Aging Rebel, “Something I’ve said for years: ‘Australia today, Canada tomorrow, and the U.S.A. the day after.’ I truly believe countries like Canada, Germany, U.S.A., and others are watching and seeing what works in Australia to outlaw motorcycle clubs – starting with the 1%er ones.”

Brothers Behind Bars frequently features content first published on this page. The books The Aging Rebel: Dispatches From The Motorcycle Outlaw Frontier and Out Bad, both by the author of this page, have been banned in multiple state prison systems – most recently Texas.

The Dangerous Words

Brothers Behind Bars is markedly non-partisan. The most recent issue was distributed to 365 prisoners representing 73 motorcycle clubs. The newsletter is funded by contributions from numerous motorcycle clubs members and supporters including Aid for Injured Motorcyclists, National Coalition of Motorcyclists, In Country Vietnam MC Nation, Soldiers For Jesus MC Nation, Outlaws MC Nation, Pagan’s MC Nation, Vagos MC Nation and Devil Diciples MC Nation.

The editorial content of the July issue begins “In memory of Hells Angel Brian from California who passed away on June 19th (see article)… R.I.P. Brian…In memory of Forsaken Few Chuck “Buffalo” Perry, a 30 year member who passed away on June 26th… R.I.P. Buffalo… Welcome Hells Angel Chris to the NCOM Brothers Behind Bars Newsletter Mailing List… Special Thanks goes to Mongol Deano who is currently at El Dorado Corr Fac Kansas for his $ 30.00 donation to this newsletter…”

The Song And Dance

Under case law, a publication can be banned if a “valid, rational connection between the prison regulation and the legitimate governmental interest put forward to justify it” can be asserted. The allegedly inflammatory sentiments above are forbidden under Bureau of Prisons’ Program Statement 5266.10 which asserts that a “Warden may reject a publication if it is determined detrimental to the security, good order, or discipline of the institution or it may facilitate criminal activity.”

In banning the newsletter Warden Jett stated that Brothers Behind Bars “depicts gang information which has been determined detrimental to the security, good order, or discipline of the institution or it may facilitate criminal activity.”

Warden O’Brien believes that reading about the passing of Hells Angel Brian Brewer, for example, and joining in his respectful remembrance “can effect the orderly running and safety of the institution which could lead to harm and serious injury to others, would result in major disturbance or serious property damage.”

Let a thousand flowers bloom.

The Last American Outlaw, Nick Mead’s documentary film about former Hells Angel George Christie and his current legal woes, has still not been publically viewed.

The film was scheduled to be screened for potential buyers last month in a place called the Bell Arts Factory, a brief stroll from the old Angels clubhouse in Ventura. The screening was sold out and there was a waiting list.

Two years ago Christie was accused of “conspiring” to “interfere with commerce and the movement of articles and commodities in commerce;” extortion and conspiracy to commit arson. Christie was locked up for six weeks and was confined to his home until he pled guilty to two counts of conspiracy early this year.

No! No! Wait!

The Department of Justice seems scared of the film and told Christie last month that if the film was shown prosecutors would insure Christie would go to prison. So, the screening was cancelled. Christie will be sentenced August 15th.

Today Christie’s old club chimed in with their own concerns about the movie. Long time friend of the club Fritz Clapp issued an official club statement that read:

“Hells Angels MC generally disapproves of its members or former members exploiting their club affiliation for personal advantage, and has a process for them to obtain limited permission for use of its brand and marks in biographical depictions.

“Consequently, HAMC has demanded that the Mead/Christie film not be displayed, marketed or distributed until and unless all clearance issues are resolved.”

George Knows

Clapp declined to elaborate on what the club expects Christie to do but said, “George has been around long enough. He certainly knows what’s expected of him.”

Clapp also said, “I talked to Nick last December. It sounds like a good film. I hope we can work this out.”

Until Christie is finally sentenced and his differences with his former club are resolved, one way or another, you can still see a couple minutes from the beginning of the movie here. No Angels patch appears in the clip.

This story was published July 15, 2013 and was modified on July 16 to clarify the identity of ATF agent John Carr.

The federal portion of the cases contrived during Operation Pure Luck is still stuck in low.

Pure Luck was the ATF investigation that began in 2009 and was intended to infiltrate the Vagos, Bandidos and Chosen Few Motorcycle Clubs. The investigation also led to the arrests of men associated with the Wicked Riderz and Green Machine Motorcycle Clubs. Most of the defendants were charged with state offenses in Nevada, California, Utah, Arizona, Texas, New York and Hawaii.

Eight men have been charged with federal crimes. Those men are Robert “BK” Kane, William “East Coast Billy” Congero, Steven “Big Steve” Carr, Robert “Mayhem” Coleman, Eric Panter, Thomas “Tommy Mac” McNamara, Michael Hughes and Todd Wigner. There hasn’t been a filing in the federal case since June 28th.

Let’s Meet Tino

The federal inditees all seem to have been victimized by the sort of stings and entrapments Los Angeles Federal Prosecutor Reema M. El-Amamy called “guerilla street theater” after Operation Black Rain five years ago. And there are other similarities between Pure Luck and Black Rain besides the made for television operation names. The most obvious is Tino Brancato.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Augostino Brancato was a Task Force Officer during Operation Black Rain. In one memorable performance Brancato pretended to be a drug dealer during a multi-kilo cocaine “sting” in a Vegas hotel room. The incident was described in Out Bad, a book about the Mongols case, in part as follows. “Carr” in this scene, was ATF agent John “Hollywood” Carr. The conversation went, in part, like this:

Sheriff Brancato knocked on the door eleven minutes later. He and Carr jawed at each other like a campy, community theater remake of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. “Are we gonna do this thing,” Carr asks as he poses for the hidden camera.

“We gonna do this thing,” Brancato improvises.

“I mean we’re gonna do business right,” Carr asks. “I mean business is business.”

“I’m gonna walk out of here with 528,” Brancato glowers, “and then everybody’s happy. Okay?”

Obviously, such talent had to be rewarded so since that night in Vegas Brancato has stepped up to the big club – the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Brancato was an undercover in Operation Pure Luck. He patched into the Vagos in 2012 and went undetected for at least a year.

Diablo And Others

Angel “Diablo” Ramirez helped Brancato patch in. Ramirez was a widely respected member of the Vagos, a regional leader of his club and a member of the board of the Southern Nevada Confederation of Clubs.

Multiple sources have identified Ramirez as an ATF Confidential Informant. One source said, “He instigated almost all of the alleged illegal activity” in the case. Both Ramirez and Brancato seem to have spent much of their time spreading disinformation from June 2012 onward, as if the biker world was not already paranoid enough.

The investigation began sometime before June 7, 2009 which was the date of a brawl involving members of the Bandidos, Down and Dirty and Flaming Knights Motorcycle Clubs. The Flaming Knights and the Chosen Few Motorcycle Clubs are both predominantly black clubs. The brawl allegedly involved the shouting of racial epithets which is another dramatic technique borrowed from the Mongols case.

There was a least one and possibly as many as three additional Under Covers or Confidential Informants in the Pure Luck investigation. One of them may have been, but was not necessarily, black. And, there is conflicting information that indicates there may have also been CIs in both the Bandidos and Peckerwoods Motorcycle Clubs during the four years of the investigation – one of whom may have been involved in additional examples of guerilla street theater. This was a weird investigation – cobbled together out of numerous dramatic scenes and sprawling off in many directions at once like kudzu.

Bill Warner, the man who went faster on a conventional motorcycle than anyone else ever did, died last Sunday, July 14th, after a crash in Limestone, Maine.

Other men have gone faster on so-called “streamliner” bikes. Streamliners are ground up customs that look like rocket ships. But Warner rode a heavily modified Suzuki crotch rocket. Out of the dealership his Suzuki Hayabusa made about 160 horsepower. Warner modified his bike to run on methanol, pulled out the cooling system and added a turbo charger. After the modifications, the motorcycle made about 1200 horsepower.

Warner was on the runway at the decommissioned Loring Air Force Base at the Loring Land Speed Event when he went down. He broke the speed record for a conventional motorcycle at the annual event in 2011. That year Warner’s motorcycle hit 311.945 miles per hour on a 1.5 mile course. Afterward he told The Associated Press, “The fun of it was trying to stop that thing.”

Sunday he was trying to accelerate to 300 miles per hour in one mile. He was going about 285 when his bike started pulling to the right. In an obituary on Bangshift.com, Brian Lohnes remembers Warner telling him “You really know you are going fast at 270 and up.”

After his motorcycle went down Warner slid for more than 1,000 feet. He was conscious when help reached him. He died 75 minutes later at a hospitable in Caribou, Maine

Bill Warner was born February 11, 1969 in Little Falls, New York. He studied marine biology at the University of Tampa and supported his need for speed by running a tropical fish business in Wimauma, Florida. He is survived by his parents, a brother and a sister.

Bill Warner was 44. He had extra-large huevos.

Requiscant In Pace.

Barry Nelson Strang, a rancher and hunting outfitter in Casper, Wyoming died June 27th near Landers, Wyoming.

According to a widely retold story by Megan Cassidy in the Casper Star-Tribune Strang had pined for a Harley-Davidson for 44 years. He was married at 21 in Sacramento and thereafter his wife had vetoed the idea of buying a Harley whenever Strang brought it up.

He finally got what he wanted late last month. He spotted his dream bike, a black Dyna, at a Strokers franchise in Landers, about 145 miles from his home. According to the Star-Tribune he told his wife “It’s on my bucket list.” The two of them drove to Landers and he bought the bike. Before he fired it up, he posted a picture of his new motorcycle on his Facebook page with the caption “44 years finally got one.”

His first and last motorcycle ride lasted three miles. He collided with a tractor-trailer driven by Jack E. Kincaid two miles north of Lander on Wyoming Highway 789. The truck is owned by Bonneville Transloaders Inc. According to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, “Both vehicles were in the process of negotiating a right-hand curve in the roadway when for unknown reasons, Strang’s motorcycle turned to the right,” The Dyna collided “with the drive axles of Kincaid’s truck tractor.” Strang fell off the bike, “went under” the truck and died instantly from blunt force trauma.

Barry Nelson Strang is survived by his wife Pam, a 21-year-old son named Justin and a 17-year-old daughter named Morgan. Services for Barry Nelson Strang were held July 18, 2013 at the Bar Nunn Baptist Church near Casper and were followed by a wake at the Black Gold Grille. He was 59.

Barry Strang burned out. He didn’t fade away.

Requiscant In Pace.

Seven defendants have agreed to plea deals in the Special Memory Wedding Chapel brawl case. Jeffrey Murray pled guilty Wednesday to a charge of “Battery with substantial bodily harm with intent to promote the activities of a criminal gang.” According to Francis McCabe, the police reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Murray’s is the “first case in Nevada where a Hells Angel agreed to a plea deal that included a gang enhancement.”

This morning, lawyers for six other defendants told Judge Ken Cory their clients have agreed to plead guilty to battery. Five defendants, Dominic Orlando, Frederick O’Dell, James Sexey, John Dawson and Brandon Young will formally plead guilty next Friday, July 26th. Armando Porras will plead guilty August 2nd. Sexey’s plea deal also includes a gang enhancement.

All seven defendants were scheduled to stand trial on multiple charges on August 5th.

First Trial

All seven were defendants in a three week trial last August that ended in a mistrial after prosecutors failed to disclose to the defense that an investigator in the case had testified for one of the victims in a child custody case.

Defense attorneys had asked for a dismissal of all the charges in the case because the mistrial came late in the trial and the defenders had already revealed their defense strategy. At least one defense attorney argued that a second trial would subject the defendants to double jeopardy.

All the defendants were charged in a 13-count indictment filed on July 9th, 2010 and all remain free on bail. The defense had argued that the defendants were acting in self-defense and had a legitimate reason to fear the Mongols because a Mongol named Christopher Ablett had killed a Hells Angel named Mark Guardado in a fight in San Francisco three and a half months before. Ablett was eventually found guilty of racketeering and murder and is serving consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole in a federal penitentiary in West Virginia.

The Brawl

The charges result from a minute long assault at the Special Memory Wedding Chapel on December 21, 2008 when the chapel scheduled a Hells Angels wedding right after a Mongols wedding. The entire incident was video recorded.

James Nalder and Eugene Formica, the groom and his best man, were stabbed multiple times. A member of the party named Udell Wickham was punched. Jonathan Babcock was punched and hit with a wastebasket. The indictment alleges that Sexey threw a bottle at the bride, Amanda Valenzuela. The indictment also accuses all of the defendants of preventing James Michael Pope from entering the wedding chapel and attending Nalder’s wedding.

Prosecutors said the attack was unprovoked.

There are five remaining defendants and their cases will be adjudicated in two future trials.