Posted on 06/09/2005 9:59:21 PM PDT by Horatio Gates
BELLINGHAM - Police and federal agents began rounding up members of the Bandidos biker gang across the Northwest on Thursday, after a grand jury returned a 19-count indictment accusing them of crimes ranging from racketeering and witness tampering to dealing drugs and stolen Harley Davidson motorcycles.
At least a dozen had been arrested by Thursday afternoon, including the organization's international president. About 300 investigators working the case in Washington, Montana and South Dakota had arrest warrants for 20 more members, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives said in a news release. They also served 21 search warrants, including one at a Harley Davidson dealership in Bellingham.
The investigation centered on that city in Whatcom County, which is in the northwestern corner of Washington along the Canadian border. The Bandidos have operated there for two decades, officials said.
"The international leadership of the Bandido organization has been operating in Whatcom County with perceived impunity for many years," Sheriff Bill Elfo said. "Hopefully this case will serve to dismantle the Bandido motorcycle organization in our area and will have a significant impact upon methamphetamine distribution, thefts, burglaries, crimes of violence and other nefarious activities that plague our community."
The federal indictment named 22 gang members and said they engaged in a pattern of threatening behavior to protect their turf and criminal enterprises. Several bikers from the Bandidos' Missoula, Mont., chapter were charged with kidnapping an individual identified as SS in May 2003. Britt Anderson, a member in Western Washington, allegedly tried to improve his standing in the gang by assaulting a man identified as GB with a knife.
Last December, the gang's national sergeant-at-arms, Hugh Gale Henschel of Bellingham, approached that victim and said, "It would be your best interest to drop the charges against Britt," the indictment reads.
Two months later, a gang member allegedly told GB's wife that if the charges weren't dropped, "you won't wake up some morning," and the next morning four live bullets were found on the roof of her husband's car.
Ten counts of the indictment relate to alleged dealing in marijuana and methamphetamine by Glenn William Merritt, president of the Bellingham chapter and a trusted lieutenant of Bellingham resident George Wegers, the organization's international president. Merritt, Henschel and Wegers were among those arrested Thursday and were scheduled to make their initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Friday, said magistrate support clerk Heather Arent-Zachary.
Merritt and others were also accused of trafficking in stolen motor vehicles, including pickup trucks, a 1947 Harley Davidson Knucklehead motorcycle, a '98 Harley Bagger and a '92 Harley Fatboy.
The Bandidos have about 170 chapters in 14 countries, including 90 in the U.S. and 14 in Washington state, the indictment says. Membership is estimated at 2,400 bikers, all of whom must ride Harleys.
The investigation began in 2002, the ATF said.
I showed up the first day and he was not there. I asked where he was and some other people said he "was getting some teeth removed". He showed back up with his hand bandaged. Some younger bad@$$ had tried to buffalo him.
He blew his brains out a year or so ago over gambling debts. He had gotten out of the MC life, was never an alcoholic or drug addict and Tunica got him.
One bad thing about Harleys is that they are stolen so much more then the Jap clones. A lot of that theft is by the outlaw clubs. Round here they are famous for following people on bikes to see where they are garaged. That's just creepy.
If you are going to steal bikes, at least steal an MV Augusta , Benelli, or something worth riding.
The ATF has been to Texas.
Is that experience talking????? ;-(
I am talking about Waco, I thought that was kind of obvious.
The ATF gets involved in things that our out of their parameters all the time. They should be disbanded.
Hang 'em High ~ Bump!
Over a period of a few years that doesn't surprise me. On the surface it seems high but when it comes down to executing the search warrants that averages out to 15 agents per warrant which is probably just about what you want (depending on what your up against.)
Uh, a period of years? Were basically talking about low level drugs and stolen Harley's, probably no more than 10, and an assault with a knife. 300 investigators? Were talking about a biker club made up of 2400, (world wide.) That would probably bring the number down to what? A few hundred in the northwest? It seems the investigators out numbered the bikers/suspects in this case.
Seems the ATF doesn't quite have enough to do in Washington, Montana and South Dakota.
In large cities like LA, highly organized gangs number about 90,000, with only a couple of hundred investigators focusing on these gangs. Compare this to the number in biker club. Again, it seems the AFT investigators out numbered the suspects.
Cataloging evidence can be manpower intensive too.
Were not talking about high-end white collar crimes, with extensive, complex paper trails and cases of files and computers. Were talking three Harley's, some and some drugs.
If you'll read closely, the indictments listed 19 counts, and the story only 2. It's not much of a stretch to assume that of the remaining 17, count'em 17 charges that one of them is well within the ATF's bailiwick. Mostly likely drug running.
Your post is confusing. It's either something worth riding, or it's an Italian motorcycle. It can't be both.
I'll bet you're right. Throw in some money laundering and fireams beefs.
It's either something worth riding, or it's an Italian motorcycle.
LOL! Then again, what the heck do I know? All I've ridden are rice burners.
I started off on some response about Harley posers that ride from dealership to dealership shopping for expressos, gay pride cloths, and rub on tatoos.
But hey, I love Harleys, especially since they escaped AMX alive...and bought Buell. Real Americans, and almost real American quality. But nothing ruins it more than these yuppie pricks that buy a $25K vibrator for their attitude, and then roll around thinking their tough since they have something that sounds as cool as it is underpowerd.
You mean gun running dummy.
I've owned a whole lotta rice burners. My first street bike was a Honda Twinstar 185. My problem really isn't with anyone's motorcycle. It's with the jerks who can't appreciate their own rides without feeling the need to put mine down. That just grates on my nerves.
Well, I must say, that's a very impressive resume. And I can assure you I am not trying to compete with your law enforcement expertise. No need to get angry here.
My only point was assigning 300 ATF investigators to investigate a biker group with less members in the area than investigators doing the investigating seems to be a bit over done.
300 investigators seems like overkill to me considering they only generated arrest and search warrants for 20 members of the biker club.
Even the one charge of kidnapping was from way back in May of 2003.
And the only assault mentioned was one, involving a knife.
As far the wit intimidation and the victim allegedly finding four live bullets on the roof of their car, well this wouldn't be much of an investigation unless there was a witness or informant stating who do it.
Ten counts of the indictment relate to alleged dealing in marijuana and methamphetamine
Again, there was nothing about manufacturing meth here in the article, only dealing or selling it. These are pretty common charges, and not too complex to prosecute with evidence.
My only point and opinion was using 300 investigators, to investigate maybe 100 or 200 bikers seems to be a bit of an over kill.
You indicated this investigation may have taken "years". With 300 investigators, making about 45k a year, this investigation lasting only 2 years would have cost approximately $27,000,000.00. Seems a bit costly to me.
I didn't mean to insinuate that you weren't a expert in law enforcement procedures and operations, I was just making an observation based on the article.
Thanks.
>>> Mostly likely drug running. <<<<
Isn’t that DEAs Thing?
And how many of the “Bikers” are with the “Alphabet soup” gang?
Sure, just lay a guilt trip on me 8>) You're right. No reason to get angry. Rule of thumb with MC gangs is: first thought "meth production." I'm not an expert on MCs but I've been around enough cooks to know who is calling the shots. This was a big investigation. I would expect your garden variety MSM reporters head to explode if he tried to accurately report everything involved here.
Exactly! I'll second that.
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