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.
lol, see my reply to myself. I meant guns.
Man, if you think that was excessive, you don't even want to how many federal agents investigated John Gotti, and he was just one guy.
A group of the Bandidos had a house out on Drayton Cove (Birch Bay/Blaine) for years. I don't know if they moved or were kicked out. One of the long time members died a few years ago and they held a huge funeral with bikers from all over in attendance and of course the funeral procession was all on bikes. The police were expecting trouble but it didn't happen. It was all quiet and dignified (as dignified as possible with a bunch of bikers).
I just remembered that it was that house on Drayton Cove was supposed to have been the place where that Florida teenager was taken. She was supposedly kidnapped by a biker thirty years ago and the mother recieved a letter years later saying that she was seen at that house.
Gotti was a whole different ball game, and he was not just one guy.
He made the feds look real bad, avoiding their numerous attempts to end his career. He beat three of their prosecution attempts, and basically laughed in their faces. He was high profile target, and there was big money and several homicides involved here. Not only that, he had dozens of high level criminal types assisting him. Without his boys, he was basically nothing.
He was a hard nut to crack, and if it wasn't for planted electronic bugs, he would have dodged a 4th prosecution attempt.
Ooops almost forgot to answer that one fer ya. This wouldn't be the sole investigation for these agents. These agents are all working a case load. This deal was probably an interuption for some agents who were brought in to assist with warrant service and without a breakdown of who did what, and salaries plus other expenses, it may have cost more than the number you quoted (or less.) They may have even included the new guy who went to Starbucks on the coffee run. It seems the Feds move their agents around a lot on details. When Kerry was on the road campaigning in our town, I was very surprised to see ICE agents on part of the security team.
I kind of suspected that. Then again, as you said, it was a big investigation, so I would also suspect more time was devoted to this, and the time spent on the other cases was probably reduced somewhat.
IMHO, it may not be fair, but to some degree it's understandable. British bikes still get trashed over Lucas electrics, and Harleys are still living down AMF.
I'm just pissed I had to sell my BMW K12RS when I moved to Thailand and now I am stuck with a 125cc Honda step-through. :(
We got the alert in the a.m. of this operation. We actually were told just in case we pulled a MC club member over and they had heard folks were getting scooped up.
Gun running. Hmm. Isn’t that what they said about Randy & Dave. With a little drugs thrown in for good measure.
Now that being said, it doesn't matter who innocent or guilty Randy or Dave was. The Bandidos are most likely not only guilty of everything they've been charged with, but guilty of everything they weren't charged with as well.
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