Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMG's)

An outlaw motorcycle club (sometimes known as a motorcycle gang) is a type of motorcycle club that is part of a subculture with roots in the post-World War II USA, entered on cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals celebrating freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the biker group. In the United States, "outlaw" clubs are not sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and do not adhere to the AMA's rules, but instead, generally, the club enforces a set of bylaws on its members that derive from the values of the outlaw biker culture.

Some motorcycle gangs engage in criminal activity. Besides their connection with motorcycles and the One Percenter subculture, criminal motorcycle gangs are "unique among crime groups in that they maintain websites; identify themselves through patches and tattoos; have written constitutions and bylaws; trademark their club names and logos; and have publicity campaigns aimed at cleaning up their public image." ATF agent William Queen, who infiltrated the Mongols wrote that what makes a gang like them different from the Mafia is that crime and violence are not used as expedients in pursuit of profit, but that the priorities are reversed. Mayhem and lawlessness are inherent in living "The Life," and the money they obtain by illegal means is only wanted as a way to perpetuate that lifestyle.

There are non-outlaw groups, like the Harley Owners Group, that adopt similar insignia, colors, organizational structure, and trappings like beards and leather outfits which are typical of outlaw gangs, making it difficult for outsiders to tell the difference. It has been said that these groups are attracted by the mystique of the outlaw image despite objecting to the suggestion that they are outlaws.

Organization and leadership

While organizations may vary, the typical internal organization of a motorcycle club consists of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, road captain, and sergeant-at-arms. Localized groups of a single, large MC are called chapters or charters, and the first chapter established for an MC is referred to as the mother chapter. The president of the mother chapter serves as the president of the entire MC, and sets club policy on a variety of issues.

Larger motorcycle clubs often acquire real estate for use as a clubhouse or private compound.


Membership

In some "biker" clubs, as part of becoming a full member, an individual must pass a vote of the membership and swear some level of allegiance to the club. Some clubs have a unique club patch (or patches) adorned with the term MC that are worn on the rider's vest, known as colors.

In these clubs, some amount of hazing may occur during the prospecting period, ranging from the mandatory performance of menial labor tasks for full patch members to sophomoric pranks, and, in the case of outlaw motorcycle gangs, acts of violence. During this time, the prospect may wear the club name on the back of their vest, but not the full logo, though this practice may vary from club to club. To become a full member, the prospect or probate must be voted on by the rest of the full club members. Successful admission usually requires more than a simple majority, and some clubs may reject a prospect or a probate for a single dissenting vote. A formal induction follows, in which the new member affirms his loyalty to the club and its members. The final logo patch is then awarded. Full members are often referred to as "full patch members" or "patchholders" and the step of attaining full membership can be referred to as "being patched."

Gender and race

One-percenter MCs (OMCs) do not allow women to become full-patch members. Rather, women are submissive to the men, treated as property, forced into prostitution or street-level drug trafficking, and often physically and sexually abused. Any pay women receive is given to their individual men and sometimes to the entire club. Women's roles as obedient followers, and their status as objects, make these groups extremely gender segregated. However, this has not always been the case; for example, during the 1950s, some Hells Angels chapters had women full members.

Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs are typically racially homogeneous, and can be racially exclusive, which has led to creation of rival clubs such as the Bandidos and the Mongols Motorcycle Club. MC members are not usually referred to by their given names, but instead refer to each other by nicknames, or "road names", sometimes even displaying their road name on the club vest.

Outlaw motorcycle gangs

The U.S. Department of Justice defines Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs as organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises. Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Criminal Intelligence Service Canada have designated four MCs as Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs), which are the Hells Angels, Pagans, Outlaws, and Bandidos, known as the "Big Four". These four have a large enough national impact to be prosecuted under the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute. The California Attorney General also lists the Mongols and the Vagos Motorcycle Club as outlaw motorcycle gangs. The FBI asserts that OMGs support themselves primarily through drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, and extortion, and that they fight over territory and the illegal drug trade. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Gazette, quoting from the Provincial Court of Manitoba, defines these groups as: "Any group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have voluntarily made a commitment to band together and abide by their organizations' rigorous rules enforced by violence, who engage in activities that bring them and their club into serious conflict with society and the law".

The FBI asserts that OMGs collect $1 billion in illegal income annually. In 1985 a three-year, eleven-state FBI operation named Roughrider culminated in the largest OMG bust in history, with the confiscation of $2 million worth of illegal drugs, as well as an illegal arsenal of weapons, ranging from Uzi submachine guns to antitank weapons. In October, 2008, the FBI announced the end of a 6-month undercover operation by agents into the narcotics trafficking by the Mongols Motorcycle Gang. The bust went down with 160 search warrants and 110 arrest warrants.

Canada, especially, has in the past two decades experienced a significant upsurge in crime involving outlaw motorcycle gangs, most notably in what has been dubbed the Quebec Biker War, which has involved more than 150 murders (plus a young bystander killed by an exploding car bomb), 84 bombings, and 130 cases of arson. The increased violence in Canada has been attributed to turf wars over the illegal drug trafficking business, specifically relating to access to the Port of Montreal, but also as the Hells Angels have sought to obtain control of the street level trade from other rival and/or independent gangs in various regions of Canada.

Members and supporters of these clubs insist that illegal activities are isolated occurrences and that they, as a whole, are not criminal organizations. They often compare themselves to police departments, wherein the occasional "bad cop" does not make a police department a criminal organization and the Hells Angels sponsors charitable events for Toys for Tots in an attempt to legitimize themselves with public opinion.

Contrary to other criminal organizations, OMGs operate on an individual basis instead of top-down, which is how supporters can claim that only some members are committing crimes. Belonging guarantees to each member the option of running criminal activity, using other members as support - the main characteristic of OMGs being "amoral individualism" in contrast to the hierarchical orders and bonds of "amoral familism" of other criminal organizations such as the Mafia.

Recently, authorities have tried tactics aimed at undermining the gang identity and breaking up the membership. But in June 2011 the High Court of Australia overturned a law that outlawed motorcycle gangs and required members to avoid contact with one another. In the US, a Federal judge rejected a prosecutor's request to seize ownership of the Mongols Motorcycle Club logo and name, saying the government had no right to the trademarks. Federal prosecutors had requested, as part of a larger criminal indictment, a court order giving the government ownership of the logo in order to prevent members from wearing the gang's colors.

Relationships among motorcycle clubs

In the United States, many MCs have established state-wide MC coalitions. These coalitions are composed of MCs who have chapters in the state, and the occasional interested third party organization. The coalition holds periodic meetings on neutral ground, wherein representatives from each club (usually the presidents and vice-presidents, but not always) meet in closed session to resolve disputes between clubs and discuss issues of common interest.

The largest one-percent club tends to dominate the coalition, using their numbers to impose their will on other clubs. Sometimes clubs are forced into, or willingly accept, support roles for a one-percent club. Smaller clubs who resist a large one-percent club have been forcibly disbanded by being told to hand over their colors or risk war. With the exception of Law Enforcement Clubs, smaller clubs usually comply, since members of a family club are usually unwilling to risk injury or worse. Law Enforcement Clubs are not a territorial threat to 1% Outlaw Clubs and customarily do not instigate confrontations, avoiding unnecessary attention upon the 1% Clubs. Another tactic used by one-percent clubs is to force smaller clubs to join the AMA and wear an AMA patch. This is considered an act of shame by some clubs, and a club thus forced may wear an upside-down AMA patch on their colors as a form of protest and to retain their dignity.

Certain large one-percent MCs are rivals with each other and will fight over territory and other issues. In 2002, members of the Mongols and the Hells Angels had a confrontation in Laughlin, Nevada at the Harrah's Laughlin Casino that left three bikers dead. Another melee, this time between the Hells Angels and the Pagans, occurred in February, 2002 at a Hells Angels convention in Long Island, New York. Police reports indicate the Pagans were outraged that the event was held on what they considered their "home turf".

The local COC (Coalition of Clubs) has eliminated most of the inter-club rivalry. Modern day club members tend to be older veterans, and given the cost of ownership of a Harley Davidson type motorcycle, increasingly well-to-do.

National 1% clubs tend to be territorial. Smaller clubs are allowed to form with the permission of the dominant regional club. Smaller clubs will sometimes be required to wear a support patch on their vests that shows their support for the dominant regional. Certain clubs are exempt from this requirement, such as police clubs or military/veteran only clubs.

Hells Angels

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a worldwide one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto is "When we do right, nobody remembers. When we do wrong, nobody forgets".


Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service classify the Angels as one of the "big four" (Hell's Angels, Pagans, Outlaws, and Bandidos) motorcycle gangs, contending that members carry out widespread violence, drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, and extortion. Members of the organization have continuously asserted that they are only a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have joined to ride motorcycles together, to organize social events such as group road trips, fundraisers, parties, and motorcycle rallies.


Founded: March 17th, 1948

In: Fontana, California

Years Active: 1948 - present

Territory: 230 Chapters, 27 Countries, 6 Continents

Membership: 2000 - 2,500

Criminal activities: Racketeering, drug trafficking, arms trafficking,
assault, extortion, money laundering, murder, prostitution, and
trafficking stolen goods.

Allies: AK81, Cali Cartel, Indian Posse, Iron Horseman,

Rivals: Bandidos, Mongols, Outlaws, Pagans, and Vagos


History

The Hells Angels were originally formed in 1948 in Fontana, California through an amalgamation of former members from different motorcycle clubs, such as The Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington. The Hells Angels website denies the suggestion that any misfit or malcontent troops are connected with the motorcycle club. However, the website notes that the name was suggested by Arvid Olson, an associate of the founders, who had served in the Flying Tigers "Hells Angels" squadron in China during World War II. The name "Hells Angels" was inspired by the common historical use in both World War I and World War II, to name squadrons or other fighting groups by a fierce, death-defying name. The Flying Tigers (American Volunteer Group) in Burma and China fielded three squadrons of P-40s; the Third Squadron was named "Hell's Angels"^. The 1930 Howard Hughes film Hell's Angels displayed extraordinary and dangerous feats of aviation, and it is believed that the World War II groups who used that name based it on the film.


Some of the early history of the HAMC is not clear, and accounts differ. According to Ralph "Sonny" Barger, founder of the Oakland chapter, early chapters of the club were founded in San Francisco, Gardena, Fontana, as well as his chapter in Oakland, and other places independently of one another, with the members usually being unaware that there were other Hells Angels clubs.


Other sources claim that the Hells Angels in San Francisco were originally organized in 1953 by Rocky Graves, a Hells Angel member from San Bernardino ("Berdoo"). This implies that the "Frisco" Hells Angels were very much aware of their forebears. According to another account, the Hells Angels club was a successor to "P.O.B.O.B." Motorcycle club, The "Frisco" Hells Angels were reorganized in 1955 with thirteen charter members; Frank Sadilek, who designed the original death's head logo, served as President. The Oakland chapter, at that time headed by Barger, used a larger version of the patch nicknamed the "Barger Larger" which was first used in 1959 and later became the club standard.


In an interview in September 2011, with one of the original "thirteen", the above history is confirmed as basically accurate. The person interviewed is perhaps the only one of the original thirteen still living. The youngest member would be aged mid-seventies at this point, and they all engaged in a life of reckless behavior. The Frisco Hells Angels were formed in 1953 by Rocky Graves, a member of the Berdoo Hells Angels. The group fell apart and was reformed in the summer of 1955 with thirteen living members. This is the group that continues today. The number thirteen was considered inauspicious by those in attendance at the formation meeting, so another member, known as "Crazy" was installed posthumously. Crazy was killed in 1954 when he rode his motorcycle off of an unfinished elevated San Francisco freeway. Frank Sadilek was the president of the group, which was formed in 1955. His wife Leila was secretary. Both held these offices until they moved to Hawaii in 1961. The Death's Head emblem was not designed by Sadilek. The emblem on the original Frisco Angels jackets was a copy of Rocky's Berdoo Angels jacket. The emblem used on the membership cards, which was a very detailed pen and ink drawing, was done by a man who was known as "Sundown". His signature could be seen in very tiny letters in the originally printed membership cards. He was one of the habitués who hung out in the pool hall upstairs in the building on the north east corner of 7th and Market Streets in San Francisco, which for a time was the common meeting place, both before and after the formation of the 1955 group.


The Hells Angels are sometimes depicted in a similar mythical fashion as the James-Younger Gang, as modern day legends, or as free spirited and iconic of an era of brotherhood and loyalty. Others describe them as a violent criminal gangand a scourge on society. The 1966 Roger Corman film, The Wild Angels depicts the gang as violent and nihilistic.




Insignia


The Hells Angels official web site attributes the official "death's head" insignia design to Frank Sadilek, past president of the San Francisco Chapter. The colors and shape of the early-style jacket emblem (prior to 1953) were copied from the insignias of the 85th Fighter Squadron and the 552nd Medium Bomber Squadron.


The Hells Angels utilize a system of patches, similar to military medals. Although the specific meaning of each patch is not publicly known, the patches identify specific or significant actions or beliefs of each biker. The official colors of the Hells Angels are red lettering displayed on a white background—hence the club's nickname "The Red and White". These patches are worn on leather or denim jackets and vests.


Red and white are also used to display the number 81 on many patches, as in "Support 81, Route 81". The 8 and 1 stand for the respective positions in the alphabet of H and A. These are used by friends and supporters of the club, as only full members can wear any Hells Angels imagery.


The diamond-shaped one-percenter patch is also used, displaying '1%', in red on a white background with a red merrowed border. The term one-percenter is said to be a response to the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) comment on the Hollister incident, to the effect that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens and the last 1% were outlaws. The AMA has no record of such a statement to the press, and call this story apocryphal.






New York Hells Angels patch


Most members wear a rectangular patch (again, white background with red letters and a red merrowed border) identifying their respective chapter locations. Another similarly designed patch reads "Hells Angels".

When applicable, members of the club wear a patch denoting their position or rank within the organization. The patch is rectangular, and, similarly to the patches described above, displays a white background with red letters and a red merrowed border. Some examples of the titles used are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant at Arms. This patch is usually worn above the 'club location' patch.

Some members also wear a patch with the initials "AFFA", which stands for "Angels Forever; Forever Angels", referring to their lifelong membership in the biker club (i.e., "once a member, always a member").


The book Gangs, written by Tony Thompson (a crime correspondent for The Observer), states that Stephen Cunningham, a member of the Angels, sported a new patch after he recovered from attempting to set a bomb: two Nazi-style SS lightning bolts below the words 'Filthy Few'. Some law enforcement officials claim that the patch is only awarded to those who have committed, or are prepared to commit, murder on behalf of the club. According to a report from the R. v. Bonner and Lindsay case in 2005 (see related section below), another patch, similar to the 'Filthy Few' patch, is the 'Dequiallo' patch. This patch "signifies that the wearer has fought law enforcement on arrest". There is no common convention as to where the patches are located on the members' jacket/vest.

In March 2007, the Hells Angels filed suit against Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group alleging that the film entitled Wild Hogs used both the name and distinctive logo of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation without permission. The suit was eventually voluntarily dismissed, after it received assurances that its references would not appear in the film.

In October 2010, the Hells Angels filed a lawsuit against Alexander McQueen for "misusing its trademark winged death heads symbol" in several items from its Autumn/Winter 2010 collection. The lawsuit is also aimed at Saks Fifth Avenue and Zappos.com, which stock the jacquard box dress and knuckle duster ring which bear the symbol which is protected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office since at least 1948. A handbag and scarf was also named in lawsuit. The lawyer representing Hells Angels claimed "This isn’t just about money, it’s about membership. If you’ve got one of these rings on, a member might get really upset that you’re an impostor." Saks refused to comment, Zappos had no immediate comment and the company's parent company, PPR, could not be reached for comment. The company settled the case with the Hells Angels after agreeing to remove all of the merchandise featuring the logo from sale on their website, stores and concessions and recalling any of the goods which have already been sold and destroying them.

Membership

The full requirements to become a Hells Angel are the following: candidates must be a male, have a valid driver's license, have an American made working motorcycle and cannot be a black male, a child molester, or have applied to become a police officer or prison guard.

After a lengthy, phased process, a prospective member is first deemed to be a 'Hang-around', indicating that the individual is invited to some club events or to meet club members at known gathering places.

If the Hang-around is interested, he may be asked to become an 'Associate', a status that usually lasts a year or two. At the end of that stage, he is reclassified as 'Prospect', participating in some club activities, but not having voting privileges, while he is evaluated for suitability as a full member. The last phase, and highest membership status, is 'Full Membership' or 'Full-Patch'. The term Full-Patch refers to the complete four-piece crest, including the 'Death Head' logo, two rockers (top rocker: 'Hells Angels'; bottom rocker: State or Territory claimed) and the rectangular 'MC' patch below the wing of the Death's Head. Prospects are allowed to wear only a bottom rocker with the State or Territory name along with the rectangular 'MC' patch.






Hells Angels clubhouse in Oakland, California.

To become a full member, the Prospect must be voted on by the rest of the full club members. Prior to votes being cast, a Prospect usually travels to every chapter in the sponsoring chapter's geographic jurisdiction (state/province/territory) and introduces himself to every Full-Patch. This process allows each voting member to become familiar with the subject and to ask any questions of concern prior to the vote. Successful admission usually requires more than a simple majority, and some clubs may reject a Prospect for a single dissenting vote. Some form of formal induction follows, wherein the Prospect affirms his loyalty to the club and its members. The final logo patch (top Hells Angels rocker) is then awarded at this initiation ceremony. The step of attaining full membership can be referred to as "being patched".

Even after a member is patched-in, the patches themselves remain the property of HAMC rather than the member. On leaving the Hells Angels, or being ejected, they must be returned to the club.


Official chapters




A Hells Angels wall mural in Southampton, England, a well-known local landmark that can be seen by rail passengers on the London Waterloo to Weymouth south coast main line as they approach Southampton Central station.

The HAMC acknowledges more than one hundred chapters spread over 29 countries. The first official chapter outside of the US was formed in New Zealand in 1961. Europe did not become home to the Hells Angels until 1969, when two London chapters were formed after the Beatle, George Harrison invited some members of the HAMC San Francisco to London. Two people from London visited California, "prospected", and ultimately joined. Two charters were issued on July 30, 1969; one for "South London", the other for "East London", but by 1973 the two charters came together as one, simply called "London". The London Angels provided security at a number of UK Underground festivals including Phun City in 1970 organized by anarchist, International Times writer and lead singer with The Deviants Mick Farren. They even awarded Farren an "approval patch" in 1970 for use on his first solo album Mona, which also featured Steve Peregrin Took (who was credited as "Shagrat the Vagrant"). The 1980s and 1990s saw a major expansion of the club into Canada

Pagan's Motorcycle Club

Pagan's Motorcycle Club, or simply The Pagans, is a one-percenter outlaw motorcycle gang and an alleged organized crime syndicate formed by Lou Dobkin in 1959 in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The club rapidly expanded and by 1965, the Pagans, originally clad in blue denim jackets and riding Triumphs, began to evolve along the lines of the stereotypical one percenter motorcycle club.

The Pagans are categorized as an outlaw motorcycle gang by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They are known to fight over territory with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) and other motorcycle clubs, such as Fates Assembly MC, who have since merged with the HAMC.
They are active in thirteen states; Delaware, Florida, Kentucky,
Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Michigan, Virginia and West Virginia.

Founder: 1959

Founded by: Lou Dobkins

Years Active: 1959 - present

Territory: East Coast of the United States

Criminal Activities: Drug Trafficking, gun running, auto theft, arson, assault, chop shops, kidnapping, racketeering, prostitution, extortion, and murder.

Allies: DeCavalCante crime family

Rivals: Hells Angels

Early history

The Pagans were established in Prince George County, Maryland by then president Lou Dobkin, in 1959. The group started out by wearing denim jackets and riding Triumph Motorcycles. Originally they were a comradeship of 13 motorcyclists. In the 1960s they adopted a formal constitution and formed a governing structure choosing a national president.

They were a fairly non-violent group until 1965, when the Pagans evolved into an outlaw biker gang with ties to other organized crime groups such as the American Mafia. Under the leadership of John "Satan" Marron their violence grew in the early 1970s. Their Mother Club is not in a fixed location but has been generally located in the North East. Pagan leaders number 13 to 18 members who are chapter presidents with the largest chapter located in Philadelphia.

The Pagans have grown through merging with other smaller Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMG). Considered by law enforcement to be almost as complex and diversified as the Hells Angels, the discipline and structure of the Pagans is the most rigid of the Big Four OMGs.

Membership

Recently, the Pagans' membership has begun to decline as their rival Hells Angels’ membership has grown. Pagans have approximately 350 to 400 members and 44 chapters and are active along the East Coast of the United States. Chapters are common in Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The Pagans have a Mother Club or ruling council which ultimately rules the gang. The Pagans headquarters is currently in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

Members must be at least 21 years old and owners of Harley-Davidson motorcycles with engines 900 cc or larger. The national sergeant-at-arms' responsibility is to hand-pick 13 chapter members to serve as the "enforcers" or "regulators". This body uses violence and intimidation to prevent any and all opposition to the Mother Club.

Members join for a variety of reasons. First, bikers often consider themselves loners and join gangs for mutual protection. The bonds with other motorcyclists are strengthened by the subscription to non-conventional norms and the rejection of mainstream society. Secondly, they use MCs as mechanisms of power. Oftentimes, MC membership brings them legitimate and illegitimate job opportunities and financial prospects. Additionally, members feel a sense of control while intimidating less powerful, defenseless citizens. Generally, the values of this MC subculture lie in the value of brotherhood, the interest in motorcycling, and respect for mechanical skills. Although many motorcycle gang members are loners, many have families, are gainfully employed, and have much to lose despite their risk-taking.

Criminal activities

The Pagans have been linked to the production and smuggling of drugs such as methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and PCP. The Pagans also have had strong ties to organized crime, especially in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Pagans often use puppet clubs, smaller affiliated motorcycle clubs, or small street drug trafficking organizations that support larger Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs) for distributing drugs. Pagans have also engaged in assault, arson, extortion, motorcycle/car theft, and weapons trafficking. Most of the violence carried out by the Pagans is directed to rival OMGs such as Hells Angels.


New Jersey

On July 17, 1994, at least eight members of the Pagan's showed up at a the annual charity picnic fund-raiser organized by Tri-County MC in Hackettstown, NJ. The Pagans were there to intimidate local motorcycle clubs into aligning with the Pagans so they would have a larger power base to prevent the Hell's Angels from getting established in New Jersey. A fight started and escalated from fist to knives and guns. When it was all done, Pagan's Glenn Ritchie & Diego Vega had been shot dead. Pagan's Ron Locke & Tri-County member William Johnson had gun shot wounds and Tri-County member Hank Riger had had his throat cut by Ron Locke.


New York/Pennsylvania

On February 23, 2002, 73 Pagans were arrested in Long Island, New York after appearing at an indoor motorcycle and tattoo expo called the Hellraiser Ball. The Pagans had shown up to the event to confront Hells Angels who were at the Ball. Dozens of Pagans rushed the doors of the event and were met with violence by the Hells Angels. Fighting ensued, ten people were wounded, and a Hells Angel allegedly shot and killed a Pagan member. Two weeks later, a Pagans owned tattoo parlor located in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was firebombed.

In 2005, Pagans allegedly opened fire on and killed the Vice-President of the Hells Angels' Philadelphia chapter as he was driving his truck on the Schuylkill Expressway. Later that year, the Hells Angels closed their Philadelphia chapter.

In September 2010, nineteen members of the Pagans were arrested in Rocky Point, New York for allegedly conspiring to murder members of the Hells Angels. Charges also include assault, distribution of cocaine and oxycodone, conspiracy to commit extortion and weapons charges. Two federal bureau agents, infiltrated the gang, providing key evidence. One agent eventually served as sergeant-at-arms, the second-highest position in the hierarchy. Gang members were heard plotting to murder members of the Hells Angels using homemade hand grenades.

Dennis Katona, alleged to be the club's "National President", was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police near Pittsburgh in Herminie in June 2011.


Maryland

A Pagans MC leader, Jay Carl Wagner, 66, was arrested in Washington County, Maryland, by 60 plus officers from state, local and federal officials with a bomb disposal robot on May 9, 2007, and later charged with possession of a regulated firearm after conviction of a violent crime. Police and agents recovered seven handguns, two alleged explosive devices and 13 long rifles. On March 5, 2008, Wagner pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. On August 8, 2008, U.S. District Chief Judge Benson E. Legg sentenced Wagner to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

On 6 October, 2009, the home of national president David "Bart" Barbeito in Myersville, Maryland was raided by police. He was arrested on firearms charges. In June, 2010 he pled guilty to racketeering and other charges. He was sentenced to thirty months confinement.


Multi-State

In 2009, 55 Pagans members and associates were arrested from West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Florida. Charges range from attempted murder and kidnapping to drug dealing and conspiracy. So far, seven defendants in the case have pled guilty.

Outlaws Motorcycle Club

The Outlaws Motorcycle Club, incorporated as the American Outlaws Association or its acronym, A.O.A., is a one-percenter motorcycle gang and alleged organized crime syndicate that was formed in McCook, Illinois in 1935.

There is a one-percenter motorcycle club called the "Outlaws" in New Zealand, but they are not part of the international club. It only shares the name and has a different patch design.

Membership in the Outlaws is limited to men who own American-made motorcycles of a particular size, although in Europe motorcycles from any country are allowed so long as they are in the chopper style. Their main rivals are the Hells Angels, giving rise to an acronym used by Outlaws members, "ADIOS" (Angels Die In Outlaw States).

In: McCook, Illinois, United States

Years Active: 1935 - present

Territory: Worldwide

Membership: Estimated 1,700 full-patch members, many more prospects and hang-arounds.

Criminal Activities: Drug trafficking, prostitution, extortion, and murder.

Allies: Bandidos, Black Pistons, Mongols, and Chicago Outfit.

Rivals: Hells Angels, Highwaymen, Iron Horseman, Warlocks Motorcycle Club, and Sons of Silence.

History

The Outlaws Motorcycle Club was established out of Matilda's Bar on old Route 66 in McCook, Illinois, a southwestern suburb of Chicago, in 1935. The club stayed together during World War II, but like most organizations at that time, their activities were limited. In May 1946, the Outlaws attended the first major post-war motorcycle event in the Midwest, which was held at Soldier Field, Chicago.

By 1950, the Outlaws had expanded rapidly, and most of their members were now from the Chicago area. The club re-established itself in Chicago and changed their logo; a small skull replaced a winged motorcycle, and Old English-style letters were adopted. This design was embroidered on a black shirt and hand painted on leather jackets. In 1954, the Crossed Pistons were added to the original small skull. This design was embroidered on a black western-style shirt with white piping. The movie The Wild One with Marlon Brando influenced this backpatch. The Skull and Crossed Pistons were redesigned in 1959, making them much larger with more detail. The A.O.A. logo was adopted as an answer to the A.M.A. logo.

In 1960, the Americans Motorcycle Association, an organization which supervises all official races in the United States, banned the word "Outlaws" from all race clothing. Therefore all racing club members wore the sign O.M.C. (Outlaw Motorcycle Club) on their outfits until 1963. The Outlaws became an official member of the 1%er Brotherhood of Clubs in 1963, making it the first official 1%er club east of the Mississippi River. On July 4, 1964, the Cult MC from Voorheesville, New York were patched-over by the Outlaws. During the Springfield Motor Races in August of the same year, they became associates of the Gypsy Raiders from Louisville, Kentucky. A Milwaukee chapter was then established, and the "Outlaw Nation" was founded with Chicago as Mother Chapter. On January 1, 1965, the American Outlaws Association (A.O.A.) was founded. The insignia of the club, a skull and crossed pistons, is named "Charlie". In July 1967, the Outlaws National President and a number of other members travelled south from Chicago and sanctioned the club's first chapter in Florida. "God Forgives Outlaws Don't" ("G.F.O.D.") became the club's motto in 1969.

The club's first Iowa chapter was founded in 1978 when Diablo Knights MC became an Outlaws associate. A member not belonging to the Mother Chapter in Chicago became the club's National President for the first time in 1984, and in 1989 the abbreviation "MC" (Motorcycle Club) was added to the backpatch. The Outlaws' first European chapter was established in France in 1993, and the following year an Australian chapter was founded. MC 44 of France also became a chapter. In 1995, the club's Chicago chapter was split into three groups: Mother Chapter (Southside), Westside and Northside. A second European chapter was also opened in Norway. In 1999, the Belgian Outlaws MC, which already existed independently for 25 years, became a member of the AOA. The 2000s saw the Outlaws expand rapidly in Europe. The English and Welsh Outlaws MC, until then independent MCs, joined the AOA in 2000. Ghost Riders MC of Germany joined the AOA and chapters were opened in Sweden and Thailand in 2001. In 2002, the Outlaws' first support club, the Black Pistons, was founded in Germany.

There are now Black Pistons (BPMC) chapters in the United States, Canada, Belgium, Great Britain, Poland, Iceland and Norway. Poland, along with Italy, also opened its first Outlaws chapter that year. By 2003, the Outlaws were represented in 19 U.S. States. In late 2004, the first Outlaws chapter was opened in Russia and in 2005, the club celebrated the 70th anniversary as a motorcycle club and the 40th anniversary of the AOA. A Japanese chapter was opened in 2006, and in 2007 the club opened a chapter in the Philippines. The Black Pistons also started its first chapter in Australia. A Serbian chapter was opened in May 2010.


Famous and infamous members


The FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugutive #453, Taco Bowman, known World Leader of the AOA, in prison since 1999 for three murders, was the international president of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. During the time that Bowman was a fugitive in 1998, it had chapters in more than 30 cities in the United States and some 20 chapters in at least four other countries. Richard Meyer was sentenced to 10 years in prison for beating a boy in Daytona Beach, Florida, and spent 5 of the 10 in a cell. According to Florida records, Meyer is the recognized leader of the Orlando chapter and is an Outlaw affiliate, former skinhead and current Hammerskin Nation leader in Florida and most of the United States' Southeast region.

Legal prosecutions

United States

Florida

On the morning of August 15, 2007, Federal agents along with the Daytona Beach SWAT Team raided the Outlaws clubhouse on Beach Street in Daytona Beach, Florida looking for drugs, weapons, contraband, paraphernalia, etc.; they tore the Daytona Beach clubhouse apart for the better part of the day and found nothing, but removed as many of the club's pictures and any other possibly identifying information as they could find. Federal agents also raided a home in Ormond Beach and two other clubhouses around the state. The search of the Jacksonville clubhouses netted federal agents 60 weapons including pocket and kitchen knives. U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced a Detroit grand jury indictment of 16 of the Outlaws National Club's members. The Detroit grand jury indictment included various charges, including assault and drug distribution. Eleven Outlaws leaders and high-ranking members of the gang were arrested after a five-year investigation. The FBI said several gang members were charged with conspiracy to commit assault on members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Indiana.


Georgia

Frank Rego Vital of Roberta, Georgia, an Outlaws MC member, was shot and killed in an early morning gunfight June 24, 2007 in the parking lot of The Crazy Horse Saloon strip club in Forest Park, Georgia by two members of the Renegades MC in what has been described as a self-defense shooting after Vital and other Outlaws members followed the men from the club. Both Renegade members were shot several times but survived.


Illinois

On July 30, 2008, several facilities associated with the Outlaws in the Chicago area were raided by agents from the FBI and the ATF.
The FBI brought in a SWAT team and an urban assault vehicle to the clubhouse in the west side of the city in case violence were to break out.


Maine

On June 15, 2010 the ATF surrounded the home of Thomas "Tomcat" Mayne. Gunfire was exchanged with the ATF, ultimately killing Mayne. The ATF was there to serve a federal search warrant for an indictment that included Mayne and 26 other members of the Outlaws, for RICO charges and for the shooting of a member of the rival Hells Angels.


Massachusetts

On July 31, 2007 the FBI raided the Brockton, Massachusetts Outlaws. The Taunton, Massachusetts club house was raided, but due to immunity of the Brockton club house nothing happened. Many people were arrested, including Joseph Noe, former President of the Taunton chapter.


New Hampshire

On June 27, 2006 Christopher Legere of Raymond, New Hampshire, an Outlaws member, was arrested in the murder of a man who was wearing a Hells Angels shirt. The victim, John Denoncourt, 32, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was shot and killed outside the 3-Cousins Pizza and Lounge in Manchester on Sunday June 25, 2006 after he was spotted hugging the bartender, who was Legere's girlfriend. Denoncourt, according to friends and family, was not a Hells Angel member himself but had friends who were. Legere had been involved in another incident in Connecticut in early 2006 when he was charged with illegal possession of body armor by a convicted felon.


Pennsylvania

On March 17, 2009, 22 people—including a correctional officer—were charged in connection with a $3.6 million cocaine distribution ring operated by members and "wannabes" of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

On August 24, 2009, 15 members of the Outlaws Philadelphia chapter were arrested in connection with a methamphetamine ring. Those arrested included chapter president Thomas "The Boss" Zaroff, Jr., and Charles "The Panhead" Rees. According to Pennsylvania District Attorney Tom Corbett, the gang sold methamphetamine in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania and in Camden and Burlington counties in New Jersey.


South Dakota

On August 8, 2006, four Outlaws members were wounded, three seriously, in an ambush in Cluster State Park, South Dakota, among bikers gathered for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. A woman acquaintance was also wounded. Two men arrested and charged with attempted murder were said to be Canadian members of the Hells Angels. A statement posted on the Outlaws' web site had announced Outlaws members would attend Sturgis but not make any "display of power," and claimed that they had given prior notice to federal law enforcement of their intention to sightsee and enjoy the rally.


Tennessee

On January 1, 2010, the Knox County Sheriff's Office in conjunction with the Knoxville Police Department raided a house located at 205 Clifton Road to serve two arrest warrants and execute a search warrant on the property alleged to be an Outlaw clubhouse. Officers, including members of the SWAT team, raided the facility just before midnight but found only a handful of elderly club members, who surrendered quickly and peaceably. Knox County Sheriff James Jones acted on information from an undercover informant that many of the members of the club would be present at the informal celebration of New Year's Eve. Arrest warrants had been issued for Mark "Ivan" Lester and Kenneth Foster for their alleged roles in a confrontation with the undercover informant earlier in December 2009, who had infiltrated the organization over 14 months ago. According to Sheriff Jones, Lester and Foster allegedly threatened the informant with a pistol and demanded the colors in his possession. By Club bylaws Club colors always remain the property of the Club and not of the individual member. The informant, who claimed to be in fear of their safety, submitted to the men's demands. Mark Lester is alleged to be the Regional President in charge of the clubs operations in the states of Kentucky and Tennessee. Kenneth Foster is alleged to be the local Knoxville chapter Outlaw Motorcycle Club President.

Both Lester and Foster were arrested at the residence and were charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping. Upon search of the residence the officers found a few legally owned handguns and small amounts of marijuana. They alleged they had evidence of other illegal activities. Both men were jailed and held in lieu of 3 million dollar bonds. Other than the charges stemming from the club's unmasking of the undercover officer, however, no other charges have been filed.

Virginia


On June 15, 2010, a grand jury in Virginia indicted 27 Outlaws members on various charges related to participating in a criminal enterprise (RICO) that engaged in assaults, kidnapping, drug dealing, illegal gambling, and attempted murder.


Wisconsin

On June 10, 1997, U.S. Attorneys indicted 17 members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club for racketeering, murder, narcotics trafficking, and bombing. Members were from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Florida chapters. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms completed a 2 ½ year investigation sparked by a war between the Outlaws and Hells Angels for control over areas of Chicago and Milwaukee.

On December 19, 2000, Kevin (Spike) O'Neill, president of the Wisconsin/Stateline Outlaws chapter, received a sentence of life in prison after being convicted on racketeering charges.

On May 31, 2001, Edward Anastas, one-time president of the Milwaukee chapter of the Outlaws motorcycle club, was arrested after being named in a sealed indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy, cocaine conspiracy, and participating in a bombing.


United Kingdom

In England and Wales the group has around 30 different chapters.

On August 12, 2007, Hells Angel Gerry Tobin, a Canadian living in Mottingham, London, was shot dead returning from the Bulldog Bash festival held near Long Marston, Warwickshire. He was singled out at random by members of the Outlaws. In November 2008, seven men, Sean Creighton, Simon Turner, Dane Garside, Dean Taylor, Malcolm Bull, Karl Garside and Ian Cameron, the entire Warwickshire Chapter, were convicted of his murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. The minimum terms before consideration of parole were between 25 and 30 years - a total of 191 years.

On January 20, 2008, there was a brawl between up to 30 of the rival gangs at Birmingham International Airport. Police recovered various weapons including knuckledusters, hammers and a meat cleaver. Seven Outlaw members and five Hells Angels faced trial as a result.


Germany

In summer 2006, Outlaw members of the Mosbach chapter attacked two members of the Hells Angels in Heilbronn. In the following trial, most Outlaw members were convicted for attempted manslaughter. The Mosbach Chapter was closed thereafter. At the same time, an Osnabrück section's member was shot by trying to enter the Bandidos president's house in a small village near Osnabrück. After that, Bandidos' president was convicted to nine months on probation on charges of illegal weapon ownership. Bandidos claim they have acted in self-defense.

On March 5, 2008, fighting ensued at a motorcycle meeting in Germany between Outlaws and Hells Angels members and several people were arrested.

Mongols (motorcycle club)

The Mongols Motorcycle Club, sometimes called the Mongol Nation or Mongol Brotherhood, is a "one-percenter" motorcycle gang and alleged organized crime syndicate. The club is headquartered in southern California and was originally formed in Montebello, California in 1969 by Hispanic Vietnam War veterans who were refused entry to the Hells Angels because of their ethnicity. Law enforcement officials estimate there are approximately 500 to 600 full patched members. The Mongols' main presence is in southern California, with charters in 14 states, as well as international charters in Germany, Italy, Australia and Mexico.

Founded: 1969

In: Montebello, California

Years Active: 1969 - present

Territory: Mostly Southern California. Also Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, and Ohio.

Ethnicity: Mostly Hispanic

Membership: 1,000 - 1,500

Criminal Activities:
Drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, grand theft, racketeering,
loan-sharking, money laundering, extortion, and murder for hire.

Rivals: Hells Angels, and Gypsy Joker MC


Criminal activities

The Mongols members have had long-running confrontations with law enforcement in such areas as drug dealing (especially methamphetamine), money laundering, robbery, extortion, firearms violations, murder and assault, among other crimes.

Incidents

In 1998, ATF agent William Queen infiltrated the club, eventually becoming a full-patch member and rising to the rank of treasurer using the undercover alias of Billy St. John. In April 2000, based on evidence gathered during Queen's 28-month undercover time with the club, 54 Mongols were arrested. All but one of the accused were later convicted of various crimes including drug trafficking, motorcycle theft, and conspiracy to commit murder.

In 2002, members of the Mongols and the Hells Angels had a confrontation in Laughlin, Nevada at the Harrah's Laughlin Casino, that left three bikers dead. Mongol Anthony 'Bronson' Barrera, 43, was stabbed to death; and two Hells Angels—Jeramie Bell, 27, and Robert Tumelty, 50—were shot to death. On February 23, 2007, Hells Angels members James Hannigan and Rodney Cox were sentenced to two years in prison for their respective roles in the incident. Cox and Hannigan were captured on videotape confronting Mongols inside the casino. A Hells Angels member can be clearly seen on the casino security videotape performing a front kick on a Mongol which in turn started the ensuing melee.

Mongols member Christopher Ablett turned himself in to authorities in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on October 4, 2008 after going on the run for murdering Hells Angels President Mark "Papa" Guardado in San Francisco, California earlier that year. The San Fransisco Police Department had issued a $5 million arrest warrant for him. He was convicted of murder in aid of racketeering and three gun charges on February 23, 2012 in San Francisco.

On December 20, 2008 in Las Vegas, Mongols members arrived at "A Special Memories Wedding Chapel" for a fellow member's wedding, to find a local Hells Angels charter were just finishing up their own ceremony. It is reported by KTNV Channel 13 news, that the Hells Angels attacked the Mongols members, sending three to a hospital, two of whom suffered from stab wounds. No arrests were made and local authorities report that they are looking for suspects said to be involved in the attack.

Operation Black Rain

On October 21, 2008, 38 members including Ruben "Doc" Cavazos were taken into Federal custody after four Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents infiltrated the group for a second time, becoming full patch members. 110 arrest warrants and 160 search warrants were issued in California, Ohio, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon. On October 23, 2008, US District Court Judge Florence-Marie Cooper granted an injunction that prohibits club members, their family members and associates from wearing, licensing, selling or distributing the logo, which typically depicts the profile of a Mongolian warrior wearing sunglasses, because according to the police, they use the logo and names as an identity and as a form of intimidation to fulfill their goals. Prosecutors requested the injunction after authorities arrested dozens of Mongols under a racketeering indictment.

A planned weekend meeting in Lancaster, California, expected to draw 800 Mongols and their families, was blocked after city officials shut down and fenced off the hotel they had booked for the event, which coincides with the "Celebrate Downtown Lancaster" festival. The mayor had previously threatened to shut down the hotel over unpaid taxes if the agreement to host the Mongols was not canceled. An attorney for the Mongols said he plans 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. Mayor R. Rex Parris said he wants to keep the Mongols out because they "are engaged in domestic terrorism...and they kill our children."

After a long legal battle over the Mongol's MC patch, The Mongols won the rights to continued use and ownership of their patch.

Mongols MC Germany

A German chapter of Mongols MC was founded in Bremen by members of the local crime syndicate run by Kurds from Lebanon immigrants in 2010. It was the first time that a Muslim clan-based crime syndicate in Germany became active in the field of outlaw motorcycle clubs. Organized crime in Bremen is dominated by the Miri clan, a large family of Kurdish-Lebanese origin with an estimated 2,600 members, who first migrated to Germany beginning in the late 1980s, and rose to national notoriety with a number of large-scale criminal activities in 2010.

According to Andreas Weber, the state of Bremen's chief of criminal investigation, the new Mongols chapter is only nominally a motorcycle group. Clan members do not have motorcycle licences and drive around the city in cars. Presumably, they are interested in associating themselves with the US motorcycle club primarily to profit from their infrastructure and trading channels in drug trafficking. The president of Mongols Bremen, "Mustafa B." accidentally killed himself with his bike as a novice licence holder briefly after the chapter's foundation. He was presumably succeeded by "Ibrahim M.", who is on record with 147 felonies ranging from grievous bodily harm to illegal possession of a weapon.

Local daily newspaper Kölnische Rundschau reports that a further German Mongols chapter becomes active in Cologne, which is a traditional Hells Angels area.

Vagos Motorcycle Club

The Vagos Motorcycle Club, also known as the Green Nation, is a one-percenter motorcycle gang and alleged organized crime syndicate that was formed in the 1960s in the small unincorporated community of Temescal Valley, which is south of Corona, California. The gang originally was called "the Psychos". The club's insignia is Loki, the Norse god of mischief, riding a motorcycle and members commonly wear green.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the California Attorney General have named the Vagos as an outlaw motorcycle club, claiming that they are involved in criminal activities such as producing, transporting and distributing methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as assault, extortion, insurance fraud, money laundering, murder, vehicle theft, witness intimidation and weapons violations. The Vagos have approximately 600 members among 24 chapters located in the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and ten chapters located in Mexico (Baja California, Jalisco and Mexico City). Two hundred members are in Riverside County, where the gang was started in the late 1960s. In 2002, members of the Vagos turned in the estranged wife of a Pomona, California police detective after she attempted to hire a hit man from the Vagos to kill her husband.

Founded: 1965

In: Temescal Valley, south of Corona, California.

Years Active: 1965 - present

Territory: Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico

Membership: 600 full-patch members

Criminal Activities: Drug trafficking, arms trafficking, auto theft, extortion, money laundering, witness intimidation, insurance fraud, racketeering, prostitution, and murder.

Rivals: Brother Speed, Free Souls, Gypsy Jokers, and Hells Angels

Wrongful conviction

Four members of the Vagos were convicted in 1974 for the murder and mutilation University of New Mexico student William Velten. The four, Richard Greer, Ronald Keine, Clarence Smith and Thomas Gladish, spent 17 months on death row. Their case was in the appeals process when Kerry Rodney Lee, an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration, confessed to the murder.

Criminal activities

In October 1998, a two-year undercover investigation of the Vagos resulted in the arrests of more than a dozen people for kidnapping, and drug and weapons crimes, and in September 2004, a state investigation involving the gang led to the arrests of 26 people and the seizure of more than $125,000 in cash, drugs and guns.

On March 9, 2006, twenty-five Vagos members and associates were arrested on firearms and drug violations charges following one of the largest coordinated law enforcement probes ever conducted in Southern California. The operation, known as "Operation 22 Green", involved around 700 personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local police and sheriff's departments. Ninety-five illegal firearms, illegal drugs, $6,000 in cash and two stolen motorcycles were also seized.

In December 2007, six members of the Vagos were arrested and accused of beating and robbing a member who intended to leave the club. The victim was allegedly attacked at the Custom Motorcycle auto shop in Grants Pass, Oregon then taken to his home where the attackers robbed him, in August 2007. In February 2010 the ex-president of the chapter involved was acquitted of all charges relating to robbery assault and kidnapping.

Three Vagos members were arrested on June 9 and 10, 2009 and charged with sexually assaulting a woman in San Jose, California. Police investigators told the San Jose Mercury News that the victim met the three men in a nightclub on May 4, 2009 and that they had offered to drive her home, but instead they took her to the Vagos clubhouse on Kings Row where she was beaten and sexually assaulted.

On March 17, 2010, amid allegations that Vagos members have been attempting to use home-made booby traps to maim and kill police detectives in Hemet, California police arrested at least 31 Vagos members in a multistate raid which took place in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California and involved 400 police officers from 60 law enforcement agencies. As many as 73 locations were raided in Southern California, where police seized weapons and drugs and discovered a methamphetamine lab. On December 31, 2009 the unmarked headquarters of the Hemet Gang Task Force was filled with natural gas which had been routed into the building through a hole drilled in the roof. Two task force members entering the office smelled gas and backed away without flipping a light switch which could have caused an explosion. The day before that attack, a Vagos funeral was held at a church next to the office. On February 23, 2010 a task force member at the Hemet headquarters opened a security gate outside the building, causing a homemade zip gun attached to the gate to fire. The weapon fired and nearly hit an officer's head. On March 5, 2010 a task force member who had parked an unmarked police car in front of a convenience store in Hemet found a homemade pipe bomb hidden underneath the vehicle. A $200,000 reward has been announced by California and federal authorities for information on these cases. California Attorney General Jerry Brown called the attempts "urban terrorism." Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco said that Vagos members posed an "extreme threat" to law enforcement officers and were notorious for trying to "infiltrate" public safety agencies, by obtaining sworn or non-sworn positions and working undercover to obstruct and dismantle police investigations.

On August 1, 2011, Riverside County settled a lawsuit filed by the Vagos International Motorcycle Club in March 2011. The lawsuit claimed that Riverside County authorities "defamed" and "damaged" The Vagos International Motorcycle Clubs name by "falsely linking" them to attacks on police officers in Hemet, CA. The Statement Issued by Riverside county today, cleared the Vagos International Motorcycle Club of any involvement in the attacks on officers in Hemet. Two Riverside County men, with no ties to the Vagos International Motorcycle Club, have been charged in relation to the attacks and are awaiting trial. Attorney Joseph Yanny, who represented the Vagos International Motorcycle Club, was "Pleased" With the result and went on to express that the lawsuit was never about a financial settlement but for the "club to clear its name".

On August 13, 2011, law enforcement authorities say the Vagos Motorcycle Club and the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club were involved in a shootout which shut down traffic on I-44 near Lebanon, Missouri. The local 911 Center received about 20 calls, beginning at 8:16 p.m. Saturday; from local motorists along the major interstate which has now replaced the historic U.S. Route 66 running across Missouri. Callers described that approximately 20 men were fighting and that shots had been fired.

On September 23, 2011, members of the Vagos were allegedly involved in a shooting at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks, Nevada in which Jeffrey Pettigrew, 51, president of the San Jose, California, chapter of the Hells Angels was killed and two Vagos members were wounded during the shootout in the Trader Dick's bar section of the casino. A few days later Vagos member Ernesto Gonzalez of San Jose, CA was arrested by University of California San Fransisco Police pursuant to the murder. Gonzalez reportedly shot Pettigrew four times in the back.