Things started to take a turn at the end of World War II. Stubbs described Mongol ideals: "It goes to some core beliefs. The club is headquartered in Southern California and was originally formed in Montebello, California, in 1969. Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of life for kidnapping and murder, and seven years for the firearms offense to be served consecutive to all other sentences. It became clear that Dave had betrayed the club, his oath and everything we hold sacred, the club said in a statement. As its ranks swelled, so did its notoriety. Although the focus of the clubs still centered on racing, a new form of rebellion started to creep in. In 1948, the Hells Angels was formed. In fairness, the majority of violence committed by one-percenter clubs is interclub. David Santillan, the national president of the Mongols, pumped his fist into the air as the decision was read before a courtroom audience that included several Mongols members. The Mongols Motorcycle Club, sometimes called the Mongols Nation or Mongol Brotherhood, is a "one-percenter" outlaw motorcycle club. These people are not the people you see out on Sunday on a motorcycle ride, Gualtieri said at a press conference announcing Pogilevskys indictment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Judge Carters ruling was drawn from a flood of legal opinions that were submitted by academics, law firms and think tanks. In their petition, the Mongols argue that Mr. Santillan could have been pressured to leak strategy and other information to the government as a result of lenient treatment the defense claimed he received during his brushes with the law. A spokesman for the United States attorneys office for the Central District of California, Thom Mrozek, said in a statement that prosecutors were disappointed by the decision and that they believed Judge Carter was required by law to issue the forfeiture order that the government had requested. Their reputation for drug trafficking, violence, turf wars, money laundering, extortion, firearms violations, and more besides puts them in contention for the title of the USs biggest, baddest MC. Keeping with a continual forward movement in technology, innovation, and making upgrades to the, Read More 10 Things You Didnt Know About the 2020 Ducati Superleggera V4Continue, If you live in the state of New Jersey and youre thinking about riding a motorcycle, there are a few things you need to know about the laws. Ric Francis/Associated Press. Life in prison, and up to seven years for the firearms offense to be served consecutive to all other sentences. Jorge Gil-Blanco, a retired intelligence officer from the San Jose Police Department who serves as an expert witness on the Mongols in court, opined, "You only see what they want you to see. Mr. Santillan walking into a federal courthouse in Santa Ana, Calif., during the 2018 racketeering trial against the Mongols. These convictions underscore the Justice Departments dedication to disrupting and dismantling violent criminal enterprises.. Evidence at trial demonstrated that the Clarksville Mongols were responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Stephanie Bradley, as well as the separate kidnapping and murder of Stephen Cole. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was formed in Southern California, and today, the West Coast is still the club's stronghold. "I was literally trying to destroy him," she answered, adding that she didn't understand what he was talking about in relation to Ciccone. This is my family. After being turned away because of their Hispanic heritage, they decided to take matters into their own hands and form their own club. There was nothing nefarious about it.". Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for the drug offense and seven years for the firearms offense to be served consecutive to all other sentences. [26][27] The club president Ruben Cavazos and others pleaded guilty to the racketeering charge, and Cavazos was sentenced to serve 14 years in the penitentiary. He noted that he was shot several times including in the head. [31][32], In a 2015 racketeering case in Los Angeles, the Federal government tried and failed to use civil forfeiture laws to seize all rights to the Mongols emblems and patches in order to forbid members from wearing them. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. [13][14], In 1998, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent William Queen infiltrated the club, eventually becoming a full-patch member and rising to the rank of chapter vice-president using the undercover alias of Billy St. John. Judge Carter also pressed Annie Santillan on why she specifically called her husband a confidential informant and "a rat" if she was just trying to hurt him. [33], A German chapter of Mongols MC was founded in Bremen by members of the local crime syndicate run by Lebanese immigrants in 2010. Racketeering conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; money laundering conspiracy; assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce and robbery affecting interstate commerce; kidnapping; and firearm offenses. Thats what I meant by protect in the video.. ", The brotherhood and loyalty aspect of Mongols membership seems to be of ultimate importance to club members. Today, it has 14 chapters in the US and a presence in 10 countries internationally. Ling called her experience "an interesting time" and "exhilarating" and even suggested that the club could serve a positive influence on "a lot of guys who ordinarily might do things they're not supposed to do.". Life in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of: life in prison for murder; 10 years for drug conspiracy; and up to 10 years for the firearms offense to be served consecutive to all other sentences. All rights reserved. The explosive allegations come after a secretly recorded video surfaced of Santillan talking to his wife about the lead ATF agent on the case -- John Ciccone. In 2002, members of the Mongols and the Hells Angels had a confrontation at the Harrah's Laughlin Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, that left three bikers dead. ", "So, he gave me a heads up and that was it. "I think they got David in compromising situations," Yanny tells Eyewitness News. That was all it was about. The sheriff categorized the group as an organized crime syndicate with national reach. However later on, since this gang activity is worldwide, more and more members were accepted. In the call, David Santillan sobs and says he wants to reconcile. In addition, the Clarksville Mongols engaged in widespread violence and, from spring 2015 to spring 2017, they distributed more than 50 pounds of nearly 100% pure methamphetamine, worth approximately $1 million, through their drug trafficking enterprise, in an effort to establish themselves as the areas dominant motorcycle club. He said their communication was for public safety and showed the Mongols that there is ATF presence at their events. Racketeering conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; money laundering conspiracy; kidnapping; kidnapping in aid of racketeering; the murder of Stephanie Bradley in aid of racketeering; firearm offenses; and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. The artist laughed and said no; there was a whole chain of command necessary in order to obtain the right to get such as tattoo. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was established on December 5, 1969 in the East Los Angeles area in the city of Montebello, California. (Ric Francis/AP) club president David Santillan denies that the club as a whole is a criminal enterprise, and attorneys for the club claim that it has changed its code of conduct to exclude drug abusers and criminals. The Mongols are relying on an explosive video shared by Mr. Santillans wife, Annie Santillan, who, during a stretch when she was angry with her husband over his infidelity, had her daughter record a conversation in which he appeared to refer to protection he had received from the A.T.F. Whats more, Judge Carter wrote, There is no evidence that forfeiture of collective membership marks will lead to a less violent or capable organization., [Read: How to Crush an Outlaw Biker Club: Seize Its Logo?]. The main back patches, or rockers, are earned in three steps, starting with the bottom one that indicates the location of the club, followed by the middle Genghis Khan patch, and finally the top Mongols patch, indicating full Mongol membership. Marshal that Mr. Santillan and Mr. Ciccone had been seen chatting at a Starbucks near the courthouse. On Wednesday, defense attorney Joe Yanny and Santillan went back and forth over Santillan's relationship with retired Montebello police officer Christopher Cervantes and Ciccone. Mongols Motorcycle Club Says Its Leader Was an Informant The biker group hopes to set aside a $500,000 racketeering conviction, alleging that its former president cooperated with the government. Mr. Santillan provided records from the cases to show he had been convicted of offenses including driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and disturbing the peace, and that he had been arrested, fined and put on probation. [25] 110 arrest warrants and 160 search warrants were issued in California, Ohio, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon. However, it's also made some inroads nationwide and abroad. He added that the First Amendment bars the government from using forfeiture laws in racketeering cases to chill this expression.. In 2008, Mongols member Christopher Ablett was convicted of the murder of Hells Angels President Mark Papa Guardado. Within just five years of its creation, chapters had sprung up in Los Angeles, San Diego, Bakersfield, Long Beach, San Gabriel Valley, and San Fernando Valley. One prospective member told Ling, "This is everything to me. Loyalty, honor, and respect among members were integral to the clubs early vision. nicely." One example given is after a Mongol member committed a murder, the club called a Code 55,instructing members to hide all affiliation, including stopping wearing their vests and patches, carrying weapons, or interacting with law enforcement. In December 2018, the club was convicted of racketeering and conspiracy, and one month later, in a ruling called the first of its kind, a jury ruled to strip the Mongols of their trademarked logo. A Florida member of the infamous Mongols Motorcycle Club has been indicted for taking part in the brutal execution of a suspected snitch from another gang, officials said. Prosecutors requested the injunction after authorities arrested dozens of Mongols under a racketeering indictment. Fort Worth, Texas (September 22, 2018) BSB On Saturday night, members of the Mongols motorcycle club stood outside a bar in the Fort Worth Stockyards, talking with bar employees and passersby. The decision upended years of efforts by prosecutors to weaken the Mongols, which a federal jury in January deemed a criminal enterprise after finding the group guilty of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy for the crimes of murder, attempted murder and drug dealing. A former ATF agent denied during courtroom testimony Friday that a now-deposed leader of the notorious Mongols Motorcycle Club served as a secret source of information for the government during a . Presumably, they are interested in associating themselves with the US motorcycle club primarily to profit from their infrastructure and trading channels in drug trafficking. Thanks to the Mongols activities, it soon would (although, in fairness, the actions of certain other clubs like the Hells Angels and the Outlaws have to take some of the credit too). The club was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine in what prosecutors hoped would be a down payment on putting it out of business. The Vietnam vets that made up the majority of its ranks quickly turned the Mongols from a ragtag collection of riders into a tightly organized unit run with the same regimented nature and discipline theyd experienced in Vietnam. The Mongol Nations and its members right to express their identity through the noncommercial display of symbols constitutes speech subject to First Amendment protections, Judge Carter wrote in the ruling released Thursday. There violence basically consists of serious crimes, every type of organised crime, murder, embezzlement, and drug dealing; which also includes buying drugs and guns. The lawyer in charge of the retrial motion, Joseph A. Yanny, said the Mongols hoped to prove that an improper relationship between Mr. Santillan and Mr. Ciccone during the 2018 trial allowed the government to hear things it should not have about the Mongols defense strategy and even adversely influenced the Mongols presentation of their case. Two years later, a confrontation between members of the Mongols and rival gang the Hells Angels at the Harrahs Laughlin Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, led to four fatalities on both sides. As for Mr. Ciccone, he had mastered the craft of executing complex investigations using everything from undercovers to informants to wiretaps to subpoenas and surveillance, said Frank DAlesio, a retired A.T.F. He upheld the Mongols convictions on racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, and tentatively granted the forfeiture of the various weapons and property that had been seized. [T]hey can be very nice individuals but as a whole they're involved in criminal activity, and it's important that people understand that. Attorneys Kathryn Risinger and Chris Suedekum for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case. "He's retiring, he's retiring. accidentally killed himself with his bike as a novice licence holder briefly after the chapter's foundation. Racketeering conspiracy; assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; kidnapping resulting in death of Stephen Cole. The belief that as long as they're not hurting anybody, they should be able to do what they please." Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Considering some of the most notorious incidents the Mongols have been involved in, nor should it. Boylston felt disrespected by Cole and was concerned about maintaining his standing and reputation among the Clarksville Mongols. As with other motorcycle clubs, members of the Mongols value the patches they wear on their jackets and vests that announce their membership as well as indicate the rider's rank and achievements within the organization, as reported by Hot Cars. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was formed in Southern California, and today, the West Coast is still the clubs stronghold. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- There's a new twist in a federal case already marked by murder and mayhem. The possible origin for this comes from the fact that the Mongols were founded by Hispanic bikers as an alternative to the Hells Angels motorcycle club, which was founded in 1948. A jury sided with the prosecution in 2019 and ordered the group to give up the emblem, but Judge David O. Carter rejected the verdict as an infringement on the clubs constitutional rights. In the case that led to the racketeering conviction against the Mongols, Mr. Ciccone had acted as the case agent. By Serge F. Kovaleski. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Mr. Santillan said he talked with the A.T.F. That isnt to say the Mongols are sugary sweet, by any stretch of the imagination. The club's name of the "Mongols" was inspired by Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire. Diamond was shot in the back of the base of his neck with a shotgun during the service of a search warrant. A total of 10 Tampa-based Mongols were arrested in January in connection with a gang killing in Colorado. The unusual legal imbroglio provides a rare glimpse into the hidden and volatile politics of the outlaw motorcycle club and the degree to which law enforcement and its targets may engage in limited cooperation when it is seen as mutually beneficial. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Clarksville Mongols were a violent motorcycle gang operating in and around the city of Clarksville. A Florida member of the infamous Mongols Motorcycle Club has been indicted for taking part in the brutal execution of a suspected snitch from another gang, officials said. Consisting of a large majority of ex-servicemen that had served in the war, the Hells Angels quickly started to gain a reputation for all the wrong reasons. Criminal - Organized Crime and Gang Section. Yanny played a clip from a National Geographic show segment on the Mongols in court as evidence of their relationship. The aforementioned Mongol member Dave joked that the tattoo would be "cut off" of anyone who got one without permission. The trend of new, rebellious motorcycle clubs being started by returning servicemen continued with both the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The judge will most likely consider a series of procedural matters on Monday, lawyers said, with additional hearings expected before any final ruling. But the group that was once the most powerful biker organization in the West other than its archrivals, the Hells Angels, is returning to court next week, hoping to set aside the racketeering and conspiracy convictions based on what it says is new evidence about its previous leader, David Santillan. Racketeering conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; money laundering conspiracy; firearm offenses; and kidnapping. Mongols motorcycle club members are shown here. SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Testimony resumed inside an Orange County federal courthouse on Wednesday morning for a hearing in which a judge will decide if the Mongols Motorcycle Club will get a new trial after being convicted of conspiracy and racketeering in 2018. The indictment did not target any individuals but alleged that the club itself had engaged in an organized conspiracy of crimes such as murder, attempted murder and drug dealing. After testifying briefly in court Monday, Annie told Eyewitness News that her husband has never been a confidential informant and that she only sent the text message because she wanted to destroy him in the eyes of the Mongols. Like other motorcycle clubs, the Mongols have a variety of rules they have to follow. On April 5, 1973, Mongols member Ferman Benavides was among eleven motorcycle gang members convicted in Los Angeles of rape and sex perversion. "The relationship was just cordial, respectful relationship just to keep the peace between us and the club," Santillan said. Theyre sending a message when they do that, he said. In the late 1960s Hells Angels didn't allow non-white bikers to join as members. 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