GANGLAND 2

Gas canister man storms office

2012-04-27T15:06:00+01:00

One of the country's busiest shopping streets has been closed as a man wearing gas canisters stormed into an office and threatened to blow himself up, it was reported. Tottenham Court Road in central London was closed after police received emergency calls at midday. Scotland Yard sent a hostage negotiator to the scene amid reports the man had held people hostage inside the building several floors up. Pictures emerged of computer and office equipment being thrown through one of the office windows. A police spokesman said it was "too early to say if the suspect was armed or indeed had taken any hostages" but businesses and nearby buildings were evacuated. Joaqam Ramus, who works at nearby Cafe Fresco, said before being evacuated: "There was talk of a bomb and somebody having a hostage in a building. "All Tottenham Court Road is closed and so are we - the police told us to shut. "We don't know what it is but it seems someone has a hostage."

Credit card fraud websites shut down on three continents

2012-04-26T16:42:00+01:00

Three men have been arrested and 36 criminal websites selling credit card information and other personal data shut down as part of a two-year international anti-fraud operation, police have confirmed. The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), working with the FBI and US Department of Justice, as well as authorities in Germany; the Netherlands; Ukraine; Australia and Romania, swooped after identifying the sites as specialising in selling card and bank details in bulk. The move comes as a blow to what is a growing black market for stolen financial data. Detectives estimated that the card information seized could have been used to extract more than £500m in total by fraudsters. SOCA claimed it has recovered more than two and a half million items of compromised personal and financial information over the past two years. “The authorities have shut down 36 websites but it is difficult to know how many other people had access to that data. They could spring back up somewhere else if a gang is not eradicated completely,” said Graham Cluley of internet security firm Sophos. He added: “This is big business and, just as in any legitimate company there are people who specialise in different things, so there are those who actually get their hands on the personal data and those who sell it on; they are not often the same person.” An investigation by The Independent last summer found that scammers were making a “comfortable living” getting their hands on sensitive information and selling it online. Card details were being offered for sale for between 4p and £60 per card – depending on the quality – according to one source in the business. Some cards would be sold with incomplete or unreliable information; others ready to use. Some of the card details for sale on the websites shut down by SOCA were being sold for as little as £2 each. Investigators said that the alleged fraudsters were using Automated Vending Carts, which allowed them to sell large quantities of stolen data. They are said to be a driver of the growth in banking fraud over the last 18 months because of the speed with which stolen data can be sold. Lee Miles, Head of Cyber Operations for SOCA said: “This operation is an excellent example of the level of international cooperation being focused on tackling online fraud. Our activities have saved business, online retailers and financial institutions potential fraud losses estimated at more than half a billion pounds, and at the same time protected thousands of individuals from the distress caused by being a victim of fraud or identity crime.” An alleged operator in Macedonia was one of those arrested, while two British men accused of buying the information were also detained. Britain’s Dedicated Cheque & Plastic Crime Unit also seized computers suspected of being used to commit fraud.

Shooting a 'warning' from rival bikie gang

2012-04-25T16:55:00+01:00

SIMMERING tension between rival bikie gangs exploded on the Gold Coast yesterday with the drive-by shooting of a tattoo parlour in the heart of Bandidos territory. Police fear the attack could be a push for territory by the Hells Angels as the outlaw gang seeks a toehold on the lucrative Glitter Strip. Less than 24 hours after police commissioner Bob Atkinson told the Bulletin that bikie gangs were "one of the greatest challenges to face law enforcement", the Bandido-protected Mermaid Beach tattoo shop was hit by at least four shots in the early hours of yesterday morning. High-ranking police yesterday said it was "inevitable" that the violence that has plagued Sydney would eventually spill across the border. "We do not believe it is directly connected to the war between the Hells Angels and the Nomads that has been unfolding in New South Wales," said police. "But it is a similar style of attack. "We know the Hells Angels have been pushing to establish a chapter on the Gold Coast -- that push is coming from Sydney. "Tradelink Drive is not their most profitable chapter." While detectives have attempted to play down the shooting, police say there is "no doubt" it was intended as a warning. The Bandidos are the largest and one of the most secretive bikie gangs on the Gold Coast. The club has gained strength as its main rival -- the Finks -- have been severely weakened with so many senior members behind bars and Bandido territory stretches south from Broadbeach. Police said last month's Hells Angels National Run was intended as a direct message to all gangs on the Gold Coast. More than 200 patched gang members descended on Surfers Paradise for the run. "These clubs are so well organised, they do nothing without a reason," police said. "You can bet they had some purpose in coming to the Gold Coast. "They taunted the Finks and nothing happened, now the Bandidos tattoo shop is shot up in the same way the gym controlled by the Hells Angels was hit a few months ago. "You join the dots." The shop is owned by a senior member of the outlaw gang who has been a patched member of the Bandidos "for years", police say. In an exclusive interview with the Bulletin, Mr Atkinson said the danger of bikie gangs was "under-rated" by the community. "The outlaw motorcycle gangs nationally present one of the greatest challenges to police. "I think the degree of that challenge and the risk they present to our society is underrated." The Gold Coast has one of the highest populations of bikie gangs in the country. Mr Atkinson said he would not be surprised if the Hells Angels were not considering a move closer to the Glitter Strip. "They are businesses, they look for opportunity so that wouldn't be a surprise," he said. "They market themselves as a group of mature men who have a love and interest in motorbikes and they do that very cleverly. The reality is they are highly sophisticated, well organised criminal enterprises that pose a genuine risk to the community and many are well represented by the finest and best lawyers who they retain to represent them." South East Region Assistant Commissioner Graham Rynders said the gangs were constantly looking to expand. "One of things about OMCGs is they look for opportunity for criminal enterprise," Mr Rynders said. "Throughout Queensland, throughout the country, probably throughout the world they are looking to expand. It is obviously dictated to by territory, depending on who or what other groups exist in what areas."

Jury hears grisly details about murder scene

2012-04-25T16:51:00+01:00

Police discovered a grisly scene on Sept. 10, 2000, when they entered a Cogmagun Road home in Hants County. “It was a very brutal scene,” Cpl. Shawn Sweeney, who was a constable with the Windsor rural RCMP detachment that day, testified Tuesday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Kentville. It was the second day of trial for Leslie Douglas Greenwood, 42, who is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Barry Kirk Mersereau, 48, and his wife, Nancy Paula Christensen, 47. Sweeney, a Crown witness, testified that he and four other police officers who responded to a 911 call found Christensen sitting upright in a chair in the living room of her Centre Burlington home with a bullet wound in her left cheek, under her glasses. She had a cup of tea in her hand and a small dog was sitting in her lap. There were several bullet casings and lead fragments scattered on the floor. Mersereau was lying face down, with pools of blood around his head and body. Another dog, believed to be a German shepherd-Rottweiler mix, was hiding under covers on the bed in the master bedroom. A third dog was tied to the front porch and another had run off into the woods. Sweeney told Chief Justice Joseph Kennedy and the seven-woman, five-man jury hearing the case that the house appeared to be neat and orderly, with no signs of struggle. “It didn’t appear to be a house that was rifled through or things thrown around,” Sweeney testified. Const. Glenn Bonvie told the court it was immediately obvious that Mersereau and Christensen were dead. “There was no movement. There was no doubt that they were deceased.” Crown witness Ronald Connors owned a hunting cabin in the woods about half a kilometre away from the couple’s house. He testifed that he heard several shots at about 8:15 p.m. on Sept. 9. Connors said he heard six shots fired in quick succession, followed by a pause and a couple more shots. Moments later, there were more shots. He said he thought at first someone might be jacking deer, but Connors concluded that the shots didn’t sound like those from a high-powered hunting rifle. The jury was shown a video of the two bodies as they were found. Former RCMP officer David Clace, then in charge of the RCMP’s forensics identification unit in New Minas, said a large amount of money was found in plastic bags in a gym bag in one of the bedroom closets. The bag was later determined to contain about $65,000 in cash. Crown attorney Peter Craig has told the court that the victims were shot to death in their home in an execution-style killing as part of a Hells Angels-ordered killing. “They were killed in their home in a quiet community, with a teapot on the stove, with no signs of struggle and their baby in the next room,” Craig told the jury. He said evidence presented by as many as 40 Crown witnesses will show that Michael Lawrence and Greenwood murdered the couple on the orders of Jeffrey Lynds, a former Hells Angels operative who died recently in a Montreal jail of an apparent suicide. Lawrence, who owed Lynds money, pleaded guilty last January to three charges of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years. Also killed that day, by Lawrence, was Charles Maddison, an innocent man who picked Lawrence up hitchhiking. Lawrence shot him to take his truck to commit a planned robbery. Craig said Lawrence, expected to be a crucial Crown witness, will testify that he and Greenwood shot the couple, one with a .357 Magnum, the other with a 32-calibre handgun, in what he called “planned and deliberate” killings. The couple’s 18-month-old baby boy was safely recovered from the house by neighbour Ruby McKenzie, who went to the victim’s home the day after the shootings. McKenzie said she brought the baby back to her mobile home and called police. Greenwood sat quietly during the proceedings, occasionally exchanging comments with his lawyer, Alain Begin. Begin is expected to argue that Greenwood went to the Mersereau house the day of the shootings to buy drugs, and that Lawrence shot the couple while Greenwood was waiting outside. Also charged with first-degree murder in the killings is Curtis Blair Lynds, 36, who is serving time in a federal prison for drug trafficking. A preliminary inquiry in his case is scheduled to begin July 16.

Bikies' colours banned from Kings Cross

2012-04-23T04:38:00+01:00

The New South Wales Government will ban bikie colours in licensed premises in Sydney's Kings Cross as part of a range of measures targeting outlaw bikie gangs. Bikies will also be banned from working in tattoo parlours, with legislative changes set to give the police commissioner the final say on whether a particular person can own the business. The proposed changes to the Criminal Organisations Act will see police given the power to use drug and ballistics dogs to search tattoo parlours without warrant. The measures are aimed at stifling the growing feud between rival bikie gangs the Hells Angels and the Nomads, who are believed to be behind a spate of Sydney shootings. Police believe the Hells Angels were behind two drive-by shootings in Sydney's north-west on Thursday night, and authorities are bracing for a further escalation in the gang war. Authorities say the overnight shootings are related to five others over the past week. Premier Barry O'Farrell says the director-general of the Department of Trade and Industry has agreed to pass regulations that will see 23 bikie gangs banned from wearing colours at 58 Kings Cross venues. He says the new laws will give police the tools they need to tackle the "shooting spree" that is affecting Sydney. "This is about sending a clear message that if you're wearing bikie colours, it doesn't make you beyond the reach of the law," he said. "Wearing bikie colours doesn't make you a super hero that protects you from the long arm of the law." Greater presence Commissioner Andrew Scipione says police will be making good use of the laws banning colours as soon as they become available next Friday. Mr Scipione says police are also looking forward to the changes in the Criminal Organisations Act which will give them a greater presence in tattoo parlours. The parlours will be listed a prescribed organisation, which will prevent gang members working in them. Bikie members are also banned from working in the tow truck industry, in security and in casinos. "This will allow us to get out there and do our job particularly in certain locations," he said. "This is also about assisting licensees when it comes to outlaw motorcycle gang members harassing or intimidating people - not only staff - patrons as well. "It gives the police the authority to go down there when these people have been told to leave and they refuse to quit, arrest them and if need be charge them." Mr O'Farrell says the legislation regarding tattoo parlours will be taken to cabinet on Monday. But state opposition leader John Robertson says the new measures have not been thought out properly. He says if the Premier is serious about cracking down on outlaw bikie gangs he should put more police on the streets. "This Premier needs to be sitting down with senior law enforcement officers and drawing up a plan and a strategy to bring this gun crime to an end," he said. "Yesterday we saw two shootings occur and we saw these gangs set fire to a police vehicle. "Law and order is now being run by the bikies instead of the Government in New South Wales."

Latest Sydney shooting death not linked to bikies

2012-04-23T04:37:00+01:00

Police say a man shot dead in Sydney's south-west overnight had been involved in a number of earlier shootings, although none linked to bikie gang violence. Detectives have established a crime scene near the intersection of Bell Street and Schofield Street at Riverwood after a man was gunned down just after midnight. Police say paramedics tried to revive him, but he died at the scene. A man was arrested a short time later and questioned by police. He was later released without charge. Police superintendent Steve Blackmore says the victim, aged in his 30s, is believed to have been killed because of a personal feud over a debt that was owed. Superintendent Blackmore says both men were known to police, and the victim had previously been involved in public shootings. The public has been urged to avoid the area while they investigate. The latest incident comes after a spate of shootings in Sydney over the past two weeks. The New South Wales Government has announced measures targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs, which they hope will reduce the recent spate of shootings.

Adelaide bikie gang boss Vince Focarelli has mental health issues as a result of being held in appalling circumstances and being refused permission to attend his murdered son's funeral

2012-04-23T04:35:00+01:00

Adelaide bikie gang boss Vince Focarelli has mental health issues as a result of being held in appalling circumstances and being refused permission to attend his murdered son's funeral, his lawyer says. Focarelli, 37, is confined to a cell 23 hours a day in a maximum security prison wing, on remand for bail breaches and alleged drug offences despite the presumption of innocence, his lawyer David Edwardson, QC, says. Mr Edwardson said Focarelli had been in custody for two months but his lawyers had received "not a single piece of paper" in support of the charges that were laid against his client as he lay in hospital in February, recovering from gunshot wounds he received in an ambush that killed his son, Giovanni, 22. Giovanni last month had a big, teary send-off from family, friends, bikies and hundreds of regulars at Friday prayers at his local mosque. Focarelli was denied bail because of authorities' concerns about the risk of attacks that could put the public and him at risk. Focarelli was also shot in December and before that was the target of a failed bomb attack by two men linked to the Hells Angels - both of whom died when the bomb exploded early. In court on Friday, Mr Edwardson asked magistrate Paul Foley to order two reports ahead of a fresh bail application. He sought one report into Focarelli's mental health and one into the circumstances of his detention. "It is, quite frankly, appalling," Mr Edwardson said. Mr Edwardson said Focarelli was allowed only three supervised, 25-minute visits a week, making it impossible to have legally privileged conversations. Mr Foley said the circumstances for refusing bail in the first place had not changed. He said he would not order the reports or hear a bail application. Police allegedly found 413 grams of the liquid drug butanediol in Focarelli's car after he and Giovanni were shot. They arrested him in hospital, where he stayed for four weeks until he was moved to Yatala prison. Focarelli refused to cooperate with police investigating the shooting and, before his hospital arrest, had spurned offers of police protection.

Ex-Comanchero Bikie Charged Over Meth Haul|

2012-04-23T04:34:00+01:00

A former bikie member has allegedly been caught with nearly half a kilogram of methylamphetamine, as well as weapons and a stolen motorcycle. Police spokeswoman Susan Usher said the gang crime squad last night apprehended a 27-year-old Balga man as he pulled into his driveway about 8.15pm. The man, believed to be a former member of the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle gang, was allegedly found to be in possession of nearly 500 grams of methylamphetamine, as well as quantities of ecstasy and steroids. Advertisement: Story continues below It will be alleged the man also had a .32 calibre handgun, unlicensed ammunition, knives and a stolen Honda motorcycle and laptop. The proceeds of crime squad will also be conducting inquiries into the man's assets, including a $450,000 house and $100,000 in items found at the home. He has been charged with 12 offences, and is due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court today.

Biker In Jail For Shooting At Troopers

2012-04-21T08:54:00+01:00

An undercover operation involving the Avengers Motorcycle Gang in Raleigh County ends in a shot fired at State Troopers and four arrests. It happened Wednesday afternoon on Route 3 near the town of Harper. Three plain-clothed troopers assigned to the the Criminal Investigation Bureau had several members of the Avengers gang under surveillance. The troopers were following behind the bikers when the trouble started. "Four of the gang members ended up getting behind the troopers' vehicles and started making gestures that they had guns. And one even displayed a gun," according to State Police Sgt. Mike Baylous. The troopers were able to get out ahead of the gang members and pulled over to the side of the road. They got out of their cars and showed their department issue badge and I.D. "As the gang members went by them, one of them turned around and fired a shot off at the troopers. That gang member then proceeded to wreck his motorcycle and jumped up and got on one of the other motorcycles and they took off," said Baylous. The troopers did not have time to pull their weapons. No one was injured. A few minutes later when they were looking at the crashed motorcycle that was left behind, the troopers came face to face with the bikers again. "Two of those members came back through the scene in a pick-up truck. And at that point they were apprehended," says Baylous. The other two gang members were rounded up a short time later. Those arrested include: Delmar Kozart of Beckley who's charged with accessory after the fact, wanton endangerment and felon in possession of a firearm, Clyde Frank of Harper who's facing accessory after the fact and wanton endangerment, James Morris Jr. of Echols who was booked for accessory after the fact, wanton endangerment, possession of a concealed weapon and fleeing on a vehicle. The alleged shooter has been identified as Thomas Speck (pictured at right) of Lapeer, MI. He's charged with felon in possession of a firearm, fleeing on a vehicle, a fugitive from justice and three counts of wanton endangerment. He's being held in the Southern Regional Jail. Baylous could not disclose why the troopers had the gang members under surveillance.

Hells Angels prospect challenging peace bond

2012-04-20T00:35:00+01:00

A reputed Manitoba Hells Angels prospect who cops allege helped pass on intel about gang rivals as part of an ongoing biker feud is battling a bid by justice officials to curb his freedom. Raymond Plouffe, 48, is challenging a crime prevention-related peace bond officials want to saddle him with. Similar to a probation order, the bond would oblige Plouffe to avoid all contact with members or associates of the Hells Angels and Redlined, the local HA support club. Plouffe, 48, has no criminal record and is not facing any criminal allegations. But despite that, cops allege he’s likely to engage in activity to enhance the activities of the Hells Angels (HA). Plouffe is just one of a handful of people — sources say nine — the Crown is seeking the bonds against as part of Project Flatlined, a recent police bust targeting the HA and the Redlined. Involving covert surveillance and the extensive use of wiretaps, Project Flatlined culminated with the arrest of a number of HA and Redlined members, including Dale Sweeney, a senior Hells Angel, in mid-March. The Crown has provided Judge Ray Wyant with a large binder of documentation in support of the peace-bond bid, including verbatim transcripts of taped phone calls. Plouffe is challenging the evidence, arguing much of it is hearsay and can’t be used against him. Tuesday, Det. Grant Goulet of the organized crime unit testified about the recent activities of the HA and Redlined gangs and how cops believe Plouffe ties in. During the Flatlined probe, the two gangs searched out Rock Machine members following the firebombing of an HA member’s yard, Goulet told court. Goulet testified wiretapped calls captured Plouffe talking with Dale Sweeney and reputed Redlined leader Justin MacLeod about sightings of Rock Machine rivals. “He’s out on the hunt for the Rock Machine,” Goulet testified regarding the context of the calls. Following another intercepted call involving Plouffe, MacLeod then calls Redlined members to assemble, Goulet said. Goulet’s assessment was blunt when asked why the Redlined crew would do this: “To confront (the Rock Machine) and engage in an act of violence, without a doubt,” he said. The hearing adjourned Tuesday before defence lawyer Karl Gowenlock could cross-examine Goulet. A date to continue the hearing will be set.

Who can clean up Adelaide's streets after ongoing bikie violence?

2012-04-20T00:30:00+01:00

COMMUNITY groups say they have had enough of shots being fired in Adelaide's streets by lawless bikie gang members and organised crime groups. Police have blamed renegade bikies for at least eight shooting incidents in Adelaide since September 30 as well as three other incidents of firearms recklessly discharged in suburban streets. Bikie sources have told The Advertiser that there is a lawless fringe who have infiltrated organised clubs. They have no respect for the law and refuse to follow the club rules. The clubs simply do not want to attract so much attention. At least two outlaw gangs - the Hells Angels, at Mansfield Park, and The Newboys, at Enfield - are based in the Port Adelaide Enfield Council area. Mayor Gary Johanson says the residents were a "tolerant lot" but they have had enough of wild shootouts. Adelaide's Bikie Underworld Bikie war raises bigger fears Bikie shooting at Croydon Park Bikie war raises bigger fears Adelaide Now, 18 hours ago DPP fury as bikie violence spreads The Australian, 31 Jan 2012 Bounty hunters target Focarelli Adelaide Now, 31 Jan 2012 Bikie murder - follow the fallout Adelaide Now, 30 Jan 2012 Pub shooting linked to bikie feud Perth Now, 17 Jan 2012 "Innocent bystanders could be caught up in the gunfire and that just simply cannot be tolerated," he said, Mr Johanson is calling for "people power" to send a message to lawmakers. "Obviously the communities could unite to say this is not what they consider should be happening in their community," he said. "Sometimes it does come down to the people themselves to make a strong stand. "Our community is probably the most generous and sympathetic community of all. "We are certainly tolerant towards the motorcycle fraternity, but there's no way any of our community would condone this type of activity because eventually innocent people are going to be injured or killed." Council of the Ageing chief executive Ian Yates said the spate of shootings was happening in such random locations that the elderly were fearful. "The general reaction that I'm hearing from people who have lived in the street where (shootings) have happened is that (this sort of thing) has never happened in their street before," he said. "It creates an uncertainty and for older people that can lead to isolation and stop them going out ... We want people to feel safe. It doesn't help the peace of mind of older people or, indeed, of anybody." Mr Yates said the public perception was that police were doing all they could short of having the clubs outlawed. "Police do a lot of things we don't hear about," he said. "People appreciate that the police have no desire for this to go on and they do everything in their power to stop it." The latest attack on Wednesday, which left a man, 29, said by police to be a Hells Angels member, with serious wounds, has again unnverved the community, Mr Yates said. Criminals have no problem getting their hands on high-powered, sometimes military, firearms through the blackmarket or by stealing them from licensed owners. Firearms also are smuggled in through the ports or the hundreds of thousands of kilometres of unregulated coastline. The supply is not going to dry up any time soon but legislation aimed at controlling renegade bikies and other criminals is bogged down in Parliament. SA Attorney-General John Rau says new laws would give police the tools to stop gun-wielding criminals but sources say new laws were unlikely to stop the gunmen. "They (the gunmen) are probably in a stolen car. They probably have a stolen gun and they're shooting at a car in the street. How many laws are broken there?" a source said. "A new law won't stop them." Residents and Ratepayers Association president Kevin Kaeding says the rising concern might soon be loud enough for even Opposition politicians who are opposing the new laws. Regardless, there is distress about the repeated shootings, particularly among parents with young children, he said. "Do we have to have a major tragedy before the government and government agencies act, because this is where it's heading," Mr Kaeding said. "(Residents) actually want to see a legislation in place that a government agency can act on and protect the community." Changing community values, he said, had led to a rise in violence. But what remains unclear is how many criminals have filtered into the clubs and how many just say they are. Mr Johanson says not all the bikies are criminals, but the clubs must run them out. "In among any group, there's good and there's bad," he said. "Here's an opportunity for them to self-regulate and make sure their local communities are not living in fear and I don't believe they are. "But a lot of these so-called bikies and bikie shootings are not motorcycle riders and never have been riders."

Man killed in execution-style murder in Berkeley

2012-04-16T22:51:00+01:00

POLICE say the father of a man shot dead execution-style in New South Wales wrestled with the gunman moments after the attack. Darko Janceski, 32, was shot several times early last night when a gunman arrived at his father's Berkeley house in New South Wales on a motorbike. Superintendent Wayne Starling says the father heard the shots and ran outside to confront the man responsible. "The father has also raced out when he's heard the gunshots fired and engaged in a fight with the person who fired the shots," he said. "A number of superficial wounds were sustained by Mr Janceski's father and he's been treated by ambulance [authorities] and is in a satisfactory condition. "It's remarkable that the father went out and confronted a bloke with a firearm to try and save his son.'' The man who fired the shots escaped on the motorbike. Supt Starling says no-one has been arrested yet, but Darko Janceski was known to police. Police say Mr Janceski was shot in the leg during another attack two months ago and his home was firebombed. Paramedics worked to revive Mr Janceski, and rushed him to Wollongong Hospital, but he is understood to have been deceased on arrival. Police said they are confident Mr Janceski’s killing was targeted, and are now looking at links between his murder, and an attempt on his life in November. Supt Starling said his father was too distressed to give police a statement yet. "The family is devastated over the incident,'' Supt Starling said. Police have established Strike Force Eve to investigate the incident and are yet to identify any suspects. Mr Janceski was also seriously injured when he was shot in the upper thigh in November. He spent weeks in hospital recovering, during what police said was an attempted murder. He had not long been kicked out of the local chapter of a bikie hang, when the first shooting took place.

Arizona biker riot trial ends in acquittal

2012-04-16T22:49:00+01:00

A jury in northwest Arizona didn't buy the prosecution theory that a motorcycle gang turf war led to a fight between members of rival clubs in June 2009. It returned not guilty verdicts in Kingman on Wednesday in the three-week trial of members of the Hells Angels or Desert Road Riders clubs. Dale Hormuth of Kingman, Stephen Helland of Golden Valley, and Rudolfo Martinez and Gerald Smith of Rimrock were acquitted of charges of rioting and assisting a criminal street gang for a fight with two members of the Vagos motorcycle club at Lazy Harry's bar in Bullhead City. Defense attorney Jeff James conceded guilty verdicts might have been returned had the case instead been charged as an assault or disorderly conduct. "I just thought it was never a riot," James said. "It was an altercation between a couple of people in a bar that just happened to have Hells Angels 'cuts' on with other motorcycle gang members, but it just wasn't a riot." Defense attorneys Vince Iannone and Brad Rideout said justice has been served while Christian Ackerley went further, questioning prosecution of the case. "It's been my belief all along, and I said this during my closing argument, that I believe the reason this case was prosecuted was because of the result of pressure put on the county attorney's office by law enforcement," Ackerley said. "They have an agenda, and that agenda is against the Hells Angels." Co-defendant George "Joby" Walters took a plea deal in the same case and is serving a 2½-year prison term.

Western embassies targeted in Afghanistan attacks

2012-04-15T15:38:00+01:00

Gunmen have launched multiple attacks across the Afghan capital Kabul. Western embassies in the heavily-guarded, central diplomatic area are understood to be among the targets as well as the parliament building in the west. There are reports that up to seven different locations have been hit. The Taliban has admitted responsibility, saying their main targets were the British and German embassies. There is no word at this stage on any casualties.

Taliban free hundreds from Pakistan prison

2012-04-15T15:31:00+01:00

Hundreds of prisoners are believed to have escaped from a jail in northwest Pakistan after it was attacked by anti-government fighters armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Some of those who escaped from the facility in the town of Bannu, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, early on Sunday morning were "militants", an intelligence official told the Reuters news agency. "Dozens of militants attacked Bannu's Central Jail in the early hours of the morning, and more 300 prisoners have escaped," Mir Sahib Jan, the official, said. In Depth Profile: Pakistani Taliban "There was intense gunfire, and rocket-propelled grenades were also used." Many of those who escaped following the raid were convicted Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters, Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder reported from Lahore. A prison official in Bannu confirmed that "384 prisoners have escaped". A police official identified one of the inmates who escaped as a "dangerous prisoner", who took part in one of the attempts to kill the former president, Pervez Musharraf. The TTP, an umbrella organisation for anti-government groups that are loosely allied with the Taliban in Afghanistan and al-Qaeda, took responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for Hakeemullah Mehsud, TTP's leader, confirmed to Al Jazeera that the group was responsible for the attack. Another Taliban spokesman told Reuters: "We have freed hundreds of our comrades in Bannu in this attack. Several of our people have reached their destinations, others are on their way.". Our correspondent said the attack took place in the early morning and had resulted in an exchange of fire that had left several people wounded. "After the attack the paramilitary and regular military forces came to that location and tried to surround the area," he said. "They have arrested up to a dozen men, but most of the people have indeed escaped." The injured were rushed to a local hospital in Bannu. Sources told Al Jazeera that as many as 150 fighters were involved in the attack. After blowing up the gates of the main prison at around 1:30am local time (20:30 GMT on Saturday), they entered the compound and freed the inmates, the sources said. The attackers had arranged for the transportation of the inmates from the facility. A police official told Reuters that Bannu's Central Jail held 944 prisoners in total, and that six cell blocks had been targeted in the attack.

Alaska coast guards found dead at Kodiak Island

2012-04-13T01:11:00+01:00

Two members of the US Coast Guard in Alaska have been found dead, prompting concerns that a killer could have struck at a remote island outpost. A captain at the Kodiak Island Station said they were unsure what happened and a suspect could still be at large. The base and schools in the area were put on lockdown and residents of the island were told to remain vigilant. The names of the victims will be released after their families have been notified, the coast guard said. "It is possible that the suspect remains at large," Commanding Officer Captain Jesse Moore said. "Since we don't have all the details, we strongly advise all Kodiak residents to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement officials." The captain also said the unit was "deeply saddened" to have lost two shipmates. Officials were unable to determine whether the deaths were a double murder or a murder-suicide. "This is a rare occurrence and we are going to do everything possible to ensure we find out exactly what happened," he said. Agents from the FBI have been sent to Kodiak from the town of Anchorage, about 250 miles (402km) away. Kodiak has a population of about 6,300 people.

An Albanian fugitive accused of multiple murders in his home country has been arrested in north London after 15 years on the run.

2012-04-13T00:37:00+01:00

Ndrieim Sadushi, 41, was last night picked up on an international warrant by police outside his home in Southgate.

An Albanian court found him guilty in his absence of three killings and an attempted murder in the eastern European country in 1997.

At an extradition hearing in Westminster Magistrates' Court today, Sadushi claimed he had been the victim of mistaken identity and was in fact 31-year-old Arjan Kasa.

But district Judge Michael Snow ruled police had got the right man after being told his fingerprints matched those of the convicted killer.

Sadushi, who is said to have used at least six aliases while evading the authorities, will face a life sentence if he is sent back to his homeland.

His barrister Richard Hallam stands by the claim that his client is Arjan Kasa.

Prosecutor James Stansfeld said that, in addition to being wanted by the Albanian police, authorities in Italy accuse Sadushi of drug trafficking, passport fraud and controlling prostitutes.

Italian courts sentenced him to 13 years and four months in his absence.

He has been linked to the notorious Kadeshi armed gang, of which all the other leaders have been arrested.

Sadushi is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court today

Hannah Pye, representing the Albanian authorities, said: 'The request for extradition comes from Albania, after he was handed a custodial sentence, following a conviction for five offences.'

‘Those were, the creation and participation in an armed gang, three counts of murder and one attempted murder.

‘For that he was sentenced to life imprisonment, and an appeal against the sentence was upheld by the Albanian appeal court in 2000.’

Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s extradition unit arrested Sadushi outside a property in High Road, Southgate.

The UK Border Agency holds no record of him claiming asylum and he is thought to have entered Britain on the back of a truck in 2000.

Last year he was one of 14 suspects to have their mugshots released as part of Operation Sunfire, a coordinated effort to bring some of the UK's most wanted fugitives before extradition courts.

Twelve of the suspected murderers, rapists and robbers pictured were from eastern Europe, while the other two were wanted in connection with crimes in Italy and Australia.

Sadushi will return to court on April 25.

2 members of violent Wheels of Soul outlaws gang sentenced to prison

2012-04-13T00:24:00+01:00

Two Chicago members of a violent motorcycle gang have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges, among 18 members of the Wheels of Soul outlaws who were indicted last summer. U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry in St. Louis on Wednesday sentenced Thomas “Qball” Bailey, 41, to nearly 16 years in prison. Meanwhile, Maurice Thomas, 32, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison. Federal prosecutors say the Wheels of Soul Outlaw Motorcycle Gang was based in Philadelphia but had chapters in more than 20 states. Bailey and Thomas, both from Chicago, pleaded guilty in January to trafficking crack cocaine as part of their involvement with the gang. Bailey, who had a long criminal record including multiple drug-related offenses, also acknowledged that he had agreed to the killing of an insubordinate member of the gang as punishment for repeated transgressions, and that he conspired with other Wheels of Soul members to dispose of a gun used in a murder in Chicago in January 2011. Thomas received the much lighter sentence in part because he had no prior convictions. Federal investigators began looking into the Wheels of Soul in 2009 after alleged members of the St. Louis chapter shot and killed a member of the rival Sin City Titans gang. That shooting came weeks after members were told that the Mother Chapter of the Wheels of Soul had declared “open season” on the Sin City Titans, according to the indictment announced in June. In addition to the Chicago killings, a gang member is also accused of shooting three victims in the back as they fled from a party in Marion, Ohio, in March 2011. One of those victims died and another was seriously wounded. Federal prosecutors have described a gang involved in breathtaking violence and said gang members raised money through robberies and by distributing drugs, especially crack cocaine, but also heroin.

Down but not out, 'Bad' Bandido has his day in court

2012-04-11T02:54:00+01:00

TATTOOED on the left side of Toby Mitchell’s shaven head are the words ‘‘Sargent De Arms’’. Underneath are the words ‘‘Bad Company’’. And on his left thumb is ‘‘666’’, considered to be the number of the beast. By any measure Mitchell, 37, remains an intimidating figure despite needing a walking stick to get around since he was shot five times in the back in November last year. Mitchell, enforcer for one of the most notorious bikie gangs in Australia, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday on three driving charges. The Bandidos sergeant-at-arms pleaded guilty to two counts of driving while his licence had been suspended and one count of driving an unroadworthy vehicle. Magistrate Lance Martin said he decided not to jail Mitchell after taking into account his ongoing health problems in the five months since he was ambushed and gunned down. Mr Martin said Mitchell’s 10previous convictions for similar offences meant he would normally have received an immediate jail sentence. The magistrate said that Mitchell’s driving record showed he held court orders in contempt and had little regard for other road users, but significant weight had to be given to the injuries the bikie had received in the shooting and his early guilty plea. Mr Martin sentenced Mitchell to four months’ jail wholly suspended for 24 months, disqualified him from driving for six months and fined him $400 plus court costs of $67.70. Defence lawyer Theo Magazis told the court Mitchell had grown up in South Melbourne and left school after year10 to work as a labourer. Mitchell developed an interest in weightlifting and went on to become a champion kickboxer but his career ended when he broke his hand. Mr Magazis said Mitchell was working as a personal trainer when shot outside Doherty’s Gym, next door to the Bandidos clubhouse, in Weston Street, Brunswick, on November 28. Mitchell was shot five times in the back and suffered serious, life-threatening injuries. He was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital where he spent a significant amount of time in the intensive care unit before stabilising and being transferred to the hospital’s recovery unit. Mitchell then suffered a setback with continuous and uncontrollable bleeding from the liver. The bikie lost one kidney, had significant damage to his liver and little movement in his right wrist where one of the bullets hit him. Mr Magazis said there was a striking difference between the man who appeared in court yesterday and the man prior to the shooting. Mitchell had gone from a ‘‘very strong, fit, motivated young man’’ to someone who had been left with ‘‘significant health issues to deal with’’. He is now taking 10 different medications, needs to have fluid constantly drained from his liver and sees his doctors regularly. He has little feeling in his hip. The shooting had taken both a physical and emotional toll on him.

POLICE yesterday enlisted the expertise of a geophysicist with ground-penetrating radar to search for the remains of a man believed to be buried beneath the concrete slab of a Sydney house.

2012-04-11T02:53:00+01:00

Detectives watched as every centimetre of ground at the home in Excelsior St, Merrylands, was examined with the device in the hope of finding human bones beneath the surface. Investigators suspect the body of Craig Sarac, 24, was buried beneath the slab soon after his disappearance seven years ago. Police will continue the search for two days. The hunt for a Sydney underworld figure who used to own the house will now move to Lebanon. Police suspect he might know something about the disappearance.Mr Sarac, who police said was linked to bikies and underworld identities, went missing from his parents' Auburn home in 2005. Superintendent Phil Rogerson said recent developments had led police to suspect Mr Sarac's body was dumped beneath the slab of the house, which was under construction around the time he vanished. The then-owner of the house, Atef Kanj, moved to Lebanon late last year. Recommended Coverage Dig for Cengiz Sarac's remains begins POLICE will begin to dig up a Merrylands backyard today where they believe the remains of underworld figure Cengiz Sarac are buried. "We would like to speak with the homeowner ... or anyone else who might know something about Mr Sarac," Supt Rogerson said. Police sources revealed Mr Kanj was questioned over the 2006 shooting death of up-and-coming professional boxer Bassam Chami, 26, who was gunned down in a Granville street along with his friend Ibrahim Assad, 27. Police said Mr Kanj is also wanted for questioning by detectives from strike force Felix, set up last October to investigate the growing tensions among bikie gangs around Parramatta. Police sources said there were a number of underworld killings in 2005 and 2006, which were largely drug related, and they suspect Mr Sarac may have become involved. The owners of the Merrylands house, an Asian couple who live there with their son and nephew, knew nothing of the home's possible grisly past until police knocked on their door late last week. Now, they are anxious about returning. "It is very distressing for us ... my aunt and uncle would not have bought this house if they knew this," nephew Antony said. Mr Sarac's family visited the scene of the search yesterday, hoping for much-needed closure.