All rights reserved. Thats what I meant by protect in the video.. Prior to Bradleys kidnapping and murder in May 2015, the Clarksville Mongols believed that she had information relating to stolen drugs, money, and guns, and had been disparaging the Clarksville Mongols. The U.S. Attorneys Office had earlier tried and failed to force the Mongols to forfeit their rights to the clubs trademarked logo, a drawing of a brawny Genghis Khan-like figure riding a chopper while brandishing a sword, a landmark case that prosecutors felt would help weaken the club by undermining its visual identity. As hotcars.com notes, despite its growth, the Mongols MC has not yet joined the ranks of the Hells Angels MC, the Outlaws MC, the Bandidos MC, and the Pagans MC as a member of the Big Four, a group of motorcycle clubs whose criminal activities have achieved international notoriety. When Ling replied, "People have fought and died for the patches," Dave confirmed her statement (per YouTube). Some of the most infamous legal cases to involve the Mongols include the arrest of 54 Mongols in 2000 after FBI agent William Queen uncovered drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit murder, and theft during a 28-month undercover operation. There is no way hes gotten away with these incidents without more significant legal repercussions unless someone in law enforcement is in the background greasing the slides for him, Mr. Yanny said. 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. After being turned away because of their Hispanic heritage, they decided to take matters into their own hands and form their own club. At that point, the motorcycle had only just come into existence, proving that, as motorbikeonly.com notes, for as long as theres been motorized two-wheel machines on the roads, thereve been people who want to associate themselves with the unique sense of camaraderie they offer. He noted that he was shot several times including in the head. Both Mr. Santillan, a Mongols member for almost 25 years who was voted out of the club in July, and the agent, John Ciccone, who retired in December after 32 years at the A.T.F., deny that Mr. Santillan was acting as an informant during the trial, though Mr. Ciccones sworn declaration does not address whether Mr. Santillan had acted as a confidential informant in the past. motorcycle club chapter support gear and news We will continue to work tirelessly with our local, state, and federal partners to combat violent crime and maintain public safety within our communities.. "I want Ciccone here under oath," Judge Carter told the prosecution team. LOS . When they formed, they were already pretty fearsome. 11 talking about this. In the case that led to the racketeering conviction against the Mongols, Mr. Ciccone had acted as the case agent. Such an order would allow anyone to use the image. I commend the investigation and prosecution teams for the enormous amount of time and resources they dedicated during the past seven years to bring every member and associate of this ruthless gang to justice. Members and associates of the Clarksville Mongols engaged in a host of violent criminal activities, including murder, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, witness tampering, money laundering, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, and large-scale drug trafficking. 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 . Considering some of the most notorious incidents the Mongols have been involved in, nor should it. Thanks for contacting us. According to sources listed above, the mongols would distribute (sell) drugs and also transport them to various locations, depending where they travel. The current national leaders of the Mongols said they were convinced that the clubs former president, who controlled the Mongols defense team, had acted improperly. Cavazos was voted out of the club by its members on August 30, 2008. Judge M. L. Villar, at the preliminary hearing, added a special gang allegation to the capital murder charges after the prosecution connected him to a Mongols chapter in Montebello, California. Most of the members were military veterans and all loved to ride their Harley Davidson motorcycles. There was nothing sinister about their activities, and no law-abiding citizens had any need to fear if a group of club members rolled into town. [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. ", 3 Kansas City officers shot while executing search warrant, chief says, Roof collapses at nonprofit South LA clinic, causing $500K in damage, Video shows group of sharks in feeding frenzy off Louisiana coast. Theyre criminal activities consist of drug dealing and addiction, brutal Outlaws as a war machine, the Vagos as mafia on wheels and the Mongols as way, way more ruthless because they arent afraid to go to prison forever so they walk right up, around children, and blow people away. The Mongols Motorcycle club is a "one-percenter" motorcycle gang and alleged organized crime syndicate. Cole, who had been a member of the Clarksville Mongols, was believed to have stolen motorcycles belonging to William Boylston, a fellow gang member. Their colors are black and white and their insignia bears the name Mongols in large black letters above a pony-tail sporting man riding a motorcycle wearing a leather vest and sunglasses while carrying a scimitar or cutlass. "[29] The television show America's Most Wanted had exclusive access to the operation, and broadcast behind-the-scenes footage of the many arrests. That is the conviction and fine the Mongols are now trying to have set aside. The belief that the government should stay out of our lives. I'll sacrifice anything to be a full patch member." That quest to seize the Mongols patch was part of a criminal case brought by the U.S. Attorneys Office in 2013 under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The Mongols MC patches Motorcycle Club, sometimes called the Mongols Nation or Mongol Brotherhood, is a "one-percenter" outlaw motorcycle club. The U.S. Attorneys Office has failed to force the Mongols to forfeit their trademarked logo. "All I wanted to do was to tarnish his image," says Annie Santillan. That isnt to say the Mongols are sugary sweet, by any stretch of the imagination. Other possible patches include one designating the rider as a "one percenter" biker, and one reading MFFM, which stands for "Mongols Forever, Forever Mongols." Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Monday that Dominick Paternoster, 46, was gunned down by several Mongols in April because they thought he was cooperating with law enforcement. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was convicted in late 2018 of racketeering and conspiracy. He's accused of being a confidential informant and working with the government during the Mongols' trial after his wife, Annie, shared a June 2021 recorded phone conversation with other members of the biker gang calling him a rat. [25] In the video, Ms. Santillan was talking to her husband on speakerphone when he told her that Mr. Ciccone was retiring. In court Monday, prosecutors told Judge David O. Carter that retired ATF agent Ciccone will testify that Santillan was never an informant. 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. According to a report by CNN (available on YouTube), newly accepted members receive patches upon their acceptance into the club. Eyewitness News asked Santillan what he meant in the video about ATF agent Ciccone "protecting him." Testimony resumed for a hearing in which a judge will decided if the Mongols Motorcycle Club will get a new trial after being convicted of conspiracy and racketeering in 2018. 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. Ric Francis/Associated Press. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Never in my life have I ever implicated anybody in the club for some kind of nefarious activity. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. "I was literally trying to destroy him," she answered, adding that she didn't understand what he was talking about in relation to Ciccone. To get the thrills without the spills, youll need to invest in hardware thats up to the challenge. It was the first time that a Muslim clan-based crime syndicate in Germany became active in the field of outlaw motorcycle clubs. Ms. Santillan said that she now felt horrible about disclosing the communications and that her husband was not, in fact, an informant. He said the office was considering an appeal. There could be a particular concern that the defense lawyer was unwittingly receiving directions from someone aligned with the government, he said. The result was a jarring blow to the club. 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. If youve ever wondered about the origins of one of Americas most notorious motorcycle clubs, heres what you need to know about the Mongols Motorcycle Club. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. No arrests were made, and local authorities report that they are looking for suspects involved in the attack. However later on, since this gang activity is worldwide, more and more members were accepted. "Absolutely not, unequivocally no," says David Santillan. In April 2000, based on evidence gathered during Queen's 28-month undercover time with the club, 54 Mongols were arrested. The Clarksville Mongols were a self-described outlaw motorcycle club with ties to Mongols chapters nationwide. I'd be willing to take a bullet for a brother and a brother who'd be willing to take a bullet for me." 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. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Clarksville Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Kentucky State Police investigated the case. agent. The Mongol motorcycle club held a rally at Original Mike's in Santa Ana on April 7, 2019. [1] Law enforcement officials estimate approximately 2,000 full-patched members are in the club. The Clarksville Mongols terrorized communities in Tennessee and Kentucky for far too long, said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Eyewitness News has obtained the video that was recorded in June of 2021 when David Santillan was drunk and despondent. [3][4][5][6], Mongols members have a long history in the illegal drugs trade (especially methamphetamine), money laundering, robbery, extortion, firearms violations, murder, and assault, among other crimes. In the call, David Santillan sobs and says he wants to reconcile. Prosecutors requested the injunction after authorities arrested dozens of Mongols under a racketeering indictment. In fairness, the majority of violence committed by one-percenter clubs is interclub. In a 51-page ruling, Federal District Judge David O. Carter said the governments strategy of trying to devastate the Mongols motorcycle club by confiscating its treasured Genghis Khan-style logo would violate the groups First Amendment right to free speech and the excessive fines clause of the Eighth Amendment. He and his wife, Annie, were estranged after he had an affair. He's written over 1000 articles in the space and continues to learn about it each day. Also convicted was Derek Leighton Stanley, 48, of Owensboro, Kentucky, for engaging in a drug trafficking conspiracy. The mayor had previously threatened to shut down the hotel over unpaid taxes if the agreement to host the Mongols was not canceled. Julie Platner for The New York Times. [17] He was convicted of murder in aid of racketeering and three gun charges on February 23, 2012, in San Francisco. ", As the CNN interview with Lisa Ling (available on YouTube)continued, the tattoo artist, who was also a Mongols member, shared that another rule for prospective members is that they must "be a breadwinner to be in this club." All rights reserved. Cox and Hannigan were captured on videotape confronting Mongols inside the casino. 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. For more than two decades, federal law enforcement authorities pursued the Mongols, a notorious motorcycle club whose members had a long history of murder, assault, drug dealing and robbery. Criminal - Organized Crime and Gang Section. The A.T.F. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was formed in California in the late 1960s. "I assumed it was going to be her, so we videotaped," Annie Santillan tells Eyewitness News. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. The Mongols were formed in the 1970s in Montebello by a group of mostly Latino men who reportedly had been rejected for membership by the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, which has become the. Annie tells Eyewitness News that her husband was "spinning out of control" and continued to cheat on her after the phone call. Marshal that Mr. Santillan and Mr. Ciccone had been seen chatting at a Starbucks near the courthouse. [21] Martinez faces the death penalty if convicted. While affirming the jurys guilty verdicts on racketeering charges, the courts ruling nullifies the jurys finding that these marks are a core component of the Mongols decades-long pattern of murder, assault and drug trafficking, Mr. Mrozek said. They called themselves "outlaws" and "one-percenters" - referring to a comment by the American Motorcyclist Association that 99% of motorcyclists were law abiding citizens, implying that one percent were not. Underpinned by a specific attitude, culture, and lifestyle, the club quickly started to gain a reputation albeit one that, by todays standards, would be considered tame. ", "So, he gave me a heads up and that was it. The Mongols are now claiming that throughout their attempt to defend the club in the long-running criminal case, their own leader was secretly talking to the government. There's a new twist in a federal case already marked by murder and mayhem. Anyone can read what you share. Boylston felt disrespected by Cole and was concerned about maintaining his standing and reputation among the Clarksville Mongols. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was formed in Southern California, and today, the West Coast is still the clubs stronghold. "I've never cooperated in any way, shape or form.". Ducatti announced the impending release of a new take on the Panigale V4 in late 2019 for the upcoming model year. When the AMC eventually gave rise to the phrase one-percenter club in the early 1970s, the Mongols were most definitely one of them. 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. "I know we've had a rapport and I always looked out for you and you were always respectful. 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. (Ric Francis/AP) Each state has its own unique requirements, Read More How to Get a Motorcycle License in New JerseyContinue, The open road might be thrilling, but it can be dangerous too. The Mongols, who feared that losing the rights to their logo a brawny Genghis Khan-like man sporting a queue and sunglasses and riding a chopper while brandishing a sword would have severe consequences, hailed the ruling as not just a victory for the group, but for other biker clubs that law enforcement authorities have tried to take down. Mr. Santillan holding a photo of himself with fellow Mongols members. In another instance, in 2014, Mr. Santillan and his wife got into a brawl with other people at a racetrack, the Mongols filing says. On videotape confronting Mongols inside the casino AMC eventually gave rise to the challenge the... To say the Mongols patch was part of a criminal case brought by the U.S club a. 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