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 . The club is headquartered in Southern California and was originally formed in Montebello, California, in 1969. The Mongols MC was formed in California as a one-percenter group in 1969 and has its presence in more than 14 states in the US, as well as having many international chapters. This is my family. When the AMC eventually gave rise to the phrase one-percenter club in the early 1970s, the Mongols were most definitely one of them. Initially, it served as A maker of radio components; however, in the 1930s, the firm opened up A new factory in, Read More A Closer Look at The 2014 Ducati 1199 / 1299 PanigaleContinue, The Harley Davidson V-Rod was unquestionably one of the most special motorcycles ever produced. accidentally killed himself with his bike as a novice licence holder briefly after the chapter's foundation. Cox and Hannigan were captured on videotape confronting Mongols inside the casino. 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. The club is headquartered in Southern California and was originally formed in Montebello, California, in 1969. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was established on December 5, 1969 in Montebello, California, a city just east of East Los Angeles. I'll sacrifice anything to be a full patch member." The U.S. Attorney's office asked him whether he is - or ever was - any sort of informant for the ATF or for any state or federal agency. 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. 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. The Mongols MC patches Motorcycle Club, sometimes called the Mongols Nation or Mongol Brotherhood, is a "one-percenter" outlaw motorcycle club. The Mongols motorcycle club went on to have a history of crimes such as drug transportation and distribution making them one of the nation's most feared motorcycle clubs. [2] The Mongols' main presence lies in Southern California, but they also have chapters nationwide in 14 states and internationally in 11 countries. 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. 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. [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. "It was an improper line of communication, particularly for a law enforcement personnel trying to convict an entity of being a criminal organization," Yanny said. According to local news outlet KTNV Channel 13, the Hells Angels attacked the Mongols members, sending three to the hospital, two of whom suffered from stab wounds. According to mongolsmc.com, the Mongols took the inspiration for their name from the Mongol Empire that was led by Genghis Khan. Theyre sending a message when they do that, he said. Yanny played a clip from a National Geographic show segment on the Mongols in court as evidence of their relationship. Police officers in conjunction with ATF agents and other agencies bring members of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle club into custody Tuesday morning at. One prospective member told Ling, "This is everything to me. 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. Judge Carters ruling was drawn from a flood of legal opinions that were submitted by academics, law firms and think tanks. When Ling asked "What if I refused?" 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. 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. "He's retiring, he's retiring. Prosecutors requested the injunction after authorities arrested dozens of Mongols under a racketeering indictment. The site compares the code to that used by the military and notes that club members use them to communicate when other methods are unavailable or when they want the content of their conversations to remain private. and other law enforcement agencies have long gone after biker organizations by co-opting members as informants and infiltrating the groups with their own undercover agents. Eyewitness News has obtained the video that was recorded in June of 2021 when David Santillan was drunk and despondent. When they formed, they were already pretty fearsome. In 2018, the government scored a victory of sorts. 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. agent. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. He upheld our constitutional rights, not only as the Mongols motorcycle club, but as citizens, Mr. Santillan said. [33], A German chapter of Mongols MC was founded in Bremen by members of the local crime syndicate run by Lebanese immigrants in 2010. A federal jury convicted James Wesley Frazier, 34; Aelix Santiago, 34; Michael Forrester, 34; Jamie Hern, 43; William Boylston, 32; and Jason Meyerholz, 48, all of Clarksville, Tennessee, for charges including racketeering conspiracy. He was ready, he said, to get treatment for his drug and alcohol addictions. The Mongols member interviewed by Lisa Ling for CNN, identified only by his first name, Dave, said of the patches, "For me, it's total commitment to this club. The Mongols Motorcycle club is a "one-percenter" motorcycle gang and alleged organized crime syndicate. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. The Mongols club is named for Genghis Khan's Mongol army, which the website characterized as "small in numbers with a lot of heart" who "dominated and decimated their enemies." The government, in its own appeal, is making another run at the Mongols logo, renewing an earlier request for a narrower forfeiture order that would take away the clubs right to trademark exclusivity over the emblem. 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. That is the conviction and fine the Mongols are now trying to have set aside. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. [36], According to Andreas Weber, the state of Bremen's chief of criminal investigation, the new Mongols chapter is only nominally a motorcycle group. 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 was the guy outside all the time providing cover support in case something went wrong with the undercovers.. To get the thrills without the spills, youll need to invest in hardware thats up to the challenge. Julie Platner for The New York Times. Highly disciplined, expertly tactical, and well-coordinated, these fearless (and feared) horseback riders conquered Eurasia in the early 1200s. He said their communication was for public safety and showed the Mongols that there is ATF presence at their events. The president of Mongols Bremen, "Mustafa B." Polite, Jr. of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. 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. But Judge Carter declined to order the Mongols to forfeit the logo until he had a chance to review their arguments and consider their free speech rights. 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. However later on, since this gang activity is worldwide, more and more members were accepted. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. Marshal that Mr. Santillan and Mr. Ciccone had been seen chatting at a Starbucks near the courthouse. [23], Operation Black Rain was an operation by the ATF in 2008 to stop alleged criminal activity within the Mongols. 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. During the almost 13 years he led the Mongols, Mr. Santillan appeared to steer the organization away from its past recruitment of Mexican criminal gang members and a culture of total underworld activity that the feds feasted on, in terms of prosecutions, said William Dulaney, an expert on motorcycle groups who was formerly an associate professor of national security at the U.S. Air Forces Air Command and Staff College. Never in my life have I ever implicated anybody in the club for some kind of nefarious activity. The Clarksville Mongols terrorized communities in Tennessee and Kentucky for far too long, said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. 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. Racketeering conspiracy; assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; kidnapping resulting in the death of Stephen Cole; kidnapping of Stephen Cole in aid of racketeering; and the murder of Stephen Cole in aid of racketeering. An attorney for the Mongols said he planned 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. In fact, it was the Vietnam War that gave us one of the most notorious clubs around, the Mongols Motorcycle Club. During that time, they did what no one else, Read More The 10 Best Harley Davidson V Rod Models of All-TimeContinue, Viper is a motorcycle manufacturer in Big Lake, Minnesota with locations across the nation. The A.T.F. The roots of the governments case date to 2005 when four undercover agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives managed to become full members of the Mongols. In April 2000, based on evidence gathered during Queen's 28-month undercover time with the club, 54 Mongols were arrested. That isnt to say the Mongols are sugary sweet, by any stretch of the imagination. The Mongols Biker Gang which was originally formed in Montebello, California, in 1969, started as a mainstream motorcycle club. On April 5, 1973, Mongols member Ferman Benavides was among eleven motorcycle gang members convicted in Los Angeles of rape and sex perversion. "He was afraid, and I think he turned on his loyalty to the club to protect himself. Testimony will reconvene on Friday, July 22, at 7:30 a.m. 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. Despite their small numbers, they cut a swathe through their enemies something the Mongols have paid homage to with their motto of Quantity, not Quality.. More recently, David Martinez was charged with the fatal shooting of Pomona Police SWAT Team member, Shaun Diamond. Thanks for contacting us. 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. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- There's a new twist in a federal case already marked by murder and mayhem. Ben's been focusing on the auto and motorcycle sector since 2005. In her story on the Mongols for CNN (available on YouTube), journalist Lisa Ling asked a tattoo artist if anyone who wanted one could get a tattoo of a "Mongol head," referring to the head of the official, trademarked Mongol symbol. Michael Tyrone Delaney for The New York Times. Considering some of the most notorious incidents the Mongols have been involved in, nor should it. He went on to explain, "That's one of the first questions we ask. Attorneys Kathryn Risinger and Chris Suedekum for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case. Getty Images I ever implicated anybody in the early 1200s the injunction after authorities arrested dozens Mongols... Was established on December 5, 1969 in Montebello, California, 1969! Prospective member told Ling, `` Mustafa B. protect himself our constitutional rights not... 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