Franks Biker News August 2nd archive

Outlaws members admit assault - Fort Wayne Journal Gazette - Three northern Indiana members of the Outlaws motorcycle gang have pleaded guilty to federal assault charges in eastern Michigan.
William “Jason” Elston, 43, Bruce “Big Bruce” Wendel, 40, and Danny “Milky” Neace each pleaded guilty to committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering, specifically assault.
They had been charged along with nine other Indiana- and Michigan members of the motorcycle gang described by prosecutors as an international criminal organization.
Wendel’s and Neace’s pleas stem from a fight with rival Hells Angels at a South Bend swap meet in April 2006. Elston admitted to involvement in a critical-injury battery of a Fort Wayne man on Jan. 1, 2006. All three men pleaded guilty in June.
Federal documents allege that Wendel, Elston, Ramon Rios and another club member conspired to assault the local man on the first day of 2006, but only Elston and Rios admitted involvement in the attack.
Rios pleaded guilty Thursday to the attack.
According to court documents, the Outlaw members left their clubhouse looking for someone they believed had been in an altercation with a probationary Outlaw member a few days before. They found the man at Mid-City Bar and Grill, 1802 Spy Run Ave.
About 2 a.m., the victim was approached by three men wearing black hooded sweatshirts, with the hoods pulled up, and what police described as hockey gloves. He told police he recognized Wendel among the group.
The victim also told police he believed the attack – in which he was repeatedly hit and kicked – stemmed from an altercation a few days before, according to court documents.
The Outlaws Motorcycle Club’s Fort Wayne chapter has a clubhouse at 1202 W. Main St., painted black and adorned with the organization’s symbol – a skull with crossed pistons.
According to court documents, the Fort Wayne club, along with others in Indianapolis, Detroit and Grand Rapids, Mich., is part of the Michigan Region, or Black Region, of the national club.
The plea agreements for Wendel, Neace and Elston all call for maximum prison sentences of 20 years and fines of up to $250,000. The men will be sentenced this year.

Hells Angels keep their Northland stay low-key - FOX 21 Online - CARLTON - Friday was day three of the Hells Angels' stop in Carlton and, for the most part, things remain under control.
That's just what local law enforcement agencies want to see - but the heavy police presence is annoying some local residents.
There have been 280 traffic stops in Carlton and St. Louis counties in the past 24 hours.
"We typically in this area aren't gonna see that many traffic stops made in a 24 hour period," said Carlton County Sheriff, Kelly Lake.
Eighty of those stops resulted in citations; only three of which were issued to Hells Angels.
It's impossible to tell whether the Hells Angels would be causing more trouble if there was less of a police presence, but one thing is certain, the increased law enforcement is impossible to ignore.
"There's a lot of extra police driving by every five minutes," said Stacy Vigliaturo of Carlton.
Many Carlton residents told FOX 21 they feel the police are over-doing it, pulling over anyone for any reason. Law enforcement officials beg to differ.
"We'd be negligent not to prepare for something to happen. We have to protect the public," said Sgt. Mark Baker of the Minnesota State Patrol.
And with the weekend upon us, law enforcement officials say, there is more cause for concern.
"Friday and Saturday bring in the most numbers and anytime you increase numbers the likelihood of an event occurring increases," said Terry Hill, a deputy chief with the Cloquet Police Department.
"There's a lot of them," said Vigliaturo.
Carlton residents also told FOX 21 the Hells Angels are anything but the violent criminals they've been portrayed to be.
"They're all nice, very polite," said Vigliaturo.
But, at the Lost Isle Bar in Carlton, the motorcycle club remains unwelcoming to media and police. The Hells Angels put up white sheets outside of their hangout to block the view.
"We're tasked with keeping the public safe but the reality is, we're also tasked with keeping them safe too," said St. Louis County Sheriff, Ross Litman.
As if preparing for six months for one motorcycle club wasn't enough, law enforcement agencies in Minnesota are also concerned about confrontations between the Hells Angels and their rival gang, the Outlaws.
"Very polite. Very polite to everybody around them," Dawn Linder, a bar tender at High Fives Bar in Superior, said of the Outlaws.
In Superior, where the Outlaws are hanging out, the situation is much the same as in Carlton: bikers are keeping to themselves - and police aren't taking any chances.
"They're usually not that tight around through here and it's just quite noticeable that they're just about on every block," said Linder. "It puts a little fear in some of the people that motorcyclists are dangerous and they're not all dangerous."
One Hells Angels member was arrested Thursday for driving under the influence, then released after posting bail.
It was later discovered the bike he was riding was reported stolen in New Jersey. He was re-arrested Thursday night and charged with posession of stolen property.
The motorcycle club member is currently being held at the Carlton County Law Enforcement Center awaiting a hearing.

Norco man among four arrested on federal illegal gun trafficking - San Gabriel Valley Tribune - Federal agents have arrested four men, three of them area residents, after an investigation into a gun running ring that may have links to a Mexican drug cartel and the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang.
Officials identified the men as Scott Blanks, 47, of Norco; Edgardo "Primo" Prado, 26, of Azusa; Vicente "Chevy" Garcia Jr., 38, of Azusa and Victor "Fingers" Velasquez, 34, of El Monte.
According to court documents, Prado works for La Familia, a drug cartel based in Michoacan, Mexico. Garcia is connected to the Mongols, according to the documents.
The arrests came Friday as Prado made plans with a federal informant to collect a debt and possibly kidnap an Azusa man.
The kidnap target reportedly kept $5 million in cash at his Azusa home, according to Jason Van Bennekum, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
"Friday's arrest may have also prevented a very serious and potentially violent act against the man they were plotting to kidnap," U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Thom Mrozek sai
Van Bennekum detailed the plot in an affidavit filed Friday in federal court.
"Prado stated a boss in the Cartel known as `Cuete' had sent a courier to Mexico to transport narcotics," Van Bennekum wrote in an federal court affidavit.
"During the operation the courier was arrested. The courier then provided information to the Mexican authorities that led to the arrest of another high-ranking cartel member in Mexico City. `Cuete' now has to pay ($3 million) because the arrest was a result of his courier."
Van Bennekum also wrote that Prado had plans to kidnap Cuete if he didn't come up with the cash.
"Prado stated that as soon as `Cuete' gives him the money they are going to let him go. If `Cuete' does not give him the money then he will have to take him (kidnap) until he gives us the money," Van Bennekum wrote. "Prado stated `Cuete' is expecting something ... `When you
Case Affidavit
in the game' (narcotics trade) you get charged when you make a mistake."
During a 10-month investigation, an informant who was working with Prado purchased automatic weapons and drugs from from the suspects, including guns "similar to" AK-47s, Uzis and AR-15s. In all, authorities purchased and seized 50 weapons from the men during the probe, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Federal prosecutors said Prado claimed to be a Southern California operative of the Mexican-based La Familia drug cartel.
At one point during the investigation, Prado was allegedly heard bragging in an Arcadia strip club that he was in charge of all methamphetamine sales from Azusa to West Covina, according to Van Bennekum's affidavit.
During the strip club conversation, Prado, who said he owns a landscaping business, also allegedly said he had committed several murders in Mexico for the cartel.
Authorities said Velasquez delivered a quarter-pound of methamphetamine that was purchased by an undercover operative during the investigation.
As part of the investigation, authorities served search warrants at two homes on East Belefont Drive in Azusa.
There were a number of meetings between the informant and Prado in locations throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
On April 14, the informant met with Garcia at Velasquez Towing and Auto, in Covina.
In the parking lot of the business, two men in mechanics uniforms retrieved firearms from a Volkswagen Rabbit parked in the lot of the tow yard and placed the weapons in the informant's car, according to the affidavit.
Prado said he was hiring killers to target people in Southern California on behalf of the cartel. He offered the informant $5,000 a hit.
Prado is charged with selling guns without a license and distributing methamphetamine.
Blanks is accused of showing an informant several guns he was willing to sell, including a 30-round machine gun, which he called an "animal."
Garcia is charged with being a felon in possession of a gun. Velasquez is charged with distribution of methamphetamine.
The men appeared in federal court on Friday, Nelson said.
Velasquez, Prado and Garcia are detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles pending trial.
No trial date has been set, and they are expected to be indicted within the next 30 days. 

Rossmeyer's legacy to live on - Daytona Beach News-Journal - DAYTONA BEACH -- Motorcycle magnate Bruce Rossmeyer may be gone, but friends, family and associates said Friday they expect businesses connected to the reputed world's largest Harley-Davidson dealer to continue.
Rossmeyer died on his motorcycle Thursday while traveling in western Wyoming in Sweetwater County, toward the 69th Sturgis (S.D.) Motorcycle Rally.
He was on Highway 28 with five other motorcyclists when they came upon a pickup pulling a camper trailer and tried to pass, according to the Wyoming Highway Patrol. The pickup, driven by Robert VanValkenburg, 73, of Rocky Springs, Wyo., braked and was turning left when Rossmeyer's motorcycle and the pickup collided.
Rossmeyer owned 15 Harley-Davidson locations nationally and built the biker's playground known as Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach. A family statement issued Friday indicated employees at the stores will continue to provide whatever it takes to get riders on the road.
"Our family is grateful to have our communities come together offering an overwhelming outcry of support during this time of tremendous loss," the family said in a statement through Zucker Public Relations.
"There are no words to express the sadness in our hearts. Bruce was known for his loving heart and giving nature, seen by many as an active philanthropist for nearly two decades.
"As an avid supporter of charities, our family asks that in lieu of flowers, please help us continue Bruce's lifelong commitment to helping children in our communities."
While Rossmeyer's death has caused waves of sadness, the consensus is that his 15 countrywide dealerships and biker events here and at Sturgis will continue.
His motorcycle dealerships in Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach, and the Daytona Toyota dealership in which he is a partner, were all in full operation Friday.
Brian Holt, Rossmeyer's partner in Riverfront Park biker events, and with Rossmeyer and Tom Recel at Biker's Design at Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach and on Main Street, said he expected business to continue as usual.
"No one, in my opinion, is going to fill Mr. Rossmeyer's shoes, and I would assume his children will carry on his legacy, but Bruce was larger than life," Holt said. "As far as his death affecting business, his children are quite capable of running his businesses. They have been helping for years and know what he likes to do."
Rossmeyer left behind his wife Sandy and their five children, Mandy, Wendy, Randy, Will and Shelly.
Carl Morrow, owner of Carl's Speed Shop, also said Rossmeyer's momentum will carry his legacy forward.
"He was a planner. He went to bed late and got up early thinking," said Morrow, who closed his Holly Hill location two weeks ago and now is situated at his previous Beach Street site in Daytona Beach. "He was a beautiful person who made things happen, and he always amazed me. I don't know how he kept all the deals he made in his mind."
Morrow said Rossmeyer told him once that everything about his business was on a computer, but he didn't need all that " 'because it's all right here in my head.' But I'm sure his family can pull together and pull it off."
Despite Rossmeyer's absence this year at Sturgis, his Harley-Davidson booth there rolls on.
Lonnie Isam, a vintage-Harley aftermarket dealer with a permanent business at the heart of the Sturgis Rally, not far from Rossmeyer's booth, said he noticed brisk business there.
"They are selling motorcycles at 50 percent off and it's packed with people," Isam said in a phone interview.
"His death is going to cause ripples everywhere," said Rod "Woody" Woodruff, Buffalo Chip campground owner at Sturgis. "It was his dreams and vision that made it happen. He made it happen for a lot of people."
Rossmeyer's business influence reached outside the motorcycle community. As Camp Boggy Creek co-founder, he helped NASCAR driver Kyle Petty form Victory Junction Gang Camp in North Carolina for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. "You see him on billboards and he's a big guy, but you have to be that big because he has that much heart inside him," Petty said.
Janet Kersey, executive vice president of the Daytona Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, said there's little question that Rossmeyer's dream for Destination Daytona will continue, along with the biker events.
She remembered him grinning at a U.S. map spread out before him at Daytona Harley-Davidson on Beach Street many years ago, when he first talked about his dream and was looking for a name.
"The original name of the Convention & Visitors Bureau was Destination Daytona, and it's what he wanted to use but said another corporation already had it, and he just wanted that name," Kersey said. "I remember his face lit up like Christmas when I said it was ours and we could work out a deal.
"He was the right guy at the right time and he had the right vision and contacts to help us move forward," she said. "I think the festivals are bigger than any one person, but it will take countywide and communitywide efforts to accomplish.

Motorcyclist dies in crash - Daily Republic - MOUNT VERNON — An Iowa motorcyclist headed to Sturgis with friends died in an Interstate 90 collision around 5:45 p.m. Friday, about three miles west of the Mount Vernon exit.
James Burton Ingersoll, 36, was traveling last in a group of four motorcyclists when traffic began to slow, South Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper Mark Nelson said.
Ingersoll failed to note the slowing traffic and ran into the motorcycle immediately ahead.
The collision threw Ingersoll from his motorcycle and under a camper being towed by an eastbound pickup truck.
The motorcycle continued west and struck a trailer before it left the road and went into the ditch.
Nelson, only 1½ miles away when the accident was radioed in, was the first responder to the accident scene, and performed CPR on Ingersoll until Mitchell Ambulance crews arrived.
Ingersoll was taken to Avera Queen of Peace Hospital, where he later died of head injuries. He was not wearing a helmet, Nelson said.
Speed and alcohol were not factors in the accident and no traffic citations were issued, Nelson said.
That was not the case in an accident that happened around the same time.
Davison County Sheriff Dave Miles was working traffic control on the first accident, when a call came in on another accident about ½ mile into Aurora County on I-90.
Miles said a Jeep driven by Shaun Kuharsky, 21, of Rapid City, rear-ended and totaled a SAAB, carrying a Wisconsin family. That family’s name was not immediately available.
Davison County Deputy Steve Harr said, “Kuharsky was arrested for driving under the influence and reckless driving. His breath test showed that he was just under being triple the legal limit (for alcohol).”
The Wisconsin family was uninjured.
“They were pretty lucky,” Harr said. 

Man killed in motorcycle crash into building - Amarillo.com - A Borger man was killed Friday afternoon after his motorcycle smashed into a wall of a JCPenney store, police said.
Borger police said David Ray Ingle, 50, was pronounced dead about 1:15 p.m. after the motorcycle he was driving struck the southeast corner of the store at 214 Borger Shopping Plaza.
The impact left a hole in the wall and caused structural damage to the building and significant damage to bike, police said.
A JCPenney manager said Friday evening the store remains open.
Police said they were interviewing witnesses and investigating how the accident occurred.

Hume man injured in motorcycle accident - Fort Scott Tribune - Vernon County, Mo. -- A 49-year-old Hume man was seriously injured in a one-vehicle accident on Route V one mile north of Stotesbury, Friday, at 9:25 a.m. John Hamel was southbound on Route V riding a 2004 Kawasaki motorcycle when he swerved to avoid a dog in the road. The motorcycle overturned and he was ejected.
According to a report by Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper B. O'Sullivan, Hamel was airlifted to St. John's Hospital in Joplin. 

Quebec couple injured in motorcycle crash - SunJournal.com - KINGFIELD — A Quebec couple riding a motorcycle north on Route 27 were seriously injured Thursday when wind from a passing tractor-trailer truck caused the bike to drift onto the road shoulder and it was laid down, Maine State Police Trooper Scott Dalton said.
Michel Poitras, 48, and his wife, Manon Barbe, 41, of Sherbrooke, were riding a Honda Goldwing on Main Street near the Franklin Somerset Federal Credit Union when the unidentified truck drove past them going south. The truck did not hit the bike, Dalton said, and he doesn't think the truck driver was even aware of the incident.
"The problem is the motorcycle feels the wind and there is not much room between the white line and the dirt shoulder," Dalton said. 
The riders were taken to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington by NorthStar Ambulance. Barbe was in stable condition Friday afternoon, a nursing supervisor said. Poitras was flown to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, where a supervisor had no information for release.
Two other motorcyclists riding with the couple were not involved in the accident, Dalton said.
Along with NorthStar, Kingfield Fire Department responded to the scene and State Trooper Scott Stevens helped at the hospital, Dalton said. 

Motorcyclist sustains life-threatening injuries in crash - Sioux Falls Argus Leader - A Sioux Falls man was severely injured this afternoon in a crash that involved a motorcycle and a semi-trailer truck near the Cliff Avenue exit on Interstate 229.
Randall Hellwig, 54, was riding his motorcycle northeast at about 3 p.m. when his bike and a semi-truck driven by Jeffery Peterson, 53, of Crooks collided. State Highway Patrol Trooper Chris Halm, the officer on the scene, said the semi rear-ended the motorcyclist.
Hellwig sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to a Sioux Falls hospital. He was not wearing a helmet, the state highway patrol said.
The semi driver was wearing his seatbelt and was not injured.
Charges are pending the outcome of the highway patrol’s investigation.

Woman Injured in Motorcycle Crash - WHSV - A Broadway woman was seriously injured when the motorcycle she was driving hit a tree on Runions Creek road Friday (7/31) evening.
Virginia State Police say Angela Spencer's injuries are life threatening.
Around 6:30 p.m., police say her 2008 Honda motorcycle ran off the road and hit a tree. But before they arrived on scene, Police say someone deliberately removed the bike from the scene. Both that person and Spencer face charges. The crash is under investigation.

Borger Motorcycle Fatal - KFDA - A Borger man is dead after the motorcycle he is riding crashes into a building.
50-year old David Ray Ingle was pronounced dead at the scene after his motorcycle crashed into the JC Penny's store in borger just after one Friday afternoon.
Police say both the bike and the building received significant damage.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation at this hour and an autopsy has been ordered.