Whats more, Judge Carter wrote, There is no evidence that forfeiture of collective membership marks will lead to a less violent or capable organization., [Read: How to Crush an Outlaw Biker Club: Seize Its Logo?]. Cox and Hannigan were captured on videotape confronting Mongols inside the casino. Patches are all important to Mongols club members Uncleroo/Shutterstock In the call, David Santillan sobs and says he wants to reconcile. Life in prison, and up to seven years for the firearms offense to be served consecutive to all other sentences. 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. [24] On October 21, 2008, 38 members, including Ruben "Doc" Cavazos, were taken into Federal custody after four ATF agents infiltrated the group for a second time, becoming full patch members. The documentary "Hidden In America: Mongols Motorcycle Club" (available on YouTube)featured an interview with Stephen Stubbs, who serves as legal counsel to the club. While the current club president David Santillan has denied that the Mongols are a criminal enterprise, their long, troubled history suggests otherwise. 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. The U.S. Attorneys Office has failed to force the Mongols to forfeit their trademarked logo. "[29] The television show America's Most Wanted had exclusive access to the operation, and broadcast behind-the-scenes footage of the many arrests. The Mongol Nations and its members right to express their identity through the noncommercial display of symbols constitutes speech subject to First Amendment protections, Judge Carter wrote in the ruling released Thursday. Learn how your comment data is processed. According to sources listed above, the mongols would distribute (sell) drugs and also transport them to various locations, depending where they travel. As with other motorcycle clubs, members of the Mongols value the patches they wear on their jackets and vests that announce their membership as well as indicate the rider's rank and achievements within the organization, as reported by Hot Cars. The Mongols 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. The Vietnam vets that made up the majority of its ranks quickly turned the Mongols from a ragtag collection of riders into a tightly organized unit run with the same regimented nature and discipline theyd experienced in Vietnam. [16] Mongol Anthony "Bronson" Barrera, 43, was stabbed to death and two Hells Angels Jeramie Bell, 27, and Robert Tumelty, 50 were shot to death. The government sought to turn symbols like the Mongols insignia, the clubs name and sentiments associated with the club like Support The Mongols, into contraband.. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was formed in California in the late 1960s. 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. [2] The Mongols' main presence lies in Southern California, but they also have chapters nationwide in 14 states and internationally in 11 countries. Things started to take a turn at the end of World War II. Ric Francis/Associated Press. On Wednesday, defense attorney Joe Yanny and Santillan went back and forth over Santillan's relationship with retired Montebello police officer Christopher Cervantes and Ciccone. Today, it has 14 chapters in the US and a presence in 10 countries internationally. 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. He was the guy outside all the time providing cover support in case something went wrong with the undercovers.. Both men also rejected the claim that Mr. Santillan had revealed privileged defense information to the government while his motorcycle club was on trial. "He's retiring, he's retiring. All rights reserved. [37], In 2016 the last Mongols chapter in Bremen closed.[38]. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. Mongols attorney Joe Yanny says his clients want their 2018 racketeering conviction thrown out or at the very least a new trial. A federal judge in California has refused to order the Mongols motorcycle gang to forfeit its trademarked logo. On February 23, 2007, Hells Angels members James Hannigan and Rodney Cox were sentenced to two years in prison for their respective roles in the incident. A woman across the street appeared to take a picture of the four men, who were all wearing . Racketeering conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; money laundering conspiracy; firearm offenses; and kidnapping. Eyewitness News has obtained the video that was recorded in June of 2021 when David Santillan was drunk and despondent. Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for the drug offense and seven years for the firearms offense to be served consecutive to all other sentences. Julie Platner for The New York Times. Per One Percenter Bikers, the patches are in the club colors of black and white, and the main patch consists of a drawing of Genghis Khan riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle. 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. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was convicted in late 2018 of racketeering and conspiracy. In the late 1960s, a group of returning servicemen from the Vietnam War tried to get into the Hells Angels. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. When the AMC eventually gave rise to the phrase one-percenter club in the early 1970s, the Mongols were most definitely one of them. David Santillan tells Eyewitness News that he was in a "really bad place" when the video was recorded and that he's never been disloyal to the Mongols. LOS . ", RELATED: Mongols Motorcycle Club vows to fight trademark loss. In their petition, the Mongols argue that Mr. Santillan could have been pressured to leak strategy and other information to the government as a result of lenient treatment the defense claimed he received during his brushes with the law. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was convicted in late 2018 of racketeering and conspiracy. Judge Carters ruling was drawn from a flood of legal opinions that were submitted by academics, law firms and think tanks. Mr. Santillan said he talked with the A.T.F. Mongols MC: The club talks about being in Fort Worth. 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. the 1% of clubs that operate outside the law-abiding ways of the American Motorcycle Club still hadnt been coined. In court Monday, prosecutors told Judge David O. Carter that retired ATF agent Ciccone will testify that Santillan was never an informant. [25] 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. The indictment did not target any individuals but alleged that the club itself had engaged in an organized conspiracy of crimes such as murder, attempted murder and drug dealing. "All I wanted to do was to tarnish his image," says Annie Santillan. agent who infiltrated three biker clubs. David Santillan says he was thrown out of the Mongols after a "closed door" meeting where he did not get a chance to refute the allegations against him. Cole was kidnapped and transported to a shed in Trenton, Kentucky, where he was interrogated, tortured, and beaten for hours prior to being murdered. accidentally killed himself with his bike as a novice licence holder briefly after the chapter's foundation. Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; money laundering conspiracy; distribution of, or possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was founded in 1969 in Montebello, CA by a brotherhood of Latinx men who had been excluded from the Hells Angels. 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. 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. The group has about 1,200 members in the United States, most of them Hispanic, and numerous chapters around the world. 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. "He was afraid, and I think he turned on his loyalty to the club to protect himself. When Ling replied, "People have fought and died for the patches," Dave confirmed her statement (per YouTube). 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. Marshal that Mr. Santillan and Mr. Ciccone had been seen chatting at a Starbucks near the courthouse. 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. A big weight has been lifted off the clubs shoulders., Mongols Biker Club Can Keep Its Logo, Judge Rules, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/us/mongol-motorcycle-club-ruling.html. Donald Charles Davis, who writes the biker blog The Aging Rebel, said that he felt Judge Carters ruling was inevitable., The governments ambition was blatantly unconstitutional, Mr. Davis said. "Absolutely not, unequivocally no," says David Santillan. No arrests were made, and local authorities report that they are looking for suspects involved in the attack. The Clarksville Mongols were a self-described outlaw motorcycle club with ties to Mongols chapters nationwide. Now the Mongols want a new trial and say their former president, David Santillan, was a confidential informant for the ATF. Annie Santillan says she surreptitiously recorded the call because David's mistress had been harassing her. [12], Members of the Glendale Mongols chapter, along with bikers from the San Bernardino chapter of the Hells Angels, the Straight Satans of Venice, and the Glendale Night Riders, committed a sexual assault on a fifteen year-old girl in August 1972. He cant protect me, he told me, so we have to have an exit strategy, he told me, an apparently agitated Mr. Santillan said to her. Innocent citizens do occasionally get caught in the crossfire, but as onepercenterbikers.com notes, that old maxim of stay out of their way and they will stay out of yours generally rings true. [17] He was convicted of murder in aid of racketeering and three gun charges on February 23, 2012, in San Francisco. Annie tells Eyewitness News that her husband was "spinning out of control" and continued to cheat on her after the phone call. Former Mongols President David Santillan continued to testify. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was formed in Southern California, and today, the West Coast is still the clubs stronghold. The Mongols trademark remained. It ain't gonna happen. ; kidnapping of Stephen Cole in aid of racketeering; and the murder of Stephen Cole in aid of racketeering. That isnt to say the Mongols are sugary sweet, by any stretch of the imagination. "I know we've had a rapport and I always looked out for you and you were always respectful. A petition for a new trial and reversal of the half-million-dollar fine, which is scheduled for an initial hearing on Monday in the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Calif., claims that Mr. Santillan, 52, covertly cooperated for years with a special agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. [T]hey can be very nice individuals but as a whole they're involved in criminal activity, and it's important that people understand that. An attempt to do so was rebuffed by the Central District of California Court, concluding that the seizure of the trademark violated the First Amendment right to free expression and the Eighth Amendment protection from excessive punishment. In exchange, the club said in its motion, the agent appears to have spared Mr. Santillan from serious legal consequences for several offenses since 2011. Now the Mongols want a new trial and say their former president was a confidential informant for the ATF. In 1903, the first MC was established in the US the Yonkers Motorcycle Club. He noted that he was shot several times including in the head. [7][8][9][10][11] Current[when?] [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. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was established on December 5, 1969 in the East Los Angeles area in the city of Montebello, California. The club was formed by Hispanic Vietna, The Mongols Motorcycle Club was established on December 5, 1969 in the East Los. 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. Life in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of: life in prison for murder; and 10 years for the drug and firearm offenses to be served consecutive to all other sentences. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Clarksville Mongols were a violent motorcycle gang operating in and around the city of Clarksville. [36], According to Andreas Weber, the state of Bremen's chief of criminal investigation, the new Mongols chapter is only nominally a motorcycle group. Keeping with a continual forward movement in technology, innovation, and making upgrades to the, Read More 10 Things You Didnt Know About the 2020 Ducati Superleggera V4Continue, If you live in the state of New Jersey and youre thinking about riding a motorcycle, there are a few things you need to know about the laws. Today, Judge Carter stood strong against the United States governments attempt to ban symbolic speech in an epic win for all Americans.. 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. If youre a rat, youre the scum of the earth, he said in an interview. When it comes to safety,, Read More The Five Best Full Face Motorcycle Helmets Money Can BuyContinue, Ducati, A brand well-known for its high-performance and exotic motorbikes, originated from Bologna, Italy. In fairness, the majority of violence committed by one-percenter clubs is interclub. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. Gualtieri said the Mongols, who are based in California, have a strong presence in the Tampa Bay area and conduct a range of criminal activity from prostitution to gun and drug dealing. 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. A jury sided with the prosecution in 2019 and ordered the group to give up the emblem, but Judge David O. Carter rejected the verdict as an infringement on the clubs constitutional rights. A federal jury convicted six Tennessee men Friday for racketeering conspiracy and other charges involving murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and other crimes, all stemming from their involvement with the Clarksville chapter of the Mongols Motorcycle Club (Clarksville Mongols). 11 talking about this. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of life for kidnapping and murder, and seven years for the firearms offense to be served consecutive to all other sentences. It became clear that Dave had betrayed the club, his oath and everything we hold sacred, the club said in a statement. A federal district court judge will separately determine each defendants sentence after considering the U.S. "I think they got David in compromising situations," Yanny tells Eyewitness News. 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