John looked out not just for me but the club, Mr. Santillan said. Established in 1969, the Mongols MC has earned the reputation of one of the most dangerous outlaw biker clubs in America - here's why. She also said in a text message to other Mongols, now filed with the court, that her husband had acted for a time as a confidential government informant. Do you have a job? 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. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. In the call, David Santillan sobs and says he wants to reconcile. 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. 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. "Because I needed evidence to show the military that they had someone having an affair with a married man.". 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 April 5, 1973, Mongols member Ferman Benavides was among eleven motorcycle gang members convicted in Los Angeles of rape and sex perversion. 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. ", Rules That Members Of The Mongols Bike Gang Have To Follow. All rights reserved. The possible origin for this comes from the fact that the Mongols were founded by Hispanic bikers as an alternative to the Hells Angels motorcycle club, which was founded in 1948. A spokesman for the United States attorneys office for the Central District of California, Thom Mrozek, said in a statement that prosecutors were disappointed by the decision and that they believed Judge Carter was required by law to issue the forfeiture order that the government had requested. Mr. Santillan said it was ridiculous to think that Mr. Ciccone smoothed things over for him. 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. 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. Santillan says he and Ciccone had a "rapport" after 25 years of dealing with one another. Nov. 21, 2018. Presumably, they are interested in associating themselves with the US motorcycle club primarily to profit from their infrastructure and trading channels in drug trafficking. David Santillan, the national president of the Mongols, pumped his fist into the air as the decision was read before a courtroom audience that included several Mongols members. via rideapart At some point, The Mongols Motorcycle club was fined half a million dollars by the feds in a crime and conspiracy case. 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. The sheriff said more than one person shot Paternoster and that more arrests are forthcoming. These people are not the people you see out on Sunday on a motorcycle ride, Gualtieri said at a press conference announcing Pogilevskys indictment. That doesnt, however, mean its looked on any more kindly by the law. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Carter went on to tell prosecutors he does not want their witnesses to use the words "to the best of my recollection.". In 2008, Mongols member Christopher Ablett was convicted of the murder of Hells Angels President Mark Papa Guardado. agent over the years because it helped avert trouble. The Mongols MC is ecstatic that they could successfully defend the First Amendment for themselves and all motorcycle clubs, the clubs general counsel, Stephen Stubbs, said. Two years after a federal jury deemed the notorious Mongols Motorcycle Club a criminal organization, attorneys for the club are asking a judge for a new trial accusing its former president of. The belief that as long as they're not hurting anybody, they should be able to do what they please." Yanny played a clip from a National Geographic show segment on the Mongols in court as evidence of their relationship. The Mongols Motorcycle Club, sometimes called the Mongols Nation or Mongol Brotherhood, is a "one-percenter" outlaw motorcycle club. 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. 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.. In the case that led to the racketeering conviction against the Mongols, Mr. Ciccone had acted as the case agent. The club was originally formed in Montebello, California by hispanic Vietnam-war veterans who were said to be refused entry into the Hells Angels due to their ethnicity. 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 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. Theyre sending a message when they do that, he said. "He was afraid, and I think he turned on his loyalty to the club to protect himself. Cole was kidnapped and transported to a shed in Trenton, Kentucky, where he was interrogated, tortured, and beaten for hours prior to being murdered. Mr. Santillan said he talked with the A.T.F. 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. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was convicted in late 2018 of racketeering and conspiracy. 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. 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. They offered an opportunity for motorcycle enthusiasts to socialize, meet up, and race. Patches are all important to Mongols club members Uncleroo/Shutterstock Federal prosecutors want to seize the rights to the logo of the Mongols Motorcycle Club and suppress its use. Mongols attorney Joe Yanny says his clients want their 2018 racketeering conviction thrown out or at the very least a new trial. On October 23, 2008, US District Court Judge Florence-Marie Cooper granted an injunction that prohibits club members, their family members and associates from wearing, licensing, selling, or distributing the logo, which typically depicts the profile of a Mongolian warrior wearing sunglasses, because according to the police, they use the logo and names as an identity and as a form of intimidation to fulfill their goals. 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. Benjamin Smith is one of the managing editors of Moneyinc. Marshal that Mr. Santillan and Mr. Ciccone had been seen chatting at a Starbucks near the courthouse. Federal prosecutors have been focusing on the Mongols logo since 2008. A Florida member of the infamous Mongols Motorcycle Club has been indicted for taking part in the brutal execution of a suspected snitch from another gang, officials said. In fairness, the majority of violence committed by one-percenter clubs is interclub. The club is headquartered in Southern California and was originally formed in Montebello, California, in 1969. These convictions underscore the Justice Departments dedication to disrupting and dismantling violent criminal enterprises.. 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. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Santillan says he ran into Ciccone when he went to pick up some Mongols property that had been released after the trial. The explosive allegations come after a secretly recorded video surfaced of Santillan talking to his wife about the lead ATF agent on the case -- John Ciccone. In 2018, the government scored a victory of sorts. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. As the years progress the more violent they get and they go to war with their rivals. 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 Motorcycle Club was founded in London in 1901. Anyone can read what you share. But then he began to talk about now-retired ATF agent John Ciccone, the lead agent on the racketeering case. After being turned away because of their Hispanic heritage, they decided to take matters into their own hands and form their own club. Evidence at trial demonstrated that the Clarksville Mongols were responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Stephanie Bradley, as well as the separate kidnapping and murder of Stephen Cole. 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. 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. #MONGOLSMC #MONGOLS #LILDAVEFor more than two decades, federal law enforcement authorities pursued the Mongols, a notorious motorcycle club whose members had. This gang has between five hundred and six hundred latinos and due to expansion of alliances, more members of the group will worry citizens because these type of members commit various crimes, they can increase the drug rate to others. 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. Both men also rejected the claim that Mr. Santillan had revealed privileged defense information to the government while his motorcycle club was on trial. agent who infiltrated three biker clubs. Considering some of the most notorious incidents the Mongols have been involved in, nor should it. Now the Mongols want a new trial and say their former president, David Santillan, was a confidential informant for the ATF. Judge Carters ruling was a severe setback for California prosecutors who spent more than a decade going after the Mongols patch. [18], On December 20, 2008, a group of Mongols arrived at a Las Vegas chapel for the wedding of a fellow member, only to find a local chapter of Hells Angels there finishing a ceremony of their own. ", "So, he gave me a heads up and that was it. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Undercover agent exposes Hells Angels sex rules: A violent price to pay, Las Vegas biker gangs shootout possibly caused by prior shooting death, Seven hurt after rival biker gangs get in shootout on Nevada highway: cops, Inside the swinging 60s home where Dennis Hoppers marriage unraveled. [23], Operation Black Rain was an operation by the ATF in 2008 to stop alleged criminal activity within the Mongols. On December 5, 1969, the Mongols Motorcycle Club was founded in Montebello, California. 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. "I've never cooperated in any way, shape or form.". [31][32], In a 2015 racketeering case in Los Angeles, the Federal government tried and failed to use civil forfeiture laws to seize all rights to the Mongols emblems and patches in order to forbid members from wearing them. 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 upheld the Mongols convictions on racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, and tentatively granted the forfeiture of the various weapons and property that had been seized. Official websites use .gov The Mongols Motorcycle Club has solidified its reputation of violence and crime, having been involved in gang wars, drug deals, and human trafficking. Like other motorcycle clubs, the Mongols have a variety of rules they have to follow. Consisting of a large majority of ex-servicemen that had served in the war, the Hells Angels quickly started to gain a reputation for all the wrong reasons. 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. The Mongols even have their own coded language that they use to communicate with one another, according to Hot Cars. 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