Biker News

Another Prison Guard Reinstated:

For the third time in eight months, a state arbitrator has reinstated a correction officer fired in 2004 for having ties to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. The correction officer, Mark Vincenzo, was one of four fired in 2004 in a Department of Correction crackdown that has sparked a lawsuit and four separate labor grievances. Now, arbitrators for the state Board of Mediation and Arbitration have reinstated three of the four, and are set to rule on the fourth within months. However, the Correction Department is appealing the two most recent rulings, and only one of the correction officers has been allowed to return to work. According to the arbitration ruling in Vincenzo's case, which was released on Oct. 31, the Correction Department lacked just cause to fire him, in large part because the agency had no policy prohibiting membership in the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. To this day, arbitrator Thomas J. Staley wrote, "there is still no direct order by the commissioner's office to the employees ... that membership in the Outlaws Motorcycle Club or any other motorcycle club similar to the same could be cause for discipline, up to, and including, termination."

In late 2003, corresponding with new leadership in the Correction Department, administrators decided that officers' membership in the group posed a security risk in the prisons. The department had received an anonymous letter claiming that several employees were members of the group, and investigated, placing Vincenzo and three others on administrative leave. The investigation determined that Vincenzo was not a member of the Outlaws, but suspicions resurfaced after a video showed him associating with club members after a fundraiser in July 2004. According to the arbitrator, however, Vincenzo had asked his union representative, Jon Pepe, president of Local 391 of AFSCME Council 4, whether it would be OK to attend the event, which was co-sponsored by the Outlaws and Amvets, a veterans group. Pepe wrote to the Correction Department Commissioner Theresa C. Lantz and Deputy Commissioner Brian K. Murphy asking for guidance, and received letters back advising that attending the event could violate department directives, though they did not provide the definitive answer he was seeking.

The event was aimed to raise funds for an Enfield soup kitchen, Loaves and Fishes. After Pepe apprised Vincenzo of the response, the officer opted not to attend the event, but did join his girlfriend and other friends for drinks at an adjoining bar as the event wrapped up. Video footage showed that Vincenzo exited the bar onto a porch area and mingled with participants from the event at various points in the evening, leading Correction Department investigators to argue that Vincenzo had in fact attended the event, even if he arrived late. When asked if he had attended, Vincenzo denied it, and maintained during arbitration hearings that he had told the truth. The arbitrator wrote that though he found reasons to doubt Vincenzo's truthfulness, he agreed that the officer intended to arrive at the location after the event was over, but "some remnants of the party still existed and attendees of the party were still present."

Therefore, Vincenzo was being less than truthful when he flatly denied attending the event, but the officer "knew, after the original investigation into this matter, that the subject of motorcycle clubs was a pot of boiling water at the Department of Correction," and hoped to avoid any trouble. The arbitrator concluded that Vincenzo's firing was without just cause, and ordered him reinstated, though he was denied back pay, instead ordering that he be considered suspended for the two years he was out of work. Though the order states that Vincenzo should have been back to work Monday, the department is refusing to comply and is pursuing a legal move to vacate the order in court, Pepe, the union president, said Friday. So for now, although the arbitrator ruled in Vincenzo's favor, he is still out of work. By moving to vacate the arbitration award, a judge will be asked to review the arbitrator's findings and recommend whether or not a new arbitration hearing should be held. The process takes months, Pepe said.

"All we want is for Mark to go back to work and put this behind him,'' he said, adding that the arbitration case for the fourth officer, Gary Piscottano, is moving ahead, and Pepe expected him to be reinstated as well. Correction Department spokesman Brian Garnett said Friday that the agency remains opposed to its employees associating with the motorcycle group. "The DOC is extremely disappointed by the arbitration ruling," Garnett said. "Our administrative directives are clear, and correctional staff know full well that association with any organization such as the Outlaws is completely counter to the expectation of those in the law enforcement community." The state police have had run-ins with members of the Outlaws, as well as other motorcycle groups in the state, state police spokesman Master Sgt. J. Paul Vance said today. He stopped short of describing the character of the Outlaws as a whole, and said the group is not a part of any list of criminal enterprises given special attention by state police. Vance said state police policies bar its officers from associating with such groups.

Raid Turns Up Fugitive, Drugs, Illegal Weapons:

Washington - An alleged member of the Free Souls Motorcycle Club was in jail on Thursday, a day after officers said they found 23 guns and two stolen Harley-Davidson motorcycles in his home. David Manning Newstrom, 45, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of unlawful possession of guns by a felon, possessing methamphetamine and possessing stolen property, police said. Newstrom was being held on $52,000 bail and is to appear in court Nov. 13, a Clark County Jail officer said Thursday night. Meanwhile, a police report said officers still are looking for another Free Souls member, 53-year-old David Bob Ambrose, in connection with the 1999 murder of another Free Soul, Ronald Gale McComb. Wednesday afternoon, officers with the interagency Career Criminal Apprehension Team went to 5520 N.W. Fruit Valley Road, Newstrom's home. Police said Newstrom, who goes by the nickname Neon Dave, was wanted for bail jumping. Officers had a search warrant to look for him or papers that might reveal where he was. During the raid, police said, Newstrom showed up and was arrested.

Found in the home, according to a Vancouver Police Department report: 23 firearms, some loaded and within easy reach; several thousand rounds of ammunition; two stolen Harley-Davidsons; methamphetamine; and dozens of throwing knives, daggers and bayonets. The report said the Free Souls have about 65 members who belong to six chapters in Washington and Oregon. Although police say the Free Souls are involved in crimes, they've kept a low profile in Clark County, generating few headlines in recent years. Also found in Wednesday's raid, in one of Newstrom's safes, were documents in the name of murder suspect Ambrose, whose whereabouts are unknown.

Rasor Steps Down from AMA President

Pickerington, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has announced that Robert Rasor will retire as the Association's President to assume the role of Director of International Affairs, coordinating the AMA's relationship with the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the international governing body for motorcycle sport and touring, as well as other international organizations. Rasor, who had been AMA President since 2000, has long represented the AMA and the American motorcycling community on the international stage, and in October of 2005 he was elected as an FIM Vice President. Rasor has served the FIM as the first president of its Commission on Mobility, Transport, Road Safety and Public Policy, increasing the organization's involvement in motorcyclists' rights. He's been president of the North American Motorcycle Union, one of six such regional groups within the FIM, and is a member of its management council.

"It's been both a great pleasure and an extraordinary opportunity to have served the AMA and its membership as President," Rasor said. "I'm now looking forward to devoting all of my energy to working on behalf of American motorcyclists at the international level. I continue to believe that contributing to that global conversation is one of the most important ways that we can influence motorcycling's future, both here and worldwide." A 34-year member of the AMA staff, Rasor began his career in AMA Government Relations, serving as Vice President from the early 1980s until his appointment as AMA President. During that time, the AMA established its Washington office, and the Association's advocacy efforts defeated federal legislation that would've outlawed sportbikes, legitimized responsible off-highway-vehicle recreation on public lands, and confronted healthcare discrimination against motorcyclists. In his over 35 years of motorcycling experience, Rasor been an amateur motocross racer and has toured extensively in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Rasor will be succeeded as AMA President by Robert M. Dingman, effective November 27, 2006. During the accompanying transition period, Rasor will report to AMA Chief Executive Officer Patricia DiPietro.

Investigator Defends Use of Drug Dealer as Snitch

The lead RCMP investigator in a major probe of the Hells Angels in Vancouver testified yesterday that the use of a former strip club bouncer and steroid trafficker as a police agent was the only way to get inside the biker organization. "The Hells Angels uses all sorts of methods to combat law enforcement," Chief Superintendent Bob Paulson said. "Without this strategy we could never infiltrate them."

The head of the $7-million E-Pandora probe was required to testify about the actions of the agent, Michael Plante, as part of an abuse-of-process motion filed by Nima Ghavami and Ronaldo Lising. The two defendants are facing one count each of trafficking in methamphetamine and are among the 18 people charged in July of 2005 as part of E-Pandora. Mr. Plante was paid a lump sum of $530,000 to act as an informant and then police agent from the fall of 2003 until early 2005. He also received payments that ranged from $4,000 to $15,000 a month. As well, he has been promised a further $500,000 to be a Crown witness in four other E-Pandora trials. Mr. Justice Victor Curtis of B.C. Supreme Court has heard evidence that Mr. Plante was permitted to participate in the trafficking of more than 20 kilograms of methamphetamine while under the control of police. The RCMP allowed the drugs to be sold on the street. "Otherwise, it would compromise the investigation," said Chief Supt. Paulson, who is now based in Ottawa and heads the RCMP's Organized Crime Intelligence Branch.

Mr. Plante was permitted to continue to sell steroids and small amounts of cocaine and marijuana, and he admitted in testimony last month that he committed assaults while in an undercover capacity. The sale of steroids was the "cover story" for Mr. Plante as he tried to rise up the ranks of the Hells Angels, said Chief Supt. Paulson. Mr. Plante quit as a police agent in early 2005 when he was denied a rise in status by the biker group. The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act permits someone under the "direction and control" of police to traffic narcotics. There are no specific guidelines on how much illegal activity is acceptable. The senior RCMP officer testified that if police gave approval to traffic, it would not violate the act. The RCMP only kept records of the approval for specific drug transactions as a "administrative, logistical effort to be transparent," he said. Chief Supt. Paulson rejected a suggestion by defence lawyer Greg DelBigio that the RCMP was giving a "broad" interpretation to its powers "to accomplish its goals."

The defence is asking Judge Curtis to dismiss the charges as a result of the conduct of the police agent. If successful, it could damage the Crown's case in the coming E-Pandora trials, where Mr. Plante is also a key witness. The charges against the other E-Pandora defendants include trafficking, extortion, assault and membership in a criminal organization. Chief Supt. Paulson alleged in an interview on a CBC program this month that the Hells Angels in B.C. are responsible for nearly 20 slayings, but he said police have insufficient evidence to lay charges.

Police Raid Rebels Properties

A nine-month police operation targeting the Rebels bikie gang ended yesterday with raids on three Perth properties. Officers from the gang crime squad raided homes in Armadale and Rockingham as well as the gang's Naval Base clubhouse. A small amount of cannabis and a hand gun were seized but no arrests were made. Det-Snr Sergeant Doug Miller said the raids marked the end of an investigation into drug trafficking by gang members between Perth and the eastern states, codenamed Operation Apache. Police arrested 11 people and seized 507 grams of amphetamine since February in the joint WA Police and Australian Federal Police investigation. Det Miller said it will be alleged the drugs, with a street value of $225,000, were destined to be transported from Perth to Canberra. Six of those charged are either gang members, associates or prospective members of the gang. Rebels is the largest outlaw motorcycle gang in Australia.

RCMP Allowed Agent's Crimes

A police agent who infiltrated the Hells Angels in Vancouver may have broken the law at times but he was always acting at the direction and under the control of the RCMP, a top Mountie who oversaw the investigation testified Monday. "He is operating under the guidance, authority and approval of his handlers," recalled RCMP Chief Supt. Bob Paulson, now the director-general of the major and organized crime intelligence branch in Ottawa. At the time of the two-year police investigation code-name E-Pandora, Paulson was an inspector in charge of major investigations with the outlaw motorcycle gang squad. In 2003 the RCMP decided to recruit a Hells Angels enforcer named Michael Plante to try to infiltrate the East End chapter.

"He was trying to infiltrate them and take them down," Paulson said of the agent's role in the investigation, which he estimated cost $7 million. "The intent of the investigation was to gather reliable information about their criminal activities," he said of the Hells Angels. "The objective was to infiltrate this criminal organization we were targeting."

Paulson said police decided not to intercept shipments of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana during the investigation because the RCMP didn't want to compromise the safety of the agent, whom police wanted to rise within the ranks of the Hells Angels organization. He added that police in B.C. had not previously used a police agent to infiltrate the Hells Angels, so it was a constant struggle to decide whether to allow the agent to traffic illegal drugs and commit other crimes at the direction of the Hells Angels. Paulson said police are allowed to direct the agent to traffic illegal drugs by giving him an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. But the agent was being directed by Hells Angels members and sometimes things wouldn't go as planned, he added.

Paulson said he sometimes consulted Peter Hogg, a federal prosecutor in Vancouver, and a top Mountie in Ottawa to make sure Plante was staying within the bounds of the regulations concerning police agents. Paulson, who is expected to be on the witness stand for the next two weeks at the Vancouver Law Courts, was testifying at the abuse of process application filed by lawyers for Hells Angels member Ronaldo Lising and co-accused Nima Ghavami, who are charged with possession and trafficking methamphetamine. The defence contends the charges should be stayed because the police agent committed unauthorized crimes of assault and drug trafficking while under the direction and control of the RCMP.

Plante, 36, testified earlier that he had applied to become a member of the Hells Angels and was trusted with guarding the Hells Angels clubhouse in east Vancouver and running errands for various Angels, and was involved in drug deals with several Hells Angels. Paulson recalled that Plante was paid up to $15,000 a month and received $500,000 -- half of the $1 million reward promised by his signed agreement with the RCMP -- for his services before he went into witness protection last year. The investigation culminated in the arrest of 18 men, including six Hells Angels members, and the raid of Hells Angels clubhouses in Vancouver and Kelowna in July 2005.

Biketoberfest Claims Six Bikers

Six motorcyclists have died in local crashes related to Biketoberfest, making 2006 the deadliest year on record for local biker events. The six deaths for Biketoberfest -- an event that began in the early 1990s -- tie the previous record of six deaths. And this year's Bike Week in March yielded a death toll of 16 in Volusia and Flagler counties, the highest in its decades-long history. Authorities blame the growing fatalities on the biker events getting bigger and more spread out geographically, increasing the chances of cars and bikes colliding. "We're definitely seeing more motorcycles on the road," said Trooper Kim Miller, Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman. "Each year, 10,000 more motorcyclists are registering in Florida."

In collisions, a person driving a car is at fault as often as a motorcyclist, Miller said. Drivers turning into traffic tend to focus on the largest object in their vision -- a truck or car -- and overlook an oncoming motorcycle. Bikers also are traveling more than they did when Main Street offered the nucleus of entertainment, Miller said. "The more roads you ride, the more likely you are to be involved in some type of crash." The latest fatality was Michael Dion Houck, 45, of Spring Hill, who died at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach early Thursday from injuries he suffered Saturday. Houck was riding down Mason Avenue when he lost control of his bike, hit a curb and was ejected, police said. Police also released details on the death of 82-year-old Al Gannon, a Tampa preacher who used his motorcycle as a rolling pulpit. Gannon attended Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach, then returned to Tampa on Sunday and was traveling in the right lane of U.S. 92 when a sport utility vehicle in front of him slowed, Miller said. He swerved to avoid hitting the SUV and rear-ended a pickup in the left lane. Gannon, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown from the bike. He was taken to the hospital and died in surgeryay, Miller said.

Mary Willis, 58, of Boynton Beach also died Sunday. She suffered injuries in an accident two days before on Interstate 4 and State Road 44 near DeLand, Miller said. Willis was the passenger on a motorcycle driven by 65-year-old Jerry Rowland, also of Boynton Beach. Rowland was released Thursday from Halifax. Neither of the pair wore a helmet. Many riders come to events with limited experience on motorcycles, and suddenly find themselves in congested -- and hazardous -- conditions, said Michael Chitwood, Daytona Beach police chief. Chitwood estimates that as many as 40,000 bikes rumbled into the city. Officers dished out 687 tickets over the weekend to discourage reckless driving, he said. Still, two people died in bike-related accidents in Daytona Beach, he said. "My goal was zero fatalities. That didn't happen."

OCT. 19: NAME AND AGE: Paul Morley, 70 HOMETOWN: Sanford CRASH SITE: State Road 415 and Fort Smith Boulevard, Deltona HELMET: Yes, but flew off from impact OF NOTE: Killed when a car turned left in front of him.

NAME AND AGE: Kenneth George Akerley, 44 HOMETOWN: Anchorage, Alaska CRASH SITE: International Speedway Boulevard at Wild Olive Avenue HELMET: Yes OF NOTE: Was seen slumped over the handlebars before hitting a curb and then the pavement. Autopsy is pending.

NAME AND AGE: Clifford R. Atkinson, 68 HOMETOWN: Bunnell CRASH SITE: State Road 100, four miles west of Deen Road, Bunnell HELMET: Yes OF NOTE: Attempted to pass a tractor-trailer and was hit head-on.

OCT. 20: NAME AND AGE: Mary Willis, 58 HOMETOWN: Boynton Beach CRASH SITE: Interstate 4 near State Road 44, Volusia County HELMET: No OF NOTE: Willis, a passenger, was taken to Halifax Medical Center after the crash with injuries not thought to be life-threatening. She died Sunday.

OCT 21: NAME AND AGE: Nora Cardona, 39 HOMETOWN: Coconut Creek CRASH SITE: West International Speedway Boulevard, Daytona Beach HELMET: not applicable OF NOTE: Cardona was crossing ISB, not at a crosswalk, when she was struck by a motorcycle.

NAME AND AGE: Michael Dion Houck, 45 HOMETOWN: Spring Hill CRASH SITE: Mason Avenue and Williamson Boulevard. HELMET: Unknown OF NOTE: Speeding west on Mason Avenue, he lost control and hit a curb . He died Oct. 26 at Halifax Medical Center.

Nonlocal deaths in Florida OCT. 22: NAME AND AGE: Al Gannon, 82 HOMETOWN: Tampa CRASH SITE: U.S. 92 and Harney Road, Tampa HELMET: Yes OF NOTE: Swerved to avoid a slowing SUV and rear-ended a pickup in the other lane. Was returning from Daytona Beach.

Main Street Biker Killed in Accident

After three decades of preaching at Daytona Beach bike events, 82-year-old Al Gannon won't be coming back. "He never made it home," said John Britz about Gannon, who died in a motorcycle accident Sunday while returning to his Tampa home from Biketoberfest. No details were available Wednesday night from the Florida Highway Patrol in Tampa, the agency investigating the incident, but friends said the accident occurred five minutes from Gannon's house. Neighbor Denise Switzer said Gannon died at an area hospital. Gannon was a fixture on Main Street during Daytona Beach motorcycle events as he worked to introduce bikers to Jesus.

"All I can tell his friends is that he spent the last two weeks doing what he really loved doing -- preaching," said Switzer, who lived across the street from Gannon in Tampa for the past five years. In Tampa, Gannon spent many evenings talking to area prostitutes about God, Switzer said. "He was a remarkable man," she said. "He tried to make a difference."

John Sanchez, owner of John's Rock & Ride in Daytona Beach for 20 years, said he has never known a bike event without Gannon, who religiously parked his bike in the same spot near Sanchez's store during events. "They (Gannon and Britz) became like family," Sanchez said. During cold spells, Sanchez would allow Gannon to sit at his desk in the store. "He was the only one I let do that," he said. "He'd warm up then go right back out there." Britz, of Export, Pa., and Gannon met 18 years ago in Daytona Beach and had been meeting there twice a year ever since.

"When I met him it was something that changed my life," Britz said. "He taught me everything I know about motorcycle evangelism." The two were subjects of a front-page story in The Daytona Beach News-Journal on Oct. 19. Sitting on a metal folding chair last Wednesday on Main Street during Biketoberfest, Gannon said he couldn't imagine not coming to Daytona Beach. "What God sent me here for is to give people the opportunity to accept Christ for their sins," he said. "There isn't one single soul here that didn't have the opportunity." Wearing a backward baseball cap, jeans and a T-shirt, Gannon didn't look his age. Only his hands, which would sometimes tremble when he gestured, hinted that he was in his 80s.

Over the years, Britz had taken over most of the preaching while Gannon often sat nearby with a larged-lensed camera taking photos. They bonded through their love of God and motorcycles. "I've had a bike all my life," Gannon said. "I've ridden 2 million miles on a bike." In 1991 he survived a near fatal bike accident that happened near Starke. "I shouldn't be here," Gannon said. "I heard them say I wasn't going to make it." Nearly every bone in his face had been broken, but miraculously, Gannon said, the wounds healed and he spent only three days in a hospital. His face bore several scars from the accident but none overpowered his features. As the news of Gannon's death began to sink in, Britz, who was told Wednesday, said he knew the hardest days were ahead. "When I get to the street down there (Daytona Beach), it's going to be tough," Britz said. "I'm going to be in the same spot."

Thousands Rumble Through Tunnels for the Military

Virginia - The motorcycle riding community came out in the thousands Oct. 14, for the sixth Annual Rumble Through The Tunnels, the largest motorcycle event in the country held to honor and support our Navy, Marine and Coast Guard families. Fleet Ride 2006 continued an unbroken streak of cool breezes and sunshine for this police-escorted ride through the area tunnels that connect the seven cities in Hampton Roads. The ride, which is organized and sponsored by Bayside Harley-Davidson, Portsmouth, raised more than $12,000 dollars for the Hampton Roads Navy and Marine Core Relief Society and the Navy League. Early Saturday morning, a sea of motorcycles covered Norfolk's Harbor Park. By 11 a.m., following a moving pledge to the American Flag and a patriotic U.S. Coast Guard flyover, waves of bikes rolled out of the staging area onto the interstate. With safety in mind, for an event that is growing bigger every year, the riders were escorted in groups by local law enforcement, state police and the Virginia Department of Transportation, through the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and the Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel, and ended at the new Bayside Harley-Davidson mega-dealership.

The sponsors are grateful for the support from the city mayors, local law enforcement, state police and VDOT, whose involvement made this year's ride safe and fun. Once at Bayside, more than 50 Harley Owner's Group volunteers directed traffic and parked motorcycles everywhere possible. Although Bayside Harley-Davidson sits on eight acres, much of the site was taken up by the event's activities. The sounds of local bands, the Blue Lords and Krunch, entertained the crowd while a wide variety of food and beverage vendors offered sumptuous eats. Vendor row was jam packed this year, with everything from shoulder massages by the Touch Team, to sport bike clothing and accessories by Route 17. The sponsors were on-site with giveaways, including Hooters, Geico Motorcycle Insurance, Military.Com, the Patriot Guard, Tom McGrath Law Firm, Epstein, Flora and Sandler, Camp-A-Rama, Breit, Drescher and Imprevento, BOB FM, Wavy TV-10, Beach Eye Care and Boneshakers. Additional entertainment came from Adam Walker's high-flying extreme motorcycle stunt jumpers, who had the crowd captivated with their high-flying big tricks and wide jumps from their 20-foot-high metal ramps.

This year, MSV Photography sponsored the much-talked-about bikini contest. Eleven beautiful contestants vied for Miss Fleet Ride 2006, tempting the judges and audience with their own special looks and personalities. The close finish between Tara and Jenny was decided by audience applause, giving Tara a small, but definite lead. Congratulations Tara. The bike show, one of the major attractions of the 3-day rally, had 27 entrants, both Harley and Metric. A gold and yellow Kawasaki super bike, known as the "Wizard," won over all Harley. It featured an extended chrome swing arm and a 200-series tire in a drag bike format.