Apr 28, 2009 08:51 PM
Peter Edwards
Staff Reporter
LONDON, Ont.–LONDON, Ont.-Accused mass murder Michael (Taz) Sandham impersonated another outlaw biker on the Internet to send out glowing underworld references for himself, court heard today.
Court heard that Sandham, 37, used an email address almost identical to that of fellow Winnipeg Bandido Dwight (D) Mushey, 41, so that he could impersonate Mushey in online conversations with other outlaw bikers. They are among six people charged in the April 8 slaughter of eight men connected to the Bandidos.
Biker emails introduced as evidence provide an inside look into the secretive, often-turbulent inner world of the gang in the months before and after the bullet-riddled bodies were found in abandoned vehicles on April 8, 2006 near a cornfield outside the hamlet of Shedden, west of London.
Mushey, a massive, pony-tailed man in a well-tailored sports jacket, glowered as the emails were introduced as evidence during the testimony of Det.-Sgt. Bernard Miedema, an Ontario Provincial Police computer expert.
Sandham, a smallish, balding former Winnipeg-area police officer, sat out of Mushey's line of sight, at the far end of the prisoners' box.
In one email introduced in court, Sandham pretends to be Mushey when he emails Bandido Pierre (Carlitto) Aragon of Oakville.
"Hey Carlitto," Sandham emails Aragon on June 7, 2006. "it's (sic) D here. Things are really (expletive) up. For one thing, Taz is not a cop nor has he ever been one."
Police officers and former police officers are barred from membership in the biker club. In the email, in which Sandham pretends to be Mushey, Sandham gave a glowing reference for himself.
"Two of us have known him since he was in the Army a total of 16 years," Sandham emails Aragon. "... We back him 100% and have good reasons too. He doesn't keep anything from us."
In another email, Sandham poses as Mushey - or "Bandido D" - to a senior American Bandido known as "Bandido Pervert," based in Texas.
That email was sent the same day the Texans in the Bandidos told the Canadians that they had been kicked out of the outlaw biker club.
"Hello Bandido Pervert," Sandham writes, posing as Mushey. "what just happened? Taz is not a cop nor was he ever a real one, VERY FAR from it. Two of use have known him since he was in the Army, he is not a cop!"
Sandham and Mushey each face eight first-degree murder charges, along with fellow Winnipeggers Marcello Aravena, 33, and Brett Gardiner, 24, and Wayne Kellestine, 59, of Iona Station and Frank Mather, 35, of no fixed address.
Found shot to death were John Muscedere, 48, of Chatham; Frank Salerno, 43, of Oakville; Jamie Flanz, 37, of Keswick: Paul Sinopoli, 30, of Jackson's Point; George Jessome, 52, Luis Manny Raposo, 41, and George Kriarakis, 28, all of Toronto and Michael Trotta, 31, of Mississauga.
The bodies were found 14 kilometers from Kellestine's farm.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
(04-28) 14:01 PDT ANTIOCH -- A man ousted from a motorcycle club shot and killed the club's founder in the parking lot of an Antioch convenience store to avenge a years-long grudge over finances and the slaying of the suspect's son, police said Tuesday.
Willie Morris Clay II, 42, of Antioch shot and killed 46-year-old Gary Townsend at 5:45 p.m. Monday as Townsend was driving away on his motorcycle from the 7-Eleven store at 2301 Buchanan Road, police Lt. Leonard Orman said.
Townsend, who lived in Antioch and was the founder and president of a motorcycle club called the Made Men, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The two men knew each other for many years, and Clay had been a member of the same club, Orman said.
Clay blamed Townsend for his financial problems in the 1990s, when both were arrested in connection with drug-distribution offenses, Orman said. On Jan. 26, 2006, Clay's son, Willie Clay, 19, and Willie Jason Williams, 31, were killed in a drive-by shooting at 22nd Avenue and East 28th Street in Oakland. Police theorized that the killings may have been in retaliation for earlier Oakland shootings.
The elder Clay believed that Townsend was responsible for his son's death and began carrying a gun in hopes of avenging his killing, police said.
On Monday, Clay spotted Townsend at the 7-Eleven and shot him several times as the club leader drove by on his motorcycle, Orman said. After Townsend fell, Clay shot him several more times, police said.
Bandido'
PUBLISHED: Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Government taking more time to probe drug dealing case
"This is a routine matter," said Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutors. "This does not mean the case is over. It allows the government additional time to conduct its investigation."
In a motion to dismiss, filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, prosecutors said they needed "additional time to develop and acquire sufficient evidence." U.S. Magistrate R. Steven Whalen dismissed the charges without prejudice, meaning the government can reinstate the charges or similar ones in the future.
Indictments that were unsealed earlier this month against the Devil's Diciples, which intentionally misspells its title, accused the former defendants of using telephones to set up drug deals for the past several years.
The group's president, Jeff Garvin "Fat Dog" Smith, 54, of Mount Clemens, who has a previous conviction for a felony crime of violence, also was charged with possession of two body armor vests. Violent felons caught with body armor face up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Ten of the suspects who were arrested are St. Clair County residents.
Christopher Raymond Marrocco, 31, from Algonac; Gary Lee Nelson, 42, from Marine City; Lauri Ann Ledford, 39, from Kimball Township; Dean Anthony Tagliavia, 41, from Port Huron; Deborah Ann Heacock, 46, from Port Huron; Michael Vernon Darrah, 47, from Marine City; Vernon Nelson Rich, 44, from Kimball Township; Howard Joseph Quant, 52, from Jeddo, were all charged with using a telephone for the use of drug trafficking.
A tenth man arrested from St. Clair County, Port Huron resident David Roy Delong, 55, was charged with making false statements to the police.
In addition to the arrests, federal forfeiture complaints were filed against the club's Port Huron headquarters on Little Street and the club's national headquarters at 43653 Gratiot in Clinton Township.
Smith's attorney, Andrew Wise, agreed that the move by the feds to dismiss the charges was a procedural one.
"It's not unusual for the federal government to take this kind of step," Wise said. "The feds most likely will bring back these charges at a later time."
Federal court rules provide a 30-day window from the time prosecutors file a complaint to bring a grand jury indictment or else dismiss the case.
The bikers were taken into custody April 1 and released on personal bond. The original charge of using a communications facility in drug trafficking carried a penalty of four years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Federal officials also stayed efforts to seize clubhouses owned by the group in Clinton Township and Port Huron because those proceedings would interfere with the ongoing criminal probe.
FBI affidavits in the court file shows the gang is suspected in a variety of organized crime activity including drug dealing, illegal gambling, selling stolen motorcycles, cars and guns, extortion and assault.
According to court records, the Devil's Diciples are headquartered in the Clinton Township clubhouse on Gratiot but have chapters in Alabama, Arizona, California, England and Illinois. The group has between 100 and 150 members altogether, investigators allege.
FBI Special Agent Sandra Berchtold said the other searches related to the investigation of the Devils Diciples included:
• Cassidy's New Baltimore home and another home, not connected to Cassidy, on Bayview Drive in Chesterfield Township.
• The Mount Clemens law offices of Kitch, Drutchas, Wagner, Valitutti & Sherbrook. Berchtold would not say which office or offices at the firm were searched, but a firm spokesman said the search was restricted to the law offices of Albert Addis and his son, Paul Addis.
Albert Addis has represented Devils Diciples national president Jeff Garvin "Fat Dog" Smith in criminal and civil cases.
Paul Addis received a campaign donation from Smith when he ran for judge in 2006 and also paid Smith for services Smith provided his judicial campaign, records show. Neither Addis responded Wednesday to phone messages and e-mails.
• Fred's Unique Furniture & Antiques on Eight Mile in Warren. Owner Fadi Baghdadi said he did not know why the FBI searched his shop.
"I'm just a friend," he said. "I play basketball with Paul Cassidy. That's all."
• The Catanese Clinic, a family and substance abuse counseling clinic, in New Baltimore. Therapist Carl Catanese referred questions to his Detroit attorney, Mark Kriger, who declined to comment.
The Devils Diciples, a motorcycle club based in Clinton Township with another clubhouse in Port Huron and chapters around the country, intentionally misspells the word "disciples" in its name.
The FBI has been investigating the club for suspected drug trafficking, illegal gambling, extortion, assault and insurance fraud, documents filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit show.
Cassidy told The Detroit News that he and Smith are boyhood friends and that he believes the FBI is examining court records to see if the judge gave special treatment to club members.
Smith is awaiting trial in federal court after a grand jury indicted him on charges of illegally possessing body armor after having been convicted of a felony.
Federal prosecutors in April also brought drug trafficking and other charges against Smith and 17 other club members and associates.
Those charges were recently dropped, though officials said that was for procedural reasons.
SOUTH Australian businesses should close their doors to "low-life scum" Rebels bikie gang members this weekend, a politician says.About 700 members of the Rebels from throughout Australia, and members of other outlaw motorcycle clubs, will rally outside parliament in Adelaide tomorrow.
They then will ride on Saturday from Adelaide to Victor Harbor, in the state's south, to protest against anti-bikie legislation that came into effect in SA last year.
Liberal MP Michael Pengilly, whose electorate covers Victor Harbor, has urged hotels, cafes and shops in the popular tourist spot to make a stand against outlaw club members.
"I think they (businesses) should close the doors as these people go through town,'' he said today.
"The disruption (to trading) may be worth it to send a message to these bikies that they're just not welcome.
"We don't need these morons down there and we definitely don't need their money.
"I just think these people are low-life scum, quite frankly.
"It is a hideous thing for our society to have to tolerate these people moving about the way they do with drugs, creating disruptions and blocking up the roads wherever they go.
"The monitoring of these outlaws by the police is just a huge waste of taxpayer money.''
SA Police Detective Superintendent Des Bray said additional police have been rostered on to monitor the Rebels.
"We have got significant resources on duty and significant resources in reserve to accommodate any situation that should arise,'' he said today.
Police have been assured by Rebels members the protest would be peaceful, he said.
It is understood the demonstration will form part of the club's national run, held in a different state each year.
"Suffice to say it will be a very significant number of riders,'' Det Supt Bray said. "We certainly think all the Rebels will go to Parliament House and we do know some representatives from other clubs will join.''
It will be the second time rival clubs have united in a defiant show of strength against SA's Serious and Organised Crime Control Act, under which gang members can be banned from associating.
In March, several gangs held a protest run north of Adelaide.
Premier Mike Rann raised the importance of a national approach to crack down on bikie-related crime at a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in Hobart today.
All state and territory attorneys-general will consider the approach and report back to the next COAG meeting.
Peter Edwards
Staff Reporter
LONDON, Ont.–LONDON, Ont.-Accused mass murder Michael (Taz) Sandham impersonated another outlaw biker on the Internet to send out glowing underworld references for himself, court heard today.
Court heard that Sandham, 37, used an email address almost identical to that of fellow Winnipeg Bandido Dwight (D) Mushey, 41, so that he could impersonate Mushey in online conversations with other outlaw bikers. They are among six people charged in the April 8 slaughter of eight men connected to the Bandidos.
Biker emails introduced as evidence provide an inside look into the secretive, often-turbulent inner world of the gang in the months before and after the bullet-riddled bodies were found in abandoned vehicles on April 8, 2006 near a cornfield outside the hamlet of Shedden, west of London.
Mushey, a massive, pony-tailed man in a well-tailored sports jacket, glowered as the emails were introduced as evidence during the testimony of Det.-Sgt. Bernard Miedema, an Ontario Provincial Police computer expert.
Sandham, a smallish, balding former Winnipeg-area police officer, sat out of Mushey's line of sight, at the far end of the prisoners' box.
In one email introduced in court, Sandham pretends to be Mushey when he emails Bandido Pierre (Carlitto) Aragon of Oakville.
"Hey Carlitto," Sandham emails Aragon on June 7, 2006. "it's (sic) D here. Things are really (expletive) up. For one thing, Taz is not a cop nor has he ever been one."
Police officers and former police officers are barred from membership in the biker club. In the email, in which Sandham pretends to be Mushey, Sandham gave a glowing reference for himself.
"Two of us have known him since he was in the Army a total of 16 years," Sandham emails Aragon. "... We back him 100% and have good reasons too. He doesn't keep anything from us."
In another email, Sandham poses as Mushey - or "Bandido D" - to a senior American Bandido known as "Bandido Pervert," based in Texas.
That email was sent the same day the Texans in the Bandidos told the Canadians that they had been kicked out of the outlaw biker club.
"Hello Bandido Pervert," Sandham writes, posing as Mushey. "what just happened? Taz is not a cop nor was he ever a real one, VERY FAR from it. Two of use have known him since he was in the Army, he is not a cop!"
Sandham and Mushey each face eight first-degree murder charges, along with fellow Winnipeggers Marcello Aravena, 33, and Brett Gardiner, 24, and Wayne Kellestine, 59, of Iona Station and Frank Mather, 35, of no fixed address.
Found shot to death were John Muscedere, 48, of Chatham; Frank Salerno, 43, of Oakville; Jamie Flanz, 37, of Keswick: Paul Sinopoli, 30, of Jackson's Point; George Jessome, 52, Luis Manny Raposo, 41, and George Kriarakis, 28, all of Toronto and Michael Trotta, 31, of Mississauga.
The bodies were found 14 kilometers from Kellestine's farm.
"Whoops, never trust e-mails"
Ousted biker took revenge in Antioch, cops say
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff WriterWednesday, April 29, 2009
(04-28) 14:01 PDT ANTIOCH -- A man ousted from a motorcycle club shot and killed the club's founder in the parking lot of an Antioch convenience store to avenge a years-long grudge over finances and the slaying of the suspect's son, police said Tuesday.
Willie Morris Clay II, 42, of Antioch shot and killed 46-year-old Gary Townsend at 5:45 p.m. Monday as Townsend was driving away on his motorcycle from the 7-Eleven store at 2301 Buchanan Road, police Lt. Leonard Orman said.
Townsend, who lived in Antioch and was the founder and president of a motorcycle club called the Made Men, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The two men knew each other for many years, and Clay had been a member of the same club, Orman said.
Clay blamed Townsend for his financial problems in the 1990s, when both were arrested in connection with drug-distribution offenses, Orman said. On Jan. 26, 2006, Clay's son, Willie Clay, 19, and Willie Jason Williams, 31, were killed in a drive-by shooting at 22nd Avenue and East 28th Street in Oakland. Police theorized that the killings may have been in retaliation for earlier Oakland shootings.
The elder Clay believed that Townsend was responsible for his son's death and began carrying a gun in hopes of avenging his killing, police said.
On Monday, Clay spotted Townsend at the 7-Eleven and shot him several times as the club leader drove by on his motorcycle, Orman said. After Townsend fell, Clay shot him several more times, police said.
Bandido'
PUBLISHED: Wednesday, April 29, 2009
By Mitch Hotts Journal Register News Service
Federal authorities have dropped drug dealing charges against members of a motorcycle club who were arrested in Port Huron earlier this month, but that doesn't mean the bikers are out of trouble.
The U.S. Attorney's Office earlier this week filed motions to dismiss federal charges against the 18 members of Devil's Diciples who were named in a grand jury indictment in early April.Federal authorities have dropped drug dealing charges against members of a motorcycle club who were arrested in Port Huron earlier this month, but that doesn't mean the bikers are out of trouble.
"This is a routine matter," said Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutors. "This does not mean the case is over. It allows the government additional time to conduct its investigation."
In a motion to dismiss, filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, prosecutors said they needed "additional time to develop and acquire sufficient evidence." U.S. Magistrate R. Steven Whalen dismissed the charges without prejudice, meaning the government can reinstate the charges or similar ones in the future.
Indictments that were unsealed earlier this month against the Devil's Diciples, which intentionally misspells its title, accused the former defendants of using telephones to set up drug deals for the past several years.
The group's president, Jeff Garvin "Fat Dog" Smith, 54, of Mount Clemens, who has a previous conviction for a felony crime of violence, also was charged with possession of two body armor vests. Violent felons caught with body armor face up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Ten of the suspects who were arrested are St. Clair County residents.
Christopher Raymond Marrocco, 31, from Algonac; Gary Lee Nelson, 42, from Marine City; Lauri Ann Ledford, 39, from Kimball Township; Dean Anthony Tagliavia, 41, from Port Huron; Deborah Ann Heacock, 46, from Port Huron; Michael Vernon Darrah, 47, from Marine City; Vernon Nelson Rich, 44, from Kimball Township; Howard Joseph Quant, 52, from Jeddo, were all charged with using a telephone for the use of drug trafficking.
A tenth man arrested from St. Clair County, Port Huron resident David Roy Delong, 55, was charged with making false statements to the police.
In addition to the arrests, federal forfeiture complaints were filed against the club's Port Huron headquarters on Little Street and the club's national headquarters at 43653 Gratiot in Clinton Township.
Smith's attorney, Andrew Wise, agreed that the move by the feds to dismiss the charges was a procedural one.
"It's not unusual for the federal government to take this kind of step," Wise said. "The feds most likely will bring back these charges at a later time."
Federal court rules provide a 30-day window from the time prosecutors file a complaint to bring a grand jury indictment or else dismiss the case.
The bikers were taken into custody April 1 and released on personal bond. The original charge of using a communications facility in drug trafficking carried a penalty of four years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Federal officials also stayed efforts to seize clubhouses owned by the group in Clinton Township and Port Huron because those proceedings would interfere with the ongoing criminal probe.
FBI affidavits in the court file shows the gang is suspected in a variety of organized crime activity including drug dealing, illegal gambling, selling stolen motorcycles, cars and guns, extortion and assault.
According to court records, the Devil's Diciples are headquartered in the Clinton Township clubhouse on Gratiot but have chapters in Alabama, Arizona, California, England and Illinois. The group has between 100 and 150 members altogether, investigators allege.
The operative words here are "suspected". Obviously not "provable". But when you are targeted by the GOV. You are targeted!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Judge's home, law office searched in Devils Diciples probe
Paul Egan / The Detroit News
New Baltimore -- The FBI raided two private homes, a law office, an antique store and a therapy clinic the same day it searched the New Baltimore offices of 42-2 District Court Judge Paul Cassidy in connection with an investigation of a motorcycle club, an FBI spokeswoman said Wednesday.FBI Special Agent Sandra Berchtold said the other searches related to the investigation of the Devils Diciples included:
• Cassidy's New Baltimore home and another home, not connected to Cassidy, on Bayview Drive in Chesterfield Township.
• The Mount Clemens law offices of Kitch, Drutchas, Wagner, Valitutti & Sherbrook. Berchtold would not say which office or offices at the firm were searched, but a firm spokesman said the search was restricted to the law offices of Albert Addis and his son, Paul Addis.
Albert Addis has represented Devils Diciples national president Jeff Garvin "Fat Dog" Smith in criminal and civil cases.
Paul Addis received a campaign donation from Smith when he ran for judge in 2006 and also paid Smith for services Smith provided his judicial campaign, records show. Neither Addis responded Wednesday to phone messages and e-mails.
• Fred's Unique Furniture & Antiques on Eight Mile in Warren. Owner Fadi Baghdadi said he did not know why the FBI searched his shop.
"I'm just a friend," he said. "I play basketball with Paul Cassidy. That's all."
• The Catanese Clinic, a family and substance abuse counseling clinic, in New Baltimore. Therapist Carl Catanese referred questions to his Detroit attorney, Mark Kriger, who declined to comment.
The Devils Diciples, a motorcycle club based in Clinton Township with another clubhouse in Port Huron and chapters around the country, intentionally misspells the word "disciples" in its name.
The FBI has been investigating the club for suspected drug trafficking, illegal gambling, extortion, assault and insurance fraud, documents filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit show.
Cassidy told The Detroit News that he and Smith are boyhood friends and that he believes the FBI is examining court records to see if the judge gave special treatment to club members.
Smith is awaiting trial in federal court after a grand jury indicted him on charges of illegally possessing body armor after having been convicted of a felony.
Federal prosecutors in April also brought drug trafficking and other charges against Smith and 17 other club members and associates.
Those charges were recently dropped, though officials said that was for procedural reasons.
Don't serve low-life scum bikies - MP
April 30, 2009SOUTH Australian businesses should close their doors to "low-life scum" Rebels bikie gang members this weekend, a politician says.
They then will ride on Saturday from Adelaide to Victor Harbor, in the state's south, to protest against anti-bikie legislation that came into effect in SA last year.
Liberal MP Michael Pengilly, whose electorate covers Victor Harbor, has urged hotels, cafes and shops in the popular tourist spot to make a stand against outlaw club members.
"I think they (businesses) should close the doors as these people go through town,'' he said today.
"The disruption (to trading) may be worth it to send a message to these bikies that they're just not welcome.
"We don't need these morons down there and we definitely don't need their money.
"I just think these people are low-life scum, quite frankly.
"It is a hideous thing for our society to have to tolerate these people moving about the way they do with drugs, creating disruptions and blocking up the roads wherever they go.
"The monitoring of these outlaws by the police is just a huge waste of taxpayer money.''
SA Police Detective Superintendent Des Bray said additional police have been rostered on to monitor the Rebels.
"We have got significant resources on duty and significant resources in reserve to accommodate any situation that should arise,'' he said today.
Police have been assured by Rebels members the protest would be peaceful, he said.
It is understood the demonstration will form part of the club's national run, held in a different state each year.
"Suffice to say it will be a very significant number of riders,'' Det Supt Bray said. "We certainly think all the Rebels will go to Parliament House and we do know some representatives from other clubs will join.''
It will be the second time rival clubs have united in a defiant show of strength against SA's Serious and Organised Crime Control Act, under which gang members can be banned from associating.
In March, several gangs held a protest run north of Adelaide.
Premier Mike Rann raised the importance of a national approach to crack down on bikie-related crime at a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in Hobart today.
All state and territory attorneys-general will consider the approach and report back to the next COAG meeting.
Article from: 
April 30, 2009 06:20am
A FACTORY complex, which houses a Rebels motor cycle clubhouse, has been badly damaged by a suspicious fire - raising fresh doubts whether the truce in the bikie war is under threat.
Fire-brigade units were called to the complex in Louise Avenue, Ingleburn, in Sydney's southwest at 9pm last night after reports a hair and beauty products factory was on fire.They were told the adjoining building was a Rebels clubhouse.
Two members of the Rebels arrived at the scene around 11.30pm, saying only "there's a fair bit of damage but it's not too bad."
"We received several 000 calls telling us the that a number of explosions were heard coming from the complex," a fire-brigade spokesman said last night.
"When we arrived the hair care factory was well alight and threatening adjoining premises."
Fire officers on the scene were told by a number of locals the building next door belonged to an outlaw motor cycle gang.
"It will be some time before we can enter the buildings to find out the cause," the spokesman said.
Police said a crime scene had been established and forensic police would work with fire investigators to try to establish the cause of the fire.
Police would not comment on whether the Rebels motor cycle gang owned any property in the complex.
"Specialist Crimes Scene officers are expected to examine the scene today," a spokesman said.
"Investigations into the cause of the fire are continuing."
Only four days ago, eight of the state's most powerful motor cycle gangs held a meeting to sort out a turf war which has led to a series of fire bombings, drive by shootings and murder.
Members of warring bikie gangs the Hells Angels and the Comancheros stood united at a meeting convened to curb violence and fight new laws targeting outlaw motorcycle clubs.
In an unprecedented gathering of bikie members, representatives from the Rebels, Bandidos, God Squad, Black Uhlans, The Finks, and Lone Wolf also took part in the meeting at a Rebels clubhouse in Sydney's southwest.
The gangs forged a new body - the United Motorcycle Club Council of NSW - which plans to challenge NSW legislation that allows police to apply for them to be declared criminal organisations.
The meeting, at Leppington in Sydney's west, received advice on the new laws from Sydney QC Geoffrey Nicholson, who has acted on behalf of Rebels national president Alex Vella for more than 15 years.
Mr Nicholson told media invited into the clubhouse after the meeting: "These laws are very wide in their application. Today a bike club, perhaps tomorrow a trade union ... I would like to think that any right-thinking civil libertarian member of the community would like these laws revisited somehow."
The treasurer of the Sydney chapter of the God Squad, who identified himself only as Fish, said the meeting would help reduce disputes between bikie gangs.
"We're here to assure the public that there is no ongoing disputes in motorcycle clubs," he said.
Apr 30, 2009 12:54 PM
LONDON, ONT. – Murdered Bandidos biker Paul Sinopoli lived modestly in a basement apartment in his parents' home in Jackson's Point, a mass murder trial heard.
"He certainly didn't appear to be living a lavish lifestyle," Det. Tom Dingwall of Durham Regional Police testified today.
"It was a very plain room for the most part," Dingwall said in the trial of six men accused of murdering Sinopoli, 30, and seven other men connected to the Grea
ter Toronto Area chapter of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, nicknamed "The No Surrender Crew."
Sinopoli's bullet-riddled body was found in an abandoned sport utility vehicle on the morning of April 8, 2006, left near the hamlet of Shedden.
No guns, drug paraphernalia or items of much value were found in Sinopoli's room, court heard.
There were scattered papers related to his position as secretary-treasurer of the Toronto chapter of the club, with brief notations by the names of members. By the names of members who were promoted within the club was the notation, "owes a case of beer."
Sinopoli appeared to have three cellphone accounts, and there were also two black leather vests with the "Fat Mexican" crest of the Bandidos club.
One of the club vests was massive, belonging to Sinopoli, whose was estimated to have weighed around 400 pounds.
The ownership of the other vest was unknown, Dingwall said.
The massive vest was returned to Sinopoli's family, so that he could be buried in it, Dingwall said.
"It was Paul's wish to be buried in the vest," Dingwall testified.
Found near Sinopoli's body in other abandoned vehicles were the bodies of Jamie Flanz, 37, of Keswick: John Muscedere, 48, of Chatham; George Jessome, 52, Luis Manny Raposo, 41, and George Kriarakis, 28, all of Toronto; Frank Salerno, 43, of Oakville; and Michael Trotta, 31, of Mississauga.
Court heard that Durham Regional Police had been investigating Sinopoli for playing a role in the December 2005 murder of Shawn Douse of Keswick.
Assistant Crown Attorney Fraser Kelly asked Dingwall if Douse has been an associate or member of the Hells Angels, the world's largest outlaw motorcycle club.
"Absolutely not," Dingwall replied.
Court has heard that Sinopoli had a friendly relationship with some York Region Hells Angels.
The police investigator said that the Douse murder was rooted in personal tensions between Cameron Acorn of the No Surrender Crew and Douse.
"The dispute involved Shawn Douse providing drugs to Cameron Acorn's girlfriend's sister," Dingwall replied.
Facing eight first degree murder charges each are GTA Bandido Wayne Kellestine, 59, of Iona Station, west of London; Winnipeggers Michael Sandham, 39, Marcelo Aravena, 33, Brett Gardiner, 24, and Dwight Mushey, 41; and Frank Mather, 35, of no fixed address.
The trial continues.
May 2
Motorcycle clubbers waive right to hearing
Outlaws Motorcyle Club members arrested in coke ring were in Central Court.
Times Leader staff
WILKES-BARRE – Members of a motorcycle club based in Ashley arrested in March by the state Office of Attorney General in connection with a $3.6 million cocaine distribution ring waived their right to a preliminary hearing in Central Court on Friday.
Thirteen members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club appeared in Central Court.
Those who waived various drug charges to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas were:
Ronald “Block” Molnar, 37, of Joseph Lane, Wilkes-Barre; John “J Bone” Ricci, 36, of Diamond Avenue, Hanover Township; John “G Unit” Gonda, 38, of Fern Ridge Road, White Haven; Joseph “Skidmark” Janick, 44, of North Main Street, Ashley; Patrick Brown III, 39, of Fern Street, Dallas; Michael Brostoski, 46, of Nicole Drive, Wilkes-Barre; Kevin “K Dog” Nowakowski, 33, of Fort Street, Forty Fort; Francis Buraczewski, 37, of Mill Street, Wilkes-Barre; Michael Scavone, 43, of Lake Drive, Harveys Lake; Kenneth Koonrad, 25, of Grove Street, Wilkes-Barre; Michael “Kick Start” Bafile, 38, of Sycamore Street, Berwick; Mitch “Buddah” Miller, 48, of Bank Street, Wilkes-Barre; and Paul “Stepchild” Iorio, 44, of East Ridge Street, Nanticoke.
Nine members of the motorcycle club had their preliminary hearings continued: Anthony Manchio Jr., 49, and Michelle Ulitchney, 47, both from Farmhouse Road, Wapwallopen; Lazaro Salavarria, 43, of Park View Circle, Wilkes-Barre; Larry “Doctor” Gwynn, 54, of Allenberry Drive, Hanover Township; Michelle Adams, 41, of Beech Lane, Harveys Lake; Melissa “Missy” McEvoy, 34, of North Main Street, Ashley; John Macking, 37, of Everhart Street, Hanover Township; Paul Czerniakowski, 44, of Brown Street, Wilkes-Barre; and Robert Muntz, 42, of West Green Street, Nanticoke.
The investigation, known as Operation Avalanche, began in July 2008 when state agents with the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation received information that Gonda was selling large quantities of cocaine in the Wilkes-Barre area, according to state Attorney General Tom Corbett. He identified Gonda as a correctional officer at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
The Outlaws Motorcycle Club had its clubhouse at 128 N. Main St., Ashley, that has been condemned by municipal officials.
2 men killed in separate shootings
City shuts down motorcycle club's social hall
Two men were shot to death and four others were injured Saturday in a pair of shootings and a stabbing that happened about 12 hours and four miles apart.
Wilmington city officials shut down the social hall of the Thunderguards Motorcycle Club in the 2800 block of Northeast Boulevard after a triple shooting nearby left one man dead and two injured shortly after 3:30 a.m. All three were in their 20s, police said.Add to Technorati Favorites
