This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Otimize o seu fluxo de trabalho com o nosso sistema de gesto de ficheiros digitais de grande qualidade. Defense attorney Joseph A. Yanny argued that individual club members may have committed criminal acts but the club is blameless and kicks out members under a zero-tolerance policy for such activity. Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles in 2008 announce the arrest of dozens of Mongols motorcycle club members. Now, here was evidence suggesting that their leader had a secret relationship with the agent who led the investigation. When Ling replied, "People have fought and died for the patches," Dave confirmed her statement (per YouTube). The Mongols Motorcycle Club (Mongols) The Mongols Motorcycle Club (Mongols) is an extremely violent OMG that poses a serious criminal threat to the Pacific and Southwestern regions of the U.S. The mainly Hispanic membership is estimated to include more than 1,000 riders in chapters worldwide. Her husband, she wrote, has been working with the government [this] entire time., He is simply a CI, she wrote a confidential informant. Founded in Montebello in the 1970s, the Mongols are what the ATF has dubbed an outlaw motorcycle gang, along with the Hells Angels, Pagans and Vagos, among others. 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. Minutes, if that., Ciccone, he said, was a fair lawman who never put no bullshit case on the club., When Ciccone took the stand, he told Carter there was nothing secret about his relationship with Santillan, which had been limited to public safety issues. He said he had developed an open line of communication with Santillan; to prevent violence at public events, the men would meet in front of other Mongols as a deterrent., That shows the Mongols the ATF are here, he testified. Colecione, selecione e faa comentrios sobre os seus ficheiros. After two days of testimony from Santillan, his wife and Ciccone, Carter continued the hearing without ruling on the Mongols request for a new trial. Before joining The Times in 2018, he covered city news and state politics at the Hartford Courant. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) have called the Mongols the most violent and dangerous OMG in the nation. In her story on the Mongols for CNN (available on YouTube), journalist Lisa Ling asked a tattoo artist if anyone who wanted one could get a tattoo of a "Mongol head," referring to the head of the official, trademarked Mongol symbol. Members of the Mongols motorcycle club Saturday on the new 6th Street Viaduct. Yanny called it an outright lie that it was decided by a vote and not by Santillan himself. A year later, he was admitted to Mother Chapter, a governing body within the club. Ciccone and Santillan denied having a secret alliance, but Yanny was intent on proving that the Mongols onetime president had tried to undermine the clubs defense at trial. It was a chance encounter.. He said he has not mended relationships with his onetime biker brothers, about a dozen of whom sat stonily in the courtroom as Santillan testified. A federal jury in Santa Ana on Thursday found the Mongols motorcycle club guilty of racketeering and conspiracy, opening the way for the government to seize the clubs trademarked logo and ban members from wearing their cherished patches. The belief that as long as they're not hurting anybody, they should be able to do what they please." They are hardworking people. According to the website One Percenters Bikers, this term came to be in response to statement made in 1947 by the American Motorcycle Association that 99% of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens; clubs such as the Hells Angels, the Outlaws, and the Mongols refer to themselves as the other "1%.". This is my family. According to a report by CNN (available on YouTube), newly accepted members receive patches upon their acceptance into the club. A federal judge Friday slapped the Mongols motorcycle club with a sizable fine and probation as punishment in a racketeering case, but rebuffed another attempt by prosecutors to strip the notoriously violent group of trademarks it holds on its logo. Ventura testified that he neither committed crimes nor was told to do so when he was a club member in the 1970s. John was John Ciccone, an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who had investigated the Mongols for decades. There was nothing inappropriate, Santillan said. In the other was Santillan, who noted bitterly that hed been drummed out of the Mongols and unfairly labeled a rat without due process.. Wasnt it true he was what the Mongols called out bad? According to another Hot Cars article, one of the most important rules of being a Mongol motorcycle club member is never backing down from a fight. What ensued was an ugly airing of the Mongols dirty laundry. One prospective member told Ling, "This is everything to me. Aproveite a escala global da Getty Images, as percees baseadas em dados e a rede de mais de 340000criadores para criar contedos exclusivamente para a sua marca. The agent recalled telling Santillan and his subordinates, Well let you have your fun; just keep your people in check, so to speak.. 
Was he afraid of Ciccone? Carter, who oversaw the trial, ordered the two sides back into his Santa Ana courtroom recently for a hearing to determine what, if any, relationship existed between the ATF and the president of one of its perennial targets. Stubbs described Mongol ideals: "It goes to some core beliefs. Were offering L.A. Times subscribers first access to our best journalism. In the late 1960s Hells Angels didn't allow non-white bikers to join as members. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Brunwin described the club to jurors as a violent organization that attacks people, that kills people and that distributes drugs, and even rewards members who kill with a special skull-and-crossbones patch. Matthew Ormseth is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Failing to call the agent to testify, he added, would fall below my duty to act as a zealous advocate..
", The brotherhood and loyalty aspect of Mongols membership seems to be of ultimate importance to club members. In one corner was the groups longtime attorney, Joseph Yanny, who could hardly conceal his contempt for a former client he now considers a double agent. Yanny asked Santillan what his current status was within the club. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. O design da Getty Images uma marca registada da Getty Images. The Mongols even have their own coded language that they use to communicate with one another, according to Hot Cars. Aceda ao melhor da Getty Images e da iStock com o nosso plano de subscrio simples. Escolher colees de contedo editorial>. nicely." The aforementioned Mongol member Dave joked that the tattoo would be "cut off" of anyone who got one without permission. He and Ciccone were shooting the breeze when the agent said he was retiring in a year. The attempt to defrock club members is an unusual tactic aimed at dismantling a West Covina-based organization that prosecutors alleged engaged in everything from drug-running to murder. When Ling asked "What if I refused?"
Though their members insist they are little more than social clubs, authorities say they murder one another in bitter rivalries and deal drugs and guns. An undated photo shows the Mongols biker gang insignia. (Credit: Michael Robinson Chavez/Los Angeles Times). Trademark and Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. A majority of the Mongols membership consists of Hispanic males who live in the Los Angeles area, and many are former street gang members with a long history of using violence to settle grievances. He suggested that Santillan consider doing the same, because whoever takes his place might not be as nice, Santillan recalled. Santillan said he hadnt wanted Ciccone to testify because the jury would have been put off by Yannys deeply personal line of attack. The president of the notorious Mongols motorcycle club promised hed put his infidelities behind him, get sober and be a better father to their children. So we have to have an exit strategy.. 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. As a mole in the defense camp, they claimed, Santillan had shaped the Mongols trial strategy in ways that helped prosecutors and passed inside knowledge of it to Ciccone. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times). The Mongols have also maintained their ties with Hispanic street gangs in Los Angeles. So you say, Santillan shot back. The Mongols are also known to frequently commit violent crime including assault, intimidation and murder in defense of their territory, and to uphold the reputation of the club. I'll sacrifice anything to be a full patch member."
He pointed to a text message Santillan sent to another attorney during trial: Joe doesnt call the last shot I do, he wrote. Experimente a nossa nova forma interativa de encontrar perspetivas visuais que importam. Why, he demanded, had Santillan wanted to keep the agent off the stand? He reminded Carter that during the trial, the lawyer had accused Ciccone of stoking conflict between the Mongols and the Hells Angels, then sitting back when they erupted into violence. The instruction bothered Yanny. The Mongols trademark remained. He preferred the term in limbo.. 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. After spending a year in Lompoc penitentiary for mail fraud, Santillan returned in 2000. John told me already I have one year, Santillan said. During the five-week trial, prosecutors testified that the Mongols were a violent criminal enterprise. Yanny also showed the court a photograph of Santillan sharing a couple of Bud Lights with Christopher Cervantes, a retired Montebello police lieutenant who partnered with Ciccone on investigations of the Mongols. But he has reconciled with his wife; the two have set aside their divorce proceedings and are living together. The allegation, Santillan said, was a conspiracy theory by Joe Yanny.. Much of the hearing hinged on Santillans drunken comment to his wife that John would no longer be able to protect him. Multiple suspects sought after 4 people are shot in downtown L.A. Californians can soon use cryptocurrencies to donate to state and local candidates, Northern California brush fire grows to nearly 90 acres, destroys at least one structure, Authorities seize 228 alleged cockfighting roosters, 500 pounds of marijuana in Antelope Valley. Yanny grilled Santillan about Ciccone, a self-described street agent who retired in December after a 32-year career with the ATF, much of it spent investigating the Mongols and other motorcycle clubs. Last month, former pro wrestler and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura testified at the trial, denying that the Mongols were a criminal gang. Even if he had wanted to dictate the clubs trial strategy, Santillan said, he didnt have the power to do so. He told me. Ciccone remained on the witness list, but Santillan said that shortly before the Mongols rested their case, he, Yanny and the Mongols other attorneys voted unanimously in the hallway outside of Carters courtroom against calling him. In February 2019, also reported by NBC, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter declined to approve the jury's decision, citing constitutional protections againstexcessive fines and for free speech. Authorities are gambling that they can destroy the clubs identity and thus its allure.
1998 - 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Santillan claimed that he had stayed out of trouble because he cleaned house, putting an end to the drug dealing and shootouts that invited indictments. ", Rules That Members Of The Mongols Bike Gang Have To Follow. 2022 Getty Images.
When federal prosecutors finally managed to put mobster Al Capone behind bars, it wasnt for murder or bootlegging, but tax evasion. The feds are betting on it, Explore more Subscriber Exclusive content, How two L.A. COVID swindlers dodged the FBI and joined the European jet set, Inside the battle for control of a legendary music club and the soul of a high desert town, USC researchers identify symptoms associated with increased risk for long COVID, The new 6th Street bridges baptism by L.A.: Street racers, skaters, taggers and a crash, Suspect escapes after barricading himself in Sun Valley home after shooting by LAPD. Asked what they discussed, Santillan again said they were just shooting the breeze.. The Mongols were founded in 1969 in the eastern Los Angeles suburb of Montebello. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The new case was filed in 2013. As reported by NBC News, prosecutors had been attempting to take down the Mongols for over a decade, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Welk saying members were "empowered by these symbols that they wear like armor." At trial, he mentioned the killing of a Hells Angels leader in San Francisco, a Nevada brawl in 2002 that left members of both clubs dead, and the death of a Pomona policeman who was killed as he broke down the door of a Mongols member to serve a search warrant in 2014. Drunk and despondent, David Santillan called his wife to beg for forgiveness. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Yanny questioned Santillan about an encounter with Ciccone at a Starbucks near the courthouse, which a juror witnessed and reported to the U.S. Santillan said he met Ciccone around 2013, while in court for an earlier racketeering case brought against the Mongols. In the 1980's the Mongols seized control of Southern California from the Hells Angels, and today, the Mongols are allied with the Bandidos, the Outlaws, the Sons of Silence and the Pagans against the Hells Angels. One example given is after a Mongol member committed a murder, the club called a Code 55,instructing members to hide all affiliation, including stopping wearing their vests and patches, carrying weapons, or interacting with law enforcement. As the racketeering trial approached in 2018, however, prosecutors told Ciccone he should stop speaking with Santillan, he said. Almost like you had a guardian angel? Yanny asked. All rights reserved. Id do the same thing if I was meeting with some Hells Angels, he added. Dave repeated, "Nicely. It ain't gonna happen. He denied, however, that prosecutors ever told him his interactions with Santillan up to that point were improper. Ciccone will resume testifying July 22, and Yanny has indicated that he intends to call witnesses who will dispute some of Santillans account. 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. He grilled Santillan about an email hed sent in the lead-up to the trial, in which Santillan demanded that Yanny remove himself and Ciccone from the defenses list of witnesses. You dont see the Hells Angels here.. You told me you were going to badger him on the stand, Santillan told Yanny, cut his head off and s down his throat.. The agent, Santillan said, reminded him that he hadnt been arrested for any serious crimes during his time as the Mongols president. Jorge Gil-Blanco, a retired intelligence officer from the San Jose Police Department who serves as an expert witness on the Mongols in court, opined, "You only see what they want you to see. Ling called her experience "an interesting time" and "exhilarating" and even suggested that the club could serve a positive influence on "a lot of guys who ordinarily might do things they're not supposed to do.". These are ordinary people, he said. He went on to explain, "That's one of the first questions we ask. One year, hes retiring and he cant protect me. [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. Seventy-nine defendants pleaded guilty and a judge ruled that they should forfeit the Mongols trademark but later reversed the decision. Subscribers get early access to this story. Os painis so o melhor local para guardar imagens e clips de vdeo. Then the conversation, which she was secretly recording, turned to John. We figured he was going to be the face of this case, so they said, Hey, try not to have any more conversation with him, Ciccone recalled. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. As a result, a rivalry arose between the two clubs, which resulted in the Mongols exerting force in order to establish a dominant presence in southern California. Now, in light of the recording, Yanny tried to paint the request as part of Santillans larger plan to undermine the Mongols chances at trial. Santillan explained that he was bowling last year with his grandchildren after being exiled from the Mongols when he ran into Cervantes at the bowling alleys bar. Livid at her husband and the fact that his mistress had been harassing her and her children Annie Santillan texted the June 2021 recording to two members of the Mongols. Person eludes police after standoff: LAPD, 4 shot in downtown L.A. random attack: LAPD, Upland man arrested for molesting girl: Police, Jan. 6: Trumps tweet about Pence criticized, New York Rep. Lee Zeldin attacked at campaign stop, Ferrer takes heat on possible conflict of interest, Law enforcement practices for school shooting, Construction worker burned fighting house fire, Jan. 6 hearing focuses on Trump during the insurrection, Puppy found with mouth taped shut at casino, Youtube to remove abortion misinformation, 4 detained in Fashion Island purse theft: Police, New chaperone policy coming to Knotts after fights, U.S. reports first polio case in more than a decade. Santillan pushed back, claiming that Yanny was consumed by a personal issue between himself and Ciccone and prone to ranting and raving about the agent. Ten years later, he was tapped as president.
The Mongols described their presence in Southern California as a "stronghold" and note that "[a]t the time and even now there were really no other 1%er clubs co-existing in these areas." Organize, controle, distribua e mea todos os seus contedos digitais. 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. Milhes de imagens, vdeos e opes de msica de alta qualidade esto sua espera. Mongols biker club hit with hefty fine, but holds on to trademarked logo, Must Reads: Could a notorious biker clubs survival hinge on a trademark? The comments, Santillan said, stemmed from a day he went to an ATF building to pick up boxes of Mongols property that were being returned after the trial. Marshals Service. I'd be willing to take a bullet for a brother and a brother who'd be willing to take a bullet for me." The artist laughed and said no; there was a whole chain of command necessary in order to obtain the right to get such as tattoo. In 2008, dozens of members were charged with racketeering based on an investigation in which agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives infiltrated the club.
Per their archived official website, which appears to have been last updated in 2010, there were 15 members in the original club, and within five years, there were additional chapters inLos Angeles, San Diego, Bakersfield, Long Beach, San Gabriel Valley, and San Fernando Valley. The Mongols are engaged in the transportation and distribution of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine. After his wife circulated what he called the infamous video and labeled him as an informant, Santillan was stripped of his title and excommunicated, he said angrily. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I figured I didnt get indicted in 13 years, I was ahead of the game, he said. Or in other words, he is a rat.. You can't just be a deadbeat and enjoy this brotherhood. ", As the CNN interview with Lisa Ling (available on YouTube)continued, the tattoo artist, who was also a Mongols member, shared that another rule for prospective members is that they must "be a breadwinner to be in this club." 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. Other possible patches include one designating the rider as a "one percenter" biker, and one reading MFFM, which stands for "Mongols Forever, Forever Mongols." You didnt see a problem meeting with the enemy? Yanny asked. It was thrown out two years later by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter but he was overruled on appeal. It was an explosive claim. Thank you for your support.Explore more Subscriber Exclusive content. The belief that the government should stay out of our lives. Three years earlier, a federal jury had convicted the Mongols of racketeering, finding that the group was a criminal organization whose members had beaten and killed rivals and trafficked in drugs. In order to allege conspiracy, they drew a distinction between the Mongol Nation as being the club leaders and higher-ranking members, and the more general motorcycle club membership. Federal prosecutors will ask the judge to fine the Mongol Nation the entity that owns the club trademark and order it to forfeit rights to the image of a bald, ponytailed Genghis Khan-style warrior in sunglasses astride a chopper motorcycle. Three years after a federal jury convicted the Mongols of racketeering, a recording surfaced suggesting that their leader had a secret relationship with the agent who led the investigation. In December 2018, the club was convicted of racketeering and conspiracy, and one month later, in a ruling called the first of its kind, a jury ruled to strip the Mongols of their trademarked logo. It was small talk, and I always had someone around me, he testified. It was very brief. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was established on December 5, 1969 in Montebello, California, a city just east of East Los Angeles. Attorneys for the group asked U.S. District Judge David O. Carter to set aside the jurys verdict, which had sent no Mongols to prison but cost the club a $500,000 fine. Do you have a job? He replied to Santillan that it put him in a near impossible position, and without Ciccones testimony, we have no chance of winning this case. The agent, he noted, supervised all of the informants and undercover agents who had infiltrated the Mongols. Like other motorcycle clubs, the Mongols have a variety of rules they have to follow. Desenvolva a sua marca de forma autntica partilhando contedos da marca com os criadores da Internet. The Mongols club is named for Genghis Khan's Mongol army, which the website characterized as "small in numbers with a lot of heart" who "dominated and decimated their enemies." A short, well-built man with tattoos that climbed above the neck of the collared shirt and blue suit he wore to court, Santillan, known as Little Dave, testified that he joined the Mongols in 1997.
The government had targeted the club because of its large Mexican-American population and had escalated the wrongful acts of a few individuals into a group conviction, Yanny said during trial. Santillan said he spoke with Ciccone only a handful of times over the years, mostly when the agent was surveilling Mongol gatherings. The site compares the code to that used by the military and notes that club members use them to communicate when other methods are unavailable or when they want the content of their conversations to remain private.
Was he afraid of Ciccone? Carter, who oversaw the trial, ordered the two sides back into his Santa Ana courtroom recently for a hearing to determine what, if any, relationship existed between the ATF and the president of one of its perennial targets. Stubbs described Mongol ideals: "It goes to some core beliefs. Were offering L.A. Times subscribers first access to our best journalism. In the late 1960s Hells Angels didn't allow non-white bikers to join as members. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Brunwin described the club to jurors as a violent organization that attacks people, that kills people and that distributes drugs, and even rewards members who kill with a special skull-and-crossbones patch. Matthew Ormseth is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Failing to call the agent to testify, he added, would fall below my duty to act as a zealous advocate..
", The brotherhood and loyalty aspect of Mongols membership seems to be of ultimate importance to club members. In one corner was the groups longtime attorney, Joseph Yanny, who could hardly conceal his contempt for a former client he now considers a double agent. Yanny asked Santillan what his current status was within the club. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. O design da Getty Images uma marca registada da Getty Images. The Mongols even have their own coded language that they use to communicate with one another, according to Hot Cars. Aceda ao melhor da Getty Images e da iStock com o nosso plano de subscrio simples. Escolher colees de contedo editorial>. nicely." The aforementioned Mongol member Dave joked that the tattoo would be "cut off" of anyone who got one without permission. He and Ciccone were shooting the breeze when the agent said he was retiring in a year. The attempt to defrock club members is an unusual tactic aimed at dismantling a West Covina-based organization that prosecutors alleged engaged in everything from drug-running to murder. When Ling asked "What if I refused?"
Though their members insist they are little more than social clubs, authorities say they murder one another in bitter rivalries and deal drugs and guns. An undated photo shows the Mongols biker gang insignia. (Credit: Michael Robinson Chavez/Los Angeles Times). Trademark and Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. A majority of the Mongols membership consists of Hispanic males who live in the Los Angeles area, and many are former street gang members with a long history of using violence to settle grievances. He suggested that Santillan consider doing the same, because whoever takes his place might not be as nice, Santillan recalled. Santillan said he hadnt wanted Ciccone to testify because the jury would have been put off by Yannys deeply personal line of attack. The president of the notorious Mongols motorcycle club promised hed put his infidelities behind him, get sober and be a better father to their children. So we have to have an exit strategy.. 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. As a mole in the defense camp, they claimed, Santillan had shaped the Mongols trial strategy in ways that helped prosecutors and passed inside knowledge of it to Ciccone. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times). The Mongols have also maintained their ties with Hispanic street gangs in Los Angeles. So you say, Santillan shot back. The Mongols are also known to frequently commit violent crime including assault, intimidation and murder in defense of their territory, and to uphold the reputation of the club. I'll sacrifice anything to be a full patch member."
He pointed to a text message Santillan sent to another attorney during trial: Joe doesnt call the last shot I do, he wrote. Experimente a nossa nova forma interativa de encontrar perspetivas visuais que importam. Why, he demanded, had Santillan wanted to keep the agent off the stand? He reminded Carter that during the trial, the lawyer had accused Ciccone of stoking conflict between the Mongols and the Hells Angels, then sitting back when they erupted into violence. The instruction bothered Yanny. The Mongols trademark remained. He preferred the term in limbo.. 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. After spending a year in Lompoc penitentiary for mail fraud, Santillan returned in 2000. John told me already I have one year, Santillan said. During the five-week trial, prosecutors testified that the Mongols were a violent criminal enterprise. Yanny also showed the court a photograph of Santillan sharing a couple of Bud Lights with Christopher Cervantes, a retired Montebello police lieutenant who partnered with Ciccone on investigations of the Mongols. But he has reconciled with his wife; the two have set aside their divorce proceedings and are living together. The allegation, Santillan said, was a conspiracy theory by Joe Yanny.. Much of the hearing hinged on Santillans drunken comment to his wife that John would no longer be able to protect him. Multiple suspects sought after 4 people are shot in downtown L.A. Californians can soon use cryptocurrencies to donate to state and local candidates, Northern California brush fire grows to nearly 90 acres, destroys at least one structure, Authorities seize 228 alleged cockfighting roosters, 500 pounds of marijuana in Antelope Valley. Yanny grilled Santillan about Ciccone, a self-described street agent who retired in December after a 32-year career with the ATF, much of it spent investigating the Mongols and other motorcycle clubs. Last month, former pro wrestler and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura testified at the trial, denying that the Mongols were a criminal gang. Even if he had wanted to dictate the clubs trial strategy, Santillan said, he didnt have the power to do so. He told me. Ciccone remained on the witness list, but Santillan said that shortly before the Mongols rested their case, he, Yanny and the Mongols other attorneys voted unanimously in the hallway outside of Carters courtroom against calling him. In February 2019, also reported by NBC, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter declined to approve the jury's decision, citing constitutional protections againstexcessive fines and for free speech. Authorities are gambling that they can destroy the clubs identity and thus its allure.
1998 - 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Santillan claimed that he had stayed out of trouble because he cleaned house, putting an end to the drug dealing and shootouts that invited indictments. ", Rules That Members Of The Mongols Bike Gang Have To Follow. 2022 Getty Images.
When federal prosecutors finally managed to put mobster Al Capone behind bars, it wasnt for murder or bootlegging, but tax evasion. The feds are betting on it, Explore more Subscriber Exclusive content, How two L.A. COVID swindlers dodged the FBI and joined the European jet set, Inside the battle for control of a legendary music club and the soul of a high desert town, USC researchers identify symptoms associated with increased risk for long COVID, The new 6th Street bridges baptism by L.A.: Street racers, skaters, taggers and a crash, Suspect escapes after barricading himself in Sun Valley home after shooting by LAPD. Asked what they discussed, Santillan again said they were just shooting the breeze.. The Mongols were founded in 1969 in the eastern Los Angeles suburb of Montebello. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The new case was filed in 2013. As reported by NBC News, prosecutors had been attempting to take down the Mongols for over a decade, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Welk saying members were "empowered by these symbols that they wear like armor." At trial, he mentioned the killing of a Hells Angels leader in San Francisco, a Nevada brawl in 2002 that left members of both clubs dead, and the death of a Pomona policeman who was killed as he broke down the door of a Mongols member to serve a search warrant in 2014. Drunk and despondent, David Santillan called his wife to beg for forgiveness. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Yanny questioned Santillan about an encounter with Ciccone at a Starbucks near the courthouse, which a juror witnessed and reported to the U.S. Santillan said he met Ciccone around 2013, while in court for an earlier racketeering case brought against the Mongols. In the 1980's the Mongols seized control of Southern California from the Hells Angels, and today, the Mongols are allied with the Bandidos, the Outlaws, the Sons of Silence and the Pagans against the Hells Angels. One example given is after a Mongol member committed a murder, the club called a Code 55,instructing members to hide all affiliation, including stopping wearing their vests and patches, carrying weapons, or interacting with law enforcement. As the racketeering trial approached in 2018, however, prosecutors told Ciccone he should stop speaking with Santillan, he said. Almost like you had a guardian angel? Yanny asked. All rights reserved. Id do the same thing if I was meeting with some Hells Angels, he added. Dave repeated, "Nicely. It ain't gonna happen. He denied, however, that prosecutors ever told him his interactions with Santillan up to that point were improper. Ciccone will resume testifying July 22, and Yanny has indicated that he intends to call witnesses who will dispute some of Santillans account. 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. He grilled Santillan about an email hed sent in the lead-up to the trial, in which Santillan demanded that Yanny remove himself and Ciccone from the defenses list of witnesses. You dont see the Hells Angels here.. You told me you were going to badger him on the stand, Santillan told Yanny, cut his head off and s down his throat.. The agent, Santillan said, reminded him that he hadnt been arrested for any serious crimes during his time as the Mongols president. Jorge Gil-Blanco, a retired intelligence officer from the San Jose Police Department who serves as an expert witness on the Mongols in court, opined, "You only see what they want you to see. Ling called her experience "an interesting time" and "exhilarating" and even suggested that the club could serve a positive influence on "a lot of guys who ordinarily might do things they're not supposed to do.". These are ordinary people, he said. He went on to explain, "That's one of the first questions we ask. One year, hes retiring and he cant protect me. [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. Seventy-nine defendants pleaded guilty and a judge ruled that they should forfeit the Mongols trademark but later reversed the decision. Subscribers get early access to this story. Os painis so o melhor local para guardar imagens e clips de vdeo. Then the conversation, which she was secretly recording, turned to John. We figured he was going to be the face of this case, so they said, Hey, try not to have any more conversation with him, Ciccone recalled. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. As a result, a rivalry arose between the two clubs, which resulted in the Mongols exerting force in order to establish a dominant presence in southern California. Now, in light of the recording, Yanny tried to paint the request as part of Santillans larger plan to undermine the Mongols chances at trial. Santillan explained that he was bowling last year with his grandchildren after being exiled from the Mongols when he ran into Cervantes at the bowling alleys bar. Livid at her husband and the fact that his mistress had been harassing her and her children Annie Santillan texted the June 2021 recording to two members of the Mongols. Person eludes police after standoff: LAPD, 4 shot in downtown L.A. random attack: LAPD, Upland man arrested for molesting girl: Police, Jan. 6: Trumps tweet about Pence criticized, New York Rep. Lee Zeldin attacked at campaign stop, Ferrer takes heat on possible conflict of interest, Law enforcement practices for school shooting, Construction worker burned fighting house fire, Jan. 6 hearing focuses on Trump during the insurrection, Puppy found with mouth taped shut at casino, Youtube to remove abortion misinformation, 4 detained in Fashion Island purse theft: Police, New chaperone policy coming to Knotts after fights, U.S. reports first polio case in more than a decade. Santillan pushed back, claiming that Yanny was consumed by a personal issue between himself and Ciccone and prone to ranting and raving about the agent. Ten years later, he was tapped as president.
The Mongols described their presence in Southern California as a "stronghold" and note that "[a]t the time and even now there were really no other 1%er clubs co-existing in these areas." Organize, controle, distribua e mea todos os seus contedos digitais. 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. Milhes de imagens, vdeos e opes de msica de alta qualidade esto sua espera. Mongols biker club hit with hefty fine, but holds on to trademarked logo, Must Reads: Could a notorious biker clubs survival hinge on a trademark? The comments, Santillan said, stemmed from a day he went to an ATF building to pick up boxes of Mongols property that were being returned after the trial. Marshals Service. I'd be willing to take a bullet for a brother and a brother who'd be willing to take a bullet for me." The artist laughed and said no; there was a whole chain of command necessary in order to obtain the right to get such as tattoo. In 2008, dozens of members were charged with racketeering based on an investigation in which agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives infiltrated the club.
Per their archived official website, which appears to have been last updated in 2010, there were 15 members in the original club, and within five years, there were additional chapters inLos Angeles, San Diego, Bakersfield, Long Beach, San Gabriel Valley, and San Fernando Valley. The Mongols are engaged in the transportation and distribution of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine. After his wife circulated what he called the infamous video and labeled him as an informant, Santillan was stripped of his title and excommunicated, he said angrily. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I figured I didnt get indicted in 13 years, I was ahead of the game, he said. Or in other words, he is a rat.. You can't just be a deadbeat and enjoy this brotherhood. ", As the CNN interview with Lisa Ling (available on YouTube)continued, the tattoo artist, who was also a Mongols member, shared that another rule for prospective members is that they must "be a breadwinner to be in this club." 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. Other possible patches include one designating the rider as a "one percenter" biker, and one reading MFFM, which stands for "Mongols Forever, Forever Mongols." You didnt see a problem meeting with the enemy? Yanny asked. It was thrown out two years later by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter but he was overruled on appeal. It was an explosive claim. Thank you for your support.Explore more Subscriber Exclusive content. The belief that the government should stay out of our lives. Three years earlier, a federal jury had convicted the Mongols of racketeering, finding that the group was a criminal organization whose members had beaten and killed rivals and trafficked in drugs. In order to allege conspiracy, they drew a distinction between the Mongol Nation as being the club leaders and higher-ranking members, and the more general motorcycle club membership. Federal prosecutors will ask the judge to fine the Mongol Nation the entity that owns the club trademark and order it to forfeit rights to the image of a bald, ponytailed Genghis Khan-style warrior in sunglasses astride a chopper motorcycle. Three years after a federal jury convicted the Mongols of racketeering, a recording surfaced suggesting that their leader had a secret relationship with the agent who led the investigation. In December 2018, the club was convicted of racketeering and conspiracy, and one month later, in a ruling called the first of its kind, a jury ruled to strip the Mongols of their trademarked logo. It was small talk, and I always had someone around me, he testified. It was very brief. The Mongols Motorcycle Club was established on December 5, 1969 in Montebello, California, a city just east of East Los Angeles. Attorneys for the group asked U.S. District Judge David O. Carter to set aside the jurys verdict, which had sent no Mongols to prison but cost the club a $500,000 fine. Do you have a job? He replied to Santillan that it put him in a near impossible position, and without Ciccones testimony, we have no chance of winning this case. The agent, he noted, supervised all of the informants and undercover agents who had infiltrated the Mongols. Like other motorcycle clubs, the Mongols have a variety of rules they have to follow. Desenvolva a sua marca de forma autntica partilhando contedos da marca com os criadores da Internet. The Mongols club is named for Genghis Khan's Mongol army, which the website characterized as "small in numbers with a lot of heart" who "dominated and decimated their enemies." A short, well-built man with tattoos that climbed above the neck of the collared shirt and blue suit he wore to court, Santillan, known as Little Dave, testified that he joined the Mongols in 1997.
The government had targeted the club because of its large Mexican-American population and had escalated the wrongful acts of a few individuals into a group conviction, Yanny said during trial. Santillan said he spoke with Ciccone only a handful of times over the years, mostly when the agent was surveilling Mongol gatherings. The site compares the code to that used by the military and notes that club members use them to communicate when other methods are unavailable or when they want the content of their conversations to remain private.