Hells Angels MC
88-664: Support: Outlaws MC Support: Loners MC Support: The Ontario Biker War in Canada saw the Hells Angels engage their long-term rivals the Outlaws Motorcycle Club for control of the province of Ontario . The war occurred between 1999 and 2002 and is also known as the London Biker conflict as a large majority of the events occurred in the city of London, Ontario . The Quebec Biker War ,
176-531: A "dress shirt (retirement style)", according to the club's bylaws. Some club leaders, however, such as James "Big Jim" Nolan , have at times upheld a ban on members retiring from the Outlaws. Outlaws chapters are governed by an elected officer corps consisting of a president , vice president , treasurer , and sergeant-at-arms , or " enforcer ". Chapters follow guidelines that dictate election procedures, gatherings, and action against members who have violated
264-714: A "patching over" ceremony to witness the Satan's Angels gang join the Hells Angels. Enraged, Parente and the other Outlaws proceeded to shoot up the bus when it stopped at the Greyhound bus station in Wawa in an attempt to kill the two Hells Angels. Though no one was killed, the Wawa incident showed how strongly Parente felt about Hells Angels moving into Ontario, which had been considered Outlaws territory since 1977. London, Ontario
352-428: A $ 300 fine. Members are also instructed by the club to attend funerals of fellow Outlaws. Additionally, Outlaws members reportedly transfer their membership from chapter to chapter more frequently than members of other prominent motorcycle clubs. Regarding contact with non-club members, Outlaws are required to adhere to a "strict no comment policy". After a year of membership in the club, Outlaws are eligible to sport
440-450: A black shirt or hand-painted onto leather jackets. Influenced by the fictional Black Rebel Motorcycle Club depicted in the film The Wild One , the Outlaws added crossed pistons affixed to the original small skull in 1954, a design embroidered on a black western-style shirt with white piping. The skull and crossed pistons logo, known as "Charlie", was redesigned in 1959, making it larger and with more detail. The club's "Charlie" insignia
528-522: A chapter in the Far East when a full charter was awarded to a club in Okinawa City . The Outlaws' original insignia consisted of a head-on view of a motorcycle in a winged circle, which was hand-painted onto the back of members' jackets. In 1950, the club's logo was changed; a small skull replaced the winged motorcycle, and Old English -style letters were adopted. This design was embroidered on
616-696: A collection of photographs and interviews documenting the lifestyle of members of the club in the 1960s. Lyon spent four years riding with the Outlaws' Chicago chapter beginning in 1963 and became a full-fledged member of the club in "an attempt to record and glorify the life of the American bike rider". The Bikeriders preceded Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs by Hunter S. Thompson , who warned Lyon that he should "get to hell out of that club unless it's absolutely necessary for photo action." During
704-596: A dying breed" as well as the more generic "Outlaws forever, forever Outlaws" ("OFFO") are other mottos used by the club. Patches featuring these various abbreviations are commonly worn by Outlaws members. To be eligible for Outlaws membership, applicants must be White men over the age of 21 and also be in possession of an American-made motorcycle of at least 750 cc . Outlaws in the United States and Canada are essentially limited to riding Indian , Victory and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, which are most common in
792-668: A membership of over 3,000, the club is also the third-largest in the world, behind the Hells Angels and the Bandidos . Outlaws members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The club is designated an organized crime syndicate by numerous law enforcement and international intelligence agencies, including the United States Department of Justice , the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada , and Europol . Originating as
880-501: A pipe bomb. In July 2001, three members of the Hells Angels were charged with extortion when they attempted to get a $ 70,000 payment from a business owner. The three men pled guilty to lesser charges. In December 2001, the Hells Angels patched over a dozen more Outlaws in Ontario. Other Outlaws were faced with an ultimatum: switch sides or retire. On January 7, 2002, the trial for the three Hells Angels members facing extortion began. On
968-500: A promise that there would be no biker war in Ontario. Overnight, the Hells Angels went from no chapter in Ontario to 13, giving them a massive increase in both manpower and area of operation. Throughout 2000, brawls were common between the two groups across the province, with multiple injuries on both sides. By early 2001, the Hells Angels had established a prospective chapter in London, Ontario. They began investing in businesses within
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#17327838327591056-472: A result, since late 2002, the Hells Angels, despite periodic run-ins with authorities, controlled London's motorcycle scene, and had begun solidifying their hold on the province, a hold they have maintained ever since. In early 2012, tensions between the two groups erupted again in London, Ontario . After years of remaining out of the headlines for the most part, the city's street gangs began to gain notoriety in
1144-399: A rounded triangle. The A.O.A. emblem was adopted as a parody of the A.M.A. logo. A patch listing a member's rank within the organization is also worn by club officers. An "S.S." patch featuring twin lightning bolts is allegedly awarded to members who have committed murder, attempted murder or a bombing on behalf of the club. A black-and-white color scheme is associated with the Outlaws, as
1232-544: A silencer and pictures of Alain "Red Tomato" Brunette, the national president of the Bandidos, together with various other Ontario Bandidos, which suggested the two Rockers from Montreal had been sent to kill them. The Coates brothers' attempts to replicate the brutality of the Quebec club brought unnecessary complications. That did not sit well with the club's leadership who quickly realized that these actions were damaging for
1320-591: A statement reading: "The government has labeled the Outlaws MC a criminal organization and all it's [ sic ] members as criminals simply because they are members. This is one of the most untrue and unjust statements ever made concerning our club. Each and every day through out [ sic ] America and the World members of Law Enforcement, Religious, Fraternal organizations as well as many other groups are convicted of criminal activity. Their membership
1408-526: A tattoo of the club's emblem as well as club slogans, such as "God forgives, Outlaws don't", or "GFOD". After five years, club members may have replicas of their "colors" tattooed on their backs. Additional tattoos may reflect membership information. Allegedly, a member who has killed or attempted to kill for the Outlaws is permitted to wear "lightening bolts", a tattoo featuring a Nazi -style "SS" doppelte Siegrune (double sig runes) symbol. Incarcerated Outlaws members are known as "Lounge Lizards", of which
1496-468: A year, and local runs typically occur weekly. Membership dues are divided between the chapter and the region and are used to finance activities such as memorials and group excursions. Outlaws members are usually assessed a fee if a fellow club member is in need of legal assistance. It is compulsory for all members other than chapter presidents to take turns providing 24-hour armed guard at Outlaws clubhouses. Indiscipline and rule breaches are punished with
1584-619: Is Totenkopf imagery, symbols such as a hand clenching a pistol, and paraphernalia featuring the phrases "Support Black & White" and "Support Your Local Outlaws", or "SYLO". In 1969, the club adopted the motto "God forgives, Outlaws don't" ("GFOD"). The Outlaws' rivalry with the Hells Angels has given rise to other phrases used by Outlaws members; namely "ADIOS" (the Spanish word for "goodbye", but in this case doubling as an acronym for " A ngels D ie I n O utlaw S tates"), and "All Hells Angels must die", or "AHAMD". "Snitches are
1672-592: Is a registered trademark . In 1963, the Outlaws began wearing a diamond-shaped " 1%er " patch , becoming the first club east of the Mississippi River to do so. The "one percenter" emblem was originally adopted by several California biker clubs beginning in 1960. After incorporating as the American Outlaws Association in 1965, the club added an additional A.O.A. patch to its " colors ", featuring an upstretched middle finger in
1760-478: Is corrupt and vicious and violent. It always has been, since the 1600s-that' nothing new". In February 2002, the expo was on a Saturday and was open to the public. Larry Pooler, a Toronto Hells Angles told The London Free Press that there was no danger of violence, saying that the Quebec Biker War was due to what he called the violent nature of French-Canadian society as he stated: "Their whole society
1848-638: Is corrupt and vicious and violent. It always has been, since the 1600s-that' nothing new...I I was black or wore a turban, my pockets would be lined with gold from civil suits. But I'm just poor white-trash biker". Around mid-afternoon, 120 Outlaws and Bandidos arrived at the Western Fair district in London. On the other side were 110 Hells Angels and their support club, the Jackals. Some of the Outlaws arriving wore body armour while others brandished large knives on their belts. The Bandidos, who had traveled up
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#17327838327591936-449: Is forbidden for any item bearing the club's logo to touch the floor. Members are required to pay dues of $ 1,200 per year and to attend local, regional and national events. Obligatory chapter "church" meetings are held weekly, and club motorcycle trips and parties which may last several days, known as "runs", are held throughout the year. National runs take place three or four times per year, regional runs occur between five and twenty times
2024-533: The Highway 401 from Toronto or from Detroit, arrived in a large group. They made a public display of respect for the Outlaws, then positioned themselves with their allies. The Bandidos were led by Giovanni Muscedere , the Outlaws by their national president Mario Parente , and the Hells Angels by the Ottawa chapter president Paul Porter . Muscedere hugged Parente as a sign of support, and then went about insulting
2112-549: The Midwest . The South Side, Chicago chapter was designated the club's "mother chapter" in 1964 and is known as the "Mother Ship" among Outlaws members. During the presidency of Harry "Taco" Bowman , from 1984 until 1999, the Outlaws' leadership was based in Detroit . Bowman's successor, James "Big Frank" Wheeler, relocated the club's headquarters to Tampa, Florida . The subsequent Outlaws international president, Jack Rosga,
2200-541: The 2010s when a war broke out between the London chapter of the Hells Angels MC and the FU Crew, a local street gang backed by the London chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club . This resulted in the deaths of several individuals, and the arson of several biker and gang-owned businesses and vehicles, with some of the bikers fleeing town temporarily. The dispute first flared up when a tattoo parlor associated with
2288-635: The Bandidos (operation was originally created for the Rock Machine until they merged into the Bandidos in 2001) and Hells Angels in Canada. Project Retire was intended to cripple the Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Ontario. The Police seized six stolen vehicles, 44 firearms, narcotics worth about $ 1.6 million, and five properties owned by the Outlaws. The operation resulted in all 58 full-patch Outlaws in Ontario being arrested including all of
2376-554: The Cornwall altercation, a large fire broke out at an Outlaws clubhouse in the downtown core of Brockville. The fire was significant and spread to multiple other structures and residences, forcing people to evacuate from their homes. Police have confirmed that the Loners are likely involved, but are not linking the two events. The fire was deemed suspicious due to the ownership of the building and significant amounts of fuel being found in
2464-555: The H.A., their priority is to absorb other gangs and gain territorial control. In order to do that, they either have to befriend or fight their rivals." The Quebec Biker War began in 1994 and saw the Hells Angels face the Canadian-based Rock Machine for control of the narcotics trade in the province. By 2000, the war had intensified. The Rock Machine began expanding into Ontario with three chapters (Toronto, Kingston and Niagara Falls). Not wanting to fall behind
2552-649: The Hells Angels began when three Hells Angel bikers were executed by Outlaw members in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 27, 1974. The triple murder was carried out in retaliation for the earlier beating of an Outlaw by a Hells Angel, which took place in New York City on December 31, 1973. The Hells Angels declared war on the Outlaws during a club summit held in Cleveland later in 1974. The conflict resulted in hundreds of fatalities in each club in
2640-542: The Hells Angels with much enthusiasm. The Bandidos and the Outlaws found themselves surrounded on three sides by Hells Angels and their support clubs. Surprised spectators fled to safe distances. Before hostilities could begin, a team of over 40 police officers from the London Police Service intervened and physically separated the two groups, demanding that the Bandidos, especially members of international status to depart. Police Chief Murray Faulkner said: "If
2728-577: The Hells Angels, it established its first Ontario chapter in Toronto in the summer of 2000. That same summer, Stadnick gave a limited time offer to Outlaw motorcycle clubs in Ontario (especially Satan's Choice and Para-dice Riders) to join the Hells Angels on a "patch-for-patch" basis, receiving Hells Angels patches that would be the equivalent of their current patches. There would be no probationary period for Hells Angels club membership, and all members would receive Full-Patch. This resulted in 168 members of
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2816-561: The Hells Angels. On the same day, a massage parlor in St. Thomas, Ontario , was burned down. Two more tattoo parlors were also threatened, and some Hells Angels pulled back to regain their footing. The conflict would eventually deescalate with a presumed peace being declared. In August 2022 the OPP, Kingston Police and Brockville Police executed search warrants in Odessa , Sydenham , and Kingston . This
2904-408: The London chapter. The London chapter of the Outlaws countered this by putting restrictions and intense pressure on members not to defect, sometimes with the threat of violence. Some Outlaws did switch sides and suffered violent retaliation. More exchanges occurred during this period after three Outlaws in London defected to Hell's Angels, exchanges saw at least 15 people injured in 2001. In June 2001,
2992-582: The Loners did not agree with him started meeting in secret with the Hells Angels Sherbrooke chapter, Kellestine stripped them of their colours. One Loner was also stuck with a pistol and robbed for making further comments. Together, the Coates brothers worked to encourage a mutiny against Kellestine with the promise of joining the Angels as the reward. On 22 October 1999, an assassination attempt
3080-595: The McCook Outlaws MC, the club was founded by Electro-Motive Company employees at Matilda's bar on Route 66 in the southwestern Chicago suburb of McCook, Illinois in 1935. John Davis was reportedly the founder of the club. Although inactive during World War II , the Outlaws reformed afterwards and attended the first major post-war motorcycle rally , held at Soldier Field in Chicago in May 1946. By 1950,
3168-570: The Niagara Falls chapter under Ward's supervision. The London chapter was temporarily put under direct administration by the Toronto North chapter, led by Miller. A relatively peaceful period would follow these events, at least to the public eye. With the recent pressure, the unfinished conflict with the Outlaws went on hiatus and it would never end up resuming. Police had started infiltrating the Outlaws MC in 1999, at that time they were
3256-468: The Ontario biker clubs except the Outlaws and Satan's Choice . Frank Lenti and the Loners were guests of honor at the party. Stadnick tried to persuade Lenti to have the Loners "patch over" to the Hells Angels, an offer that Lenti refused. However, a working relationship was established after the Loners agreed to buy their narcotics from the Angels. On April 7, 1998, Jeffrey Labrash, acting President of
3344-572: The Ontario-based leadership. Besides for Parente, those arrested included former national president Andrew "Teach" Simmons of the Kingston chapter for attempted murder; Thomas Hughes, the president of the London chapter for attempted murder; Cornelisse for attempted murder;, and Thomas Roger Harmsworth of London, who had been shot by Kellestine in 1991 and refused to name him as the shooter. The Outlaws club has never been able to fully recover. As
3432-614: The Outlaws London chapter, and fellow Full-Patch Outlaw Jody Hart, were victims of a shooting in the parking lot of the Beef Baron, a strip club on York Street in London, Ontario . On the same day as the funerals for Labrash and Hart, T. J. Baxter's Tap & Grill, a popular restaurant in London, was bombed, injuring five and causing an estimated $ 1,000,000 in damages. Two associates of the Hell's Angels were arrested and charged for
3520-490: The Outlaws clubhouse. The Jackals demanded that Marcus Cornelisse, an Outlaw, come out of Hughes's house to talk to them. Instead, Hughes and Cornelisse came out and open fire, leading to a shoot-out that saw one Jackal, Eric Davignon, shot in the stomach. Through a number of shots were exchanged, neither side could aim very well and Davingon was the only person hit. The shoot-out ended with the Jackals fleeing in their car as Hughes and Cornelisse ran after them, shooting wildly into
3608-493: The Outlaws is "patched" or "patchwearing" member, which is attained by a unanimous vote of each chapter. Upon becoming a full-fledged member, an Outlaw is permitted to wear a vest bearing the club's insignia, known as " colors ", and to attend weekly "church" meetings. The patch on a member's colors displaying the Outlaws emblem is surrounded by other patches denoting chapter and club membership information, which are called "rockers". These rocker patches are purchased directly from
Ontario Biker War - Misplaced Pages Continue
3696-502: The Outlaws motorcycle club was set ablaze on the morning of January 7. During this period, the Hells Angels had begun to lean on the FU Crew to operate for them in London. When this was refused, a vehicle belonging to the leader of the street gang (who had connections with the Outlaws) was burned. Tensions continued with two separate fires at a massage parlour and a strip club, and then the shooting on January 11 of two people associated with
3784-488: The Outlaws' Woodstock chapter clubhouse was burnt to the ground in an act of arson. The Hells Angels were suspected to be involved. A week later, an Outlaw was arrested just outside of the Angels' clubhouse at 732 York Street. In August of the same year, a member of the Outlaws was pulled over by police en route to the York Street clubhouse of the Hells Angels, and authorities confiscated body armor, various firearms, and
3872-556: The Outlaws, and are required to perform menial tasks and guard duties on the Outlaws' behalf. According to law enforcement, the Outlaws utilize support clubs to carry out retail-level drug distribution and violent crimes in order to insulate the club from possible criminal liability. The official, and primary, support club for the Outlaws is the Black Pistons Motorcycle Club , which is active internationally. Other support clubs range from local groups, such as
3960-649: The Para-dice Riders, Satan's Choice, Lobos and the Last Chance "patching" to the Angels. Even members of the Rock Machine and Outlaws went over to the Hells Angels. Paul "Sasquatch" Porter, a founding member of the Rock Machine and the president of their Kingston chapter, wrote on the wall of the clubhouse: "Hello to all the RMMC, I wish you the best with your new colors! Bye my brothers!" Porter became
4048-652: The Show Productions, from the London Fairgrounds permanently. On March 10, 2002, near Kingston , the OPP pulled over for speeding on the 401 highway a car carrying Daniel Lamer and Marc Bouffard, both of whom were members of the Rockers, the Hells Angels' puppet club in Montreal. Lamer opened fire on OPP constable Dan Brisson, who returned fire, killing him. Found inside the car were four handguns,
4136-771: The Undertakers MC in Lexington, Kentucky , to regional clubs like the Chosen Few MC, which is based in Canada and Upstate New York. Although the Outlaws are a White -only club, the group's support clubs include African American motorcycle clubs, such as the Outcast MC. In Norway, the Outlaws oversee the Black & White Crew, a "street crew" in which members are not required to own a motorcycle. The Outlaws are classified by various law enforcement agencies in
4224-474: The United States as one of the "big four" motorcycle gangs , along with the Bandidos , the Hells Angels , and the Pagans . The Department of Justice contends that the club is involved in organized crime , including drug trafficking, extortion, money laundering, prostitution rings, weapons trafficking, and violent acts directed at rival clubs. One recurring allegation is that the Outlaws are responsible for
4312-577: The area. Four more people were charged, bringing the total to nine, and multiple weapons were seized. Outlaws Motorcycle Club The Outlaws Motorcycle Club , incorporated as the American Outlaws Association or its acronym, A.O.A. , is an international outlaw motorcycle club . Founded in McCook, Illinois in 1935, the Outlaws MC is the oldest outlaw biker club in the world. With 441 chapters located in 43 countries, and
4400-469: The brothers got out, they would be running the club's Hells Angels London chapter. The Hells Angels were intent on gaining influence in Southern Ontario especially. In other areas of Ontario, clubs had been quite welcoming of the Angels; but here they faced stiff resistance, their main opposition being their old time rival the Outlaws Motorcycle Club (at the time, the largest motorcycle club in
4488-643: The building. Later, the OPP Biker Enforcement Unit confirmed its involvement in the investigation and stated that they suspected arson. While both the Outlaws and Loners are known to locals, the Loners are believed to be a more recent addition to the area. The head of the Biker Enforcement Unit, Inspector Scott Wade, stated that outlaw motorcycle clubs had expanded in recent years, mostly driven by "support" or "puppet" clubs which he said had grown exponentially. Wade also warned
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#17327838327594576-464: The chapter, before being made a prospective member, or "prospect"; if he is approved by the club, then a prospect is moved up to probationary, or "probate", status, a position in which he is required to demonstrate his commitment to the club. A probate is identified by wearing a mandatory patch on a cut-off leather or denim vest reading: "Probationary Outlaws". The probationary period typically lasts several months. The highest level of membership in
4664-475: The city, this would include strip clubs, tattoo shops and a half-dozen exotic-massage parlors, referred to as "rub 'n' tugs" by many in London. They were also involved in the automotive trade, but most specifically in the city's narcotics market. In addition to their own businesses, the Hells Angels allegedly supplied a group of up to 30 street gang members to cook cocaine powder into crack, and peddle it on London street corners, sources claim. A Hells Angels clubhouse
4752-616: The club business and image. In early July 2002, London chapter President John Coates and his Hells Angels sponsor, Georges "Bo-Boy" Beaulieu of the Sherbrooke chapter, attended a meeting with Gerald Ward , head of the Niagara chapter, and William Miller, President of the North Toronto chapter. Coates was told "you're done" as far as the city of London was concerned. The Coates brothers and some of their associates were transferred to
4840-839: The club had begun recruiting members from around the Chicago area and was renamed the Chicago Outlaws MC after relocating its headquarters to the South Side of the city. In 1964, the Outlaws merged with the Cult biker club from Voorheesville, New York , the Gypsy Outlaws of Milwaukee , and the Gypsy Raiders in Louisville, Kentucky , becoming the largest " one percenter " club east of the Mississippi River and
4928-405: The club maintains a list and collects money on behalf of. An Outlaw who has served a prison sentence is entitled to receive an "LL", or "Lounge Lizard", tattoo. Other tattoos common with club members include "AHAMD", an acronym for "All Hells Angels must die". Members can leave the club in either "bad standing", "good standing", in retirement or when deceased. Retired Outlaws are permitted to wear
5016-602: The club's bylaws. According to law enforcement, the Outlaws' internal enforcer squad is known as the "S.S.". The club has 441 chapters located in 43 countries, in Asia, Europe and North America. Each chapter is headquartered at a clubhouse, which is typically a building secured by concrete walls, steel doors, razor wire, guard dogs, and video surveillance. Clubhouses are used to host "church" meetings and parties. Chapter presidents report to regional presidents, who oversee individual regions, which are divided and named by color, such as
5104-421: The club. Outside of North America, however, this rule has been relaxed, allowing members to ride motorcycles manufactured in any country, provided they are in the chopper style. The following five criteria are considered when evaluating an aspiring Outlaws member: To be formally inducted into club, applicants have to be sponsored by a member, and they begin as an associate, or "hangaround", in order to assist
5192-414: The dark. Hughes was charged with four counts of attempted murder. He also incurred 23 additional charges relating to firearms, ammunition, this included semi-auto rifles and explosives in his residence. Eventually the attempted-murder charges were dropped as self defense, he was sentenced to only 30 months incarceration. By now, London City council and London Police Service were under intense pressure by
5280-478: The early 1970s, a power struggle for control of the Outlaws developed between a faction of " beer drinkers" and a rival group of club members who preferred to smoke marijuana . John Davis, the reputed founder of the Outlaws, was killed by a "pot smoker" and Vietnam veteran during a shootout near Lake Shore Drive on the North Side of Chicago as a result of the feud. The Outlaws' long-standing rivalry with
5368-516: The effect of "give up your patch or die". On 12 April 2001, the Hells Angels promptly informed the Loners that they did not have the right to use "Ontario" on their patch, as the Loners were only a "regional" club. Unable to stand on their own, the Chatham/London Loners joined the Bandidos on 22 May 2001, as probationary members becoming full members on 1 December 2001. The Angels also began aggressively attempting to recruit Outlaws to
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#17327838327595456-424: The following decades. In 1977, the Outlaws became an international club when several chapters of the Satan's Choice Motorcycle Club in Canada "patched over". The club further expanded internationally, into France in 1993, Australia in 1994, and Norway in 1995. Additional chapters were subsequently established throughout Europe. In November 2006, the Outlaws became the first major outlaw motorcycle club to open
5544-525: The gray region ( Tennessee ), the green region ( Kentucky , Ohio and Oklahoma ), the orange region ( Florida ), the red region ( New England and the Philadelphia metro area ), the silver region ( Alabama and Georgia ), and the white region ( Illinois ). Formerly, the club's territory was divided into three areas; "Central", headquartered in Chicago ; "North", headquartered in Detroit ; and "South", headquartered in Oklahoma City . The Outlaws' international headquarters has historically been centred in
5632-431: The international president. Club rules dictate that the Outlaws' patches must be worn on leather or black denim (blue denim is banned) and that club regalia is not allowed to be worn by members' wives or girlfriends. Women affiliated with the club, known as "old ladies", are, however, allowed to wear vests with patches reading: "Property of the Outlaws". Outlaws are instructed to guard their colors with their lives, and it
5720-545: The investigation. Three days prior to this incident, on July 5, 2023, the OPP carried out a raid on an Outlaw clubhouse in Aylmer , along with seven other properties nearby in Southwestern Ontario. Police seized cocaine , oxycodone , and hydromorphone in the raids, along with weapons, including two sniper rifles. Police stated that the seizures show that the Outlaws and other motorcycle clubs are expanding into smaller communities and that they are able and willing to use deadly force. On July 10, 2023, less than 36 hours after
5808-420: The largest motorcycle club in the province. Ontario's Biker Enforcement Unit inadvertently delivered victory to the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club when raids launched in the early morning of September 25, 2002, crippled Outlaws operations in 11 of Ontario municipalities. The Ontario Provincial Police had launched Operation Retire, a concurrent investigation with Operation Amigo and Operation Summertime, targeting
5896-413: The largest motorcycle conflict in history was occurring during the same period in the province of Quebec . From 1977 to 1984, the event known in Canada as the First Biker War was raging in Quebec and Ontario. On 17 July 1983, while riding through northern Ontario, Mario Parente happened to see two Hells Angels from Montreal, Michel "Jinx" Genest and Jean-Marc Nadeau, on the bus to Vancouver to attend
5984-402: The last two years in a row. It was one of the "top five events of its kind in Canada." This venue would be the target of retaliation by the Outlaws and Bandidos. Larry Pooler, a Toronto Hells Angles told The London Free Press there was no danger of violence, saying that the Quebec Biker War was due to what he called the violent nature of French-Canadian society as he stated: "Their whole society
6072-406: The other direction to the American Midwest, an area dominated by the Outlaws. As such, London is considered to be "very desirable for biker gangs". During the 1990s, Hells Angels from Quebec would frequently visit the Ontario-based Loners Motorcycle Club . In June 1993, the Hells Angels, led by their National President Walter Stadnick , hosted a party in Wasaga Beach that was attended by all of
6160-399: The people of the city. Their President, Mario Parente, was an individual who could not be intimidated. By the end of 1999, the Hells Angels Ontario Nomad chapter and the Outlaws began to engage each other in both London and Hamilton , with several brawls and scuffles occurring between the clubs. A Biker Enforcement Unit representative stated: "They used to drive by and taunt each other, For
6248-414: The police launched Operation Printempts (Springtime) against the Hells Angels and Stadnick was arrested. The journalist Jerry Langton wrote that "without the diplomatic Stadnick to stand in their way", the Coates brothers behaved in an ultra-aggressive fashion, seeking to drive the Outlaws out of London. The London Hells Angels chapter were reported to have issued an ultimatum to the London Outlaw chapter to
6336-502: The police weren't there, we were in for trouble. Big-time. I was guessing a multiple shooting or stabbing." Either way, the Western Fair committee barred the Hells Angels who organized the event from future use of the venue. London's then-mayor Anne Marie De Cicco was successful in her attempts to ban the London Motorcycle Show from the city as long as was directed by the Hells Angels. De Cicco banned Pooler's group, 2-4
6424-799: The president of the Hells Angels Ottawa chapter. A number of Outlaws also chose to defect such as David "the Hammer" MacDonald of the Hamilton chapter and Shaun "Cheecks" Boshaw of the London chapter.Parente called James Wheeler, the President of the American Outlaws, who in turn contacted Sonny Barger , the leader of the American Hells Angels. Barger ordered Stadnick to stop trying to recruit Outlaws in exchange for
6512-534: The production and distribution of methamphetamine . Law enforcement and intelligence agencies internationally, including the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada and Europol , also consider the Outlaws a criminal organization. Members have continuously denied that the Outlaws are an organized crime syndicate, asserted that the club is simply a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who live a nonconventional lifestyle, and described allegations by investigators and prosecutors as exaggerated. The Outlaws' website features
6600-406: The province). As the club's Quebec chapters planned their expansion Eastward in late 1999, London was solidly in Outlaws control and had been since the late 1970s, but in establishing a chapter here, it would create a vital link between Windsor and Kitchener. The Outlaws London chapter clubhouse was located on Egerton Street East, near the grounds of the Western Fair, was considered a local landmark by
6688-437: The public against wearing merchandise, colors, or cuts from any club to avoid being targeted by rivals. On the morning of July 14, 2023, police from multiple agencies searched six locations in Cornwall and Brockville. The locations were largely residential, and were related to ongoing investigations in the two communities. The Cornwall Police Chief, Vincent Foy, noted a recent increase in the visibility of outlaw motorcycle clubs in
6776-527: The public to do something about the situation. Then in late January 2002, tensions in the conflict reached their height. Outlaws from locations all over Canada began to travel to London to assist the London chapter, along with some American Bandidos and other rivals of the Angels. The 2002 London Motorcycle Show, organized at London's the Western Fair District, was promoted by the Hells Angels, who had run London's annual motorcycle-trade show for
6864-407: The red and blue regions. Regional president in turn report to the club's international president, who heads the Outlaws organization. The Outlaws' territory in the United States is divided into ten color-coded regions; the black region ( Indiana and Michigan ), the blue region ( Pennsylvania ), the copper region ( North Carolina , South Carolina and Virginia ), the gold region ( Wisconsin ),
6952-436: The same day, the tensions between the two groups in the city would escalate again, culminating in an exchange in gunfire that night between Hells Angels support clubs and Outlaws at 434 Egerton Street, close to the Outlaws clubhouse. On the night of 7 January 2002, members of the Jackals, a Hells Angels puppet club, showed up outside of the house of Thomas Hughes, the president of the Outlaws' London chapter, on Egerton Street near
7040-662: The second-largest in the United States after the California-based Hells Angels . On January 1, 1965, the various aligned clubs incorporated as the American Outlaws Association. The Outlaws further expanded into Florida in July 1967 by "patching over" the Iron Cross club in West Palm Beach . The club featured in a work of photojournalism called The Bikeriders published in 1967 by Danny Lyon ,
7128-639: The shootings. The Outlaws placed a $ 50,000 bounty on both. In 1999, the Hells Angels became seriously involved in trying to patch over the Loners Motorcycle Club which had been a major club in the province for decades. In June 1999, the Annihilators Motorcycle Club was "Patched-over" by the Loners. One of the members of the London/ Chatham chapter of the Loners, Jimmy Coates, had a brother, John Coates, who
7216-563: Was a member of the Hells Angels Sherbrooke chapter. John Coates was 6'7" tall, weighing 300 pounds his while younger brother Jimmy was not as large, but still intimidating. Through his brother, Jimmy Coates opened a secret pipeline for buying narcotics from the Sherbrooke chapter. The President of the London/Chatham chapter, Wayne Kellestine , was adamantly against having the Loners join the Hells Angels, and when
7304-630: Was based in Milwaukee . In April 2021, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi alleged in court papers that the current international president of the Outlaws is John Ermin, the general manager of Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club in Cheektowaga, New York . Each major Outlaws chapter maintains one to five support clubs , smaller motorcycle clubs which are within the Outlaws' sphere of influence. Members of such clubs are permitted to attend Outlaws events and wear "support" patches which identify them with
7392-409: Was described by the journalist Jerry Langton as "very much an Outlaws town". The London chapter of the Outlaws was the second most important chapter after the Hamilton chapter, as London was a "very rich territory for drug sales". In addition, London was sited in the middle of the "meth ally" that connected the methamphetamine manufacturers in the rural areas with the 401 highway running to Toronto and in
7480-590: Was made against Kellestine as he stopped in his truck for a red light in his hometown of Iona Station . A car drove up alongside Kellestine's truck driven by Philippe "Philbilly" Gastonguay of the Angels' Sherbrooke chapter, and a pro-Angel Loner, David "Dirty" McLeish. One of the two men opened fire, spraying Kellestine's truck with bullets. Both men would be arrested and Kellestine would survive unharmed. The two shooters and both Coates brothers were charged with "conspiracy to commit murder". They would plead guilty to "conspiracy to commit bodily harm", and were jailed. When
7568-412: Was opened at 732 York Street, just up the road from the Outlaws main clubhouse, which had around to eight to ten "full-patch" members. The reason for the location seemed to be a deliberate provocation. During this period, both Coates brothers and their friends were released from prison. John Coates would become President of the London probationary chapter, and Jimmy would begin prospecting. On 28 March 2001,
7656-671: Was reported to be related to ongoing tensions between the Outlaws and the Loners . Three men police believed to be members of the Outlaws were charged in connection with the warrants. In 2023, tensions began to build again, this time in Cornwall, Ontario , and Brockville, Ontario , both located along the St. Lawrence River . On July 8, 2023, three people were sent to hospital in Ottawa, Ontario following an altercation between rival motorcycle club members in Cornwall, Ontario. One Outlaws member
7744-409: Was shot and two Loners were stabbed, but their injuries were not life-threatening. During the altercation, one Outlaw forcibly removed a Loner's cut. Police confirmed that the incident involved the Outlaws and Loners and that they believed it to be targeted. Five people were arrested and charged but details of the charges have not yet been released. The provincial Biker Enforcement Unit is involved in
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