Hells Angels Sonoma RICO trial ends - guilty - update

Raymond 'Ray Ray' Foakes

HA Raymond 'Ray Ray' Foakes and HA Christopher 'Rain Man' Ranieri have been convicted, while a third biker has been acquitted. Foakes was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon and witness intimidation.  Ranieri was convicted of murder conspiracy and racketeering. Both men face decades in prison. It was a nearly identical trial to the 2022 RICO trial that put Russell 'Rusty' Ott, Jonathan 'Jon Jon' Nelson, and Brian Wayne Wendt away for the murder of Joel Silva.

Christopher 'Rain Man' Ranieri

Jonathan Nelson, right.

HA Jonathan 'Jon Jon' Nelson, Russell 'Rusty' Ott, and Brian Wendt were convicted of murder and RICO charges and sentenced to life. Brian Wendt

Jonathan 'Jon Jon' Nelson, left.

A prospect for the Sonoma Hells Angels lived a double life as an FBI informant. He, along with two former HA members, were the most important of dozens of government witnesses in the racketeering trial. Defense lawyers called it an “unholy alliance” between “shady, disreputable hooligans” and cops desperate to take down the HAMC. The club are a band of brothers who celebrate “freedom, a love of the open road and motorcycles”. The first two government witnesses were victims of beatdowns.

Five years ago the FBI rounded up nearly a dozen Hells Angels to face allegations of murder of their own. Three of the defendants, including club chapter presidents in Fresno and Sonoma, went before a jury. Jonathan 'Jon Jon' Nelson, Russell 'Rusty' Ott, and Brian Wendt violated the federal RICO Act through their involvement in the HAMC. They lured former sergeant-at-arms Joel Silva to his execution. Silva was killed at the Fresno clubhouse. Wendt shot him in the back of the head. Silva binged on drugs, behaved unpredictably and attacked HA guests. He sealed his fate by threatening to kill a fellow Hells Angel named Sweeney, who was close to Boston/Salem president Christopher Ranieri.

NBA player Ja Morant warned for playing the gangster - update

Ja Morant is owning up to his stupidity and vows to do better, again. "I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me," Morant said in a statement. "This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself." Assisting with that difficult task, most expect a very significant suspension from the NBA for the two time offender. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was "shocked" to see the Memphis Grizzlies star again flashing a firearm on social media.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is under fire after flashing a gun on social media, again. Bricc Baby, a rapper and Crips member, isn't impressed. Morant, 23, has a tendancy to throw up Crip gang signs after scoring. The rapper says the Grizzlies guard should stop pretending. "He ain't fucking with the gangland like that," Bricc Baby said. "You throwing them 'Ns' up, that's gonna cost you. ... What you wanna do, pay the crips for the rest of your life?" Morant earned an 8 game suspension from the NBA the first time he waved a gun around on social media in March. The man with a 5 year, $194,300,000 contract didn't learn anything. Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green IS apparently gang affiliated. Bricc Baby said Green gets a "pass" to throw up gang signs.

Fentanyl dealer Dana Nazarek buys 12 years - "denunciation and deterrence"

In 2021 fentanyl dealer Dana Nazarek failed to show for the last day of his trial on drug and gun charges — he cut off his monitoring bracelet and bolted. He was convicted on six counts of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking and illegal possession of four guns. 13 months later he was arrested by two Vancouver cops who saw a fight between a male and a female in a Walmart parking lot. Nazarek gave them a false name and ID, but the fool also carried a bank card in his real name and he was busted. The judge said the principles of denunciation and deterrence are “paramount in sentencing individuals for trafficking in fentanyl and carfentanil.”

While acknowledging that Nazarek was a drug addict with a history of childhood abuse, that was mitigated by his decision to abscond.

Nazarek was motivated by profit and his “toxic combination” of drugs and guns posed a threat to public safety. Nazarek's claim he dealt drugs to provide for his family was rejected as bullshit.

'Ghost Boat' yields 649 kg of cocaine in Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands found their largest-ever haul of cocaine in 2020 in an abandoned boat that washed up on an atoll after drifting on the high seas, likely for years. The 5.5-metre (18-foot) vessel was found at Ailuk atoll with 649 kg (1,430 lbs) of cocaine on board. It's speculated the boat's crew hit a Pacific storm and perished. Ailuk Atoll is a remote atoll with about 400 people.

The vessel likely drifted across the Pacific from South America. Debris from the Americas often washes up in the Marshalls after years at sea, driven by Pacific Ocean currents. Researchers conducted 16 computer simulations of drift patterns from the Mexico coast and found nearly all eventually arrived in the Marshall Islands.

Joel the K9 lands 2.7 tonnes of cocaine

Cops in southern Italy have seized 2,700kg of cocaine hidden in banana crates shipped from Ecuador. The drugs were discovered with the help of sniffer dog Joel. The cocaine, which cops described as of the finest quality, could have brought traffickers more than $900 million in street sales if it had reached its ultimate destination in Armenia. The port of Gioia Tauro, in the “toe” of the Italian peninsula is a stronghold of ’ndrangheta. Days before the seizure, customs at the same port found some 600 kilos of cocaine in six container trucks laden with exotic fruit from Ecuador. Those shipments were destined for Croatia, Greece and Georgia.

Since 2021, and including the latest seizure, customs cops at the port have intercepted and seized 37 tons of cocaine.

Oz Hells Angels Peter 'Skitzo' Hewat son guilty in Jack Daniels heist - update

Beau Peter Hewat, 34, has walked free after a booze heist. He was sentenced to time served. A psychiatrist told the court his offending was driven “primarily” by his meth use and problematic relationship with his father.

The son of notorious Hells Angels bikie Peter 'Skitzo' Hewat hasn't fallen far from the tree. The bikie’s son Beau pleaded guilty in a $200k booze heist. Peter 'Skitzo' Hewat

The younger Hewat is a debt collector for the club. He and others hijacked a truck containing Jack Daniels whiskey in a brazen robbery.

The elder Hewat was sentenced to 12 months' prison after he pleaded guilty to dealing in $250k worth of stolen truck parts. The court noted the HAMC sergeant-at-arms had been committing crimes for more than 40 years. One of his more infamous convictions was for assaulting a kind-hearted grandmother who had taken in Hewat's lost shih-tzu terrier. The woman had put out posters of the dog after she found it near Hewat's Craigieburn home in 2013. When Hewat claimed ownership, she demanded proof before she handed the dog over. Hewat forced his way through her front door and punched her when she blocked his way.

In September 2015 a former employee of Hewat falsely confessed to stealing a truck because he was afraid of the Hells Angels boss. He claimed to owe $10k to Hewat and was terrified he would be shot if he didn’t make the false confession.

Chicago mob hit man Nicholas Calabrese dead

Nicholas Calabrese, one of the Chicago's most notorious mobsters and the most important mafia rat in Chicago mob history, is dead. He was 80. Details aren't available for a reason. Calabrese entered witness protection after he began cooperating with prosecutors before the Family Secrets trial in 2007. Calabrese testified against top mobsters that included his brother, Frank Calabrese Sr., who he claimed committed the majority of the murders with him. Despite killing 14, Calabrese, who was 64 at the time, balked at being called a serial killer. “I am a killer,” Calabrese said on the stand. “I am not a serial killer.” For turning rat, Nicholas Calabrese was spared life in prison, but he did serve a 12 years under special federal protection. Nicholas Calabrese wasn’t the only family member to testify against his own at the trial. Frank Calabrese Jr., not only testified but wore a wire to record his hitman father.

See ----->Chicago mob boss John 'No Nose' DiFronzo dead at 89

Two arrested after cocaine falls out of rubber pregnancy belly

Cops in South Carolina got a surprise when they pulled over driver Anthony Miller and Cemeka Mitchem. Nosey cops noticed the first "red flag" when the two gave conflicting information regarding Mitchem's due date. As it became more apparent that deputies were becoming more suspicious, Mitchem took off running and "very quickly drugs fell from the fake rubber stomach." Cops collected more than 1,500 grams of cocaine. Miller and Mitchem are facing trafficking cocaine charges.

Phuket Thailand - Hells Angels' paradise lost

Night is painted with flashing neon in Phuket. This is a party place - a vacation escape of the everyday.

Along with cheap prices and the ability to blend in with other "farangs" - foreigners, Phuket has much to offer. It is also a global haven for criminals. The list is long ... fraudsters, murderers, pedophiles, fugitives on the run, many call Phuket home. Corruption and slow computerization of records has long made Thailand safe from the long arm of the law. Bikers wear flip flops and drive mopeds. Harleys are impractical in the narrow streets.

The HA clubhouse overlooks Patong beach. The clubhouse is closed after recent unrest. A shooting in August 2022 brought great heat from Thai cops. Oz bikies have been feuding with Thai locals since 2015. Cops also closed the Bankok clubhouse after introducing new laws to deal with imported bikies and and their crime. The bikers must now keep a low profile and need to keep the peace or they will be deported. "We build playgrounds for orphans" says 'Dennis' when asked if the HA receive money through drugs, weapons, prostitution or extortion.

The HA Nomads celebrated their 20th anniversary in Phuket. They like it here.

HA Luke Anderson got sent packing back to Australia from Thailand. He's wanted for drug trafficking. Anderson made headlines in 2016 for bashing a Thai man. The 3 HA bikers avoided consequences by paying restitution.

Drug run ends poorly in Belize

On April 16, cops visited the remote area where the burnt remains of the drug plane were located near a landing strip. While there was a cleared landing strip, the plane had apparently missed it and crashed into nearby bushes, catching fire. Reports that 2 bodies were found were denied by cops. The initial sighting of the plane was on a Tuesday and the arrival of cops at the crash site took 5 days.