[17] The third Bandidos international president, James Edward "Sprocket" Lang, as well as his successor, Charles Craig "Jaws" Johnston, were each sentenced to ten years' imprisonment on drug charges in November 1998. The brotherhood. I love you, brother! barked one beefy, middle-aged Bandido, wrapping his tattooed arms around a Bandido whose long gray hair was held back with a bandanna. Ill be honest, it was a lot more fun back then. In surveillance photos, they saw the Expect no mercy patch on his vest, which is the Bandidos equivalent of the Purple Heart, given to any member who has drawn blood or spilled his own blood in defense of the club. He looked like just another middle-aged man who had spent the morning working in the yard. He wanted the badass bikers who cared about nothing except riding full time on their Harley-Davidsons. Burial will follow in the Smith-Wagers Cemetery in the Hector Community. It banked to the right and began to circle the funeral home. In the helicopters open door were a couple of men in police uniforms holding binoculars. George Wegers was the former National president of the Bandidos and lived just across the line in Bellingham where the Bandidos host that large annual Oyster run which was cancelled this year due to Covid. Just a half dozen years ago,top CanadianBandidos grumbled about how they couldnt get a telephone audience with him. (A Bandido was required to wear his vest whenever he rode his motorcycle. And according to the law enforcement gossip mill, at least one of those investigations is now focused on Texas, where all the Bandidos national officers live. If you needed violence done, you put in a call to San Antonio., Ojemann said Houston had to be more laid back., It was the big boss backyard, Ojemann said. Old Bandidos who had retired from the club years ago showed up, many of them with backs and hips so creaky they were barely able to throw their legs over their choppers, and the new generation of Bandidos also came, sitting astride $30,000 custom-made Harleys with perfect pinstriping. 'George Wegers ' has Passed Away. The police said that before killing the dealers, Chambers had made them dig their own graves. [56], In recent years the club has also expanded heavily into Spain, Belgium, Estonia, Greece, England and Ireland. The FBI went so far as to buy a biker bar in Dallas, bringing in as the owner a New York agent who tried to find out what the Bandidos were up to. The rest are just fun-loving guys who enjoy riding motorcycles. They love the tough biker persona. We dont do interviews. They said Lenny would be gone all the time, riding with the club to God knows where. We even believed that, just for fun, they had sex with dead women. But when I got older, people would talk about himtalk about his love of adventure, he said. You probably have no inkling that they were once the terrors of Texas, so fearsome that when a rumor spread through a town that they were coming, people literally headed inside their homes and locked their doors. Bandido Chuco, who had died at the age of 65 from liver cancer. Guillermo has been with the Express-News for 20 years, and has covered federal court and its investigative agencies for most of that time. [24], The Bandidos' insignia, known as the "Fat Mexican", consists of a caricature of a Mexican bandit wearing a sombrero and holding a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. Even a handful of European Bandidos had flown in for the occasion, borrowing motorcycles from members of the San Antonio chapter so they too could ride. Federal prosecutors have gone so far as to indict Bandidos under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a federal statute originally intended to destroy Mafia families, claiming that the club is an organized criminal enterprise that resorts to intimidation, extortion, violence and threats of violence against rival motorcycle clubs to maintain its power, territory and profits. This past August, the federal government also admitted in a court filing that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with other investigative agencies, was carrying on active investigations into the club. She was 33 years old, tall and blond, and she was wearing a vest that had a patch on the back that read Proud Bandido Old Lady. People told me I had lost my mind when I said I was going to marry a Bandido, said Nicole, who runs a pet grooming salon in the Hill Country. The cops drive by here just about every day just to see what Im up to. Conversely, if he was in a car, he had to take it off.) Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Showalter, his white hair long and braided, is now sixty years old, living in San Antonio on disability payments and barely able to walk because of past motorcycle accidents. We mourn with the family of George Wegers for this great loss. These so-called outlaws are the remaining 1 percent. See the Crime / In The Media section below for further information. It is worth noting that paperback/hardback version of this book has been split into two parts for the Kindle, which just makes things confusing! I know theyre trying to pin everything on us, he said. He wanted bikers who lived only for the open road. Police say the letter has a different meaning standing for "murder" or "meth." Prospect" because of the short amount of time in which he was awarded his club membership, and he later became known as "Step Mother" in deference to Chambers' moniker "Mother". The music on the jukebox cranked up, and I saw Jeff Pike by a pool table. All I ask is that he not bring it home and tell me about it. Lenny, who was married with four kids, worked for an electric cooperative in the Hill Country. [01] Still handsome and charismatic at near-eighty, Ralph Hubert "Sonny" Barger Jr. was the main mover in transforming the Hells Angels, who have always attracted a significant number of misfits and criminals, ['Hells Angel,' p. 03, 87 - 91; p. 124 "Most of us [in 1965] were card-carrying . Hell, no.. The Bandidos' color scheme was inspired by that of the United States Marine Corps and chosen by Chambers, a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War. Now, hes physically and financially busted and out of the club, and theyre either dead or in prison. At recess, we swapped storiesperhaps true, perhaps notabout how Bandidos pulled out their enemies teeth with pliers and beat them with heavy metal wrenches. [55], The Bandidos formed its first chapter in the Netherlands in 2014. Pike said he wants to leave a different legacy: "The only . Pike was like, (expletive) him. Fax: (660) 584-2397. The one place where the Bandidos tend to draw attention to themselves are turf wars with other motorcycle gangs. Wed party till dawn, go to sleep right there on the ground, and then get up, get on our motorcycles, and hit the road again.. According to homicide detective Frank Rodriguez, in the days before his murder, Benesh had been receiving telephone calls from Bandidos telling him to stop wearing a vest that displayed Hells Angels patches. 5 talking about this. [40], The Bandidos expanded into Canada following a merger with the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club in Quebec in 2000. [19], The Bandidos embarked on a failed endeavour to establish themselves in Canada after merging with the Montreal-based Rock Machine Motorcycle Club in 2000. And that, Pike and Portillos lawyers argued, could leave Ojemann facing a sentence closer to two years, maybe even probation. Obviously, said Rodriguez, Benesh didnt follow their advice. And, there were some Bandidos members in those chapters who, when arrested, were found to have pictures of Osama bin Laden at their homes, DeGuerin said. From the #1 national bestselling author of Befriend and Betray, an intimate expos of a criminal empire and the massacre that nearly started a global biker war. [28] For example, police have reported that the "Expect No Mercy" patch is awarded to those who have committed murder on behalf of the club, while the "TCB" ("Taking Care of Business") patch is worn by club officers and nomads. 2006 October, 2006. William "Big G" Ojemann, a Bandidos member from 2008 until 2013, said George Wegers, who was the Bandidos' president from 1998 until his arrest in 2005, had his Bandidos patches revoked by . Stevens pressed Ojemann on whether he had ever said before that he left the club by mutual agreement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. (To round up the Bandidos in Lubbock, the police used an armored personnel carrier to bust into their fenced compound.) John (Boxer, Prize) Muscedere. 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George Wegers Death | Obituary | George Wegers Dead | Died | Funeral Plans - We heard about the great loss, that George Wegers is no more and has reportedly passed away. I tagged along in my rental car. Read more of his stories here. Still, the evidence was strong enough that 18 of the Bandidos, including Wegers, agreed to plea deals in return for short prison sentences. You know, I feel sorry for guys who dont have a clue what this feels like.. We are made to known about his death on September 23, 2020. 'George Wegers ' has Passed Away. In 1998 George Wegers became the International President of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club,Jeff Pikewas the Vice President for much of this time. The specific charges were hardly flashy: Wegers and the others were accused of such varied crimes as stealing motorcycles, kidnapping a rival motorcycle club member (the kidnapping lasted a day . There was a tall front gate with a Go Away sign attached to it, but it was wide open. The eight Outlaw Motorcyle Gangs (or OMGs) are: the Bandidos, the Black Pistons, Hells Angels, the Mongols, the Outlaws, the Pagans, Sons of Silence and the Vagos. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. [32], Bandidos members must be male[33] and own at least one Harley-Davidson motorcycle (although other American-made motorcycles can also be allowed). The obituary was featured in Legacy on March 14, 2006. . He jumps up, says hell be back soon, and is gone for four days. For the most part, everybody knew, dont cause no (expletive) in Houston.. George Wagers Obituary. We were so crazy back then its amazing we are alive, said Showalter. As they swapped stories about the old days and guzzled beer, one message could be heard over the roar of their Harleys: Bandidos forever. Furious, law enforcement agencies redoubled their efforts to bring the club down. He had a passion for motorcycles from a very young age, possibly spurred on by a Harley Davidson motorcycle . Please received our heartfelt condolences. The Bandidos Motorcycle Club, also known as the Bandido Nation,[1] is an outlaw motorcycle club[6][7][8] with a worldwide membership. Yes, they love riding fast. The priests and brothers who staff Niagara University are known as Vincentians, a name derived from their founder, St. Vincent de Paul. When Lenny takes off on his bike, I dont ask questions about what hes doing. Get down! he shouted again. Bandidos Book The Fat Mexican: The Bloody Rise of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club by Alex Caine. Here are 21 facts about this group of motorcycling enthusiasts. Well, if they are committing crimes, I dont see them doing it, she said. The Houston FBI agent who investigates us has called me so many times that Ive got his number on my speed dial. Early on the morning of Wednesday, March 16, George tried and failed once more to reach his wife. Like other outlaw motorcycle clubs, they call . But would they call that entire department a criminal enterprise? The Bandidos deny that they're "white supremacists.". Ojemann, who was 6 foot 3 inches tall and weighed 420 pounds while he was national sergeant at arms, said he and other Bandidos members carried out beatings or intimidation of rivals or wayward Bandidos on direct or indirect orders from Pike and Portillo. Cut one, we all bleed, the Bandidos warnand the blood has never stopped flowing, often from internal strife as much as external battles.. When I walked in, F.O., who was there with his Old Ladies, leaned into my ear and said, Buddy, it would behoove you to buy some beers. Red McCombs funeral service draws S.A. community, Spurs stars . Pike laughed out loud. Guillermo has also worked in Central America, Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona and California and his work has appeared in various publications, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, New York Post, Newsday, Denver Post and the Albuquerque Journal. We are Bandidos forever, forever Bandidos, he said. Please help us out by hitting the Share button so that we can keep bringing you more articles and Follow us on Facebook so that you get updated when we release new articles. 2006 - Jeff Pike is questioned by Canadian law enforcement in relation to the deaths of 8 Bandidos MC members, known as the No Surrender Crew and based out of Ontario, Canada, who were shot in the head by another Bandidos member on 8 April, 2006, the event was known as the Shedden Massacre.Law enforcement were attempting to determine if this was a killing ordered or organized by by the . Im almost always in bed by ten p.m. Come on down, Ill talk to you.. Under cross-examination, Ojemann admitted being involved in drug trafficking with another Bandidos member. The latter earned his nickname for his tendency to drink whiskey from a Log Cabin syrup bottle. February 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? We offer a wide selection of arrangements delivered direct from a local florist to help comfort and support those who need it the most. The Banditos are the only Tier 2 motorcycle gang. And what they do is not organized crime authorized by the club, he said. Service 1 PM Wednesday at Evans-Nordby Funeral Home . There was booze and drugs everywhere. RELATED: Affidavit provides detailed timeline of what allegedly happened the night Zuzu Verk disappeared. Mimi Swartz is a staff writer based in Houston. In the past couple of years alone, police around the country have arrested Bandidos for everything from drug dealing and kidnapping to possession of illegal weapons and trafficking in stolen vehicles. Loved by many, loved by few. [ 186 more . Initially indicted on drug and gun counts that would have left him facing a minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison, Ojemann said he pleaded guilty in Houston federal court to reduced charges. (Written on the front of the panties was the phrase Support Your Local Bandidos.). Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering: Kidnaping (VICAR), Anthony Snodgrass Spencer (Bandidos Australia President), Jeff Pike (Bandidos International President), Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering Assault, Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and Methamphetamine, Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, Conspiracy to Traffic in Certain Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Parts. We had girls show up who wanted to screw everyone. [35][38] The Bandidos' "mother chapter" is based in Houston, Texas. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. Leave them blank to get signed up. This is a carousel. He was 36 years old, the son of one of the first members, Steve Panhead Jonas, who had been shot to death at a San Antonio bar in 1983. Some of them downed beers, ignoring the handwritten signs on the church doors that read Please, no drinking on church property. One Bandido, pretending he had a rifle in his hands, aimed at the police helicopter and fired off a few imaginary rounds. The Bandidos live here, and they love to steal motorcycles. . No rules, no bullshit, just the open road.. He had introduced himself only as F.O., and he was one of the most intimidating-looking men Ive ever seen. IN THE LATE SEVENTIES, the Bandidos became suspects in two of the states most publicized shootings: the attempted slaying in 1978 of James Kerr, an assistant U.S. attorney in San Antonio who was reportedly conducting an investigation into the club, and the 1979 assassination of U.S. district judge John Wood Jr., of San Antonio, who was known as Maximum John for his merciless sentences for drug offenders, a few of whom were Bandidos. Yep, we were the bad boys, said one of the most infamous Bandidos from those years, 63-year-old Franklin Stubs Schmick, who now lives in East Texas with his Old Lady of the past fifteen years, Barbara Dummy Schmick, a chatty, sassy woman who, during the seventies, was renowned among the Bandidos for her bombshell looks and her extracurricular activities at an Austin nude-modeling studio. When a beloved brother died last summer, more than four hundred bikers thundered into San Antonio for his funeral. The motto of Niagara University, "Ut Omnes Te Cognoscant," translated means "That All May Know You.". [42] The club has since expanded substantially in Australia and there are forty-five Bandidos chapters throughout the country. Shane Kenneth (Wheels) Maloney of Wolfpack gets parole relaxed, Bad Blood goes international as Netflix Original, Former Bandido biker Randolph Brown gets maximum security prison time for murder, He was crying, sweating: Boxers daughter stares down hitman who killed her father. This is the one and only official Facebook page for George Wegers, the former National and International President of the largest motorcycle club in.
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