One member was nicknamed Log Cabin because he loved drinking whiskey from a Log Cabin syrup bottle. He had a passion for motorcycles from a very young age, possibly spurred on by a Harley Davidson motorcycle . Undercover operations in the eighties led to arrests over almost one hundred Bandidos in eight states, including most national officers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. [16] Subsequent expansion into the Nordic countries in the 1990s led to a violent feud with the Hells Angels. By the early seventies, Chambers had more than one hundred members, many of whom were restless young Vietnam veterans who, in the words of one Bandido I spoke to, had gotten bored sitting at home trying to be nice after the government had taught them how to be so bad. The original Bandidos had wild, unruly hair, scraggly beards, huge tattoos, and cigarettes sticking out of their mouths, and they went by such nicknames as Revolver, Pecker, Deadweight, Rawhide, Coonass, and Crankcase. Edward Winterhalder was the Founder and President of the Oklahoma chapter of the Bandidos, but decided to leave the club in 2003 as he was not happy with the direction that they were heading. [5] The club is concentrated in Texas[39] but extends into Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Washington and Oklahoma. Friends and families of the deceased are mourning the passing of their loved and cherished George Wegers . | gcontreras@express-news.net | @gmaninfedland. A couple of undercover police officers who follow the club had told me that Bandidos officers never discuss anything with citizens. Theyre not going to be real receptive to a reporter showing up, one officer said. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. The message, George said, was simple call home immediately. [56], In recent years the club has also expanded heavily into Spain, Belgium, Estonia, Greece, England and Ireland. 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. He was a hell-raiser, there was no question about that, said his daughter, Donna Lee Chambers-Miers, who lives near Crockett and used to go barhopping with her father when she was a teenager. The Bandidos would appreciate it.. Early on the morning of Wednesday, March 16, George tried and failed once more to reach his wife. As part of his role as the Bandidos International President, or El Preisdente, as it is often referred to within the Bandidos, he decided to move the clubs headquarters from Texas to Bellingham, Washington, although the Bandidos will always be considered as a Texas outlaw motorcycle club. We take our clothes to the dry cleaners. Website by Jefferson Rabb. George Wegers, 54, was one of 32 people in Washington, Montana and South Dakota indicted last year as federal officials raided the Bellingham-based gang. When the hearse stopped, members of Chucos own San Antonio chapter carried his casket to the grave site. And what they do is not organized crime authorized by the club, he said. Lenny is a grown man. The renegade motorcycle gang? The family will receive friends and loved ones on Monday . Friends and families of the deceased are mourning the passing of their loved and cherished George Wegers . 'George Wegers ' has Passed Away. Upon joining the Bandidos, each member must sign their motorcycle over to the club. But would they call that entire department a criminal enterprise? But by the time we headed off to prison, we already had the next group of leaders ready to go. He felt a hot wave of panic sweep . Photos from Julian Carsini, Crown exhibits, Peter Edwards. [27] However, the Frito Bandito was not developed until 1967, the year after the Bandidos' foundation. That's what authorities believe led to the shootout and Waco. He was dressed in his favorite black T-shirt, black jeans, and his Bandidos vest. We are made to known about his death on September 23, 2020. A few years ago, Pike owned a large street-rod shop in Tomball. Jesus, my fing cholesterol, one of them said. I tagged along in my rental car. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. [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. (In the Newsweek article, a defiant Hodge snarled, Were the last free Americans.) And when members of an El Paso crime family, the Chagras, were eventually convicted of hiring hit men to shoot Kerr and WoodWoods killer was Charles Harrelson, the father of actor Woody Harrelsonthe Bandidos promptly celebrated by throwing huge parties and racing around on their motorcycles, shooting their middle fingers at just about everyone they came across, including cops. Ill be honest, it was a lot more fun back then. George Wegers pleads guilty to racketeering charges, in exchange for 14 other charges against him being dropped. A two year law enforcement investigation leads to the arrest of George Wegers and 25 other Bandidos members and associates. You ask one wrong question, and you could be in for an ass-kicking., But a couple of weeks later, Pike called. George Wegers is Dead : Death, Obituary, Cause of Death, Memorial, Funeral 360NG totally feeling remorsed to announce the death of a loved one 'George Wegers '. And then, as if given a silent cue, several of them lifted their hands in unison and flashed their middle fingers toward the sky. They looked at the helicopter, and once again, as if given a silent cue, they lifted their hands in unison and flashed their middle fingers toward the sky. The leadership of the club consists of an international president, known as "El Presidente", who has authority over every club chapter. They thundered into the funeral homes parking lot, gunning their engines again and again, sending thick clouds of exhaust into the air. 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! The latter earned his nickname for his tendency to drink whiskey from a Log Cabin syrup bottle. NU Nuggets. This is a carousel. Bandidos member George Wegers tells Don Lemon that a police bulletin warning of new threats by bikers is "nonsense" and "made up by the police." TBM Nation is reporting that George Wegers has passed away. Nineteen search warrants were executed. I attempted to eavesdrop on a conversation among some of the older Bandidos, thinking I might hear some interesting anecdotes about the club. Ojemann said he became close to Pike and saw some of his decisions firsthand. 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. A Bandido scout went over to check out the van and came back to report that it too was filled with police officers, one of whom was taking photos with a high-powered camera. This entry was posted Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. The Houston Chronicle wrote in 2001 that at some meetings attendance was required, and chapters took roll calls. We even believed that, just for fun, they had sex with dead women. Their suspicions about him only deepened after the Benesh and the Canadian affairs. Ojemann said he and another national member were tasked with trying to find Lammins. Then Chambers and the other Bandidos had set their bodies on fire before burying them. "[12] By the early 1970s, the club had over one hundred members, including many Vietnam War veterans. 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. It was the Bandidos founder, Donald Chambersonly he rode a Harley instead of a horse. Court room illustrations from Karlene Ryan. Each situation is different. And even if you do know who they are, you could very well have trouble believing they still exist. As Ojemann rode with Pike back to his house, Ojemann said Pike seethed. They might do a burglary here and there. He told his friends that he was naming his club the Bandidos, in honor of the Mexican bandits who refused to live by anyones rules but their own, and he began recruiting his first members not only out of Houston but also out of the biker bars in Corpus Christi, Galveston, and San Antonio. (Written on the front of the panties was the phrase Support Your Local Bandidos.). But I know he loves it so much that I would never ask him to quit., When Lenny was out of earshot, I asked Nicole what she thought about the allegations that the Bandidos were a criminal enterprise. But defense lawyers for Pike and Portillo attacked Ojemanns testimony as self-serving, or of being fabricated to wrongly accuse their clients in order to save himself from lengthy prison time in his own drug case. The police had no cell phones and no video cameras, which meant we all had a much better chance of getting away.. Pike laughed out loud. They love the tough biker persona. [12], The Bandidos Motorcycle Club is organized by local chapters, with state and regional officers, as well as a national chapter made up of four regional vice-presidents and a national president. . We dont do interviews. The other members of his chapter then urinated, vomited, and defecated on it. Today the police seem more determined than ever to bring the Bandidos down. He was surrounded by bouquets of flowers, along with photos of him in his younger days standing beside his motorcycle or next to topless biker chicks. George Wegers is Dead : Death, Obituary, Cause of Death, Memorial, Funeral 360NG totally feeling remorsed to announce the death of a loved one 'George Wegers '. Bandidos Book The Fat Mexican: The Bloody Rise of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club by Alex Caine. IF YOU WERENT LIVING HERE THIRTY or forty years ago, you might not have any idea who the Bandidos are. [36] Another requirement is that Bandidos must follow the philosophy "All members are your brothers and your family", and must "not fear authority and have a general disdain for the rules of society". There was booze and drugs everywhere. In 2005 the feds made their next assault on the Bandidos empire. It was all chrome and noise, he said. [35][38] The Bandidos' "mother chapter" is based in Houston, Texas. After establishing further chapters in Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba, the club's operations in Canada ceased in November 2007 as a result of infighting, law enforcement efforts, and pulled status from the club's American leadership. George Wegers, the former Bandidos national president, spent 20 months in jail after he and some other members reached a plea agreement, the Seattle Times reported. They had come to pay their respects to one of their early members, Luis Bonilla, a.k.a. 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.. 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. Richard George Osorio February 6, 1938 - January 09, 2023 Bellingham , Washington - Richard G. Osorio "Zorro" passed away peacefully January 9th, 2023. . He had introduced himself only as F.O., and he was one of the most intimidating-looking men Ive ever seen. As part of the deal it was agreed that he would serve up to 20 months in prison. [22], According to the club's website, the Bandidos' Western Hemisphere chapters became autonomous from the international chapters in Europe and Australia on July 17, 2007. 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. And that, Pike and Portillos lawyers argued, could leave Ojemann facing a sentence closer to two years, maybe even probation. The state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II will take place on Monday in London, in an occasion that will mark the world's farewell to Britain's longest-reigning monarch . All I ask is that he not bring it home and tell me about it. The gang is known for being unafraid to flout their identity. George Wegers is the President of the Bandidos, a (supposedly) outlaw motorcycle gang. Like the Elks, the Bandidos had their own clubhouses, and like the Masons, they had their own initiation rites. I have no idea what happened to any of them., Pike sighed and tossed his empty bottled water into a trash can. Bandidos Book Out in Bad Standings: Inside The Bandidos Motorcycle Club The Making Of A Worldwide Dynastyby Edward Winterhalder. In March 1966 Chambers founded the first Motorcycle Club with the name BANDIDOS MC in San Leon, Texas. George Weger passed away. Police and federal agents began rounding up members of the Bandidos biker gang across the Northwest today, after a grand jury returned a 19-count indictment accusing them of crimes ranging from . It banked to the right and began to circle the funeral home. [35] These rules also dictate that any member who fails to attend mandatory group motorcycle rides is fined and must forfeit the title of his motorcycle. He was as lean as a plank, with light brown hair that fell to the bottom of his neck and sideburns that went down to his jaw line, and he stared at the camera with a cocky, youll-never-bring-me-down expression. Hi, how are you? I said to a Bandido wearing a bandanna and dark sunglasses. Only a few went inside the church for the service to hear Chucos sister deliver a tearful eulogy, concluding with the line Oh, Chuco, I will miss your laughing and your fighting. Those who remained in the parking lot stood around their bikes. For the 1967 film, see, Bandidos MC criminal allegations and incidents, "Law agencies prep, keep watch, as outlaw biker club rides in for holiday weekend | St George News", "Number of Hells Angels charters and Bandidos chapters worldwide", "Bandidos: 5 things to know about second-most dangerous motorcycle gang | USA Today", "FBI and DEA arrest top Bandidos Motorcycle Leaders in San Antonio, Houston", "How the Bandidos became one of the world's most feared biker gangs", "Texas Monthly: "The Gang's All Here" by Skip Hollansworth", "Milperra - the spark that started the bikie violence", Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, "Biker wars dredge up something rotten in the state of Denmark", Hells Angels under pressure as outlaw motorcycle clubs from across the globe expand into Canada, "USA Based Motorcycle Clubs kicking out or shutting down chapters overseas. Or consider the Bandidos initiation rites. He showed me his bicycle, which he rides eleven miles a day to stay in shape, and then he led me into the first floor of his house, which was basically a garage containing a couple of vintage automobiles and motorcycles that he was restoring. Thats the Bandido way.. This is significantly less time than the 20 years that the federal sentencing guidelines could have seen him facing. The Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang has 2,000 to 2,500 members in the U.S. and 13 other countries. 'George Wegers ' has Passed Away. Just like the Lions Club, its members had vests and were given rules about wearing them. They kept coming and coming, their wind-burned faces grim and purposeful. That way, if Im ever asked to testify about anything, I can honestly say I do not know.. I headed down a street containing mostly sprawling ranch-style homes on large lots, at least a couple of acres in size. You know, I feel sorry for guys who dont have a clue what this feels like.. His preference was also to slow down expansion, particularly internationally. The group now counts members throughout the world. Not bad, huh?, A few minutes later, I came across an agreeable, clean-cut young Bandido named Lenny Jonas. The Bandidos are here!. He wanted the badass bikers who cared about nothing except riding full time on their Harley-Davidsons. The Banditos are the only Tier 2 motorcycle gang. By Sherryl Connelly. The Bandidos live here, and they love to steal motorcycles. . He hugged me so hard that all the air shot out of my lungs. Pike, whos divorced, told me that although he would be living in it alone, he wanted it to be big enough that his two kids would have a place to stay when they came to visit him from college. [43], The Bandidos have a small but growing presence in New Zealand after a rocky start in 2012. He had no visible tattoos and no facial hair except for a neatly groomed goatee, and his crew cut was flecked with gray. And then we looked at one another and said, Hell, we can do a lot better than these guys. . Standing before the home was a handsome, strapping man. The men roared with laughter. Fing off the fing charts., I turned around and came face to face with F.O., who had stabbed me in the sternum the day before. The length of this process is decided by each chapter president, and ends when the chapter's members vote unanimously to allow the probationary member to enter the club. The motto of Niagara University, "Ut Omnes Te Cognoscant," translated means "That All May Know You.". Wegers lived, and still lives, in Bellingham. [12] Like other outlaw motorcycle clubs, they call themselves "one percenters", a phrase coined by the former president of the American Motorcyclist Association who once stated that 99 percent of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens and 1 percent "outlaws. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of George Wagers (Manchester, Kentucky), who passed away on December 3, 2021 at the age of 71. We were walking in our bathing suits on the sidewalk next to the seawall when a group of them roared past us on the adjoining boulevard, their engines as loud as fighter jets. Membership fees are required, and are used to cover club expenses, such as funeral costs, and contribute to a legal defense fund. The cops drive by here just about every day just to see what Im up to. The music on the jukebox cranked up, and I saw Jeff Pike by a pool table. He owned a Harley Davidson motorcycle shop in Bellingham, Washington State. Chambers started the Bandidos in March 1966, when he was 36 years old and working on the ship docks in Houston. Weve got guys who own their own businesses, guys who work for oil companies, guys who are in the computer industry. Rev. George Wegers is now retired from the outlaw motorcycle club. I bought another round, and then anotherasking questions the entire time about Bandido life to anyone who would look my way. The daylong hearing was a victory, at least for now, for Pike, who was ordered released on $250,000 bond. Having once infiltrated the Bandidos for three years in a landmark police operation, Alex Caine is uniquely positioned to reveal the untold story of the Hells Angels' fiercest rivals. George Wegers -- national president of the notorious Bellingham-based Bandidos motorcycle gang until his arrest last June -- has pleaded guilty to racketeering . Tacos and Mexican food?, a defiant Hodge snarled, were the last free Americans..! Oil companies, guys who own their own clubhouses, and still lives, in Bellingham a Cabin... Gang has 2,000 to 2,500 members in the 1990s led to the club had over hundred... Most intimidating-looking men Ive ever seen conversation among some of his chapter urinated... Leaders ready to go he became close to Pike and saw some the. 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