DILLIGAF
10-12-2006, 05:45 AM
Sounds like they got a pretty good deal out of this. Sure isn't life in prison which is what they were looking at orginally. Myself and a lot of friends were just down from Harrahs when this all took place. It was total chaos and officers with automatic weapons were everywhere. When this happened they locked down the entire strip in Laughlin and closed the bridge so as to stop HA and Mongol memmbers from escaping the scene. We did manage to get accross the bridge to get home though.
By KEN RITTER
Wednesday, October 11, 2006 9:47 PM PDT
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS - A federal racketeering trial against 11 Hells Angels members came to a sudden end Wednesday when six defendants in a deadly casino brawl pleaded to reduced charges that fell short of government claims their motorcycle club was an ongoing criminal racket.
There is no implication whatsoever from this plea that the Hells Angels is a criminal enterprise,'' said lawyer David Chesnoff, the unofficial chief of a defense team of more than a dozen lawyers.
U.S. District Court Judge James Mahan accepted guilty pleas from four Hells Angels and no contest pleas from two others to federal charges of committing a violent crime, battery, in aid of racketeering. Earlier in the day, the men entered plea agreements in a parallel state criminal case.
Calvin Schaefer, Raymond Foakes, Rodney Cox and James Hannigan admitted in federal court they acted together as individuals in committing a violent felony. Maurice Pete'' Eunice and Dale Leedom conceded the government could prove that charge against them.
All federal charges were dropped against the other five defendants in the trial, and the judge said that at sentencing he will dismiss all charges against 31 other Hells Angels members whose trials were due to follow.
The 11 men standing trial were the first of 42 Hells Angels facing federal charges stemming from allegations they conspired to brawl with rival Mongols members at the 2002 Laughlin River Run. Two Hells Angels and a Mongols member died and at least a dozen people were injured in the bloody battle inside Harrah's Laughlin hotel-casino.
The case began falling apart last week, with defense lawyers accusing government agents and prosecutors of flagrant misconduct.
Prosecutors struck a deal that, for five of the six men, resulted in the promise of no more than 2 1/2 years in prison on both state and federal charges. Convictions on the most serious charges had held the possibility of life in prison.
Schaefer, 37, from Chandler, Ariz., faces the promise of a stiffer sentence than the rest - five years in federal prison - because the Las Vegas cases will be folded in with his sentence for federal drug charges.
Mahan accepted the guilty pleas from Schaefer, Cox, 44, of Phoenix, Foakes, 43, of Petaluma, Calif., and Hannigan, 39, of Mountain View, Calif., and no contest pleas from Eunice, 55, of Lakeside, Calif., and Leedom, 43, of Two Rivers, Alaska.
Earlier on Wednesday, Schaefer, Cox, Leedom and Hannigan pleaded guilty and Eunice pleaded no contest to state charges of felony battery. Foakes pleaded guilty to challenge to fight, a felony.
All federal charges were dropped Wednesday against Sohn Regas, 39, of Reno; Ron Arnone, 42, of Tacoma, Wash.; Justin Harrah, 36, of Watsonville, Calif.; Donald Smith, 56, of Bullhead City; and Michael Smullen, 48, of Pinole, Calif. Smullen was identified as president of the Hells Angels chapter in Richmond, Calif.
By KEN RITTER
Wednesday, October 11, 2006 9:47 PM PDT
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS - A federal racketeering trial against 11 Hells Angels members came to a sudden end Wednesday when six defendants in a deadly casino brawl pleaded to reduced charges that fell short of government claims their motorcycle club was an ongoing criminal racket.
There is no implication whatsoever from this plea that the Hells Angels is a criminal enterprise,'' said lawyer David Chesnoff, the unofficial chief of a defense team of more than a dozen lawyers.
U.S. District Court Judge James Mahan accepted guilty pleas from four Hells Angels and no contest pleas from two others to federal charges of committing a violent crime, battery, in aid of racketeering. Earlier in the day, the men entered plea agreements in a parallel state criminal case.
Calvin Schaefer, Raymond Foakes, Rodney Cox and James Hannigan admitted in federal court they acted together as individuals in committing a violent felony. Maurice Pete'' Eunice and Dale Leedom conceded the government could prove that charge against them.
All federal charges were dropped against the other five defendants in the trial, and the judge said that at sentencing he will dismiss all charges against 31 other Hells Angels members whose trials were due to follow.
The 11 men standing trial were the first of 42 Hells Angels facing federal charges stemming from allegations they conspired to brawl with rival Mongols members at the 2002 Laughlin River Run. Two Hells Angels and a Mongols member died and at least a dozen people were injured in the bloody battle inside Harrah's Laughlin hotel-casino.
The case began falling apart last week, with defense lawyers accusing government agents and prosecutors of flagrant misconduct.
Prosecutors struck a deal that, for five of the six men, resulted in the promise of no more than 2 1/2 years in prison on both state and federal charges. Convictions on the most serious charges had held the possibility of life in prison.
Schaefer, 37, from Chandler, Ariz., faces the promise of a stiffer sentence than the rest - five years in federal prison - because the Las Vegas cases will be folded in with his sentence for federal drug charges.
Mahan accepted the guilty pleas from Schaefer, Cox, 44, of Phoenix, Foakes, 43, of Petaluma, Calif., and Hannigan, 39, of Mountain View, Calif., and no contest pleas from Eunice, 55, of Lakeside, Calif., and Leedom, 43, of Two Rivers, Alaska.
Earlier on Wednesday, Schaefer, Cox, Leedom and Hannigan pleaded guilty and Eunice pleaded no contest to state charges of felony battery. Foakes pleaded guilty to challenge to fight, a felony.
All federal charges were dropped Wednesday against Sohn Regas, 39, of Reno; Ron Arnone, 42, of Tacoma, Wash.; Justin Harrah, 36, of Watsonville, Calif.; Donald Smith, 56, of Bullhead City; and Michael Smullen, 48, of Pinole, Calif. Smullen was identified as president of the Hells Angels chapter in Richmond, Calif.