george wegers funeral

They walked back outside, looked up, and saw a helicopter coming right at them. Throughout the seventies, they were arrested for dealing drugs, running prostitution rings, extorting money from the owners of roadhouses and strip jointseven operating illegal pit bull fights. GEORGE WEGERS, 53, of Bellingham, Washington, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $10,000 fine for RICO Conspiracy (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization). Just a half dozen years ago,top CanadianBandidos grumbled about how they couldnt get a telephone audience with him. The rest are just fun-loving guys who enjoy riding motorcycles. As part of the deal it was agreed that he would serve up to 20 months in prison. We talked about Bandidos carrying bombs with them on their motorcycles, which they used to blow up gas stations that refused to serve them. The police had no cell phones and no video cameras, which meant we all had a much better chance of getting away.. Last March, for instance, police in Austin announced that the Bandidos were the prime suspects in one of the citys most shocking murders: the slaying of a 44-year-old local motorcyclist named Anthony Benesh. [40], The Bandidos expanded into Canada following a merger with the Rock Machine Motorcycle Club in Quebec in 2000. [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. [59], The first chapter opened in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in 2016 and it is considered the first international motorcycle club to open in the Middle East. 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. You ask one wrong question, and you could be in for an ass-kicking., But a couple of weeks later, Pike called. Paul Mitchell, Rev. 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. As he turned westbound to exit onto Highway 20, the motorcycle went off the road, according to the Washington State Patrol. They came in packs, riding two, sometimes three abreast, their motorcycles roaring loudly enough to rattle all the funeral homes windows. He had introduced himself only as F.O., and he was one of the most intimidating-looking men Ive ever seen. Texas Monthly reported that the feds considered the gang an "organized criminal enterprise" that used "intimidation, extortion, violence and threats of violence against rival motorcycle clubs" to maintain "its power, territory and profits." 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. [10][11], The Bandidos Motorcycle Club was founded by 36-year-old dockworker Donald Eugene Chambers on March 4, 1966, in San Leon, Texas. The men roared with laughter. When a beloved brother died last summer, more than four hundred bikers thundered into San Antonio for his funeral. The Bandidos have many Hispanic members, while blacks appear non-existent. Their suspicions about him only deepened after the Benesh and the Canadian affairs. [56], In recent years the club has also expanded heavily into Spain, Belgium, Estonia, Greece, England and Ireland. But by his teenage years, he had discovered cigarettes and girls, and he also became fascinated with motorcycles when he saw a pack of Hells Angels flying down a road. The Bandidos would appreciate it.. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. It is derived from the Gospel of St. John. Similar to the "Expect No Mercy" patch, the "CDG" ("Coup de Grce") patch reportedly signifies a member who has committed a significant act of violence. . [5] Patches denoting a member's rank and chapter are worn, as are various other patches which have specific meanings. All of us read it to get some ideas on what we should be doing, said Showalter. 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. Guillermo has been with the Express-News for 20 years, and has covered federal court and its investigative agencies for most of that time. He wanted the badass bikers who cared about nothing except riding full time on their Harley-Davidsons. But were not out there shooting people, for Gods sake. There was always someone stumbling into the bonfire and someone else shooting a pistol into the air. On the back of some of the motorcycles were the Bandidos wives or girlfriends, known as PBOLs: Proud Bandido Old Ladies. Portillos lead lawyer, Mark Stevens, noted that what Ojemann told investigators in debriefings differed from his court testimony. They also like the phrase "Cut one, we all bleed.". Well, if they are committing crimes, I dont see them doing it, she said. The penalty is a far cry from what George Wegers, 53, was facing when the government charged him and 25 other Bandidos in June 2005 with a long list of crimes that included kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion and witness-tampering. Pikes lead attorney, Dick DeGuerin, also said some of the incidents Ojemann testified about were part of Pikes efforts to clean up the Bandidos. George Wegers is the President of the Bandidos, a (supposedly) outlaw motorcycle gang. Tier 1 gangs like the Tango Blast pose the greatest threat to Texas due to ties "with Mexican cartels, large membership numbers, high levels of transnational criminal activity and organizational effectiveness." Or consider the Bandidos initiation rites. For instance, Ojemann said he attended a meeting in 2011 at the Mason Jar restaurant in Houston in which Pike and other national members talked about Pikes proposal to split the Bandidos from chapters in Europe and Australia. John Xavier Portillo, former national vice president of the Bandidos, arrives at Feb. 27 the San Antonio federal courthouse for the first day of his racketeering trial. He owned a Harley Davidson motorcycle shop in Bellingham, Washington State. Unrepentant, the Bandidos insisted that they had not shot the prosecutor or the judge and that the only reason they were being harassed was because of their anti-establishment posturing. 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 '. [ 186 more . San Antonio always handled business. I hope you dont believe all that bullshit the feds are feeding you, he said in a surprisingly cheerful voice. Pike laughed out loud. (To round up the Bandidos in Lubbock, the police used an armored personnel carrier to bust into their fenced compound.) One of the most high-profile cases involving Washington Bandidos came in 2005 with the arrest of the club's national president, George Wegers. They trade guns and stolen bike parts. 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. The music on the jukebox cranked up, and I saw Jeff Pike by a pool table. Don wasnt looking for people who fit into what he called polite society, said one of Chamberss first members, Royce Showalter. A screening process is carried out to prevent infiltration by law enforcement. Was it smart expanding into different countries in the first place? Former Hells Angels boss Sonny Barger was a fraud who beat his wife and 14-year-old stepdaughter, ex-gangster George Christie writes in 'Exile on Front Street' tell-all. January 2023 Reader Quiz: What Did You Learn? 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 . And now, five years later, here I am., As we talked, his wife, Nicole, walked up. [27] However, the Frito Bandito was not developed until 1967, the year after the Bandidos' foundation. Pike, however, did not seem the slightest bit defensive when I mentioned the cops theories. Website by Jefferson Rabb. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act was used to indict Bandidos in 2005. That way, if Im ever asked to testify about anything, I can honestly say I do not know.. For the most part, everybody knew, dont cause no (expletive) in Houston.. Why cant the feds just accept the fact that were a bunch of old bikers who love to get together and have some fun? Edward Winterhalders status was changed to Out in Bad Standings by the Bandidos. Here are 21 facts about this group of motorcycling enthusiasts. They love the tough biker persona. See the Crime / In The Media section below for further information. The Bandidos Motorcycle Club was founded by 36-year-old dockworker Donald Eugene Chambers on March 4, 1966, in San Leon, Texas. Benesh, who had been trying to start an Austin chapter of the Hells Angels, had been shot in the head, apparently by an unseen sniper, as he was leaving a North Austin restaurant with his girlfriend and two children. The police said that before killing the dealers, Chambers had made them dig their own graves. Standing in the doorway to the chapel, the thin, dark-suited director of the funeral home smiled nervously, his lips as pale as milk. 20 talking about this. 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. The Austin police, in particular, wanted to know if he had ordered the killing of Benesh as a way to send a message to all motorcycle clubs about what he would do to anyone he found moving into Bandidos territory. George Wegers pleads guilty to racketeering charges, in exchange for 14 other charges against him being dropped. The Australian branch was founded by Anthony Mark "Snodgrass" Spencer, who had previously encountered Bandidos members during a visit to the United States. Chambers was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison, leading some police officials to speculate that the Bandidos, without their founder, would disband. To this day, I can remember the first time I saw his photo: a mug shot, printed in a newspaper, that had been taken after he had been arrested. 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. said. Dont you fing wish you were a Bandido? said F.O., which I later learned stood for F Off; then he introduced me to two women whom he described as my two Old Ladies: Meja, a blond beauty who has been with him for 26 years, and Crystal, a brunet college student who has been with him for 4 years. Additionally, it is reportedly considering establishing a presence in Russia and Eastern Europe. A two year law enforcement investigation leads to the arrest of George Wegers and 25 other Bandidos members and associates. The phrase "Support your local bandidos" was printed on the front of the panties, according to a 2007 Texas Monthly story on the motorcycle gang. Defendant George Wegers is the lead defendant in this prosecution, and is named in six of the thirty-six counts in the First Superseding Indictment ("FSI"). Hasnt the motorcycle world been taken over by lawyers, doctors, and advertising executives, all those self-proclaimed chromosexuals who pull back their hair in neat ponytails and don designer sunglasses and expensive black leather jackets so that they can take leisurely rides through the countryside on sunny weekend afternoons? George (Bandido George) Wegers, once the most powerful Bandido in the world, lies today in a nursing home, broke and without any status in the club. [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 . The new recruit was then required to put the vest back on and dry it out by riding on his motorcycle. Photos from Julian Carsini, Crown exhibits, Peter Edwards. But the group seems less open when it comes race. We mourn with the family of George Wegers for this great loss. 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 . Like other outlaw motorcycle clubs, they call . And we all go to work. We dont do TV, Ojemann testified, recalling a conversation he said he had with Pike in 2012. When the hearse stopped, members of Chucos own San Antonio chapter carried his casket to the grave site. Without saying a word, I bought a round for everyonea total of 96 beers. 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. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. I started meeting Bandidos. But his right-hand man, Ronnie Hodge, another former Houston dockworker, who was the size of a grizzly bear, took over and did not make the slightest attempt to tone down the Bandidos renegade image. We mourn with the family of George Wegers for this great loss. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. The club also continued expanding into Canada, Australia, and Europe, where young motorcyclists were enamored of the Bandidos after reading about their exploits in biker magazines. 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 priests and brothers who staff Niagara University are known as Vincentians, a name derived from their founder, St. Vincent de Paul. Hell, no.. 03:13. [ 186 more . Loved to say "top left", meaning "from the heart.". 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. The group now counts members throughout the world. A former national ranking member of the Bandidos testified Friday that the groups latest president kicked his predecessor out of the biker club for appearing on a television documentary. There was a tall front gate with a Go Away sign attached to it, but it was wide open. Theyre at a major university right here in Texas, he said, grinning again. 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. Arent they long gone, artifacts of the Easy Rider era? The Rev. The Bandidos live here, and they love to steal motorcycles. . The coffin was lowered into the ground, and a mariachi band sang Te vas, ngel mo (You Leave, Angel of Mine). 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 . George Wegers was born in Whatcom County in Washington State around 1953. At recess, we swapped storiesperhaps true, perhaps notabout how Bandidos pulled out their enemies teeth with pliers and beat them with heavy metal wrenches. In the mid-90s in Scandinavia, the Bandidos fought with the their rival in an event dubbed the "Great Nordic Biker War.". 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. And then we looked at one another and said, Hell, we can do a lot better than these guys. . Im almost always in bed by ten p.m. Come on down, Ill talk to you.. None of my guys shot some goofy Hells Angels wannabe who meant nothing to us, and as for that Canada mess, I didnt have any contact with that chapter up there for weeks before those killings. & quot ;, meaning & quot ;, meaning & quot ; top left & ;. Julian Carsini, Crown exhibits, Peter Edwards establishing a presence in Russia and Eastern.... Badass bikers who cared about nothing except riding full time on their Harley-Davidsons a couple weeks! Reader Quiz: what Did you Learn should be doing, said one Chamberss! Court testimony while blacks appear non-existent name derived from their founder, Vincent... 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