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| The '''Bandidos Motorcycle Club''' is a ] ] with a worldwide membership. The club was formed in 1966 by Don Chambers in ]. Its slogan is ''We are the people our parents warned us about''. It is estimated to have 2,400 members in 195 chapters, located in 14 countries. <ref name=Lewis>Peter Lewis, , ''Seattle Times'', ], ]. Accessed online 11 December 2006.</ref> The club considers itself to be an ]. The ] as well as the ] have chosen to use the more derogatory designation of ] (OMG). | The '''Bandidos Motorcycle Club''' is a ] ] with a worldwide membership. The club was formed in 1966 by Don Chambers in ]. Its slogan is ''We are the people our parents warned us about''. It is estimated to have 2,400 members in 195 chapters, located in 14 countries. <ref name=Lewis>Peter Lewis, , ''Seattle Times'', ], ]. Accessed online 11 December 2006.</ref> The club considers itself to be an ]. The ] as well as the ] have chosen to use the more derogatory designation of ] (OMG). | ||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
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| ==Organization== | ==Organization== | ||
| The Bandidos, also called the Bandido Nation, is one of the largest outlaw ]s in the world with over 90 chapters in the ], 90 chapters in Europe, and another 17 in ] and Southeast Asia.{{fact}} In the ], the club is concentrated in ], but extends into ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and several other states. The ] Motorcycle Club in ] patched over to Bandidos in 2000, and there is a chapter in ], ]<ref>http://www.bandidosmc.ca/</ref>. The Bandidos are also found in ]; aside from the non-locale-specific ] chapter, the chapters are located in ], ], ], ], Sydney Downtown, ], ], ], Ipswich City, Mid North Coast, Mid State, ], ], North Victoria, ], ], and ], and were acquired with much bloodletting. In recent years the club has also expanded heavily into ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and the ] of ]. Additionally, it is looking into setting up shop in ] and ] and also in the tiny island nation of ], as well as ] and ].<ref> listed on Bandidos web site</ref> The Bandidos are 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. | The Bandidos, also called the Bandido Nation, is one of the largest outlaw ]s in the world with over 90 chapters in the ], 90 chapters in Europe, and another 17 in ] and Southeast Asia.{{fact}} In the ], the club is concentrated in ], but extends into ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and several other states. The ] Motorcycle Club in ] patched over to Bandidos in 2000, and there is a chapter in ], ]<ref>http://www.bandidosmc.ca/</ref>. The Bandidos are also found in ]; aside from the non-locale-specific ] chapter, the chapters are located in ], ], ], ], Sydney Downtown, ], ], ], Ipswich City, Mid North Coast, Mid State, ], ], North Victoria, ], ], and ], and were acquired with much bloodletting. In recent years the club has also expanded heavily into ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and the ] of ]. Additionally, it is looking into setting up shop in ] and ] and also in the tiny island nation of ], as well as ] and ].<ref> listed on Bandidos web site</ref> The Bandidos are 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. | ||
| ==Members’ reported involvement with crime== | ==Members’ reported involvement with crime== | ||
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The Bandidos Motorcycle Club is a one-percenter motorcycle gang with a worldwide membership. The club was formed in 1966 by Don Chambers in Texas. Its slogan is We are the people our parents warned us about. It is estimated to have 2,400 members in 195 chapters, located in 14 countries. The club considers itself to be an Outlaw Motorcycle Club. The Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada have chosen to use the more derogatory designation of Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMG).
History
The club was formed in 1966 in Houston by Donald Eugene Chambers. Many people think after seeing a TV commercial with the Frito Bandito raising hell to sell Fritos corn chips, Chambers named his club the Bandidos. This is not true, as the cartoon came out in 1968 (although he did adopt a caricature of an obese machete- and pistol-wielding Mexican Bandido as the center patch for the club's colors). After Chambers' presidency ended due to his conviction for a double murder in El Paso, Texas, Ronnie Hodge was elevated to president. Under the watch of Hodge, they say the Bandidos expanded internationally.
Organization
The Bandidos, also called the Bandido Nation, is one of the largest outlaw motorcycle gangs in the world with over 90 chapters in the United States, 90 chapters in Europe, and another 17 in Australia and Southeast Asia. In the United States, the club is concentrated in Texas, but extends into Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Washington State, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and several other states. The Rock Machine Motorcycle Club in Canada patched over to Bandidos in 2000, and there is a chapter in Toronto, Ontario. The Bandidos are also found in Australia; aside from the non-locale-specific Nomads chapter, the chapters are located in Adelaide, Ballarat, Brisbane City, Cairns, Sydney Downtown, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hunter Valley, Ipswich City, Mid North Coast, Mid State, Northside, Noosa, North Victoria, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, and Toowoomba, and were acquired with much bloodletting. In recent years the club has also expanded heavily into Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, France and the Channel Isles of Great Britain. Additionally, it is looking into setting up shop in Russia and Eastern Europe and also in the tiny island nation of Singapore, as well as Malaysia and Thailand. The Bandidos are 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.
Members’ reported involvement with crime
USA
On July 29, 2007, during the Hells Angels 2007 USA motorcycle run, six members of the Hells Angels confronted six members of the Bandidos in the parking lot of a Eureka Springs, Arkansas antique shop. Two of the Bandidos escaped the parking lot to retrieve weapons, leaving the other four members to face the six Hells Angels. The remaining four Bandidos were stabbed with knives and beaten with baseball bats in the ensuing melee, leaving them critically injured. The men were all flown to area hospitals. Police arrested six members of the Hells Angels a short time later. Police speculate that the fight may have started over territorial issues, since Arkansas is controlled by the Bandidos.
In October, 2006, George Wegers, the Bandidos' international president, plead guilty and received a two-year sentence for conspiracy to engage in racketeering. Also, in November, 2006, Glenn Merritt of the Bellingham, Washington chapter was sentenced to four years in prison on Federal racketeering charges. A total of 32 members were indicted in the associated investigation, on charges including conspiracy to commit murder, witness tampering, violent crime in aid of racketeering, and various drug and weapons violations. Eighteen of those plead guilty.
Canada
On April 8, 2006, four vehicles containing the bodies of eight men, all of whom had been shot, were discovered in a farmer's field outside of the hamlet of Shedden, Ontario, Canada. Six of the men killed in what became known as the Shedden Massacre were believed to have been full members of the Bandidos, including the alleged president of the organization in Canada. Three of the suspects in the case are also believed to have been full members, and one a prospective member. Police described this incident as an internal cleansing of the Bandidos organization.
Australia
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The Bandidos are known in Australia for their involvement in the Milperra Bikie Massacre. More recently, five Bandidos are accused of starting a blaze which destroyed the Rebels clubhouse at Albion, a suburb of Brisbane, Australia on March 27 . All five faced Brisbane Magistrates Court on June 4, 2007.
Germany
Two Bandidos members are suspected to be the murderers of a Hells Angels member in Ibbenbüren, Germany. Reports say they drove to his Harley-Davidson shop and shot him there on May 23, 2007. After the first day of a related lawsuit on December 17, 2007, riots between the two gangs and the police have been reported.
References
- Peter Lewis, Feds take another run at heading off biker gang, Seattle Times, July 25, 2005. Accessed online 11 December 2006.
- http://www.bandidosmc.ca/
- Thailand Chapters listed on Bandidos web site
- 40/29 TV.com 6 Bikers Arrested After Fight Leaves 4 Rivals Severely Injured, 40/29 TV.com, July 30, 2007. Accessed online September 7, 2007
- Police: 4 Bandidos stabbed in altercation with Hells Angels, Boston.com Local News (AP), July 31, 2007. Accessed online September 7, 2007
- 4 years in prison for gang member, Seattle Times, November 19, 2006. Accessed online 19 August 2007.
- ^ "Five charged in biker gang killings", CBC News, April 10, 2006. Cite error: The named reference "CBC April 10" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
Other references
External links
- Bandidos MC
- Out In Bad Standings: Inside The Bandidos Motorcycle Club — The Making of a Worldwide Dynasty by Edward Winterhalder
- The Assimilation: Rock Machine Become Bandidos — Bikers United Against The Hells Angels by Edward Winterhalder and Wil De Clercq — ECW Press 2008 Worldwide