Numerous police and international intelligence agencies classify the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club as a motorcycle gang and contend that members carry out widespread violent crimes, including drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, gunrunning, extortion, and prostitution rings.[1][2] Members of the organization have continuously asserted that they are only a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have joined to ride motorcycles together, to organize social events such as group road trips, fundraisers, parties, and motorcycle rallies, and that any crimes are the responsibility of the individuals who carried them out and not the club as a whole.[3][4]
There are more Hells Angels chapters in California than in any other U.S. state.[5] With over 300 members statewide, the Hells Angels are the most significant motorcycle gang in California in terms of membership and criminal activity. The club has a significant role in the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine, and in other illegal enterprises.[6] The West Coast faction of the HAMC has also been especially active in the infiltration of legitimate businesses, including motorcycle and automobile services, catering operations, bars, restaurants, and antique stores.[7] The San Fernando Valley chapter has colluded with the Los Angeles crime family and Five Families of New York in debt collection and the theft of electronics, and the San Jose charter has been linked with the San Jose crime family.[8] Additionally, the California Hells Angels have associated in criminal ventures with the Aryan Brotherhood,[9] the Mexican Mafia,[10] and the Nazi Lowriders.[11] A 1990 review by the California Department of Justice determined that the 215 members of fourteen Hells Angels chapters in the state had been arrested an average of 10.4 times each, in a total of 2,202 charges – most commonly, narcotics violations, assault, weapons violations, burglary and robbery. The offenders' crimes generally escalated after they gained membership of the club.[12]
- ^ "FBI Safe Street Violent Crime Initiative Report Fiscal Year 2000" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 13, 2001. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
- ^ Ibrahim, Youssef M. (March 3, 1997). "New York Times, Sweden's Courteous Police Spoil a Hell's Angels Clubouse Party". New York Times. Stockholm (Sweden); Sweden. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
- ^ "[Hpn] Hells Angels Mc Salvation Army Shelter Run". Hpn.asu.edu. July 6, 2003. Archived from the original on July 9, 2010. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
- ^ "Under watchful eye, bikers aid charity – Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 | midnight". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
- ^ Raymond C. Morgan (1979). The Angels Do Not Forget. Law & Justice Pubs, U.S.A. ISBN 9780960271801. Archived from the original on 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ California Northern and Eastern Districts Drug Threat Assessment National Drug Intelligence Center, justice.gov (January 2001)
- ^ Organized Crime In California John K. Van De Kamp, California Department of Justice (1986)
- ^ Les Gangs de Motards Criminalisés: Une expansion internationale Xavier Raufer, Institut de Criminologie de Paris Archived December 20, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hell’s Angels: Masters of Menace Howard Kohn, Rolling Stone (April 5, 1979) Archived December 16, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Christie 2016, p. 130.
- ^ White Power Gangs: The NLR (Nazi Low Riders) Story B. Belt and G. Doyle, National Criminal Justice Reference Service (March 1998) "White Power Gangs: The NLR (Nazi Low Riders) Story | Office of Justice Programs". Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Outlaw motorcycle gangs – USA overview National Institute of Justice (1991) "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
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