Highwaymen Motorcycle Club
Encyclopedia
The Highwaymen Motorcycle Club is a one-percenter outlaw motorcycle gang that was formed in Detroit, Michigan
in 1954. The club has undergone a number of large-scale police
and FBI
investigations, most notably in 1973, 1987 and 2007. In the early 1970s several members were convicted of bombings and raids of the homes and the clubhouses of rival motorcycle clubs.
The club is the largest in the Detroit area, with over one hundred members, and chapters in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, Their insignia is a winged skeleton wearing a motorcycle cap and leather jacket, and their colors
are black and silver. The club's motto is "Highwaymen forever, forever Highwaymen" ("H.F.F.H."). James Blake Miller
, the "Marlboro Marine", is a member of the Kentucky Highwaymen, many of whom, like Miller, are veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. The Highwaymen are banned from the Detroit Federation of Motorcycle Clubs, which was created by the president of the Detroit Outlaws Motorcycle Club
in the 1970s to resolve motorcycle gang turf wars.
In 1955, the Highwaymen were actually listed as an American Motorcyclist Association
(AMA) sanctioned club, a form of mainstream respectability which outlaw motorcycle clubs would, over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, come to reject as the very definition of 'outlaw' and 'one-percenter,' just as much as the AMA rejected outlaw clubs from their midst.
High-ranking Highwaymen member Randell Lee McDaniel was arrested for running a chop shop in Lansing, Michigan
on June 13, 2007. The investigation by the Monroe County
Auto Theft Enforcement began in October 2006 and served several search warrants on properties owned by McDaniel. He was charged with conducting a criminal enterprise, operating a chop shop, motor vehicle theft and possessing a controlled substance.
Four police officers and a member of the Highwaymen were indicted on March 12, 2008 by a federal grand jury in Detroit on charges stemming from the 2007 investigation into drug trafficking. Highwaymen member Sean Donovan, who was already incarcerated on stolen property charges, was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and Vicodin
. The four police officers were also jailed for corruption.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in 1954. The club has undergone a number of large-scale police
Detroit Police Department
The Detroit Police Department , established in 1865, is responsible for the city of Detroit, Michigan.-History:The Detroit Police Department was established in 1865 to serve the city's growing population and covers the city with 5 districts and two precincts. The Detroit Police Department was also...
and FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
investigations, most notably in 1973, 1987 and 2007. In the early 1970s several members were convicted of bombings and raids of the homes and the clubhouses of rival motorcycle clubs.
The club is the largest in the Detroit area, with over one hundred members, and chapters in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, Their insignia is a winged skeleton wearing a motorcycle cap and leather jacket, and their colors
Gang colors
Gang colors are the types or color of clothing, or insignia that are worn by gang members to identify each other. Tattoos may also come under the category of gang colors....
are black and silver. The club's motto is "Highwaymen forever, forever Highwaymen" ("H.F.F.H."). James Blake Miller
James Blake Miller
James Blake Miller is an American Iraq War veteran, who served in the United States Marine Corps and was dubbed "the Marlboro Man" / "Marlboro Marine", after an iconic, close-up photograph of his scarred, dirt-smeared, battle-weary face, with a cigarette in his mouth, was published on the front...
, the "Marlboro Marine", is a member of the Kentucky Highwaymen, many of whom, like Miller, are veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. The Highwaymen are banned from the Detroit Federation of Motorcycle Clubs, which was created by the president of the Detroit Outlaws Motorcycle Club
Outlaws Motorcycle Club
The Outlaws Motorcycle Club, incorporated as the American Outlaws Association or its acronym, A.O.A., is a one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate that was formed in McCook, Illinois in 1935....
in the 1970s to resolve motorcycle gang turf wars.
In 1955, the Highwaymen were actually listed as an American Motorcyclist Association
American Motorcyclist Association
The American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 300,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights...
(AMA) sanctioned club, a form of mainstream respectability which outlaw motorcycle clubs would, over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, come to reject as the very definition of 'outlaw' and 'one-percenter,' just as much as the AMA rejected outlaw clubs from their midst.
Criminal activities
On May 5, 2007, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested forty members and associates of the Detroit chapter of the Highwaymen on a number of charges including racketeering, murder for hire, assault, police corruption, cocaine trafficking, vehicle theft, and mortgage and insurance fraud. Twenty-nine illegal firearms, including assault rifles, shotguns and handguns, were also found when FBI agents raided homes and the chapter's clubhouse. The investigation in to the club lasted two years and involved wiretaps and two informants, one of whom was eventually murdered.High-ranking Highwaymen member Randell Lee McDaniel was arrested for running a chop shop in Lansing, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
on June 13, 2007. The investigation by the Monroe County
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
Auto Theft Enforcement began in October 2006 and served several search warrants on properties owned by McDaniel. He was charged with conducting a criminal enterprise, operating a chop shop, motor vehicle theft and possessing a controlled substance.
Four police officers and a member of the Highwaymen were indicted on March 12, 2008 by a federal grand jury in Detroit on charges stemming from the 2007 investigation into drug trafficking. Highwaymen member Sean Donovan, who was already incarcerated on stolen property charges, was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and Vicodin
Vicodin
Hydrocodone/paracetamol is a combination of two analgesic products hydrocodone and paracetamol used to relieve moderate to severe pain...
. The four police officers were also jailed for corruption.