Vagos Motorcycle Club
Encyclopedia
The Vagos Motorcycle Club, also known as the Green Nation, is a one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime
syndicate that was formed in the 1960s in the small unincorporated community of Temescal Valley, which is south of Corona, California
. The gang originally was called "the Psychos". The club's insignia is Loki
, the Norse
god of mischief, riding a motorcycle and members commonly wear green.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
and the California Attorney General have named the Vagos as an outlaw motorcycle club
, claiming that they are involved in criminal activities such as producing, transporting and distributing methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as assault, extortion, insurance fraud, money laundering, murder, vehicle theft, witness intimidation and weapons violations. The Vagos have approximately 600 members among 24 chapters located in the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and ten chapters located in Mexico (Baja California, Jalisco and Mexico City). Two hundred members are in Riverside County, where the gang was started in the late 1960s.
In 2002, members of the Vagos turned in the estranged wife of a Pomona, California
police detective after she attempted to hire a hit man from the Vagos to kill her husband.
student William Velten. The four, Richard Greer, Ronald Keine, Clarence Smith and Thomas Gladish, spent 17 months on death row. Their case was in the appeals process when Kerry Rodney Lee, an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration
, confessed to the murder.
On March 9, 2006, twenty-five Vagos members and associates were arrested on firearms and drug violations charges following one of the largest coordinated law enforcement probes ever conducted in Southern California
. The operation, known as "Operation 22 Green", involved around 700 personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local police and sheriff's departments. Ninety-five illegal firearms, illegal drugs, $6,000 in cash and two stolen motorcycles were also seized.
In December 2007, six members of the Vagos were arrested and accused of beating and robbing a member who intended to leave the club. The victim was allegedly attacked at the Custom Motorcycle auto shop in Grants Pass, Oregon
then taken to his home where the attackers robbed him, in August 2007. In February 2010 the ex-president of the chapter involved was acquitted of all charges relating to robbery assault and kidnapping.
Three Vagos members were arrested on June 9 and 10, 2009 and charged with sexually assaulting a woman in San Jose, California
. Police investigators told the San Jose Mercury News
that the victim met the three men in a nightclub on May 4, 2009 and that they had offered to drive her home, but instead they took her to the Vagos clubhouse on Kings Row where she was beaten and sexually assaulted.
On March 17, 2010, amid allegations that Vagos members have been attempting to use home-made booby traps to maim and kill police detectives in Hemet, California
police arrested at least 31 Vagos members in a multistate raid which took place in Utah
, Nevada
, Arizona
, and California
and involved 400 police officers from 60 law enforcement agencies. As many as 73 locations were raided in Southern California, where police seized weapons and drugs and discovered a methamphetamine
lab. On December 31, 2009 the unmarked headquarters of the Hemet Gang Task Force was filled with natural gas which had been routed into the building through a hole drilled in the roof. Two task force members entering the office smelled gas and backed away without flipping a light switch which could have caused an explosion. The day before that attack, a Vagos funeral was held at a church next to the office. On February 23, 2010 a task force member at the Hemet headquarters opened a security gate outside the building, causing a homemade zip gun attached to the gate to fire. The weapon fired and nearly hit an officer's head. On March 5, 2010 a task force member who had parked an unmarked police car in front of a convenience store in Hemet found a homemade pipe bomb hidden underneath the vehicle. A $200,000 reward has been announced by California and federal authorities for information on these cases. California Attorney General Jerry Brown
called the attempts "urban terrorism." Riverside County District Attorney
Rod Pacheco
said that Vagos members posed an "extreme threat" to law enforcement officers and were notorious for trying to "infiltrate" public safety agencies, by obtaining sworn or non-sworn positions and working undercover to obstruct and dismantle police investigations.
On August 1, 2011, Riverside County settled a lawsuit filed by the Vagos International Motorcycle Club in March 2011. The lawsuit claimed that Riverside County authorities "defamed" and "damaged" The Vagos International Motorcycle Clubs name by "falsely linking" them to attacks on police officers in Hemet, CA. The Statement Issued by Riverside county today, cleared the Vagos International Motorcycle Club of any involvement in the attacks on officers in Hemet. Two Riverside County men, with no ties to the Vagos International Motorcycle Club, have been charged in relation to the attacks and are awaiting trial. Attorney Joseph Yanny, who represented the Vagos International Motorcycle Club, was "Pleased" With the result and went on to express that the lawsuit was never about a financial settlement but for the "club to clear its name".
On August 13, 2011, law enforcement authorities say the Vagos Motorcycle Club and the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club were involved in a shootout which shut down traffic on I-44 near Lebanon, Missouri. The local 911 Center received about 20 calls, beginning at 8:16 p.m. Saturday; from local motorists along the major interstate which has now replaced the historic U.S. Route 66 running across Missouri. Callers described that approximately 20 men were fighting and that shots had been fired.
On September 23, 2011, members of the Vagos were allegedly involved in a shooting at John Ascuaga's Nugget
in Sparks, Nevada
in which Jeffrey Pettigrew, 51, president of the San Jose, California, chapter of the Hells Angels was killed and two Vagos members were wounded during the shootout in the Trader Dick's bar section of the casino. A few days later Vagos member Ernesto Gonzalez of San Jose, CA was arrested by University of California San Francisco Police
pursuant to the murder. Gonzalez reportedly shot Pettigrew four times in the back.
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
syndicate that was formed in the 1960s in the small unincorporated community of Temescal Valley, which is south of Corona, California
Corona, California
Corona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census...
. The gang originally was called "the Psychos". The club's insignia is Loki
Loki
In Norse mythology, Loki or Loke is a god or jötunn . Loki is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Nari or Narfi...
, the Norse
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
god of mischief, riding a motorcycle and members commonly wear green.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
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...
as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...
and the California Attorney General have named the Vagos as an outlaw motorcycle club
Outlaw motorcycle club
An outlaw motorcycle club is a type of motorcycle club that is part of a subculture with roots in the post-World War II USA, centered on cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals celebrating freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the...
, claiming that they are involved in criminal activities such as producing, transporting and distributing methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as assault, extortion, insurance fraud, money laundering, murder, vehicle theft, witness intimidation and weapons violations. The Vagos have approximately 600 members among 24 chapters located in the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and ten chapters located in Mexico (Baja California, Jalisco and Mexico City). Two hundred members are in Riverside County, where the gang was started in the late 1960s.
In 2002, members of the Vagos turned in the estranged wife of a Pomona, California
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
police detective after she attempted to hire a hit man from the Vagos to kill her husband.
Wrongful conviction
Four members of the Vagos were convicted in 1974 for the murder and mutilation of University of New MexicoUniversity of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
student William Velten. The four, Richard Greer, Ronald Keine, Clarence Smith and Thomas Gladish, spent 17 months on death row. Their case was in the appeals process when Kerry Rodney Lee, an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
, confessed to the murder.
Criminal activities
In October 1998, a two-year undercover investigation of the Vagos resulted in the arrests of more than a dozen people for kidnapping, and drug and weapons crimes, and in September 2004, a state investigation involving the gang led to the arrests of 26 people and the seizure of more than $125,000 in cash, drugs and guns.On March 9, 2006, twenty-five Vagos members and associates were arrested on firearms and drug violations charges following one of the largest coordinated law enforcement probes ever conducted in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. The operation, known as "Operation 22 Green", involved around 700 personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local police and sheriff's departments. Ninety-five illegal firearms, illegal drugs, $6,000 in cash and two stolen motorcycles were also seized.
In December 2007, six members of the Vagos were arrested and accused of beating and robbing a member who intended to leave the club. The victim was allegedly attacked at the Custom Motorcycle auto shop in Grants Pass, Oregon
Grants Pass, Oregon
-Rogue River:The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile . By 2008,...
then taken to his home where the attackers robbed him, in August 2007. In February 2010 the ex-president of the chapter involved was acquitted of all charges relating to robbery assault and kidnapping.
Three Vagos members were arrested on June 9 and 10, 2009 and charged with sexually assaulting a woman in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. Police investigators told the San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
The San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
that the victim met the three men in a nightclub on May 4, 2009 and that they had offered to drive her home, but instead they took her to the Vagos clubhouse on Kings Row where she was beaten and sexually assaulted.
On March 17, 2010, amid allegations that Vagos members have been attempting to use home-made booby traps to maim and kill police detectives in Hemet, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
police arrested at least 31 Vagos members in a multistate raid which took place in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and involved 400 police officers from 60 law enforcement agencies. As many as 73 locations were raided in Southern California, where police seized weapons and drugs and discovered a methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
lab. On December 31, 2009 the unmarked headquarters of the Hemet Gang Task Force was filled with natural gas which had been routed into the building through a hole drilled in the roof. Two task force members entering the office smelled gas and backed away without flipping a light switch which could have caused an explosion. The day before that attack, a Vagos funeral was held at a church next to the office. On February 23, 2010 a task force member at the Hemet headquarters opened a security gate outside the building, causing a homemade zip gun attached to the gate to fire. The weapon fired and nearly hit an officer's head. On March 5, 2010 a task force member who had parked an unmarked police car in front of a convenience store in Hemet found a homemade pipe bomb hidden underneath the vehicle. A $200,000 reward has been announced by California and federal authorities for information on these cases. California Attorney General Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
called the attempts "urban terrorism." Riverside County District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Rod Pacheco
Rod Pacheco
Rodric Anthony Pacheco , usually known as Rod Pacheco, is an American politician. He served in the Riverside County District Attorney's Office as a Deputy District Attorney, Chief Deputy District Attorney, Assistant District Attorney and then as District Attorney from 2007-2010 in Riverside County,...
said that Vagos members posed an "extreme threat" to law enforcement officers and were notorious for trying to "infiltrate" public safety agencies, by obtaining sworn or non-sworn positions and working undercover to obstruct and dismantle police investigations.
On August 1, 2011, Riverside County settled a lawsuit filed by the Vagos International Motorcycle Club in March 2011. The lawsuit claimed that Riverside County authorities "defamed" and "damaged" The Vagos International Motorcycle Clubs name by "falsely linking" them to attacks on police officers in Hemet, CA. The Statement Issued by Riverside county today, cleared the Vagos International Motorcycle Club of any involvement in the attacks on officers in Hemet. Two Riverside County men, with no ties to the Vagos International Motorcycle Club, have been charged in relation to the attacks and are awaiting trial. Attorney Joseph Yanny, who represented the Vagos International Motorcycle Club, was "Pleased" With the result and went on to express that the lawsuit was never about a financial settlement but for the "club to clear its name".
On August 13, 2011, law enforcement authorities say the Vagos Motorcycle Club and the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club were involved in a shootout which shut down traffic on I-44 near Lebanon, Missouri. The local 911 Center received about 20 calls, beginning at 8:16 p.m. Saturday; from local motorists along the major interstate which has now replaced the historic U.S. Route 66 running across Missouri. Callers described that approximately 20 men were fighting and that shots had been fired.
On September 23, 2011, members of the Vagos were allegedly involved in a shooting at John Ascuaga's Nugget
John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort
John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort is a casino resort/hotel in Sparks, Nevada. The main portion of the casino consists of two 29-story towers nestled between Interstate 80 and the Union Pacific rail yard. There are additional attached buildings underneath and across Interstate 80 from the towers...
in Sparks, Nevada
Sparks, Nevada
Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States, located east of Reno, Nevada. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population count was 90,264. Sparks is often referred to as half of a twin city .-Geography and Climate:...
in which Jeffrey Pettigrew, 51, president of the San Jose, California, chapter of the Hells Angels was killed and two Vagos members were wounded during the shootout in the Trader Dick's bar section of the casino. A few days later Vagos member Ernesto Gonzalez of San Jose, CA was arrested by University of California San Francisco Police
University of California Police Department
The University of California Police Department is the police agency charged with providing law enforcement to the campuses of the University of California system.-History:...
pursuant to the murder. Gonzalez reportedly shot Pettigrew four times in the back.
External links
- Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
: Vagos Motorcycle Club claims its reputation damaged by false links to Hemet police attacks