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From The Oregonian:
Eugene police say 3 bikers targeted agent, detective
The Mongols are held on charges of attempted kidnapping and coercion in an alleged freeway incident Friday, April 25, 2008BRYAN DENSON The Oregonian Staff
Eugene police arrested three members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club on Wednesday, accusing them of trying to run a pair of biker investigators off the road during a rush-hour confrontation on the freeway.
The Mongols -- identified as Justin J. "Mooch" DeLoretto, 26, Nathan A. Cassidy, 22, and Matthew A. Weiss, 24 -- remained jailed Thursday in Eugene on felony charges.
The incident began about 4:30 p.m. when Eugene police Detective Dave Burroughs and federal agent Jimmy Packard drove to a spot near Turner, south of Salem, to confirm DeLoretto's address. Police described DeLoretto, president of Oregon's Mongols, as a person of interest in a recent assault at a downtown Eugene music club.
Packard, a regional expert on outlaw motorcycle gangs for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, steered his unmarked Ford Explorer down a dirt road as he and Burroughs searched for DeLoretto's home.
Suddenly they spotted their suspect behind the wheel of a Ford Ranger pickup, which was headed toward them. Packard backed out of the narrow lane and drove to Salem, where by chance he parked in front of the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club's former clubhouse, according to Eugene police Detective Matt Herbert. Gang experts say the Mongols and Jokers amount to rivals because they both wear black and white insignia.
Ordinarily, Packard and Burroughs pursue bikers such as the Mongols. But on Wednesday, Herbert said, they found themselves being pursued.
"A dangerous event," he said.
DeLoretto tailed the investigators as they motored south on Interstate 5, talking on his cell phone, police said. By the time they reached the Eugene area, the investigators found themselves flanked by two other Mongols on the rain-slicked highway, police said. Burroughs radioed for backup.
Weiss, driving a Nissan pickup just ahead of the investigators, suddenly swerved into the Explorer's path, causing Packard to slam on his brakes and steer left to avoid a collision, Herbert said. The federal agent turned on his siren and Weiss slowed.
When Packard tried to exit I-5 and drive west on Interstate 105 toward downtown Eugene, Cassidy mashed the accelerator of his Audi A4 and steered the car across two lanes of traffic in front of the investigators' vehicle and braked hard, police allege. Packard slammed on his brakes again, turning on his emergency lights and siren.
Weiss and Cassidy continued south on I-5 as the investigators headed toward downtown. Patrol cars soon swarmed DeLoretto's pickup, and officers arrested him at a strip mall on Coburg Road.
Police soon took Weiss into custody in Creswell, seizing a .38-caliber revolver from his pickup, Herbert said. They arrested Cassidy shortly before 11 p.m. in west Eugene.
The Mongols, a California-based club often described as one of the nation's most violent biker gangs, defied long-held biker protocol last fall when they established chapters in Oregon without consulting the Jokers or any of the state's other outlaw biker clubs. Since then, gang experts have watched to see whether this breach of biker etiquette ignites a turf war.
The three Oregon Mongols were arraigned Thursday afternoon and held in Lane County's jail. They have been charged with second-degree attempted kidnapping; conspiracy to commit second-degree kidnapping; attempted coercion; conspiracy to commit coercion; reckless driving; and reckless endangerment.
Drive careful and pay attention when something weid is going down
Rick
Eugene police say 3 bikers targeted agent, detective
The Mongols are held on charges of attempted kidnapping and coercion in an alleged freeway incident Friday, April 25, 2008BRYAN DENSON The Oregonian Staff
Eugene police arrested three members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club on Wednesday, accusing them of trying to run a pair of biker investigators off the road during a rush-hour confrontation on the freeway.
The Mongols -- identified as Justin J. "Mooch" DeLoretto, 26, Nathan A. Cassidy, 22, and Matthew A. Weiss, 24 -- remained jailed Thursday in Eugene on felony charges.
The incident began about 4:30 p.m. when Eugene police Detective Dave Burroughs and federal agent Jimmy Packard drove to a spot near Turner, south of Salem, to confirm DeLoretto's address. Police described DeLoretto, president of Oregon's Mongols, as a person of interest in a recent assault at a downtown Eugene music club.
Packard, a regional expert on outlaw motorcycle gangs for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, steered his unmarked Ford Explorer down a dirt road as he and Burroughs searched for DeLoretto's home.
Suddenly they spotted their suspect behind the wheel of a Ford Ranger pickup, which was headed toward them. Packard backed out of the narrow lane and drove to Salem, where by chance he parked in front of the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club's former clubhouse, according to Eugene police Detective Matt Herbert. Gang experts say the Mongols and Jokers amount to rivals because they both wear black and white insignia.
Ordinarily, Packard and Burroughs pursue bikers such as the Mongols. But on Wednesday, Herbert said, they found themselves being pursued.
"A dangerous event," he said.
DeLoretto tailed the investigators as they motored south on Interstate 5, talking on his cell phone, police said. By the time they reached the Eugene area, the investigators found themselves flanked by two other Mongols on the rain-slicked highway, police said. Burroughs radioed for backup.
Weiss, driving a Nissan pickup just ahead of the investigators, suddenly swerved into the Explorer's path, causing Packard to slam on his brakes and steer left to avoid a collision, Herbert said. The federal agent turned on his siren and Weiss slowed.
When Packard tried to exit I-5 and drive west on Interstate 105 toward downtown Eugene, Cassidy mashed the accelerator of his Audi A4 and steered the car across two lanes of traffic in front of the investigators' vehicle and braked hard, police allege. Packard slammed on his brakes again, turning on his emergency lights and siren.
Weiss and Cassidy continued south on I-5 as the investigators headed toward downtown. Patrol cars soon swarmed DeLoretto's pickup, and officers arrested him at a strip mall on Coburg Road.
Police soon took Weiss into custody in Creswell, seizing a .38-caliber revolver from his pickup, Herbert said. They arrested Cassidy shortly before 11 p.m. in west Eugene.
The Mongols, a California-based club often described as one of the nation's most violent biker gangs, defied long-held biker protocol last fall when they established chapters in Oregon without consulting the Jokers or any of the state's other outlaw biker clubs. Since then, gang experts have watched to see whether this breach of biker etiquette ignites a turf war.
The three Oregon Mongols were arraigned Thursday afternoon and held in Lane County's jail. They have been charged with second-degree attempted kidnapping; conspiracy to commit second-degree kidnapping; attempted coercion; conspiracy to commit coercion; reckless driving; and reckless endangerment.
Drive careful and pay attention when something weid is going down
Rick
