The brotherhood. Don wasnt looking for people who fit into what he called polite society, said one of Chamberss first members, Royce Showalter. She was 33 years old, tall and blond, and she was wearing a vest that had a patch on the back that read Proud Bandido Old Lady. People told me I had lost my mind when I said I was going to marry a Bandido, said Nicole, who runs a pet grooming salon in the Hill Country. But when I spoke to him, he still smiled brightly at the memory of those early days when Chambers came into his life. Kerr identified three Bandidos in a police lineup as his possible assailants. George Wagers Obituary. Here are 21 facts about this group of motorcycling enthusiasts. He was predeceased by : his parents, Chester Wagers and . For the 1967 film, see, Bandidos MC criminal allegations and incidents, "Law agencies prep, keep watch, as outlaw biker club rides in for holiday weekend | St George News", "Number of Hells Angels charters and Bandidos chapters worldwide", "Bandidos: 5 things to know about second-most dangerous motorcycle gang | USA Today", "FBI and DEA arrest top Bandidos Motorcycle Leaders in San Antonio, Houston", "How the Bandidos became one of the world's most feared biker gangs", "Texas Monthly: "The Gang's All Here" by Skip Hollansworth", "Milperra - the spark that started the bikie violence", Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, "Biker wars dredge up something rotten in the state of Denmark", Hells Angels under pressure as outlaw motorcycle clubs from across the globe expand into Canada, "USA Based Motorcycle Clubs kicking out or shutting down chapters overseas. John Xavier Portillo, former national vice president of the Bandidos, arrives at Feb. 27 the San Antonio federal courthouse for the first day of his racketeering trial. Fing off the fing charts., I turned around and came face to face with F.O., who had stabbed me in the sternum the day before. Read more of his stories here. The European Bandidos proved themselves to be just as aggressive as their American counterparts, setting off a turf war with Europes Hells Angels and at one point firing anti-tank grenades at two Hells Angels clubhouses in Denmark. In fact, the Bandidos are not just hanging on, they are thriving. He was 36 years old, the son of one of the first members, Steve Panhead Jonas, who had been shot to death at a San Antonio bar in 1983. Apparently he was being tailed by federal agents at the time of the crash. George Wegers was the International President (El Presidente) of Bandidos MC from 1998 until 2005. George Wegers is Dead : Death, Obituary, Cause of Death, Memorial, Funeral 360NG totally feeling remorsed to announce the death of a loved one 'George Wegers '. In 1985, after a long undercover investigation, hundreds of federal agents and local police officers in eight states arrested nearly one hundred Bandidos and their associates on charges of narcotics trafficking. Portillos lead lawyer, Mark Stevens, noted that what Ojemann told investigators in debriefings differed from his court testimony. Additionally, prosecutor Eric Fuchs asked Ojemann about the difference between Bandidos in Houston and those in San Antonio. Unrepentant, the Bandidos insisted that they had not shot the prosecutor or the judge and that the only reason they were being harassed was because of their anti-establishment posturing. George Weger was taken to Skagit Valley Hospital. All I ask is that he not bring it home and tell me about it. Briefly the Canadian president. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. We have families. [ 186 more . Or consider the Bandidos initiation rites. Most of these clubs are regional. SEATTLE - The president of the Bandidos motorcycle club was sentenced to 20 months in prison Friday in a deal that will allow him to retain his position in the Chambers and other Bandidos made the dealers dig their own graves and then set their bodies on fire before burying them, Texas Monthly wrote. Chambers was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison, leading some police officials to speculate that the Bandidos, without their founder, would disband. The new recruit was then required to put the vest back on and dry it out by riding on his motorcycle. The Bandidos live here, and they love to steal motorcycles. . [34] Prospective members must undertake a three-stage process before being initiated, beginning as a "hangaround", before becoming a "prospect" and then "probation". If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. 'George Wegers ' has Passed Away. The latter earned his nickname for his tendency to drink whiskey from a Log Cabin syrup bottle. All the national officers of the Bandidos met after Batchelor's funeral. Throughout that Friday afternoon and into the evening, Bandidos continued roaring toward the funeral home, some of them coming from as far northwest as Washington and as far southeast as Alabama. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Wegers displayed his arrogance, Woo said, by packing up his belongings in expectation that he would be . In the past couple of years alone, police around the country have arrested Bandidos for everything from drug dealing and kidnapping to possession of illegal weapons and trafficking in stolen vehicles. Stevens asked him if he had told agents he left the club after losing interest in the club over matters he didnt agree with. Police investigators have found racial paraphernalia in raids on the gang. When I walked in, F.O., who was there with his Old Ladies, leaned into my ear and said, Buddy, it would behoove you to buy some beers. In some ways, oddly, the Bandidos were not all that different from any other fraternal organization. Even a handful of European Bandidos had flown in for the occasion, borrowing motorcycles from members of the San Antonio chapter so they too could ride. Fall From Power. It was all chrome and noise, he said. But defense lawyers for Pike and Portillo attacked Ojemanns testimony as self-serving, or of being fabricated to wrongly accuse their clients in order to save himself from lengthy prison time in his own drug case. A few days later I drove into a well-kept neighborhood near the Woodlands residential community. A few Bandidos finally came outside. IN 1998 THERE WAS TALK ONCE AGAIN that the Bandidos had suffered a fatal blow: Craig Jaws Johnston, who was then the Bandidos president, and other leaders pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that they had conspired to manufacture and sell as much as a thousand pounds of methamphetamine. He was dressed in blue denim shorts, a white T-shirt, and tennis shoes with white socks. A few nights at Mejas, then a few nights at Crystals, then back to Meja. He jumps up, says hell be back soon, and is gone for four days. Fmr. I strolled around the parking lot, trying to find someone to interview. Divorced, with a grown son, two grandkids, and other family in Whatcom and Skagit counties. Standing before the home was a handsome, strapping man. Appointed in 1998 by club leaders as president of the 2,400-member Bandidos Motorcycle Club, George Wegers, now 53, did launch a mini-revolution, putting an end to such warm biker traditions as . Under terms of the plea agreement entered into on May 5, 2006, WEGERS must move out of, and refrain from working in . Paul Mitchell, Rev. I hope you dont believe all that bullshit the feds are feeding you, he said in a surprisingly cheerful voice. It was the Bandidos founder, Donald Chambersonly he rode a Harley instead of a horse. Wearing high heels and miniskirts, they passed out flyers and free drink tickets, telling the Bandidos that they ought to visit later that night to watch them perform. The Houston Chronicle wrote in 2001 that at some meetings attendance was required, and chapters took roll calls. And in the middle of each card was the phrase Bandido by profession, Biker by trade, Lover by choice, You have just had the honor of meeting , which was followed by that particular members signature. [51][52], The German department of the Bandidos was chartered in 2000. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. We talked about Bandidos carrying bombs with them on their motorcycles, which they used to blow up gas stations that refused to serve them. Built like a professional wrestler, he had thick black hair and a black Fu Manchu mustache, and just below his chin was a tuft of beard tied up with string and held in place by a fourteen-karat gold skull with diamonds in the eyes. [4], The United States is home to ninety-three Bandidos chapters, located in sixteen states. George Wegers was born in Whatcom County in Washington State around 1953. No rules, no bullshit, just the open road.. The hearse and the motorcycles proceeded down a major boulevard, then turned into the cemetery, the sound of the bikes so deafening that other mourners who were laying out flowers for their loved ones put their hands to their ears. 'George Wegers ' has Passed Away. The specific charges were hardly flashy: Wegers and the others were accused of such varied crimes as stealing motorcycles, kidnapping a rival motorcycle club member (the kidnapping lasted a day), and conspiring to kill a disloyal Bandido associate who was suspected of meeting with federal agents (the killing never took place). lifted one of his meaty arms and poked me so hard in the chest with his forefinger that I thought my sternum was going to crack. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. And then we looked at one another and said, Hell, we can do a lot better than these guys. . Tier 1 gangs like the Tango Blast pose the greatest threat to Texas due to ties "with Mexican cartels, large membership numbers, high levels of transnational criminal activity and organizational effectiveness." As they swapped stories about the old days and guzzled beer, one message could be heard over the roar of their Harleys: Bandidos forever. Ex-Bandido says national president kicked predecessor out over TV interview. William "Big G" Ojemann, a Bandidos member from 2008 until 2013, said George Wegers, who was the Bandidos' president from 1998 until his arrest in 2005, had his Bandidos patches revoked by . . But by the time we headed off to prison, we already had the next group of leaders ready to go. Bandidos Book The Fat Mexican: The Bloody Rise of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club by Alex Caine. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Weve got guys who own their own businesses, guys who work for oil companies, guys who are in the computer industry. George Wegers is the President of the Bandidos, a (supposedly) outlaw motorcycle gang. Before long, several of the Bandidos headed to the Double Deuce, one of south San Antonios better biker bars. Just like the Rotary Club, each chapter was required to have a weekly meeting where attendance was taken and dues paid. Odd to think that, not long ago, they all wore patches with BFFB, for Bandidos Forever, Forever Bandidos.. They become Bandidos because they love being known as the badasses. This is the one and only official Facebook page for George Wegers, the former National and International President of the largest motorcycle club in. 1 taler om dette. This is significantly less time than the 20 years that the federal sentencing guidelines could have seen him facing. These patches consist of red lettering displayed on a gold background. [5] Patches denoting a member's rank and chapter are worn, as are various other patches which have specific meanings. As Ojemann rode with Pike back to his house, Ojemann said Pike seethed. [19], The Bandidos embarked on a failed endeavour to establish themselves in Canada after merging with the Montreal-based Rock Machine Motorcycle Club in 2000. Other Tier 2 gangs include the Bloods, the Crips and the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. George Strathy, having just been sworn in as the new chief justice for Ontario, was making his first speech at the annual opening of the courts, a formal occasion where the judges of all three . They promised us there would be no trouble, he said hesitantly as the Bandidos parked their bikes and began hugging and kissing one another on the mouththe traditional Bandido greeting. This is the one and only official Facebook page for George Wegers, the former National and International President of the largest motorcycle club. I figured I wouldnt hear from him. Then Chambers and the other Bandidos had set their bodies on fire before burying them. The love we have for one another as brothers. He paused and stared at me. Just like the Lions Club, its members had vests and were given rules about wearing them. That's what authorities believe led to the shootout and Waco. Skip Hollandsworth specializes in long-form narratives. He was surrounded by bouquets of flowers, along with photos of him in his younger days standing beside his motorcycle or next to topless biker chicks. [42] The club has since expanded substantially in Australia and there are forty-five Bandidos chapters throughout the country. Boxing champs killer, as fed witness, testifies against the Bandidos property tells of the clubs violence, drugs and Jeff Pike took the reins of the Bandidos until he was arrested in January 2016, according to testimony. Two fo the search warrants were for properties owned by George Wegers which resulted in 4 handguns and 33 knives being found. None of my guys shot some goofy Hells Angels wannabe who meant nothing to us, and as for that Canada mess, I didnt have any contact with that chapter up there for weeks before those killings. Are you starting to understand? he said. They also like the phrase "Cut one, we all bleed.". The Bandidos were so brazen that they even started their own Web site. 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