Hells Angels Members and Others Indicted and Arrested in Connection with Methamphetamine Trafficking
| U.S. Attorney’s Office February 23, 2012 |
ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury in Rochester has returned a seven-count superseding indictment charging members of the Rochester and Monterey (California) Hells Angels with drug trafficking and racketeering-related offenses.
Monterey (California) Hells Angels President Richard W. Mar, 60, Rochester Hells Angels members James H. McAuley, Jr., 62, of Oakfield, New York, Richard E. Riedman, 38, of Webster, New York, and Jeffrey A. Tyler, 47, of Rochester, New York, and Donna Boon, 46, of Oakfield, New York, Gordon L. Montgomery, 53, of Batavia, New York, and Paul S. Griffin, 58, of Blasdell, New York, are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a $4,000,000 fine.
Boon is also charged with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution, of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine between April 2010 and July 9, 2010. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and a $2,000,000 fine.
McAuley, Rochester Hells Angels member Robert W. Moran, Jr. a/k/a Bugsy, 59, of Rochester, New York, along with Gina Tata, 47, of Rochester, New York, are charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering activity, Moran and Tata are charged with conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering activity, and Tata, Riedman, and Timothy M. Stone, 31, of Gates, New York, are charged with being accessories after the fact to the assault and conspiracy. These charges were included in the original Indictment, which was returned in April 2011. The assault with a dangerous weapon charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. And the accessory charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of $125,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that the superseding indictment alleges that Mar, McAuley, Boon, Riedman, Tyler, Montgomery, and Griffin were involved in trafficking 500 grams or more of methamphetamine between 2002 and July 9, 2010.
The superseding indictment further alleges that Moran and McAuley are members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Rochester, a criminal enterprise engaged in acts relating to drug trafficking and conspiracy to commit murder, and which controls motorcycle club activity in the territory extending from Rochester to Interstate 81 outside Syracuse. The Superseding Indictment further alleges that, Moran, acting together with McAuley and Tata (an associate of the Rochester Hells Angels), assaulted a patron with a baseball bat at Spenders bar, which at the time was located at 1600 Lyell Avenue, Rochester, New York, on May 31, 2006, in order to maintain or increase Moran’s and McAuley’s positions in the Hells Angels criminal enterprise, after the patron had allegedly made disparaging remarks about motorcycle gangs. The superseding indictment further charges that Tata, Riedman, and Stone (also an associate of the Rochester Hells Angels) helped Moran and McAuley avoid apprehension by law enforcement authorities after the assault occurred at Spenders bar.
Mar has been arrested in California and is awaiting arraignment in federal court. Tyler, Griffin and Montgomery have been arrested and have either been arraigned or are awaiting arraignment in federal court in Rochester. McAuley is in federal prison after being convicted on other charges in the Northern District of New York, and will be arraigned at a later date. Moran, Riedman, Tata, and Stone were named in the original indictment and will be arraigned on the new indictment at a later date.
The superseding indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Mark Koss; and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Sheppard.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.