The Associated Press
06/15/99 5:55 PM Eastern
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Sixteen members of a motorcycle gang were
arrested Tuesday on charges of racketeering, drug trafficking,
illegal gambling and stealing cars and motorcycles, the FBI said.
The arrests came after a 2{-year undercover investigation by a
Lake County Sheriff's deputy who infiltrated the Elyria chapter of
the Avengers Motorcycle Club, a national group. The bust was
coordinated by the Lorain County Drug Task Force and the Cleveland
division of the FBI.
Members of the motorcycle gang conducted illegal activities in
Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, Indiana and Illinois, according to a
42-page indictment.
"This was quite a large operation," said FBI spokesman Robert
Hawk. "It means a lot in terms of money gleaned from the community
and the heartache caused for the citizens of northeast Ohio."
The 16 appeared in court Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Nancy
Vecchiarelli. Some of the defendants were released on bond while
others were held without bond, said a court spokeswoman who
declined to give her name or any other details about the hearing.
All of the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. The
indictment seeks the forfeiture of several properties, including
AMC's clubhouse.
The undercover sheriff's deputy became an AMC member and asked
the club in June 1997, to provide protection for him and undercover
FBI agents during purported drug transactions in exchange for
money.
Undercover agents also bought Harley Davidson motorcycles, cars
and personal water crafts stolen by AMC members, according to the
indictment. Gang members also were accused of manufacturing and
attempting to distribute illegal drugs, operating illegal gambling
machines and illegally possessing firearms.
In June 1997, four members discusssed collecting $25,000 from a
man by putting the "fear of God in him," threatening him with a
baseball bat and breaking his legs if he did not pay, the
indictment said.
The 29-count indictment was issued May 26 against Tom S. Hakaim,
40, of Lorain; Michael T. Cristarella, 43, of Lorain; Howard D.
Dick, 50, of Milan; Jessie A. Gonzales, 42, of Lorain; Paul R.
Jones, 48, of Parma; Ronald E. DeAngelo, 46, of Columbus; Robert A.
Diederick, 45, of Elyria; Robert E. Wiley, 39, Elyria; Rodney L.
Lester, 46, of Westlake; Wesley A. Ewing, 31, of Norwalk; David W.
Settle, 31, of Warren; Wayne E. Fitzgerald, 28, of Windham; Andrew
Watkins, 42, of South Amherst; Freddie J. McCray, 50, of Toledo;
and Michael Jordan, 41, and Ernest Wiseman, 36, both of St. Albans,
W.Va.
Also charged were Gonzales' wife, Annetta S. Mooney, 36, on
federal drug trafficking and mail fraud charges and Ewing's wife,
Kristie Ewing, 30, on federal drug trafficking charges.
Gonzales and Mooney were accused of selling their 1995 Pontiac
Firebird to the undercover agent and reporting it stolen to police
to fraudulently collect insurance money.