United States Attorney's Office Announces Demolition of Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Clubhouse
Clubhouse was Center of Organized Crime Illegal Activity for Decades
INDIANAPOLIS - October 13, 2015 - United States Attorney Josh Minkler and United States Marshal Kerry Forestal announced today the demolition of three buildings that the Outlaws Motorcycle Club (OMC) used as a compound to facilitate their illegal activity. The first building, located at 305 North Jefferson Avenue, served as the clubhouse for the OMC for several decades. The second building, located at 2204 East New York Street, served as the bunkhouse for the OMC for several decades. The third building, located at 2210 East New York Street, housed members of the OMC for several years. All three properties are being razed by contractors through the United States Marshal’s Office.
“This clubhouse has long been the epicenter of criminal activity for the Outlaws in Indianapolis,” said Minkler. “It was the ‘safe house’ the Outlaws ran their criminal enterprise from and the residential face of organized crime.”
Fifty-one defendants were indicted following an organized crime investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. The indicted defendants included all fifteen members of the Indianapolis chapter of the OMC, two members of the Fort Wayne chapter of the OMC, one member of the Sandusky, Ohio chapter of the OMC, and one former member of the Indianapolis chapter of the OMC. All of the OMC members were charged and convicted of violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (“RICO”) statute, as well as offenses such as mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, drug trafficking, witness tampering, and illegal gambling. Forty-nine of the fifty-one defendants have been sentenced. Two low-level members of the Mexican drug trafficking organization who supplied the OMC with cocaine were deported before the indictment and have not been extradited from Mexico.
The government initiated the forfeiture proceedings against the three properties in the original indictment on July 2, 2012. The forfeiture became appropriate because the properties provided the indicted members of the OMC with a source of influence over the criminal enterprise (the OMC). Judge Tanya Walton Pratt initially dismissed challenges to the forfeiture on August 15, 2014. Associates of the OMC, however, appealed Judge Pratt’s ruling to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. After the Seventh Circuit upheld Judge Pratt’s dismissal of these challenges, the forfeitures became final on July 9, 2015.
The United States Marshals Service took custody of the properties in mid-September, 2015. They have managed the properties until today’s demolition of the properties. The USMS serves as the primary custodian of federally seized property and plays a critical role in managing and selling assets seized and forfeited by federal law enforcement agencies.
“The combined efforts of all levels of law enforcement were essential to remove this deeply entrenched organized crime motorcycle gang from our community,” said U.S. Marshal Kerry J. Forestal. “The demolition of their Indianapolis-based club house is not your tax dollars at work. The funds expended were those seized from other criminals and fraudsters used for the betterment and safety of our community.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge W. Jay Abbott said, “Today’s demolition plays a significant role as it eliminates this long-standing structure which has been the focal point of criminal activity for years.”
“Our continued efforts to disrupt and dismantle organized crime groups like the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang does not stop with taking them off the streets,” said Stephen Boyd, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office. “In this instance, it has led to the destruction of an asset acquired as a result of their crimes.”
The structures from all three properties will be demolished and the land near the intersection of New York Street and Jefferson Avenue will be donated to the City of Indianapolis for the benefit of the community.
Drug and Violent Crime Chief Bradley A. Blackington prosecuted this case for the government.
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of Indiana
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