Fed help sought against biker gangs

Keith Paul

Wednesday, June 12, 2002 | 11:01 a.m.

Metro Police and Clark County prosecutors have met with federal authorities to discuss the possibility of using a federal racketeering and corruption statute in prosecuting suspects in the deadly brawl between two motorcycle gangs in Laughlin, officials told the Sun on Tuesday.

State and federal authorities admit they are still in the preliminary stages of exploring using the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act against members of the Hells Angels and Mongols motorcycle gangs.

"We have to identify who did something and then decide what, if any, federal laws apply and what, if any, state laws apply," Clark County District Attorney Stewart Bell said. "The bottom line is federal and state prosecution and law enforcement have been working together to try to come up with a plan that gives the public the biggest bang for the buck."

The RICO statute may apply to the incident because authorities have alleged both outlaw motorcycle clubs have used illegal activities to keep the gangs going.

So far only one person -- Hells Angels member Calvin B. Schaefer, an Arizona sheet metal worker -- has been charged in the April 27 brawl inside Harrah's Laughlin between as many as 100 members of the two rival gangs that left three bikers dead and 12 others injured. Schaefer, who police say is seen on surveillance cameras firing 11 shots during the fight, was charged with murder and attempted murder.

Prosecutors and police have not linked Schaefer to any of the slain or injured. But the investigation, police say, is continuing and all the ballistic testing has not been completed.

Metro Police homicide Lt. Tom Monahan said two detectives have been assigned solely to the case and continue to use the surveillance tapes to try to identify those involved.

He said police are "weeks away" from filing more charges in the case at the state level and federal authorities are likely "months away" from possibly filing any RICO charges against the bikers.

More state level charges are possible as detectives continue to identify the bikers involved from the videotape. The tape has become the best evidence as many of the bikers questioned after the incident as possible witnesses were not cooperative, police said.

FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms officials have been assisting in the investigation and were involved in the meetings discussing the use of the federal RICO statute -- which could carry penalties from a 20-year term to life in prison.

"We are at the beginning stages right now," said Keith Heinzerling, resident agent in charge of the ATF Las Vegas office. "It's a triple homicide and that is the foremost important aspect of that incident now."

Special Agent Daron W. Borst said while it is "a little too early to focus in on RICO" there are instances where someone is prosecuted on the state level and then faces charges on the federal level for the same incident.

The deadly fight between the two gangs -- which have been feuding for 20 years -- happened during the annual Laughlin River Run. Police have said all of those slain and injured were members of the two gangs.

Bell said authorities will have more meetings to determine what charges will be brought.

"Just like any other incident, we want to hold everyone legally accountable where the facts and the law allow it," he said. "Several people are dead and a number of people injured. ... A message will be sent to others that this kind of conduct is not going to be tolerated in Clark County."