Charges Filed Against 12 Houston Motorcycle Gang Members Following a 3-Year Investigation into a 'Vicious' Gang Assault.
Twelve members of a Houston motorcycle gang have been apprehended and charged in connection with a violent assault on another motorcycle club, as announced by United States Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani on Monday.
These individuals are affiliated with the Homietos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, and they face charges of assault with a dangerous weapon in support of racketeering, conspiracy to commit such acts, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime.
Joseph Gomez, aged 37, was taken into custody on September 22 and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. Meanwhile, Joe Barrera, 35, Joe Rios, 47, Edgar Hinojosa, 38, William Espinoza, 47, Mario Gomez, 50, Morgan Cooper, 49, and Moises Soriano, 41, were all arrested on September 21. Additionally, Rudolph Lopez, 36, was apprehended in Fort Worth, Texas. All of them are currently being held in detention.
In addition to the aforementioned charges, Barrera, Cooper, and Burnett also face charges of being felons in possession of firearms, while Hinojosa may be charged with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
The incident in question occurred on September 19, 2020, when members of the Homietos Gang were celebrating their fifth anniversary at the Sterling Banquet Hall. According to the indictment, one member invited three individuals from the Tattoo Crue Motorcycle Club, after which Homietos members assaulted the newcomers.
As a result of the assault, two victims were hospitalized. Authorities have characterized the Homietos Outlaw motorcycle gang as a violent criminal organization with chapters not only in Texas but also in other parts of the United States. They purportedly recruit members, including many with prior felony convictions, and a significant number who are current or former members of the Houstone Tango Blast gang.
United States Attorney Hamdani stated, "We have taken decisive action. These alleged gangs thrive on violence, with their members and associates engaging in acts aimed at preserving the organization's power and reputation. Whether in the east side, Sunnyside, or within a motorcycle club, we will pursue anyone who is alleged to commit brutal and violent acts to maintain their gang status."
David Martinez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Houston Office, emphasized that these arrests were the culmination of a multi-year investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Martinez stated, "This criminal organization stands accused of crimes that subject victims, community members, and rivals to a constant state of fear through intimidation and violence. Both law enforcement and the public have had enough of the violence, ruthlessness, and disregard for law and order allegedly perpetrated by this gang."
The investigation was conducted by various agencies, including the FBI, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, sheriff's offices in Harris and Montgomery Counties, the Houston Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Lewis and Brian J. Hrach are handling the prosecution of the case.
对12名休斯敦摩托车帮成员提起了指控，经过了为期3年的调查，涉及一起“凶残”的帮派袭击事件
十二名休斯敦摩托车帮成员因与另一摩托车俱乐部的暴力袭击事件被拘留和起诉，由美国检察官阿拉姆达尔·S·哈姆达尼于周一宣布。
这些个人隶属于Homietos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang，他们面临使用危险武器支持敲诈行为、共谋实施此类行为以及在暴力犯罪中开枪的指控。
37岁的约瑟夫·戈麦斯于9月22日被拘留，并计划在周一出庭。与此同时，乔·巴雷拉（35岁）、乔·里奥斯（47岁）、埃德加·伊诺霍萨（38岁）、威廉·埃斯皮诺萨（47岁）、马里奥·戈麦斯（50岁）、摩根·库珀（49岁）和莫伊塞斯·索里亚诺（41岁）都于9月21日被拘留。此外，36岁的鲁道夫·洛佩斯在得克萨斯州沃思堡被捕。所有这些人目前都被拘留。
除了上述指控，巴雷拉、库珀和伯内特还面临非法拥有枪支的指控，而伊诺霍萨可能会被指控拥有枪支的序列号已毁坏。
有争议的事件发生在2020年9月19日，当时Homietos Gang的成员正在Sterling Banquet Hall庆祝他们的五周年纪念。根据起诉书，一名成员邀请了来自Tattoo Crue Motorcycle Club的三名新成员，之后Homietos成员袭击了他们。
作为袭击的结果，有两名受害者住院。当局将Homietos Outlaw摩托车帮描述为一个暴力犯罪组织，该组织不仅在得克萨斯州设有章节，还在美国其他地方设有章节。据称，他们招募成员，其中许多人有前科记录，还有许多是目前或曾经是Houstone Tango Blast帮派的成员。
美国检察官哈姆达尼表示：“我们已经采取了果断行动。这些涉嫌的帮派以暴力为基础，其成员和同伙会采取行动，旨在维护组织的权力和声誉。无论是在东区、Sunnyside还是摩托车俱乐部内，我们都将追究任何据称犯下残暴和暴力行为以维护其帮派地位的人。”
FBI休斯敦办事处代理特别探员长大卫·马丁内斯强调，这些逮捕是多年调查的结果，涉及多个执法机构。马丁内斯表示：“据称这个犯罪组织犯下了让受害者、社区成员和竞争对手不断感到害怕的罪行，通过恐吓和暴力实施。执法部门和公众已经对该帮派据称犯下的暴力、无情和对法律秩序的无视感到厌倦。”
此案的调查由多个机构进行，包括FBI、得克萨斯州刑事司法部-检察长办公室、酒精、烟草、枪支和爆炸品管理局、哈里斯县和蒙哥马利县的警长办公室、休斯敦警察局和美国联邦法警局。
助理美国联邦检察官约翰·M·刘易斯和布莱恩·J·赫拉奇负责此案的起诉。
Alice Tao 报道
