One of the few motorcycle gangs that the majority of people have heard of is the Hells Angels, who have been around for decades and are infamous for their criminal activities.
An abduction, robbery, and assault investigation led to the arrest of every member of the Bakersfield, California chapter. As part of the operation, two individuals from a sub-affiliate group were also apprehended.
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club was founded in 1948 in Fontana, California. “Hell’s Angels” has a history of use, including as a nickname for bomber crews in WWII and as the name of a 1930 Hollywood movie about pilots in World War I. Chapters of the club were established in San Francisco in 1954, Oakland in 1957, and New Zealand in 1961.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, and the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives) were in charge of the raid. Among the many accusations against the club are armed assault, false imprisonment, elder abuse, abduction, robbery in the first degree, criminal threats, conspiracy, victim or witness intimidation, and involvement in a criminal gang.
The Hells Angels are described as an “outlaw motorcycle gang” by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in its National Gang Report.
Although the Hells Angels had a reputation for vicious brawlers since the beginning, the organization was eventually linked to the production and trafficking of illicit narcotics, particularly methamphetamine, according to law authorities. In the early 1980s, two mistrials attempted to charge the members under the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act.
After the Hells Angels were contracted to handle security at the Altamont festival, which was a free Rolling Stones performance that was held at a motor racetrack on December 6, 1969. A member of the Hells Angels initially faced allegations of murder for his role in the fatal stabbing of Meredith Hunter, a male concertgoer who was 18 years old. However, the club member was ultimately found not guilty of the charges.