"Absolutely not, unequivocally no," says David Santillan. "He goes, I know you've been doing a bang-up job at the club, can't protect you from this point forward," Santillan recounted of their conversation. But then he began to talk about now-retired ATF agent John Ciccone, the lead agent on the racketeering case. The California motorcycle group had claimed that its former president, David Santillan, was a government informant. After Judge Carters ruling, he declared vindication in what he said was a contrived internal political witch hunt to smear my name and to get me dethroned.. The Mongols claimed in their motion for a new trial that Mr. Santillan had an inappropriate working relationship over the years with the lead A.T.F. He said they discussed matters such as public safety when the Mongols or other clubs were planning parties or motorcycle rallies to ensure that members stayed in line and that rival groups kept their distance. A petition for a new trial and reversal of the half-million-dollar fine, which is scheduled for an initial hearing on Monday in the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Calif., claims that Mr. Santillan, 52, covertly cooperated for years with a special agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "All I wanted to do was to tarnish his image," says Annie Santillan. The current national leaders of the Mongols said they were convinced that the clubs former president, who controlled the Mongols defense team, had acted improperly. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. In exchange, the club said in its motion, the agent appears to have spared Mr. Santillan from serious legal consequences for several offenses since 2011. Mr. Santillan said it was ridiculous to think that Mr. Ciccone smoothed things over for him. Mr. Santillan has acknowledged that he talked often with Mr. Ciccone for a period of years, usually in the presence of other Mongols members. The judge will most likely consider a series of procedural matters on Monday, lawyers said, with additional hearings expected before any final ruling. Mongols Motorcycle Club Says Its Leader Was an Informant, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.s new criminal code, Number of imprisoned veterans concerns former defense chiefs, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, Attorney General Merrick Garland makes unannounced trip to Ukraine, Biden and Germanys Scholz huddle on Ukraine war at White House, Crossover voting in primaries in Wyoming is about to become more difficult, Biden awards Medal of Honor to Paris Davis for heroism in Vietnam: An incredible man, Trump attorney who advised GOP on fake electors plan reappointed to state judicial panel, Whats the solution to Wests water crisis? During the almost 13 years he led the Mongols, Mr. Santillan appeared to steer the organization away from its past recruitment of Mexican criminal gang members and a culture of total underworld activity that the feds feasted on, in terms of prosecutions, said William Dulaney, an expert on motorcycle groups who was formerly an associate professor of national security at the U.S. Air Forces Air Command and Staff College. The Mongols have been fixtures on the biker scene since 1969, when the club was founded in Montebello, Calif. agent who infiltrated three biker clubs. Now the Mongols want a new trial and say their former president, David Santillan, was a confidential informant for the ATF. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Such an order would allow anyone to use the image. The indictment did not target any individuals but alleged that the club itself had engaged in an organized conspiracy of crimes such as murder, attempted murder and drug dealing. "I was literally trying to destroy him," she answered, adding that she didn't understand what he was talking about in relation to Ciccone. The #1 Biker News Website Since 2011-Covering up to minute biker news including Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs & Biker News Worldwide. Santillan says he ran into Ciccone when he went to pick up some Mongols property that had been released after the trial. Mongols Motorcycle Club says LIL Dave was an informant as they head back to court June 5, 2022 A new episode of Motorcycle Madhouse with Hollywood & Chinadoll Mon-Fri. Get with the Insanity on all major Podcast Platforms Mongols MC President Lil Dave THE REAL AMERICAN CHOLO. Mr. Santillan provided records from the cases to show he had been convicted of offenses including driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and disturbing the peace, and that he had been arrested, fined and put on probation. That is the conviction and fine the Mongols are now trying to have set aside. and other law enforcement agencies have long gone after biker organizations by co-opting members as informants and infiltrating the groups with their own undercover agents. David Santillan was the president of the Mongols motorcycle club for nearly 13 years, until he was voted out of the club in July of 2021. Marshal that Mr. Santillan and Mr. Ciccone had been seen chatting at a Starbucks near the courthouse. In the case that led to the racketeering conviction against the Mongols, Mr. Ciccone had acted as the case agent. Mr. Santillan said he talked with the A.T.F. This is the final statement on this because honestly it's mundane and boring. In my opinion, the only reason the government brought this RICO case was to take another run at the patch, having failed each time in the past, said George L. Steele, a lawyer for the Mongols who is handling a separate appeal in the case. There's a new twist in a federal case already marked by murder and mayhem. Judge Rejects Claim That Mongols Biker Club Leader Was a Rat, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/07/us/mongols-informant.html. and other law enforcement agencies have long gone after biker organizations by co-opting members as informants and infiltrating the groups with their own undercover agents. More Episodes. Michael Tyrone Delaney for The New York Times. Everyone has their opinion of went down and how everything was covered. In one of them, according to their court papers, Mr. Santillan crashed his Mercedes in 2017 while driving impaired, damaging numerous cars parked on the street. Prosecutors convinced a jury in California that these crimes were not just the result of individual bikers behaving badly, but the work of an organized criminal enterprise that had participated in a campaign of mayhem. And he was tireless, Mr. DAlesio said. Former Mongols Biker Club Leader Denies He Was Ever a Rat The Mongols Motorcycle Club allege that their former president David Santillan was a confidential informant during their RICO. It became clear that Dave had betrayed the club, his oath and everything we hold sacred, the club said in a statement. The Mongols are now claiming that throughout their attempt to defend the club in the long-running criminal case, their own leader was secretly talking to the government. In another instance, in 2014, Mr. Santillan and his wife got into a brawl with other people at a racetrack, the Mongols filing says. MONGOLS MC National President lil Dave the coward mongo mongol 328 subscribers Subscribe 706 231K views 4 years ago UPDATE: The only reason that Lil' Dave is still the President of. Ciccone said whenever he worked a Mongols event and there was the potential for problems or violence, he would go to Santillan because he's the president of the Mongols and can convey the message to his members. Well let you guys have your fun, but keep your people in check, so to speak, he testified in June. New features, smoother menu and backgrounds- PLUS!! He is a rat, Mr. Santillans wife, Annie, suggested in a text message that became a key piece of evidence in the case against the group, which was founded in Southern California in 1969 and whose members are mostly Hispanic. Hopefully it will go back internally and people can worry about the profiling and patch case. Join u. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Yanny said they had more than just casual run-ins. The current national leaders of the Mongols said they were convinced that the clubs former president, who controlled the Mongols defense team, had acted improperly. The A.T.F. The club supported all kinds of law enforcement functions, (This is a known fact) and the club didnt throw on a diamond until around 2017. Clubs used to represent more than territory, it was about freedom and doing what you wanted. David Santillan, the president of the Mongols, was ousted by the group after a video surfaced that implied he was being protected by a federal agent. During the call, Santillan is heard talking about John Cicconne, the lead ATF agent on the case. The president of the notorious Mongols motorcycle club promised he'd put his infidelities behind him, get sober and be a better father to their children. All rights reserved. Mongols MC is a one percenter motorcycle club founded in Montebello, California on December 5, 1969. He cant protect me, he told me, so we have to have an exit strategy, he told me, an apparently agitated Mr. Santillan said to her. ", LA County sheriff's recruits graduate months after Whittier crash, Highways into the San Bernardino Mountains are closed to drivers, LA County passes motion requiring retrofit of some buildings by 2033. The. The original case attracted widespread attention because of the federal governments unusual attempt to force the Mongols to forfeit their rights to the clubs trademarked logo a drawing of a brawny Genghis Khan-like figure riding a chopper while brandishing a sword and thus relinquish a big source of the organizations mystique. If youre going to listen to a dude that does nothing but market gimmicks AKA CULTURE VULTURE, on YouTube, part of the scene with no time in at all, thats on you. Now it's at a point where guns, instead of fist are used to settle things. Hes apart of a club that started with Cops and COS. He also denied that he ever helped Mr. Santillan win lenient treatment in his brushes with the law, which included a crash in his Mercedes five years ago while driving impaired. But the group that was once the most powerful biker organization in the West other than its archrivals, the Hells Angels, is returning to court next week, hoping to set aside the racketeering and conspiracy convictions based on what it says is new evidence about its previous leader, David Santillan. At the core of the case was a video of a conversation between Mr. Santillan and his wife that she had passed on to members of the biker club last year, accompanied by a text message in which she told them that her husband had been a confidential government informant. Mongols Motorcycle Club Says Its Leader LIL DAVE Was an Informant (VIDEO) June 6, 2022 Biker News & Biker Lifestyle National Geographic Outlaw Bikers With Mariana Van Zeller/Hack Job December 6, 2021 mongols motorcycle club Interview with Former International President LIL Dave from the Mongols MC November 11, 2021 Biker News & Biker Lifestyle Thats what I meant by protect in the video.. ATF officials view Santillan's public declarations about the club cleaning house as hollow words; they continue to treat the Mongols as a serious threat. Former Mongols President David Santillan continued to testify. They are sick and tired of the gangster shit, they want to be bikers and be apart of a scene that was once true to itself (Thus the reason for pop up clubs and lack of respect for protocol and tradition). Available on GOOGLE PLAY CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FROM GOOGLE PLAY STORE. There could be a particular concern that the defense lawyer was unwittingly receiving directions from someone aligned with the government, he said. Prosecutors convinced a jury in California that these crimes were not just the result of individual bikers behaving badly, but the work of an organized criminal enterprise that had participated in a campaign of mayhem. That quest to seize the Mongols patch was part of a criminal case brought by the U.S. Attorneys Office in 2013 under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Get your Signed Copy of Brotherhood & Betrayal( shipping is included to the Lower 48 States only)- Shipping to Canada, Australia and Overseas please contact Chinadoll annredden2003@gmail.com Order Yours Now~! The present nationwide leaders of the Mongols stated they have been satisfied that the membership's former president, who managed the Mongols' protection workforce, had acted improperly. The ultimate implications for society are paramount here, he said. The biker group hopes to set aside a $500,000 racketeering conviction, alleging that its former president cooperated with the government during a trial. The only thing he is guilty of is talking to John a lot and having some kind of rapport with him, she said in an interview. The lawyer in charge of the retrial motion, Joseph A. Yanny, said the Mongols hoped to prove that an improper relationship between Mr. Santillan and Mr. Ciccone during the 2018 trial allowed the government to hear things it should not have about the Mongols defense strategy and even adversely influenced the Mongols presentation of their case. Communications with Mr. Santillan, Mr. Ciccone said, were limited to such matters as ensuring public safety at Mongols events. The Mongols are relying on an explosive video shared by Mr. Santillans wife, Annie Santillan, who, during a stretch when she was angry with her husband over his infidelity, had her daughter record a conversation in which he appeared to refer to protection he had received from the A.T.F. Mongols Motorcycle Club Says Its Leader LIL DAVE Was an Informant For more than two decades, federal law enforcement authorities pursued the Mongols, a notorious motorcycle club whose members had a long history of murder, assault, drug dealing and robbery. As for Mr. Ciccone, he had mastered the craft of executing complex investigations using everything from undercovers to informants to wiretaps to subpoenas and surveillance, said Frank DAlesio, a retired A.T.F. She later recanted the assertion. Want to know whats wrong with the scene and why people are not joining clubs anymore? David Santillan, the president of the Mongols, was ousted by the group after a video surfaced that implied he was being protected by a federal agent. She also said in a text message to other Mongols, now filed with the court, that her husband had acted for a time as a confidential government informant. So lets talk about my response on this whole business and put it to rest The Mongols MC as a whole is an old club full of traditions and will get past this. Clubs used to represent more than territory, it was about freedom and doing what you wanted. And he was tireless, Mr. DAlesio said. Lil Dave, the president of the Mongols motorcycle club, was caught cheating on his wife so she decided to revenge his ass by putting this video on Youtube which shows him supposedly. John looked out not just for me but the club, Mr. Santillan said. Yanny played a clip from a National Geographic show segment on the Mongols in court as evidence of their relationship. The unusual legal imbroglio provides a rare glimpse into the hidden and volatile politics of the outlaw motorcycle club and the degree to which law enforcement and its targets may engage in limited cooperation when it is seen as mutually beneficial. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- There's a new twist in a federal case already marked by murder and mayhem. Now the Mongols want a new trial and say their former president, David Santillan, was a confidential informant for the ATF. These registrations are something that need to be examined by the circuit, maybe the Supreme Court.. In their petition, the Mongols argue that Mr. Santillan could have been pressured to leak strategy and other information to the government as a result of lenient treatment the defense claimed he received during his brushes with the law. agent. The club was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine in what prosecutors hoped would be a down payment on putting it out of business.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/05/us/mongols-new-trial.html, 00:00 Overview of the New York Times Article01:40 I know I said I wouldnt cover this anymore BUT03:56 Mongols MC Say LIL DAVE was an informant05:44 What the Mongols Rico Case was about07:30 Wheres the paperwork09:26 The explosive video11:50 How long was lil dave a member of the mongols13:47 Why wasnt it done all the time15:47 WOW he cant do this17:14 Usually he had other members with him19:10 The new policies21:44 The leaked strategy, Insane Throttle Support Club Become a memberNow, Insane Throttle/Motorcycle Madhouse Radio YouTube and AudioDisclaimer, Meet the Insane Throttle Contributing Columnist James Hollywood Macecari, Motorcycle Clubs Riding Clubs and Associations Near Me Index &Listings, Our Policies here at Insane Throttle Publications. For more than two decades, federal law enforcement authorities pursued the Mongols, a notorious motorcycle club whose members had a long history of murder, assault, drug dealing and robbery. For more than two decades, federal law enforcement authorities pursued the Mongols, a notorious motorcycle club whose members had a long history of murder, assault, drug dealing and robbery. There could be a particular concern that the defense lawyer was unwittingly receiving directions from someone aligned with the government, he said.