Hells Angel gang ‘forcibly tattooed victim for sleeping with rival’s wife’
The Hells Angels gang ‘forcibly tattooed a biker for sleeping with rival’s wife’ while his spouse was ‘raped in revenge’, court documents have revealed.
Raymond Foakes was arrested for raping a fellow member’s wife after a 10-year investigation found the biker gang dolled out their own sick punishments.
Others forcibly tattooed the member while his wife was attacked in what the gang called ‘justice’ during a four-hour torture session in 2016.
He was beaten and pistol whipped after Foakes discovered the member had an affair with his wife.
‘[Foakes] was also convicted of witness intimidation, in connection with his sexual assault of the victim’s wife while the victim was still being beaten at the Sonoma clubhouse and threatening her to comply with his demands and not report to the authorities’ Nina Peng, prosecuting, said.
Foakes remains to be sentenced.
The bikers were even found to have murdered those who ‘crossed them’ from within their own ranks.
Merl Hefferman of California’s Fresno chapter was jailed for four years after he was found to have used a funeral home dubbed the ‘pizza oven’ to dispose of Joel ‘Doughboy’ Silva’s body.
Christopher Ranieri, who is yet to be sentenced, was also convicted for his role in the murder Silva, who fell out with others during ‘bike week’ in 2014 .
Ranieri, from the Salem chapter on the east coast, told his California counterparts Silva had threatened him, and the gang decided he ‘needed to be killed’.
Silva was lured into the clubhouse in Fresno where he was shot in the back of the head.
The crematory manager of the Yost & Webb Funeral Home in Fresno, Levi Phipps, told the court Hefferman and his step-son threatened him with a gun and loaded Silva’s body into the incinerator.
Hefferman even asked for the keys to the facility so he could ‘make something disappear’.
whistleblower Joseph Hardisty told the court Fresno chapter president Brian Wendt pulled the trigger on Silva, and used the crematorium to dispose of five or six more bodies.
This includes Robbie Huff, who disappeared in 2015 after allegedly helping to cover up Silva’s murder.
Arthur Carasis and Juan Guevara are also feared to have been killed and cremated in the incinerator.
‘The Hells Angels followed a malicious code of conduct, encouraging the beating, maiming, and even killing of anyone who dared to cross their criminal enterprise,’ US attorney Ismail Ramsey said.
‘The defendants now face the consequences of their violent racketeering activities.’
Russel Lyles was sentenced to more than five years in prison for using his fist to punish members or ‘toughen them up’.
Sonoma franchise member Jeremy greet was sentenced alongside Hefferman to seven years in prison after admitting multiple brutal assaults, armed robbery, home invasion robbery, and witness intimidation.
Mr Ramsey said: ‘Hefferman, Greer, and other members of their criminal enterprise attempted to use fear and intimidation to get away with their crimes.
‘I commend the witnesses who did not succumb to this group’s intimidation tactics and came forward to law enforcement.’
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