F.B.I. grabs top Hell’s Angels in drug factory

Press, 16 June 1979, Page 9

F.B.I. grabs top Hell’s Angels in drug factory

NZPA San Francisco; With the Hell’s Angels gang leader. Ralph “Sonny” Karger, and 24 others in custody. authorities pushed their search yesterday for J i fugitive members of the notorious band. It was the biggest crackdown on the Hell’s Angels in its history. Barger and his wife, Sharon, were arraigned on drugrelated racketeering and conspiracy charges before a Federal magistrate, Frederick WoOlflert, Who Set Barger’s bad at SUSIM and his wife’s, at 5U5250.000. Other arraignments continued through the day while agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the California police t acked other Angels including James "Jim Jim” Brandes, an alleged gang enforcer.

Authorities, who gave few] details of the round-up fori fear of damaging their case, arrested 16 indicted Angels. Four others not’ indicted' were also arrested and five! others already yvere in.’cus-i tody on other charges. Dur-1 ing the raids the police are reported t.o have broken up an amphetamine drug factory in San Francisco. All arrested were charged with conspiracy in the Federal grand jury indictment, which described Brandes as an Angels enforcer who participated in drug activities, attempted murder, and murder activities of the enterprise. Brandes was charged with racketeering, but the indictment alleged’ that Brandes killed a former Angel and two drug dealers, and attempted to kill two policemen by bombings. The indictment against Barger said he aided and

abetted in the distribution ofi about s()g ’ of methamphetamine, also known as speed, and that his wife unlawfully possessed with intent to distribute 37g of heroin. “I believe that the indict-] ment charges the leadership! of the Angels,” .said the] F. 8.1. special agent in; charge, George McKinnon. Authorities have often; said it is difficult to prove crimes attributed to Angels] because witnesses are intimidated by threats of; death to protect macabre; secrets of sex rituals, organ’-; ised drug dealing, murder,'! torture, and extortion. Barger took over the gang] in 1957, seven years after it] was founded, when he; formed a branch in Oakland,; near San Francisco, at the! age of 18. The gang quickly; grew to about 500 members; in California, with branches in every state and Europe.