AMC’s hit drama Sons of Anarchy has a very real counterpart in the stark reality of the Georgia-based Outlaw Motorcycle Club. On August 16, 2012, agents for the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the Outlaw clubhouse in Gainesville, Georgia, as well as the affiliated Hoodlums Motorcycle Club Headquarters in Buford, Georgia, charging 23 defendants with an array of federal weapons and drug violations. The arrests resulted from an extensive undercover operation conducted by the FBI in coordination with the North Georgia Major Offenders Task Force.
Members of the Harley-riding gang were charged with offenses ranging from methamphetamine and cocaine conspiracy and possession to using and carrying firearms during the commission of drug trafficking offenses. Charges also included possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, knowingly transferring a firearm to a convicted felon, possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number. Two people affiliated with the club unwittingly sold a homemade bomb to an undercover agent, and were charged with conspiracy to illegally make and transfer a destructive device. Another duo who made disclosures to several targets of the operation were charged with obstructing the undercover FBI operation.
A total of 6 indictments were handed down charging twenty defendants, and another criminal complaint was issued charging the other three. All but two of them are confirmed to have had ties to the Outlaw Motorcycle Club. The case is being prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. All charges relate to individuals and small groups of individuals, and no allegation has been made that the drugs or weapons trafficking were performed on behalf of the club. If you or someone you know has been charged with federal weapons or drug charges, contact the experienced professionals at Parkman Blanch for expert criminal defense representation.
