Three people indicted in Federal Court today on racketeering charges have Genesee County ties.
All three are said to be associated with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Rochester.
James Henry McAuley Jr. (aka "Mitch"), 62, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering activity.
Indicted as co-conspirators after the fact were Richard E. Riedman (aka "Eric"), 37, and Timothy M. Stone, 31, who were previously arrested in Corfu in June 2009 for allegedly stealing scrap metal.
McAuley, described by Federal authorities as vice president of the Rochester Hells Angels, is married to Donna L. Boon (aka Donna L. McAuley). Boon, 45, was arrested at her Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road residence on July 9, 2010, in connection with an alleged methamphetamine ring headed by Donald G. Vanelli, 48, of 8394 Lake St., Le Roy.
Vanelli, who was said to be president of the Road Agents Motorcycle Club at the time, entered a guilty plea in Federal Court in January to a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Boon faces federal charges related to conspiracy with intent to distribute narcotics. Her case is still pending.
The case against Riedman and Stone is still pending.
McAuley, Riedman and Stone were indicated along with Robert W. Moran Jr. (aka "Bugsy"), 59, and Gina Tata, 47.
According to the indictment, McAuley, Moran and Tata beat up a patron of an unidentified restaurant on May 31, 2006. Tata allegedly told Moran that the patron threatened the motorcycle club. Moran allegedly struck the head and body of the patron repeatedly with a baseball bat.
Tata, Riedman and Stone allegedly conspired to help Moran and McAuley avoid apprehension.
A press release from the office of William H. Hochul, U.S. Attorney for Western New York, describes the Hells Angels as a criminal organization whose members function as a continuing unit for the common purpose of facilitating criminal activity, including acts involving narcotics trafficking and murder."
It also says, "Members of the Rochester Hells Angels claim to control certain territory up to Syracuse, and allegedly use violence for a number of illicit purposes, including those who did not show proper respect to the organization."
The indictment alleges that all defendants acted with the specific purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the Hells Angels.
"The country’s federal racketeering statutes were specifically designed to help combat acts of violence committed by members of a criminal organization," Hochul said in a statement. "This office stands ready to utilize these statutes – and aid our local law enforcement partners - whenever circumstances warrant."
McAuley is currently locked up in the Elkton Federal Corrections Facility in Elkton, Ohio.
He was sentenced in April 2008 to eight years for participating in a conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.
McAuley conspired to murder members of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club in Fulton, N.Y., because the Kingsmen, who were affiliated with the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, were establishing a chapter in the Hells Angels territory.
According to public records, McAuley has lived in Rochester, Spencerport, Brockport and Fairport. There is no record of his having lived in Genesee County.
The unnamed "restaurant" was
The unnamed "restaurant" was actually a bar called Shooters on Lyell Ave. This is the same hole in the wall that kept serving an off duty Greece cop that was so drunk, that when he left, he rear ended a car on 390 North that seriously injured a woman's unborn baby. That event eventually led to the downfall of Merritt Rahn.