Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club

The Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club (GJMC), are a "one-percenter" motorcycle club that was originally formed in San Francisco, California on April Fool's Day, 1956. They are one of the most notorious motorcycle clubs in the US, Australia, Germany, South Africa and Norway.[6][7][8]

Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club
Gypsy Joker colors (left) with members of other outlaw clubs at the Gypsy Jokers Protest Run, 14 March 2009[1]
FoundedApril 1, 1956 (April 1, 1956)[2]
Founding locationSan Francisco, California[2]
Years active1956-present
TerritoryAustralia, Germany, Norway, South Africa and the United States[3]
Criminal activitiesArmed robbery, arson, assault, counterfeiting, drug trafficking, fraud, gun trafficking, homicide, identity theft, motorcycle theft, prostitution[2][4]
Rivals[5]

Prominently featured in Hunter Thompson's book Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, they were the second most powerful outlaw motorcycle club in California until they were forced out of the San Francisco Bay Area by the Hells Angels. They have also been in Washington state since 1966, and relocated to Oregon in 1967, taking up temporary residence in Lincoln City, Oregon.[2] The club has since spread to Australia, Germany, South Africa and Norway. There are approximately 35 chapters worldwide. In response to proposed anti-"bikie" laws in Australia, a protest rally was held in 2009, including a show of support by many other outlaw bikers, even among rival gangs.[1][9]

Australia

In November 1969, Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club Australia was founded by former members of the St Mary's Motorcycle Club who enjoyed riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. Sydney was the first chapter.

Following a friendly amalgamation with the notorious South Australian formed Mandamas MC and Gypsy Joker MC. the group has had a high profile in Australia, especially in the southern and western regions. They are well known in Australia for the 2001 car bomb murder of Western Australia's former chief detective Don Hancock. The gang had an altercation with Hancock at the hotel he owned in Ora Banda which is 60 km north of Kalgoorlie. After setting up a campsite, Gypsy Joker Billy Grierson was shot dead by a sniper and it was alleged that Hancock was the shooter.[3]

Gypsy Joker members claimed that on January 12, 2001, a member was severely beaten by police in Adelaide, South Australia for refusing to remove his motorcycle helmet and sunglasses.[10]

In February 2008, police forced the Gypsy Jokers to dismantle its clubhouse fortifications, which include a concrete front wall, surveillance cameras and modified doors, in Perth, Western Australia. The club said the security was needed in the area where the burglary rate is high.[11]

Two Gypsy Joker members were jailed on March 5, 2009 on charges of assault. On May 12, 2007, Dean Alan Adams and Peter Floyd Robinson attacked Petera Heta Haimona outside the Cactus Club in Gosnells, Western Australia and beat him with metal pipes.[12]

A Gypsy Joker was charged with unlawful possession of a large sum of cash, weapons and ammunition on August 17, 2007. Police pulled his car over and discovered a gun, an expandable baton, capsicum spray and ammunition when they searched his vehicle.[13]

A Gypsy Joker member was charged with attempted murder on March 17, 2009. He shot and wounded a member of the Newboys gang and former Hells Angel outside their clubhouse in Adelaide, South Australia.[14]

On May 19, 2009, five Gypsy Jokers were involved in a drug-related shoot-out with another gang in Perth, Western Australia. Two were wounded and taken to hospital, one of which was Club President Leonard Mark Kirby.[15]

On April 14, 2012, Gypsy Joker Anthony Perish, his brother Andrew (a Rebels Motorcycle Club gang member) and Matthew Lawton were sentenced to eighteen, nine and fifteen years respectively for the murder of convicted drug trafficker Terry Falconer, conspiracy to commit murder and firearms and drug offences.[16]

United States

In 2004, the police raided the Gypsy Joker clubhouse in Portland, Oregon looking for two men wanted for armed robbery one of whom went by the street name Brick. (Brick later was found dead due to an altercation with a rival gang and could not be tried for said crimes.) The men were not there, however, and the club sued the Portland Police Bureau for $50,000 because of the damage caused in the raid.[17]

On April 10, 2008, police raided the Gypsy Joker clubhouse in Kennewick, Washington and arrested four men for possession of methamphetamine. Stolen property and weapons were also seized from the premises.[18]

On August 13, 2009, police in Nampa, Idaho, with assistance of the FBI, pulled over and detained approximately 60 to 70 members of the Gypsy Joker MC just off exit 38 on interstate 84. They were searched, interrogated, and photographed for future reference by law enforcement concerning gang affiliated activity.[19]

As of July 2016, three people in Oregon are facing two counts of murder, one count each of criminal conspiracy to commit murder and two counts each of criminal conspiracy to commit kidnapping regarding the killing of Robert Huggins, once a high-ranking member of the group. Others are accused of hindering prosecution in this case. The investigation lead to a raid of the Gypsy Joker clubhouse in North Portland that same year. Huggins' body was found beaten, mutilated and broken in July 2015. His killers shot nails through his boots, carved out an ‘X’ on his body and knocked out his teeth.[20]

On January 31, 2019 six members of the Oregon Gypsy Joker MC were charged with multiple crimes. The U.S. Attorney's Office said five defendants face charges of murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death and conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death for the June 30 to July 2, 2015 kidnapping and murder of Robert Huggins. Huggins was a former GJOMC member and resident of southeast Portland. The five defendants are accused of killing Huggins to maintain and increase their positions in the criminal club.[21]

See also

Notes
  1. AAP (23 March 2009)
  2. Isaacs 2004
  3. Veno 2003 p. 76 ff
  4. Harrison (2009)
  5. "Home". idahogangs.com. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  6. Veno (2003) p. 76, "The Gypsy Jokers have the highest profile in South Australia and Western Australia, and a number of violent incidents have occurred in both states, including shootings and clashes with police, putting them under the spotlight.
  7. Denson (2008) "Now, police identify about 80 Jokers in the [Oregon] region, half of them felons. They have been sent to prison for their roles in drug dealing, robbery, kidnapping, rape, murder and other crimes -- most of them years ago."
  8. Harrison (2009) "The most dangerous gangs include The Rebels with 2000 members. There are also the Gypsy Jokers, Coffin Cheaters, Bandidos, The Black Uhlans and the Finks described as the most disorganised but most violent, according to Professor Arthur Veno, author of The Brotherhoods."
  9. Larkin, Steve (14 March 2009), "Bikie gangs unite and bury rivalries", AdelaideNow, News Limited
  10. "Biker gang member beaten by police, say Gypsy Jokers". Highbeam.com. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  11. "Gypsy Jokers forced to destroy clubhouse fort". Royalespot.blogspot.com. 8 February 2008. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  12. Gypsy Joker bikies jailed over Gosnells attack Archived March 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  13. "Gypsy Joker gang member charged over weapons haul". Abc.net.au. 17 August 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  14. Gypsy Joker MC
  15. Gypsy Joker seriously injured in Perth shootings
  16. Margaret Schiekowski: "Brothers locked up over lethal revenge on a killing: Daily Telegraph: 14.04.2012
  17. Portland settles suit from raid on Gypsy Joker clubhouse Archived August 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  18. "Authorities Raid Gypsy Joker Clubhouse In Kennewick". Kndu.com. 10 April 2008. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  19. "Idaho Uses FBI Agents to Detain Oregon Motorcycle Riders". salem-news.com. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  20. "Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club members accused of murder seek release from jail". Fox 12 KPTV. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  21. "Six people involved with Gypsy Joker Outlaw Motorcycle Club face charges including racketeering, kidnapping and murder". KPTV.com. Retrieved 31 January 2019.

References
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