Members from three Brooklyn-based motorcycle gangs were arrested on weapons charges stemming from a two-year investigation that culminated with officials conducting raids inside members' homes and gang headquarters early Tuesday morning.
61-year-old Scott “Spider” Brannigan, of the Forbidden Ones, was among those arrested and suspected of leading the firearms trafficking ring.
Earlier this year, an undercover officer even caught Brannigan selling a powerful, cast iron cannon from his Queens home where his wife also ran a licensed day care facility.
Members of the colorfully labeled Dirty Ones and the Troublemakers were also arrested. The New York Times details
The men arrested had nicknames like Spider and Afro, and some literally wore their accomplishments on their sleeves. The “1% patch” they wore declared that they had rejected society and lived outside the law. And the “bangout patch,” showing two handguns crossing each other, signified that the member had assaulted or had another confrontation with the police.
During the raids, officials uncovered 20 guns including AK-47 rifles, as well as 2,000 envelopes of heroin, cocaine and marijuana.
Brooklyn US Attorney Loretta Lynch said, "Violent biker gangs are not outside the reach of the law no matter how many patches or tattoos they wear."