Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs: How Police Track 1%er Runs

Outlaw motorcycle clubs are tightly organized, members-only clubs whose "1%er" identity places them outside the mainstream riding world. U.S. agencies such as the FBI classify the biggest of them as outlaw motorcycle gangs, and prosecutors have charged members with serious crimes. The clubs describe themselves as brotherhoods that are unfairly targeted. Both sides agree on one thing: these clubs are secretive, close-knit and not going away.

We already cover club-by-club profiles and patches, what the 1% symbol means in ink and which patches to avoid. This guide asks a different question: what happens when an outlaw club's run rolls into town, and how do police respond?

Police track outlaw motorcycle clubs because they see organized groups that operate across state lines, and because rivalries between clubs can turn a gathering violent. The main tools are straightforward:

• Multi-agency teams. Local sheriffs, city police, state patrol and federal agencies share information and staff.
• Traffic stops and patrols. Officers use stops to confirm identities and keep rival clubs apart at large events.
• Undercover work. The most ambitious example is the ATF's Operation Black Rain, which began in 2005 when undercover agents became full-patch members of the Mongols.

There is a trade-off. Heavy policing can prevent a clash, but critics say it can also burden ordinary residents, and the same town can see very different results depending on the approach.

Laughlin, Nevada, is the best-known example of a club rivalry turning deadly. In the early hours of April 27, 2002, Hells Angels went to a bar inside Harrah's casino during the 20th Laughlin River Run, which drew tens of thousands of riders. The Hells Angels and the Mongols were already in a long feud, and several minor fights had broken out the night before.

The confrontation ended in a shootout and a stabbing. Two Hells Angels and one Mongol died, and about a dozen other people were hurt. In December 2003, federal prosecutors indicted 42 Hells Angels on racketeering charges linked to the brawl. Harrah's was later sued and reached a settlement with five injured bystanders. Law enforcement also introduced a no-colors policy at the rally to discourage club displays.

The USA Run is the Hells Angels' annual national gathering. In 2009 it came to Carlton, Minnesota, a town of about 770 people, from July 29 to August 2. News reports counted around 500 members, with the Lost Isle bar near the Black Bear Casino as headquarters.

Police from several counties, cities and the state patrol saturated the area, partly because the rival Outlaws had gathered across the border in northwestern Wisconsin. The run ended quietly, and officials credited the heavy presence. Not everyone agreed. The bar's owner called the response harassment at a later public forum, though a local deputy chief said more ordinary drivers than Hells Angels were stopped.

The results vary a lot from run to run. In July 2007, four Bandidos were stabbed in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and six Hells Angels were arrested on battery charges. Four of them later pleaded guilty to second-degree battery.

Missoula, Montana, hosted two runs and saw both approaches. At the 2000 run, police responded with a show of force and tensions flared into public unrest. At the 2008 run, police took a more subdued approach, and the city's police chief said the outcome was far better.

The Mongols' case turned a patch into a legal test. In October 2008, a grand jury returned an 86-count racketeering indictment against 79 Mongols. Prosecutors had spent years trying to take control of the club's logo marks. On December 13, 2018, a federal jury convicted the club itself of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy.

A month later, the jury found the logo marks forfeitable. In February 2019, U.S. District Judge David Carter refused, ruling that taking them would violate the First Amendment and the Eighth Amendment's excessive fines clause. He upheld the racketeering verdict and later fined the club $500,000 and placed it on five years of probation. In January 2023, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the forfeiture ruling on narrower grounds, saying the government never actually took title to the marks. The Mongols kept their logo.

Members say most of what the public hears comes from police and television, and many reject the gang label. Law enforcement points to racketeering convictions and violent clashes. Clubs vary a lot, and a patch alone does not tell you what any one member has done. For the pop-culture side, see what real bikers think of Sons of Anarchy.

Most people at rallies like Laughlin River Run or Sturgis are ordinary riders. The Laughlin aftermath shows how seriously rally towns take club displays, so leave club-style patches and support gear at home and read our guide to biker patch rules and etiquette before you stitch anything on.

Secure your gear too, because crowded parking lots and hotel lots are a bad place for loose luggage. Hard, key-lockable motorcycle saddlebags and Harley-Davidson saddlebags keep gear out of sight, while a tank bag or motorcycle backpack handles small items.