Sunday 16 November 2014

Highwaymen MC

Another look at a 1% bike club.  This time it is the Detroit based Highwaymen MC, whose history stretches back to 1954 when it was another motorcycle club.  It was in the sixties that it was evolving into a OMG and joined a list of like clubs mentioned in a book brought out in 1966.  Over the decades, it has expanded into a number of states, such as Alabama, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Florida.  I have come across similarly named clubs in other states but obviously, they must not be connected.  Their power base has always the Motor City of Detroit.  They have, like many other OMGs, been subject to prolonged Police and FBI investigations into criminal activities.  They were investigated in the 1970`s, 1980`s and 2007.  Those probes saw members of the club jailed for attacks and bombings on the clubhouses and homes of rival bikers.

    2007 saw local and federal authorities arrest dozens of Highwaymen and associates for a number of offences such as racketeering, murder for hire, trafficking drugs, vehicle theft and fraud.  This sweep also netted four allegedly corrupt cops, who were all later jailed.  One Highwaymen, Randell McDaniel, was arrested for running a chop shop - over here in the UK we call it "ringing" - and was convicted of running a criminal enterprise, a chop shop, theft of vehicles and possession of a controlled substance.  I believe it was Marijuana and Vicodin.  All this went down after evidence was presented to a Grand Jury in 2008.  One problem many OMGs have is rivalry and inevitably, violent confrontations with other clubs, usually over turf and drug distribution.  The Highwaymen have had confrontations with the Iron Horsemen.  Looking at a Detroit forum, one person stated that cops were more prepared to go after the HMMC but ignore the IHMC, despite they having no hesitation at shooting at cops.  They were already involved in one such incident.  There will be a post soon about this club, and as ever, any member of a OMG reads my posts about their club, they are entitled to a right to reply.  As long as it is not abusive.

No comments:

Post a Comment