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A federal judge has accepted the no contest pleas from two Outlaws Motorcycle Club members charged with illegal gambling, extortion and wire fraud. Both men will avoid a trial as a result of their pleas.
“By accepting this, she (Walton-Pratt) has saved the government probably about $400,000 for a seven-week trial,” said Monica Foster, a federal defender for the Indiana Federal Community Defenders Inc.
The Indianapolis Star reported that Joshua Bowser, the club’s dubbed “enforcer,” and Jamie Bolinger said last week that they wanted to plead no contest to charges of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, a federal law intended to fight organized crime.
Dozens of people connected to the Outlaws motorcycle gang were arrested during early-morning raids commenced in July of 2012. The charges, which follow an investigation lasting more than a year, were filed in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis. A 70-page indictment alleges the gang trafficked drugs, including cocaine and prescription painkillers, utilizing violent enforcement measures.
Investigators infiltrated the gang through wiretaps, drug buys and the use of undercover agents. The investigation resulted in the arrests of all Outlaws members.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
