Outlaws Motorcycle Club

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox organization The Outlaws Motorcycle Club, incorporated as the American Outlaws Association or its acronym, A.O.A., is an international outlaw motorcycle club. Founded in McCook, Illinois in 1935, the Outlaws MC is the oldest outlaw biker club in the world.<ref name="Biker Gangs"/> With 441 chapters located in 43 countries,<ref name="Pharaoh's case"/> and a membership of over 3,000,<ref name="Setting up shop"/> the club is also the third-largest in the world, behind the Hells Angels and the Bandidos.<ref>Outlaws president resigns in disgust Peter Edwards, Toronto Star (30 March 2009) Template:Webarchive</ref> Outlaws members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles.<ref name="Loyal to Harley-Davidson">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Template:Cite court</ref>

The club is designated an organized crime syndicate by numerous law enforcement and international intelligence agencies, including the United States Department of Justice, the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, and Europol.<ref name="doj-gangunit">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="OC in Canada 2003">2003 Annual Report on Organized Crime in Canada Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (2003) Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="Outlaw motorcycle gangs">Outlaw motorcycle gangs Europol Template:Webarchive</ref>

History

Originating as the McCook Outlaws MC, the club was founded by Electro-Motive Company employees at Matilda's bar on Route 66 in the southwestern Chicago suburb of McCook, Illinois in 1935.Template:Sfn John Davis was reportedly the founder of the club.<ref name="Bikers brought years of feuding"/><ref name="The Outlaws">The Outlaws Motorcycle Club segag.org Template:Webarchive</ref> Although inactive during World War II, the Outlaws reformed afterwards and attended the first major post-war motorcycle rally, held at Soldier Field in Chicago in May 1946.Template:Sfn By 1950, the club had begun recruiting members from around the Chicago area and was renamed the Chicago Outlaws MC after relocating its headquarters to the South Side of the city.Template:Sfn In 1964, the Outlaws merged with the Cult biker club from Voorheesville, New York, the Gypsy Outlaws of Milwaukee, and the Gypsy Raiders in Louisville, Kentucky, becoming the largest "one percenter" club east of the Mississippi River and the second-largest in the United States after the California-based Hells Angels. On January 1, 1965, the various aligned clubs incorporated as the American Outlaws Association.Template:Sfn The Outlaws further expanded into Florida in July 1967 by "patching over" the Iron Cross club in West Palm Beach.Template:Sfn

The club featured in a work of photojournalism called The Bikeriders published in 1967 by Danny Lyon, a collection of photographs and interviews documenting the lifestyle of members of the club in the 1960s.<ref>The Bikeriders. Lyon, Danny Chronicle Books, 2004 Template:ISBN</ref> Lyon spent four years riding with the Outlaws' Chicago chapter beginning in 1963 and became a full-fledged member of the club in "an attempt to record and glorify the life of the American bike rider".<ref name="Outlaws Club rides again">The Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club rides again Patrick Sisson, Chicago Reader (April 22, 2014) Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Chasing outlaws: How Danny Lyon changed photography BBC (25 October 2016) Template:Webarchive</ref> The Bikeriders preceded Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs by Hunter S. Thompson, who warned Lyon that he should "get the hell out of that club unless it's absolutely necessary for photo action."<ref>Danny Lyon's inside shots Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian (20 April 2014) Template:Webarchive</ref>

During the early 1970s, a power struggle for control of the Outlaws developed between a faction of "beer drinkers" and a rival group of club members who preferred to smoke marijuana. John Davis, the reputed founder of the Outlaws, was killed by a "pot smoker" and Vietnam veteran during a shootout near Lake Shore Drive on the North Side of Chicago as a result of the feud.Template:Sfn<ref name="Outlaws Motorcycle Gang">Outlaws Motorcycle Gang Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (September 1, 2004) Template:Webarchive</ref>

The Outlaws' long-standing rivalry with the Hells Angels began when three Hells Angel bikers were executed by Outlaw members in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 27, 1974.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref>Bloody and long lasting: the feud between Hells Angels and Outlaws Sean O'Neill, The Times (20 July 2009) [1]</ref> The triple murder was carried out in retaliation for the earlier beating of an Outlaw by a Hells Angel, which took place in New York City on December 31, 1973.Template:Sfn<ref name="History of Outlaw gang">FBI agent describes history of Outlaw gang Bruce Vielmetti, Tampa Bay Times (May 5, 1995) Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="Legendary Biker War">Legendary Hells Angels-Outlaws Biker War Can Be Traced Back To 1974 Triple Murder In South Florida Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (April 23, 2017) Template:Webarchive</ref> The Hells Angels declared war on the Outlaws during a club summit held in Cleveland later in 1974.<ref name="Organized Crime in America">Template:Cite book</ref> The conflict resulted in hundreds of fatalities in each club in the following decades.<ref name="Legendary Biker War"/>

In 1977, the Outlaws became an international club when several chapters of the Satan's Choice Motorcycle Club in Canada "patched over".<ref name="Biker gangs in Canada">Biker gangs in Canada Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (July 13, 2011) Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs and Organized Crime">Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs and Organized Crime (June 3, 2020) Template:Webarchive</ref> The club further expanded internationally, into France in 1993, Australia in 1994, and Norway in 1995.<ref name="Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs and Organized Crime"/><ref name="Australian Bikie Gangs">Australian Bikie Gangs: Complete List of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs Amy Farrugia, New Idea (March 30, 2019) Template:Webarchive</ref> Additional chapters were subsequently established throughout Europe.<ref name="Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs and Organized Crime"/> In November 2006, the Outlaws became the first major outlaw motorcycle club to open a chapter in the Far East when a full charter was awarded to a club in Okinawa City.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Insignia

File:Outlaws patches.jpg

Outlaws members wearing club "colors"

The Outlaws' original insignia consisted of a head-on view of a motorcycle in a winged circle, which was hand-painted onto the back of members' jackets. In 1950, the club's logo was changed; a small skull replaced the winged motorcycle, and Old English-style letters were adopted. This design was embroidered on a black shirt or hand-painted onto leather jackets. Influenced by the fictional Black Rebel Motorcycle Club depicted in the film The Wild One, the Outlaws added crossed pistons affixed to the original small skull in 1954, a design embroidered on a black western-style shirt with white piping. The skull and crossed pistons logo, known as "Charlie", was redesigned in 1959, making it larger and with more detail.<ref name="Biker Gangs"/> The club's "Charlie" insignia is a registered trademark.<ref name="Trademark Details">Outlaws MC - Trademark Details Justia (December 1, 2021) Template:Webarchive</ref> In 1963, the Outlaws began wearing a diamond-shaped "1%er" patch, becoming the first club east of the Mississippi River to do so.<ref name="17 Things">17 Things You Didn't Know About The Outlaws Motorcycle Club Arun Singh Pundir, hotcars.com (August 27, 2021) Template:Webarchive</ref> The "one percenter" emblem was originally adopted by several California biker clubs beginning in 1960.<ref name="Look Homeward Angel">Look Homeward Angel: Cycle Icon Sonny Barger Kick-Starts Life As A Free Man By Violating Parole Philip Martin, Phoenix New Times (December 2, 1992) Template:Webarchive</ref> After incorporating as the American Outlaws Association in 1965, the club added an additional A.O.A. patch to its "colors", featuring an upstretched middle finger in a rounded triangle. The A.O.A. emblem was adopted as a parody of the A.M.A. logo.Template:Sfn A patch listing a member's rank within the organization is also worn by club officers.<ref name="Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs: Aspects of the One-Percenter Culture for Emergency Department Personnel to Consider">Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs: Aspects of the One-Percenter Culture for Emergency Department Personnel to Consider Anand N. Bosmia, James F. Quinn, Todd B. Peterson, Christoph J. Griessenauer, and R. Shane Tubbs, United States National Library of Medicine (July 15, 2014) Template:Webarchive</ref> An "S.S." patch featuring twin lightning bolts is allegedly awarded to members who have committed murder, attempted murder or a bombing on behalf of the club.<ref>Outlaw informant tells tale of ambush and terror Bruce Vielmetti, Tampa Bay Times (May 9, 1995) Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="Witness offers inside look">Witness offers inside look at biker battle Carolyn Starks, Chicago Tribune (April 5, 1999) Template:Webarchive</ref> A black-and-white color scheme is associated with the Outlaws, as is Totenkopf imagery, symbols such as a hand clenching a pistol, and paraphernalia featuring the phrases "Support Black & White" and "Support Your Local Outlaws", or "SYLO".<ref name="Infamous One Percenters"/><ref name="Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs: Aspects of the One-Percenter Culture for Emergency Department Personnel to Consider"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1969, the club adopted the motto "God forgives, Outlaws don't" ("GFOD").Template:Sfn The Outlaws' rivalry with the Hells Angels has given rise to other phrases used by Outlaws members; namely "ADIOS" (the Spanish word for "goodbye", but in this case doubling as an acronym for "Angels Die In Outlaw States"),<ref name="17 Things"/><ref>Hells Angels and 6 more notorious biker gangs History Channel Template:Webarchive</ref> and "All Hells Angels must die", or "AHAMD".<ref name="U.S. v. Bowman">United States of America v. Harry Bowman FindLaw (August 20, 2002) Template:Webarchive</ref> "Snitches are a dying breed" as well as the more generic "Outlaws forever, forever Outlaws" ("OFFO") are other mottos used by the club.<ref>Informer testifies on bikers' battles Graham Brink, Tampa Bay Times (September 1, 2005) Template:Webarchive</ref> Patches featuring these various abbreviations are commonly worn by Outlaws members.<ref name="Infamous One Percenters"/><ref name="History of Outlaw gang"/>

Membership

File:Outlaws MC member on motorcycle.jpg

An Outlaws member on a motorcycle

To be eligible for Outlaws membership, applicants must be men over the age of 21 and also be in possession of an American-made motorcycle of at least 750cc.<ref name="Infamous One Percenters"/><ref name="Seven face life sentences">Seven face life sentences for Hells Angel's murder Duncan Campbell, The Guardian (November 28, 2008) Template:Webarchive</ref> Outlaws in the United States and Canada are essentially limited to riding Indian, Victory and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, which are most common in the club.<ref name="Loyal to Harley-Davidson"/> Outside of North America, however, this rule has been relaxed, allowing members to ride motorcycles manufactured in any country, provided they are in the chopper style.<ref name="Biker Gangs"/>

The following five criteria are considered when evaluating an aspiring Outlaws member:

1. Owns and rides a Harley-Davidson
2. Is competent in the mechanics of motorcycles
3. Lives a lifestyle congruent with biker subculture and "treats other righteous bikers as bros"
4. Is viewed by society as masculine in "outlook, behavior, and sexual orientation"
5. Does not conform to "worldly values" but instead conforms to the lifestyle of the club<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

To be formally inducted into club, applicants have to be sponsored by a member, and they begin as an associate, or "hangaround", in order to assist the chapter, before being made a prospective member, or "prospect"; if he is approved by the club, then a prospect is moved up to probationary, or "probate", status, a position in which he is required to demonstrate his commitment to the club.<ref name="Infamous One Percenters"/><ref name="U.S. v. Starrett">United States v. James Walter Starrett, Timothy Kevin Duke, Michael Lee Cave, Donald Joe Sears, James Thomas Nolan, Frederick Joseph Hegney FindLaw (June 27, 1995) Template:Webarchive</ref> A probate is identified by wearing a mandatory patch on a cut-off leather or denim vest reading: "Probationary Outlaws".<ref name="U.S. v. Starrett"/> The probationary period typically lasts several months.<ref name="History of Outlaw gang"/><ref name="Prosecutors">Prosecutors try to depose the "top Outlaw' Graham Brink, Tampa Bay Times (March 21, 2001) Template:Webarchive</ref> The highest level of membership in the Outlaws is "patched" or "patchwearing" member, which is attained by a unanimous vote of each chapter.<ref name="U.S. v. Starrett"/><ref name="Outlaws have violent history">Outlaws have sordid, violent history in metro Chicago Chuck Goudie, ABC 7 Chicago (November 16, 2017) Template:Webarchive</ref> Upon becoming a full-fledged member, an Outlaw is permitted to wear a vest bearing the club's insignia, known as "colors", and to attend weekly "church" meetings.<ref name="U.S. v. Bowman"/><ref name="U.S. v. Starrett"/> The patch on a member's colors displaying the Outlaws emblem is surrounded by other patches denoting chapter and club membership information, which are called "rockers". These rocker patches are purchased directly from the international president.<ref name="U.S. v. Bowman"/> Club rules dictate that the Outlaws' patches must be worn on leather or black denim (blue denim is banned) and that club regalia is not allowed to be worn by members' wives or girlfriends.<ref name="Seven face life sentences"/> Women affiliated with the club, known as "old ladies", are, however, allowed to wear vests with patches reading: "Property of the Outlaws".<ref name="U.S. v. Starrett"/><ref name="Outlaws have violent history"/> Outlaws are instructed to guard their colors with their lives, and it is forbidden for any item bearing the club's logo to touch the floor.<ref name="U.S. v. Starrett"/>

File:Outlaws lighting bolts tattoo.jpg

Outlaws tattoo featuring SS sig runes

Members are required to pay dues of $1,200 per year and to attend local, regional and national events.<ref name="Biker Gangs"/> Obligatory chapter "church" meetings are held weekly, and club motorcycle trips and parties which may last several days, known as "runs", are held throughout the year. National runs take place three or four times per year, regional runs occur between five and twenty times a year, and local runs typically occur weekly.<ref name="U.S. v. Starrett"/> Membership dues are divided between the chapter and the region and are used to finance activities such as memorials and group excursions.<ref name="Biker Gangs"/><ref name="U.S. v. Bowman"/> Outlaws members are usually assessed a fee if a fellow club member is in need of legal assistance.<ref name="U.S. v. Starrett"/> It is compulsory for all members other than chapter presidents to take turns providing 24-hour armed guard at Outlaws clubhouses.<ref name="History of Outlaw gang"/><ref name="U.S. v. Starrett"/> Indiscipline and rule breaches are punished with a $300 fine.<ref name="Seven face life sentences"/> Members are also instructed by the club to attend funerals of fellow Outlaws.<ref name="U.S. v. Bowman"/> Additionally, Outlaws members reportedly transfer their membership from chapter to chapter more frequently than members of other prominent motorcycle clubs.<ref name="Overview">Outlaw motorcycle gangs USA overview National Institute of Justice (1991) Template:Webarchive</ref> Regarding contact with non-club members, Outlaws are required to adhere to a "strict no comment policy".<ref name="Seven face life sentences"/>

After a year of membership in the club, Outlaws are eligible to sport a tattoo of the club's emblem as well as club slogans, such as "God forgives, Outlaws don't", or "GFOD".<ref name="History of Outlaw gang"/><ref name="U.S. v. Bowman"/> After five years, club members may have replicas of their "colors" tattooed on their backs.<ref name="History of Outlaw gang"/> Additional tattoos may reflect membership information.<ref name="U.S. v. Bowman"/> Allegedly, a member who has killed or attempted to kill for the Outlaws is permitted to wear "lightning bolts", a tattoo featuring a Nazi-style "SS" doppelte Siegrune (double sig runes) symbol.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Incarcerated Outlaws members are known as "Lounge Lizards", of which the club maintains a list and collects money on behalf of. An Outlaw who has served a prison sentence is entitled to receive an "LL", or "Lounge Lizard", tattoo.<ref name="U.S. v. Bowman"/> Other tattoos common with club members include "AHAMD", an acronym for "All Hells Angels must die".<ref name="History of Outlaw gang"/>

Members can leave the club in either "bad standing", "good standing", in retirement or when deceased. Retired Outlaws are permitted to wear a "dress shirt (retirement style)", according to the club's bylaws.<ref name="Seven face life sentences"/> Some club leaders, however, such as James "Big Jim" Nolan, have at times upheld a ban on members retiring from the Outlaws.<ref name="U.S. v. Starrett"/>

Organization

Outlaws chapters are governed by an elected officer corps consisting of a president, vice president, treasurer, and sergeant-at-arms, or "enforcer".<ref name="Infamous One Percenters"/><ref name="U.S. v. Starrett"/> Chapters follow guidelines that dictate election procedures, gatherings, and action against members who have violated the club's bylaws.<ref name="Biker Gangs"/> The club has 441 chapters located in 43 countries, in Asia, Europe and North America.<ref name="Pharaoh's case"/><ref name="History of the Outlaws">The History of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club Benjamin Smith, moneyinc.com (March 16, 2021) Template:Webarchive</ref> Each chapter is headquartered at a clubhouse, which is typically a building secured by concrete walls, steel doors, razor wire, guard dogs, and video surveillance. Clubhouses are used to host "church" meetings and parties.<ref name="U.S. v. Bowman"/> Chapter presidents report to regional presidents, who oversee individual regions, which are divided and named by color, such as the red and blue regions. Regional president in turn report to the club's international president, who heads the Outlaws organization.<ref name="Infamous One Percenters"/> Officers at the national, regional and local levels are elected by the membership of the club.<ref name="U.S. v. Killip">United States of America v. John Scott Killip a/k/a "Little Wolf," Johnnie Lee Adams a/k/a "Squirrel," James Sam Marr a/k/a "Sampson," Virgil Earl Nelson a/k/a "Arlo," Marcel Teague a/k/a "Tramp," and Ronald Dale Krout a/k/a "Krout" Justia (June 1, 1987) Template:Webarchive</ref> According to law enforcement, the Outlaws' internal enforcer squad is known as the "S.S.".<ref name="Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs">Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs Deputy John Williams, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (2008) Template:Webarchive</ref>

The Outlaws' territory in the United States is divided into ten color-coded regions;<ref name="Outlaws gang members testify against former 'brothers'">Outlaws gang members testify against former 'brothers' Frank Green and Reed Williams, Independent Tribune (October 26, 2010) Template:Webarchive</ref> the black region (Indiana and Michigan),<ref>Members of Bay City Outlaws Motorcycle Club face sentencing in federal sting LaNia Coleman, The Bay City Times (July 30, 2009) Template:Webarchive</ref> the blue region (Pennsylvania),Template:Sfn the copper region (North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia),<ref>Outlaws: Feds blasted our building Richard Gould, Hickory Daily Record (May 16, 2010) Template:Webarchive</ref> the gold region (Wisconsin),<ref name="Outlaws National President Sentenced">Outlaws Motorcycle National President Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison United States Department of Justice (April 8, 2011) Template:Webarchive</ref> the gray region (Tennessee),Template:Sfn the green region (Kentucky, Ohio and Oklahoma),<ref>Biker Royalty Brigade: Outlaws MC Nation Mourns Loss Of Fmr. President Big Frank Wheeler Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (December 16, 2020) Template:Webarchive</ref> the orange region (Florida),Template:Sfn the red region (New England and the Philadelphia metro area),<ref>Raid reveals structure of gang that's facing racketeering counts Portland Press Herald (June 20, 2010) Template:Webarchive</ref> the silver region (Alabama and Georgia),<ref name="Bikers caught up in FBI sting">Documents show area bikers got caught up in FBI sting Joe Johnson, Athens Banner-Herald (January 12, 2013) Template:Webarchive</ref> and the white region (Illinois).<ref>Former leader of Outlaws Motorcycle Club pleads guilty to racketeering conspiracy WITI (October 2, 2018) Template:Webarchive</ref> Formerly, the club's territory was divided into three areas; "Central", headquartered in Chicago; "North", headquartered in Detroit; and "South", headquartered in Oklahoma City.<ref name="The Outlaws"/> The Outlaws' international headquarters has historically been centred in the Midwest.<ref>Matching Witts On Wheels: Outlaws MC Locking Down Allies In Their Fight Against The Pagans MC & Its Blue Wave Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (June 29, 2022) Template:Webarchive</ref> The South Side, Chicago chapter was designated the club's "mother chapter" in 1964 and is known as the "Mother Ship" among Outlaws members.<ref name="Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs and Organized Crime"/><ref>Windy City Biker World Big Shot Orvie The Anvil Cops Plea, Outlaws MC Boss Has Murder Beefs Dropped Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (October 3, 2018) Template:Webarchive</ref> During the presidency of Harry "Taco" Bowman, from 1984 until 1999, the Outlaws' leadership was based in Detroit.<ref>Former Outlaws MC President Taco Bowman & The Detroit Mob Squared Off In ’90s Dice Game Dispute Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (August 5, 2017) Template:Webarchive</ref> Bowman's successor, James "Big Frank" Wheeler, relocated the club's headquarters to Tampa, Florida.<ref name="Biker Gangs In The Motor City">Biker Gangs In The Motor City: A History of Riding Rough Scott Burnstein, GangsterReport.com (July 2, 2014) Template:Webarchive</ref> The subsequent Outlaws international president, Jack Rosga, was based in Milwaukee.<ref name="Biker Gangs In The Motor City"/><ref name="Wisconsin chief">Wisconsin chief of Outlaws biker gang gets 20 years in racketeering case St. Paul Pioneer Press (April 7, 2011) Template:Webarchive</ref> In April 2021, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi alleged in court papers that the current international president of the Outlaws is John Ermin, the general manager of Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club in Cheektowaga, New York.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Support clubs

Each major Outlaws chapter maintains one to five support clubs, smaller motorcycle clubs which are within the Outlaws' sphere of influence. Members of such clubs are permitted to attend Outlaws events and wear "support" patches which identify them with the Outlaws, and are required to perform menial tasks and guard duties on the Outlaws' behalf. According to law enforcement, the Outlaws utilize support clubs to carry out retail-level drug distribution and violent crimes in order to insulate the club from possible criminal liability.<ref name="Indiana Drug Threat Assessment">Indiana Drug Threat Assessment National Drug Intelligence Center (April 2001) Template:Webarchive</ref>

The official, and primary, support club for the Outlaws is the Black Pistons Motorcycle Club, which is active internationally.<ref name=Barker1>Template:Citation</ref> Other support clubs range from local groups, such as the Undertakers MC in Lexington, Kentucky,<ref name="Biker Gangs and Transnational Organized Crime">Template:Cite book</ref> to regional clubs like the Chosen Few MC, which is based in Canada and Upstate New York.<ref name="Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs: Aspects of the One-Percenter Culture for Emergency Department Personnel to Consider"/> Although the Outlaws are a White-only club, the group's support clubs include African American motorcycle clubs, such as the Outcast MC.<ref name="Notorious Outlaws">Notorious Outlaws motorcycle gang active in Jacksonville area, prosecutor says Jim Schoettler, The Florida Times-Union (September 17, 2023) Template:Webarchive</ref> In Norway, the Outlaws oversee the Black & White Crew, a "street crew" in which members are not required to own a motorcycle.<ref name="Politijakt">Politijakt på kriminelle løpegutter Tanja Irén Berg, Romerikes Blad (August 29, 2007) Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="Preventing organised crime">Preventing organised crime originating from outlaw motorcycle clubs Tore Bjørgo, Springer Science+Business Media (30 October 2017) Template:Webarchive</ref>

Criminal allegations and incidents

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The Outlaws are classified by various law enforcement agencies in the United States as one of the "big four" motorcycle gangs, along with the Bandidos, the Hells Angels, and the Pagans.<ref name="2005 National Gang Threat Assessment">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} National Alliance of Gang Investigators Association (2005)</ref><ref name="Life Inside the Chicago Outlaws">Life Inside the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club Adam Morgan, Chicago (September 28, 2017) Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="Outlaws leader’s assassination">An Outlaws motorcycle club leader’s assassination adds to Tampa Bay’s bloody biker gang history Gabrielle Calise, Tampa Bay Times (January 10, 2019) Template:Webarchive</ref> The Department of Justice contends that the club is involved in organized crime, including drug trafficking, extortion, money laundering, prostitution rings, weapons trafficking, and violent acts directed at rival clubs.<ref name="doj-gangunit"/><ref name="Crimes of the Big Four">Crimes of the Big Four Motorcycle Gangs Office of Justice Programs (April 2009) Template:Webarchive</ref> One recurring allegation is that the Outlaws are responsible for the production and distribution of methamphetamine.<ref name="Look Homeward Angel"/><ref name="Gangs on rise">Outlaw bike gangs on rise Tampa Bay Times (September 24, 1991) Template:Webarchive</ref> Law enforcement and intelligence agencies internationally, including the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada and Europol, also consider the Outlaws a criminal organization.<ref name="OC in Canada 2003"/><ref name="Outlaw motorcycle gangs"/>

Members have continuously denied that the Outlaws are an organized crime syndicate, asserted that the club is simply a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who live a nonconventional lifestyle, and described allegations by investigators and prosecutors as exaggerated.<ref name="Prosecutors"/><ref name="Outlaws have violent history"/><ref name="Gangs on rise"/> The Outlaws' website features a statement reading: "The government has labeled the Outlaws MC a criminal organization and all Template:Sic members as criminals simply because they are members. This is one of the most untrue and unjust statements ever made concerning our club. Each and every day Template:Sic America and the World members of Law Enforcement, Religious, Fraternal organizations as well as many other groups are convicted of criminal activity. Their membership is not universally labeled as criminals".<ref name="Biker gangs test laws">Biker gangs test laws, patience Julia Spitz, The Milford Daily News (July 26, 2005) Template:Webarchive</ref> A saying used by members of the club is: "Outlaws we are, RICO we're not".<ref name="Prosecutors"/>

See also

• List of outlaw motorcycle clubs
• The Bikeriders

Bibliography

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External links

• Outlaws Motorcycle Club American website
• Outlaws Motorcycle Club world website