Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Trial set for Las Vegas outlaw motorcycle gang stabbing case

Dozen men each facing eight felony charges, including attempted murder

Motorcycle Gang Arrests

Thomas Powers Launch slideshow »

A trial has been set for September in Clark County District Court for a dozen men in connection with last year's brawl at a Las Vegas bar involving three motorcycle gangs, in which two men were stabbed, kicked and beaten for wearing another motorcycle gang's colors.

Clark County District Judge Valerie Vega set the trial, which includes charges of attempted murder for all 12 defendants, for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 13. The trial is expected to take about four weeks.

Two of the men's attorneys told Vega they had conflicts with the trial date, but the judge told them she needed to schedule it and they would have time to file motions to have it rescheduled.

The judge also lowered the bail for one of the defendants, Timothy J. Koich, from $300,000 to $100,000.

The judge denied a request by Christopher J. Lalli, chief deputy district attorney, for a source hearing on where some of the defendants were getting their money for bail, which was set initially at $300,000 for each of the men.

Lalli had argued unsuccessfully that the bail might be coming from the illegal activity of "outlaw" motorcycle gangs. He said some of the men were able to come up with bail quickly, but claimed they were indigent and needed the court to appoint attorneys.

After the hearing, Lalli said the last of the 12 defendants, Richard Allen, is expected to surrender to authorities soon. Ronald W. Rutan surrendered to authorities this week and was arraigned Wednesday, Lalli said.

A grand jury indicted Koich, Allen, Rutan and nine others on May 4 in connection with the incident, which occurred about 12:30 a.m. June 7, 2009, in the parking lot outside Mr. D's Sportsbar & Grill, 1810 S. Rainbow Blvd.

According to court documents, the incident broke out when two members of the Flaming Knights rode up to the bar wearing the colors red and gold, which were colors claimed by the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and their associate club, the Down and Dirty Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.

The two victims were confronted about the colors and members of the other two clubs began stabbing at them with various knives and a box cutter, as well as hitting them with Mag-lite flashlights and kicking them, in an attempt to remove the colors, according to court documents.

When police sirens were heard, all of the men began fleeing. The victims went to a gas station, where they called an ambulance for one man's stab wounds, according to court documents.

One victim was transported by ambulance to UMC's trauma unit, where he had emergency surgery for multiple torso stab wounds, according to court documents. The other was treated at Nellis Air Force base for a broken ankle and a cut lower lip, court documents said.

All 12 suspects have been charged with two counts each of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon and battery with a deadly weapon with substantial bodily harm, as well as one charge each of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit robbery.

All of the charges include criminal gang enhancements.

Those arrested from the Bandidos were Thomas Ed Powers, known as “Wizard,” 56, of Henderson; Stuart William Cantara, known as “Stu,” 48, of Henderson; John Michael Stewart, known as “Thug,” 42, of Henderson; Matthew James Bonelli, known as “Breaker,” 26, of Las Vegas; Aaron Anthony Freeman, known as “Bumper,” 29, of Las Vegas; Thomas Ross Manderfeld, known as “Tomcat,” 53, of Henderson; and Larry Steven Johnson, known as “Revolver,” 49, of Henderson.

The arrested suspects from the Down and Dirty club were Timothy John Koich, known as “Hawk,” 42, of Henderson; Eric Gerard Childers, known as “Red,” 30, of Las Vegas; and James Preston Healey, known as “Rocky,” 34, of Las Vegas.

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