A number of biker club members arrested in a federal roundup last week are being released after signing $20,000 bond documents.
Bond hearings were held throughout the day Monday in U.S. District Court for members of the Chattanooga Outlaws Club facing charges ranging from conspiracy to sell cocaine to unlawful transport of firearms to possession of child pornography.
The bikers who were released immediately after appearances before Federal Magistrate Court Judge Bill Carter face stringent restrictions on their activities until the scheduled trials late this spring. Prohibitions against out-of-state travel were eased for defendants who live in North Georgia so that they will be able to go to and from their homes.
Trial has been set for April 27 for four men accused of four counts of conspiring to sell and/or distributing cocaine. They include:
Gary "Doodah" Raines, 58; Marion County; Hershell Raines, 26, Marion County; Roger "Buddha" Roof, 46, Chattanooga; and James "Smiley" Westbrook, 44, Rossville, Ga.
Ten more defendants – facing a complicated array of gun, drug and other charges – are scheduled to go on trial a week later, on May 3. They include: Marcus Smith, 41, Chattanooga; Ryan "Lil R" Birt, 44, Chattanooga; Kelly Adams, 32, Chattanooga; James "Dozer" Miller, 40, Chattanooga; Jeramy "Cracker" Rittenhouse, 36, Chattanooga; Robert "BB" Boone, 49, Chattanooga; David Woodward, 40, Cleveland, Tn.; Ronald "Snake" Howard, 58, Benton, Tn.; Charles "Robbie" Kinsey, 41, Ringgold, Ga; and Steven "Steve-O" Tucker, 38, Rossville, Ga.
One of those defendants, Ryan Birt, is charged with two child pornography counts as well as one count of unlawful transport.
Legal action also is pending against other defendants. For example, James "JP" Parker, 45, of Whitwell, has been charged with six counts of intent to sell cocaine, three counts of unlawful transport of firearms and three counts of violent crime involving drugs and a machine gun.
Prosecutors have said that charges against the defendants grew out of a 30-month investigation into drug trafficking in Hamilton and Bradley Counties and other parts of Southeast Tennessee.
During the probe, investigators were able to infiltrate both the Chattanooga branch of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club – headquartered at 3014 Campbell St. in East Chattanooga – and its affiliate, located at 1350 Strawberry Lane in Cleveland.
Lorin Coppock, ATF special agent, said the probe began after a Dalton, Ga., man with a “known affiliation” to the Renegades motorcycle club was the victim of a car bomb on Aug. 16, 2007.
It was noted that the victim, 27-year-old James Wayne Brock Jr., had taken part in a shootout with a rival motorcycle gang, the Outlaws, in the parking lot of a Clayton County, Ga., strip club.
Agt. Coppock said an informant got inside the club and it was learned that members were buying and selling cocaine.
He said Miller was buying cocaine from Smith. He said agents were watching when Smith and his girlfriend, Ms. Adams, showed up with an ounce of powder cocaine and two ounces of crack cocaine. Smith was given marked money for the drugs.
The agent said Smith and Ms. Adams were arrested later, and Ms. Adams had 23 grams of cocaine on her.
He said the couple had a seven-year-old boy and, on one occasion, Smith remarked during a drug deal that "he had to hurry back because he had a kid in the car."
The agent said Smith and Ms. Adams lived in various locations, including a hotel at one time. They were arrested last week at an apartment.
Ms. Adams asked to also be placed on bond, though the government initially opposed it. It was agreed that the probation office will carry out an investigation to see if arrangements can be made for Ms. Adams to have a residence and treatment.
Her attorney, Rich Heinsman, said she went to a Nashville prep school and had a fairly clean record except for the recent arrest. Her seven-year-old son is now with her sister. The attorney said Ms. Adams also has a child who lives with his father in North Carolina.
Ms. Adams works as a teacher's aide at Hillcrest Elementary School, where her son attends, it was stated.