Local HA plans just had a kink put into them...

[glwilson]

The Rockford, IL chapter of the HAs will the host-club for other chapters from the east heading on their way to Sturgis.

Estimates of 500 to 1,000 members were expected to stay in Rockford at any given time for about 5-10 days. A camp ground just south of the city is the destination of most coming through, with a few booked in hotel rooms.

However, their plans might have been changed with the arrest by State and Federal authorities of 14 local HA members on fairly stiff charges ranging from kidnapping to assault with a deadly weapon. 2 members are still on the loose.

The charges were involving crimes committed to each other. That's right... to each other. None the less, according to authorities, these were serious crimes and had to be dealt with. $1,000,000 bond set for each member. Not so sure these guys have an extra $100,000 sitting around to post bail...

This is likely to put a kink in their plans as being a national host to other chapters. We'll see.

Oh yeah... one last thing. You sometimes just never know people as well as you might think.

One of the members arrested is a guy my wife and I know. We are not close friends or anything, but acquaintances none the less and just recently spoke with him.

Never had a clue he was an HA, and I doubt anyone else would have either. He was seemingly a really nice guy, and polite every time we would ever run across him. We confirmed he was arrested, so we now know for certain.

Just never know sometimes...

Now I just wonder if the authorities "shook the hornets' nest" locally...

[markclark57]

"Charges" don't necessarily mean "guilty" or "convicted". If the local LEO's want to discourage a "particular MC". Evidence is not as important as opportunity.