Story Created:
Jul 31, 2008 at 12:23 PM EST
Story Updated:
Jul 31, 2008 at 12:23 PM EST
CHICAGO (AP) — An 84-year-old man arrested as federal agents raided chapters of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club is among those charged in a pipe bomb attack on a video and vending machine business, officials announced Thursday.
Samuel Volpendesto of Oak Brook is charged along with Mark Polchan, 41, of Justice, with using a pipe bomb in the Feb. 25, 2003, attack on the Berwyn business. The men were arrested during Wednesday's raid and scheduled to appear in court Thursday.
It was not immediately clear whether they had retained attorneys.
Kyle C. Knight, 44, of Merrillville, Ind., was arrested a year ago on federal charges of providing the explosives used in the pipe bomb. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in federal custody pending trial.
Federal officials said agents Wednesday executed search warrants at six locations across northern Illinois, including Polchan's house and a pawn shop he owns.
Officials declined to say exactly what they were looking for in the searches that FBI spokesman Frank Bochte said took place over an area stretching from Kankakee to Elgin and suburban Cook County.
The raids were staged jointly by the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, ATF spokesman Tom Ahern said.
Members of the Outlaws club, which began in the Chicago suburb of McCook in 1935 but has expanded to Asia, Canada and Europe, have been targeted by federal agencies, resulting in convictions ranging from drugs and weapons to murder.
In the past year, a federal grand jury in Detroit indicted 16 people on assault, drug distribution and weapons possession charges. All were members or gang associates of Outlaws' chapters in Michigan and Indiana, according to the indictment.
Authorities last year also arrested 15 members of the Outlaws in Boston on drug and firearms charges.
The efforts were part of the federal government's push to fight gangs and gang violence in the United States, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said at the time.
Saturday, Aug 2 at 11:24 AM anonymous wrote ...
remember the outlaws have what 100,000 members and 30 of 100,000 r bad apples of the bunch these guys do great things for our local communitys give them a break and for the gay comment tell one of them thatthat