Sonny Barger, the founder of HELLS Angels, passed away at age 83 after a battle with cancer.
Sonny Barger, Dies At 83 Of Cancer
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On June 29, the California biker died away peacefully with his wife Zorana and family by his side.
If you are reading this message, you’ll know that I’m gone, according to a statement on his Facebook page. I’ve requested that this note be published right away upon my passing.
“I’ve had a long, fulfilling life full with adventures. And I’ve had the honor of belonging to a fantastic club.
“Be loyal, remain free, and always cherish honor,” he advised his audience.
The Mercury News reported that Barger is most known for founding the Oakland Hells Angels and is frequently given credit for turning the gang into a worldwide organization.
In April, the group celebrated its 65th anniversary.
In his memoirs, Barger acknowledged that Marlon Brando’s 1953 crime drama The Wild One served as his inspiration.
He and three other people were found not guilty in 1972 of killing a Texas drug dealer and torching a house.
In 1973, Barger was found guilty of drug and weapon possession by a convicted criminal and received a sentence of ten years to life in prison.
After serving his four and a half-year term, he was granted release in November 1977, according to The Santa Cruz Sentinel.
After being freed, Barger claimed he didn’t know if he’d keep running the motorcycle gang.
He was one of 33 individuals charged with breaking the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act in 1979.
The law, which was approved by President Richard Nixon, was specifically intended to fight organized crime all over the country.
After a split decision, Barger was declared not guilty in 1980.
Years later, the biker received a cancer diagnosis, leading to the removal of his voice chords.
Sonny Barger sentences
In 1987, after a series of raids conducted by FBI agents and state law enforcement, Barger was detained on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs, guns, and explosives.
According to law authorities, Barger was charged with obtaining and transporting explosives that were intended to “kill, maim, or threaten.”
He was allegedly accused of taking part in the murder of John Cleve Webb, the president of the Anchorage Hells Angels, according to police.
Then-California Attorney General John Van de Kamp reported that during more than two dozen searches, police seized more than 100 firearms, $1 million in cash, and a variety of drugs.
In October 1988, Barger was found guilty of conspiracy and given a four-year prison term.
In November 1992, he was freed from FCI Phoenix after spending three and a half years in prison.
Six novels, including his autobiography Hell’s Angel, have been authored by Barger.
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