TAMPA, Fla. — The leader of the Outlaws motorcycle gang was convicted Tuesday of running a murderous operation that warred with other biker gangs over drug turf.
James "Frank" Wheeler, 61, faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison after the federal jury found him guilty of racketeering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice after a six-week trial.
Wheeler was acquitted of some of the most serious charges against him — playing a role in two slayings and conspiring to distribute cocaine.
He was the 31st member of the motorcycle gang to be convicted in Tampa in four trials since the mid-1990s. Sentencing was set for Jan. 12.
Defense attorney Timothy Fitzgerald said he will appeal.
"It’s a travesty of justice," said fellow Outlaw member Robert "Smitty" Smith, who sat with Wheeler’s tearful wife, Stephanie, as the verdicts were read.
Thirteen former Outlaws testified against Wheeler, who oversaw one of the largest motorcycle clubs in the United States, with chapters throughout the East and an estimated 400 members.
Jurors found Wheeler was involved in drug trafficking and in a 1994 firebombing of a Hells Henchmen clubhouse in Chicago. They also said he helped hide former Outlaws leader Harry "Taco" Bowman from federal authorities.
"It sends a clear signal to the others," said Steve Cole, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, "Ride your motorcycle, don’t break the law."
Wheeler assumed control of the organization after the 1999 indictment of Bowman, who was on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list. Bowman was convicted of racketeering and sentenced to life in prison in 2001.
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