Las Vegas Hells Angels motorcycle club members accused of targeting a rival club in a Henderson highway shooting can be prosecuted as gang members under state law, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
The 2022 Memorial Day shooting on Interstate 11 — which Clark County prosecutors alleged targeted Vagos Motorcycle Club members — injured seven people.
Addressing that case, the higher court ruled that there was enough probable cause to classify the Hells Angels as a criminal gang.
Indicted Hells Angels members included local chapter President Richard Devries.
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District Court Judge Tierra Jones in 2023 dismissed some of the charges the suspects were facing, including racketeering, gang enhancements and 20 of 25 shooting-related counts.
Jones had sided with defense attorneys who had argued that the indictment failed to properly specify which defendants engaged in alleged racketeering activities.
Police told a grand jury that investigators recovered 25 spent bullets on the highway.
Jones noted that prosecutors only presented evidence from a witness who testified that one of the suspects fired five rounds.
Defense attorneys countered that the state failed to consider exculpatory evidence that some of the Vagos members had guns and that one of the indicted suspects, Rayann Mollasgo, had also been shot.
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‘Criminal gang’
“We conclude that this was an error because the State presented at least slight or marginal evidence to support a reasonable inference that Hells Angels members commonly engage in felony-level violence directed at rival motorcycle clubs, such that that group constitutes a criminal gang,” Supreme Court justices wrote in their ruling.
Added the higher court: “Because the District Court substantially erred in dismissing the gang enhancement, we reverse and remand.”
The other Hells Angels members indicted were Stephen Alo, Russell Smith, Aaron Chun, Cameron Treich and Taylor Rodriguez.
After Jones’ ruling, they still were facing 17 charges, including attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Roneric Padilla, who also was indicted, was charged with accessory to commit a felony.
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The Vagos group was returning to Las Vegas from Hoover Dam in a ride commemorating the holiday when Hells Angels motorcyclists rode behind the victims, according to prosecutors, who allege the Vagos were ambushed.
The suspects broke up the victims’ group and then shot at individual riders, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors alleged that the shooting might have been in retaliation for a California shooting that killed a Hells Angels motorcyclist, an accusation challenged by Vagos members during a grand jury hearing.
Nsc Hells Angels Decision by Las Vegas Review-Journal on Scribd
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Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A deadly crash involving a semi tractor-trailer and a tow truck has closed US-95 in both directions at mile marker 73 in Nye County, the Nevada Highway Patrol said Thursday.
NHP responded to the crash at approximately 2:16 a.m. on Feb. 26, 2026.
Details about the crash were not immediately available, but both drivers were confirmed dead at the scene.
A deadly crash involving a semi tractor-trailer and a tow truck has closed US-95 in both directions at mile marker 73 in Nye County, the Nevada Highway Patrol said Thursday.(Nevada State Police)
Both northbound and southbound travel lanes on US-95 at mile marker 73 remain closed as of the initial report. The closure is located approximately 13 miles north of Beatty, Nevada.
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Drivers headed northbound are advised to take US-93 through Alamo, Nevada, then Highway 318 to Highway 375, then Highway 6 westbound into Tonopah, Nevada.
Drivers headed southbound out of Tonopah are advised to take US-6 eastbound to Highway 375, then Highway 318, then US-93 into Alamo, Nevada.
NHP said additional information will be released following the preliminary investigation.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — World-renowned free climber and Las Vegas local Alex Honnold is soaring to new heights with a new mission: helping everyone explore Nevada and all that the Silver State has to offer.
Travel Nevada, the state’s tourism agency, partnered with Honnold on the venture. FOX5’s Jaclyn Schultz spoke to Honnold after his recent success climbing atop Taipei 101. Streaming service Netflix broadcast the free climb live to millions of viewers.
Honnold is already an advocate for outdoor preservation across Nevada, and worked to preserve thousands of climbing routes on public lands like Red Rock Canyon.
“Everyone I meet is like, ‘Why would you live in Vegas?’ They think, they think I just spent all my time on the Strip. The Strip is cool– it’s incredible in its own way, world-class entertainment and everything. But man, the outdoor access is unparalleled,” Honnold said.
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“I moved here for a reason. I think it’s the best climbing. I think it’s arguably some of the best access in the world. Having a convenient airport and sort of convenient living coupled with very convenient rock– there just aren’t that many places like that in the world,” Honnold tells FOX5.
“Get A Little Out There With Alex Honnold” features outdoor adventures across Nevada, and takes people along to discover hidden gems in different towns and communities.
What’s the most “underrated place” in Nevada, according to Honnold?
“Ely, Nevada,” Honnold said. “The potential, the bare bones of having a small town at the base of giant mountains, the access to skiing, the access to trails–I was like, this is as good as any kind of Colorado resort town,” Honnold said.
Nevada’s tourism has notably taken a nosedive over the past year. Various businesses, local leaders and state agencies have worked to lure back tourists, international visitors and domestic travelers.
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“Part of the appeal of making the show is that you do just want more people to know about the opportunity. Nevada’s 80% public land. You can just go out and have adventures virtually anywhere,” he said.
Episode 1 of Honnold’s series drops February 26 on Outside TV. You can learn more here: Travel Nevada