national leader of the Outlaws Motorcycle Gang that had a criminal presence in Petersburg was sentenced in federal court to 20 years in prison for leading the violent criminal organization.

BN- The gang leader, Jack "Milwaukee Jack," Rosga, 53, was arrested in Milwaukee nearly a year ago on charges including those which he was sentenced for yesterday - conspiracy to commit racketeering and violent acts.

A total of 27 men from across the country were indicted in Virginia in June of last year with numerous charges including attempted murder, weapons violations, narcotics distribution, illegal gambling, assault and extortion. Twenty-six of the men were arrested and one was killed during the federal sweep. Thomas Mayne of Maine was shot dead June 15, 2010 during a raid of his house by federal agents. The indictments were the result of a two-year federal investigation.

"Jack Rosga led an outlaw motorcycle gang that was violent at its core," said U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia. "As the gang's national president, Mr. Rosga declared war on the rival Hell's Angels and ordered violent acts on rival gang members. Mr. Rosga admitted to undercover federal agents that he expected to go to jail for leading this violent motorcycle gang, and the jury convicted him of conspiracy to commit racketeering and violent acts. He spent decades dedicated to a criminal way of life, and he'll now spend decades in prison paying for those crimes."

Rosga, as the national president of the Outlaws organization, was found guilty on Dec. 21, 2010, of conspiring to engage in racketeering activities and conspiring to commit violence in aid of racketeering.

Twenty of the 27 indicted members of the gang have either pled guilty or were convicted at trial.

According to court documents and evidence at trial, the Outlaws motorcycle gang is a highly organized criminal enterprise with a defined, multi-level chain of command that is ultimately overseen by Rosga, the national president. Under his leadership, the enterprise is alleged to have engaged in violent racketeering activities with the intent to expand its influence and to control various parts of the country against rival motorcycle gangs, particularly the Hell's Angels.

The gang had ties to the Petersburg area as well.

Court records indicate that the Outlaws planned multiple acts of violence against rival motorcycle gangs, including shows of force at the Cycle Expo in Henrico County in 2006, Dinwiddie Racetrack in 2008, and the Cockade City Grill in Petersburg in 2009.

The indictment alleges that in the Petersburg show of force, members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club joined the Outlaws in the assault against rival gangs. On March 14, 2009, three members went into the bar in "colors" - a vest signifying membership in the club. One man stood outside the bar in colors as a lure, while three other Outlaws members were waiting inside without the vests. Several others waited outside to trap rival bikers inside the bar, where they were assaulted.

The fight spilled into the parking lot, where guns were drawn. Local police arrived and ended the standoff, the indictment says. They seized a knife and brass knuckles from one Outlaws member.

The government's star witness was an undercover agent who infiltrated the Outlaws for more than two years and established a chapter in Petersburg. He testified about a number of violent or tension-filled conflicts between the Outlaws and their rivals.

Some of the charges involve incidents and conversations that occurred in the Petersburg area.

Undercover agents equipped a home in Prince George County with audio and video surveillance equipment. The agent secretly tape-recorded phone calls and meetings in which Outlaws discussed plans for confronting or assaulting other gangs.

The indictment against Rosga also makes mention of a visit he paid to the area in July 2009. During his visit according to the indictment Rosga ordered a crowd of Outlaws at the Petersburg Clubhouse to shoot Hell's Angels and other rivals.

Following an October shooting attack of a Hell's Angel in Maine, a member asked about staying at the Petersburg Clubhouse to avoid attention up north.

As recently as February of 2010, the Petersburg Clubhouse - the location of which was not revealed in court documents - allegedly took delivery of illegal gambling machines from North Carolina. In March, $580 of gambling proceeds were transported from Petersburg.

The indictment also says drugs flowed through the Petersburg Clubhouse. A member allegedly sold 66 Oxycodone pills and six muscle relaxers in October 2009. The Outlaws moved into Virginia in 2006 after coming to an accord with the Pagans Motorcycle Club. Members must be men over age 21 who own a domestic motorcycle.

"The Outlaws motorcycle gang that Jack Rosga led is responsible for numerous crimes across multiple states," said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "Mr. Rosga's conduct, and the violent activities of his organized criminal enterprise, must have severe consequences. Today's sentence reflects that. We will not tolerate organized criminal gangs in our communities."

Also sentenced Friday morning on racketeering and other charges were Harry McCall of the Outlaws' Lexington, N.C., chapter and Christopher Timbers and Mark Jason Fiel, both of the Manassas chapter.

McCall got 13 years, one month for four charges, Timbers got seven years, three months for three counts and Fiel was sentenced to nine years, six months for two offenses.