Diablos motorcycle club denies connection to alleged threats against Southwick bartender

The Massachusetts branch of the Diablo motorcycle club has denied any connection to a man charged with threatening to have a Southwick bartender raped and murdered, following court filings that suggested a member of the club appeared at the bar shortly after the alleged incident.

Jacob Lisheness, 32, was arraigned on charges of threatening to commit a crime July 10 in Westfield District Court, following a night of tension and alleged threats at the Southwick establishment. A police report said that five men showed up at the bar after Lisheness left the bar and appeared to be looking for someone, including a member of the Diablos -- a statement disputed by the club.

In a statement to MassLive, the club said the man identified by police was a former member who had been separated from the club for years and was not wearing Diablos patches, and that he had no knowledge of any threats when he arrived to pick up a drunk acquaintance from the bar.

"The fallout from the inference that the Diablos Motorcycle Club was involved in any of this has had a lasting effect on our reputation. (We have had calls from around the country.) We have a reputation of keeping to ourselves. To have our names linked to a possible rape and murder of an innocent young girl is reprehensible to us," the club said in its statement. "The Diablos Motorcycle Club had in no way anything to do with this unfortunate incident or were any of our members present or knew any of the parties involved in this matter."

Southwick police confirmed Monday morning that the former member and his four associates were not under any suspicion in the incident, which took place in May and led to charges against Lisheness earlier this month.

On May 10, Southwick police responded to the bar at the request of an employee, according to a police report. Officers spoke to a bartender, who said Lisheness told her he was going to have another customer "taken care of" and that there were people on their way to carry the threat out. The bartender appeared nervous, officer David Massai wrote in his report.

The next day, the alleged victim gave further statements at the Southwick police station, alleging that Lisheness said he would have her "raped and killed" if she intervened. She had another bartender text police, according to the report.

She also said five large men arrived at the bar shortly after Lisheness and the officers left, and appeared to be looking for someone, the report said. One of those five men was a former Diablos member who had no knowledge of Lisheness' alleged actions, the club said.

The Diablos, described as an outlaw group by the FBI, has seen several of its members across the country convicted on drug, weapons and racketeering charges. But, said a Diablo MC of Massachusetts spokesman, the group has no tolerance for sexual violence or threats of rape.

More: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/07/diablos_motorcycle_club_denies.html