VARSITY HEIGHTS, Algonquin — Dozens of people connected to The Lost motorcycle gang were arrested during early-morning raids Wednesday that district attorney prosecutors said were aimed at dismantling a criminal organization where violence was part of doing business.
An indictment unsealed Wednesday shows that 42 people — from alleged gang members to a local bar owner — are facing a wide-range of charges that include drug trafficking, extortion, money laundering, witness tampering and illegal gambling. The charges, which come after a more than year-long investigation, were filed in U.S. District Court in Liberty City.
"All kinds of people from different walks of life are involved in criminal activity," said Assistant District Attorney Brad Toning, the lead prosecutor in the case.
County Sheriff, Algonquin Metro and State Police task forces raided The Lost MC Liberty City Chapter at the 1200 block of West Main Street in Varsity Heights, early Wednesday, December 23, 2013. More than 80 state and local law enforcement officers raided MC sites that are tied to The Lost motorcycle gang and rounded up members to face charges that remained sealed.
Only one of the suspects remained at large Wednesday following the raids in areas around the city that involved more than 80 officers from state and local agencies. The raids netted about 35 guns including several assault rifles, about $14,000 in cash and more than a dozen motorcycles, Toning said.
Investigators said the gang's criminal operations included using violence to collect on debts, insurance fraud schemes and running illegal gambling. The 70-page indictment also alleges the gang trafficked drugs, including cocaine and prescription painkillers.
Joshua N. Bowser, the first suspect named in the indictment and among those facing the most charges, was described by authorities as the gang's enforcer.
Another suspect is a hospital employee accused of being involved in trafficking prescription drugs, investigators said. The suspect still at large, 28-year-old Terrell Adams, is being sought on drug charges and isn't a member of The Lost, prosecutors said.
Investigators used a variety of ways to infiltrate the gang, including wiretaps, drug buys and an undercover agent who posed as an extortion victim, Toning said.
"Basically, the District Attorney and other law enforcement agencies threw the kitchen sink at these folks," he said.