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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 26 september 2018
Biker gang’s second-in-command

sentenced to 2 life terms

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A rivals around the biker Bandidos member.
federal judge sentenced a club’s home turf of Texas. Senior U.S. District Judge
former leader of the notori- The three-month federal David Ezra gave Portillo
ous Bandidos biker gang to trial also determined that two consecutive life sen-
two consecutive life terms Portillo was involved in traf- tences for racketeering
and another 20 years in ficking methamphetamine murder. Ezra also handed
prison for directing a vio- and cocaine under an ar- down 10-year sentences
lent racketeering and drug rangement with the Texas on each of Portillo’s two
trafficking enterprise. Mexican Mafia. charges of using or dis-
John Portillo of San Antonio A federal investigation charging a gun in further-
was sentenced Monday. of the leaders arose from ance of racketeering.
The 59-year-old was the the 2006 killing of Anthony Portillo was ordered to
national vice president of Benesh, who was attempt- forfeit his motorcycle,
the Bandidos Outlaw Mo- ing to start a Texas Chap- three firearms and more
torcycle Organization. ter of the Hells Angels and than $17,800 seized from
Jurors in May found Portillo had ignored the Bandidos’ his home during a 2016
and the group’s president, warnings to cease recruit- search.
Jeffrey Pike, guilty of direct- ment. Evidence during trial Pike, who led the organi-
ing gang members to com- revealed that Portillo and zation for more than a de-
mit murder, attempted Pike ordered members to cade, is scheduled to be
murder, robbery, assault, murder Benesh. sentenced Wednesday. This May 17, 2018, file photo shows John Xavier Portillo, former
intimidation, extortion and Jurors also found that Porti- He also faces up to life in national vice president of the Bandidos, leaving John Wood
drug trafficking. Trial evi- llo was involved in the 2002 prison.q Federal Courthouse in San Antonio, Texas.
dence revealed the pair’s killing of Robert Lara to Associated Press
role in violent acts against avenge for the death of a

Virginia suspends tampon

ban for prison visitors

By ALAN SUDERMAN Inmate advocates have
Associated Press been sharply critical of the
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Vir- now-suspended policy,
ginia is suspending a new- saying it violates the priva-
ly introduced policy that cy rights of female visitors.
would have barred women ACLU of Virginia Executive
who visit inmates at state Director Claire Gastanaga
prisons from wearing tam- said the policy should be
pons or menstrual cup. permanently put to rest
Secretary of Public and rather than simply suspend-
Homeland Security Safety ed. And Phyllis Randall, a
Brian Moran said Tuesday former chairwoman of the
on Twitter that he had or- state Board of Corrections,
dered an “immediate sent Moran a letter Tuesday
suspension until further re- saying the policy “repre-
view.” The abrupt about- sents a major systemic fail-
face comes a day after ure and an admission” that
widespread media cover- Moran and Department of
age of state prison officials’ Corrections Director Harold
plan to ban tampons start- Clark “have lost the ability
ing next month as a way to to effectively keep contra-
prevent contraband from band out of Virginia’s pris-
being smuggled into pris- ons.”
ons. Moran said he under- Corrections spokeswom-
stands the worries about an Lisa Kinney previously
contraband, but added said that the agency had
that “a number of concerns consulted with the state
have been raised about Attorney General’s Office
the new procedure.” about how to implement
“I feel it appropriate to the policy and “it was de-
immediately suspend the cided that facilities would
newly developed policy offer pads to women who
until a more thorough re- are wearing tampons while
view of its implementa- visiting a prison so the
tion and potential conse- tampons don’t appear as
quences are considered,” possible contraband on a
Moran said. body scan.”q