Feds Seek Ban On 'Mongol' Motorcycle Gang Logo
LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) — Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have asked a judge to issue an order that bars members of the Mongols motorcycle gang from wearing or distributing its trademarked logo.
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KNX 1070's Ed Mertz Reports
The proposed order submitted Monday to U.S. District Judge Otis Wright is part of a 2008 racketeering indictment that accused the gang of murder, drug trafficking and torture.
Prosecutors argue the logo should be forfeited because the trademarks were acquired and maintained by former Mongol president Ruben "Doc" Cavazos while the club was involved in criminal activity.
An attorney who represents the Mongols says a person cannot own a collective membership insignia.
A spokesman with the US Attorney's office says the patch is such a part of their identity that if they take that away, it would have a role in eradicating what the government considers a criminal organization.
The request by prosecutors is the first time in the U.S. in which the government has sought to take control of a gang's identity -- via its logo -- through a court order.
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