Opinion ID: 4553375
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Murder of Anthony Benesh

Text: In 2005, Anthony Benesh and his friend Carl Michael Burford decided that they wanted to start the first Hell’s Angels chapter in Texas. Hell’s Angels, another one-percent motorcycle club, had chapters across the United States, but not in Texas. Benesh got a Hell’s Angels tattoo on his back, painted his 4 Case: 18-50793 Document: 00515516125 Page: 5 Date Filed: 08/05/2020 No. 18-50793 motorcycle red and white, and began wearing a motorcycle vest and jacket with an emblem that matched his tattoo. The patch on his vest identified him as “Vice President” of the Hell’s Angels. Burford testified that he traveled to Arizona to meet with Sonny Barger, the national president of the Hell’s Angels, to get approval to start a Texas chapter. Barger denied this account, claiming that he would not have had the authority to approve a new Hell’s Angels chapter. Benesh and Burford’s actions quickly provoked anger from the Bandidos. Burford tried to avoid conflict by limiting his use of the Hell’s Angels vest, but Benesh regularly wore his patch around Austin. Adrianna Faircloth, Benesh’s girlfriend, testified that Benesh started receiving threatening calls about his display of the Hell’s Angels patch. Johnny Romo, a Bandidos member, testified that he learned about Benesh from Portillo. Portillo told him that there were two Hell’s Angels “riding their bikes” in Austin. He explained that members of the local Austin chapter had “tried everything” to fix the problem, including “threats, intimidation, [and] fear.” At the time, Portillo and Johnny were both Sergeants-at-Arms for the Bandidos national office. Portillo told Johnny that Pike had personally directed them to “take . . . out” Benesh and Burford. Johnny testified that Portillo told him “This came from Jeff Pike, we need to take them out.” Johnny interpreted this order to mean that Portillo and Pike wanted him to “kill [Benesh], murder, to get rid of him.” Johnny explained that the club wanted to stop Benesh and Burford because there “shouldn’t be no other one percenters but the Bandidos in Texas.” Johnny testified that Portillo told him to assemble a group of Bandidos members and go to Austin. Johnny picked a few people he trusted to accompany him, including Robbie Romo, his brother. At the time, Robbie was a prospective member of the Bandidos who had not yet “patched in.” 5 Case: 18-50793 Document: 00515516125 Page: 6 Date Filed: 08/05/2020 No. 18-50793 The day before the murder, Johnny and the other men drove from San Antonio to Austin to look for Benesh. They stayed outside Benesh’s house until dusk, and then drove home to San Antonio. They returned to Austin the following day, and Robbie brought a rifle with him. They drove to Benesh’s house, waited until he exited, then followed him and his family to a restaurant, where they parked outside. About an hour later, Johnny saw Benesh coming out of the restaurant and alerted Robbie. Robbie got his rifle ready by positioning it outside of the passenger’s side window, aimed it at the driver’s side of Benesh’s truck, and shot the back of Benesh’s head. Benesh was dead when the police arrived. Faircloth, Benesh’s girlfriend, told the officers that she had warned Benesh “not to set up a Hell’s Angel’s chapter here.” Johnny and the crew quickly fled the scene and immediately called Portillo from a pay phone to tell him “it’s . . . done.” When Johnny saw Pike a few months later, Pike gave him a hug and a kiss and told him that he was “very proud” of him. After the murder, Robbie, who was a prospect at the time of the shooting, was allowed to “patch[] in early.” Johnny was permitted to start an “underground chapter” of the Bandidos, the “Fat Mexican Crew,” which answered directly to Pike. Johnny and the crew also received Expect No Mercy patches.