Thats why he thought it was the Mongols at his door at 3am on October 28, 2014. Then in 2012, Esqueda was placed on probation by the State Bar and forced to pay a former client $7,500 after his efforts to negotiate a settlement were judged as insufficient and he failed to return unearned legal fees. Sullivan fumed at the counsels table, flipping through stacks of papers and wrinkling his usually pristine suit-jacket. The California motorcycle group had claimed that its former president, David Santillan, was a government informant. But in court on Monday, Annie testified that her husband has never been a confidential informant, rather she was just trying to destroy him by sending the text message to the Mongols. How could a jury believe the word of a Mongol over the testimony of officers? When Sandra came to visit Martinez in jail, he put on a brave face, assuring her that Sullivan was going to get him out. Beanbag shot would not cleanly go through Shaun Diamonds neck. Why wasnt there an officer stationed in the backyard? In the wake of the trial, Brady Sullivan has announced that he is postponing retirement in order to continue representing David Martinez in the trial ahead. Mongol: The Trial of David Martinez The Complete Ten-Part Series, S6 E48: The Trial of Michael Barisone: Equestrian Enthusiast who was at the Defendants Farm on the Day of the Shooting, S6 E47: The Trial of Michael Barisone: Equestrian Colleagues and a Psychologist, S6 E46: The Trial of Michael Barisone: Medical Professionals Part 2, S7 Bonus 4: The Trials of Weinstein and Masterson: Harvey Weinstein Sentenced, 30 Years Later, Rodney King Beating Remains Seminal Part Of LA, US History, Mike Romano: Three Strikes Project Client Freed from a Life Sentence for Evading Arrest, The Trials of Harvey Weinstein and Danny Masterson Trailer, Mongol: The Trial of David Martinez Parts 9 & 10, Mongol: The Trial of David Martinez Part 8, Mongol: The Trial of David Martinez Parts 6 & 7, S6 E48: The Trial of Michael Barisone: Equestrian Enthusiast who was, S6 E47: The Trial of Michael Barisone: Equestrian Colleagues and a, S6 E46: The Trial of Michael Barisone: Medical Professionals Part, S7 Bonus 4: The Trials of Weinstein and Masterson: Harvey Weinstein. On todays podcast we present, in its entirety, Mongol, our exclusive new Crime Story series written and read by Molly Miller that tells the story of the tragic killing of a police officer and the complex search for truth and justice in the aftermath of his death. The brutal injury killed him a few hours later. Sullivan let the words hang in the air. Lifting Martinezs motorcycle jacket from a cardboard evidence box, Kozlowski testified regarding every patch on the leather garment. In order to prevent gang wars, the inmates were sometimes placed with members of their own gang. Martinezs retrial faced further delays when the pandemic threw court schedules into disarray. He ran to the living room and saw his dad open the door. Now, officials have charged four of the gang members, identified as 49-year-old William Nelper ("Flip"), 27-year-old William Boylston ("JC"), 43-year-old Jason Meyerholz ("Country"), and. This was not an act. But as my Crime Story colleagues and I watched the case unspool, we realized that our binary paradigm was eroding. The court was packed with police officers who got there early to place reserved signs on the gallery benches for Diamonds family. Despite the set-backs, Esqueda fumbled onward. Nor do I believe that there would be, quite frankly, an acquittal in a second trial., Mr. Santillan, who led the Mongols for nearly 13 years until he was voted out of the club in July of last year, vehemently denied that he had ever betrayed the group. Businesses in downtown Pomona closed shop to pay respect to Shaun Diamond and blue ribbons were tied to every tree and lamppost in his honor.
Corrections officers heard rumors that gang members intended to kill Martinez and he was moved from his block for his safety. He wanted to watch his children grow up and he was willing to do anything to make that happen, even if it meant confronting the horrific truth. Maybe thats why the Martinez family overlooked Edward Esquedas spotty legal history. The attorney wasnt an expert in criminal law but he told Martinez one thing: do NOT talk to anyone even the other inmates could be informants. You can now listen to full episodes of the podcast right from the app. But when he met with David, it was like he was meeting with a different man. There were cracks in their case and he would find them. ATF officials view Santillans public declarations about the club cleaning house as hollow words; they continue to treat the Mongols as a serious threat. Instead they would be charging first-degree murder. The path to the location was marked by flags at half mast, barely fluttering in the lukewarm autumn air. It was fear of repercussions that kept him in the Mongols grasp. If he couldnt show them Davids mindset before the incident, he would settle for showing them the aftermath. The Mongols MC will not get a second chance to clear itself of federal racketeering charges after a judge last week denied its request for a new trial. The Mongols are relying on an explosive video shared by Mr. Santillan's wife, Annie Santillan, who, during a stretch when she was angry with her husband over his infidelity, had her daughter record a conversation in which he appeared to refer to protection he had received from the A.T.F. Martinez saw his father, Arturo, by the door. She later recanted the assertion. . She added that she didnt understand what David was talking about in relation to Ciccone. Now the Mongols want a new trial and say their former president, David Santillan, was a confidential informant for the ATF.The explosive allegations come after a secretly recorded video surfaced of Santillan talking to his wife about the lead ATF agent on the case John Ciccone.Eyewitness News has obtained the video that was recorded in June of 2021 when David Santillan was drunk and despondent. After speaking with his family, David was now convinced that the police had lied to him about the shooting. Armed with exculpatory information he found in the Perkins and Montebello tapes, he believed Martinez had a strong case. She admitted Martinez owned the items and that he had been involved with the brotherhood for over three years. David Martinezs cousins and uncles were forced to wait in the stark court hallway as their loved ones fate hung in the balance. When he spoke with members of the Pomona Police Department, love and support radiated from their ranks, but underneath a righteous anger brewed: outrage aimed at the man who killed Shaun Diamond. That kind of brutal damage was consistent with a shotgun slug. DAVID SANTILLAN, agent; Registry Page Mongol Nation president David "Lil' Dave" Santillan, right, greets Goldie DeWitt, president of 1Down Motorcycle Club at a rally on March 24, 2019. Now the court would balance the scales. It's a big weight off our shoulders." A federal judge in Santa Ana ruled Thursday the government cannot seize the logos of the Mongol . The current president of the Mongols Motorcycle Club is David Santillan, a man who claims that the organization has changed its code of conduct to exclude drug abusers and criminals. As the Mongols continued to talk, Martinez overheard a familiar voice echoing through the air vent. Sullivan forged ahead in his defense of David Martinez. The medical examiner testified that during the autopsy he found several metal fragments in Diamonds brutalized airway suggesting that the injury came from a shotgun. The time changed him. This case was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Courts, Pasadena Courthouse located in Los Angeles, California. Legal message boards were filled with complaints from former clients about Esquedas disrespectful attitude and incompetence, but Martinez himself was too distracted to investigate his lawyers past. In a split second a shot rang out. The slug went straight through Arturos arm and blew through Shaun Diamonds neck. Yes. She recounted that Martinez was hyperactive and sweating. They believed Arutro had been shot by an officer and that David wasnt even in the living room when it happened. Esqueda attempted to pivot, asking the medical examiner if the metal fragments found during Diamonds autopsy could have come from a door breaching explosive.Subsequent witnesses refuted his theory, explaining that no explosives were used to open the door, only a ripram a manual push-pull device. agent on the case, John Ciccone, sharing inside information about the club in exchange for lighter penalties for various offenses. On the stand, Mr. Santillan called the claims about his daily meetings with Mr. Ciccone an absolute lie. (He acknowledged encountering Mr. Ciccone by chance at a Starbucks near the courthouse once during the trial.). Chaos erupted. Crime Story Media LLC. David Martinez fell to his knees and dropped the shotgun on the carpet. There was a clear conclusion that Jack Garden intended for the jury to draw Diamond died a horrible, painful death. On the other side, a mans life changed forever. The jury couldnt help glancing in their direction. But he concluded that there was insufficient evidence to set aside the convictions, and that the club had made no showing that it was likely to prevail in any retrial. DAVID SANTILLAN Agent Address 216 SOUTH CITRUS ST STE 152, WEST COVINA, CA, 91791 Directors / Officers. So she sent the recording along with a text message to two members of the Mongols, explaining that her husband has been working with the government. She explained, In other words, he is a rat.. I assume so. She added that Davids mistress had been harassing her. Santillans wife, Annie Santillan, told ABC7 that she recorded their conversation because the couple had become estranged due to his infidelity. If convicted David Martinez could face the death penalty. Former Mongols President David Santillan continued to testify. Join Facebook to connect with Annie Yumiko Santillan and others you may know. This was not the score they were looking for. Sullivan knew the danger of that story; he needed to unravel it to convince the jury of Martinezs innocence. Martinez grabbed the shotgun that he kept by the side of his bed and ran to the living room where his parents and sister slept. agent. Santillan's wife, Annie Santillan, told ABC7 that she recorded their conversation because the couple had become estranged due to his infidelity. Their screams echoed off of concrete walls and they threw their feces at the guards. The judicial horizon ever retreating, always miles ahead. Anyone can read what you share. Sullivan called Noyola back to the stand and played the edited tapes. Did you ever poke it into the house? Jaime Martinez shook his head, but the damage was done. Jack Garden called Sandra Roman to the stand. He wore classic suits, well fitted and meticulously pressed. The mother chapter had a total of 15 members. He worried about his kids. As it stands, The Suit, Doc and Little Rubes have been permanently 86'd from the Mongols by president David "Lil Dave" Santillan, who says they are " out bad ". apply. Crime Story Weekly Newsletter Sign-up
I thought that was all over and done with. The stakes of the operation had now dramatically increased. And this one would be. It was supposed to be a warning shot. Then he took his questions one step further. Lil Dave, the president of the Mongols motorcycle club, was caught cheating on his wife so she decided to revenge his ass by putting this video on Youtube which shows him supposedly admitting. The Mongols are equally mystified. In the prosecutions opening Deputy District Attorney Michael Blake portrayed David as a violent gang member who saw his opportunity and took his shot. Sullivan followed Blakes blunt assessment with a more nuanced version of events. He acknowledged that he was a member of the Mongols, but he testified that at the time of the shooting he had been trying to move on with his life. The ultimate implications for society are paramount here, he said. Several years after a jury deemed the Mongols a criminal organization, the club's attorneys have in recent months alleged that former Mongols president David Santillan was a government "rat . We all know there are two sides to every story. The interactions are recorded on audio and video surveillance and their use is admissible in a court of law. We came to understand that this trial was part of a much larger story, one that informed how Deputy District Attorneys on behalf of the People of California framed their entire argument. The defendant once shrouded in innocence now looked the part of a criminal drug user who might shoot a cop for bragging rights. A mother of a homicide victim whose case was worked by Lugo once said, God sent Ray because he never quits. That relentless pursuit of justice was why Lugo had been assigned to this case, one that was now the top priority of LAPD because it involved the shooting of an officer. It seemed possible that his parents were right. He wanted to be a father to his two young children and a supportive husband for Sandra so he let his motorcycle registration expire and he stopped attending Mongol events. I shot to protect my family. Martinez endured the stand for two days and for two days his story stayed the same. Mongols Motorcycle Club was founded in Montebello, California on December 5, 1969. When the movements were drilled into their bones, the squad packed up and headed to their target location. David Santillan We found 71 records for David Santillan in CA, AZ and 18 other states. "It's about honor, respect and pride," David Santillan said. They now have chapters in nineteen states, stretching as far east as New York. In the video, Santillan mentioned that the lead agent in the RICO case, John Ciccone, had protected him over the years. The imposing man was persistent and thorough in his interrogation. After two days, the preliminary hearing came to a conclusion. But first he would have to convince the judge to admit the recordings in court a ruling she had waffled on during pretrial motions. As Lugo and Noyola plotted their next move, Martinez was having a brief conversation with a lawyer a friend of one of Martinezs sisters who stopped by after hearing the family was in trouble. SANTA ANA, Calif. After federal prosecutors won a landmark racketeering conviction against the Mongols motorcycle club, in an attempt to put an end to the outlaw groups long record of murder, attempted murder and drug dealing, the Mongols countered with an unusual claim: Their leader, they said, had been secretly helping the government in its efforts to bring down the organization. But it wasnt clear that he knew he was firing at an officer. David Martinez watched the ambulance leave from the back of a cop car. Jaime Martinez casually responded, Yes, I pointed my weapon into the house. Garden quickly reoriented the question. Morale was high. PressReader. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE -- David Olivar Santillan Union City, CA Aliases Davi Olivar View Full Report Addresses Ventura Way, Union City, CA His confidence grew as Officer Jaime Martinez took the stand. An easy no. What would they do to protect their family? Mongol's international President Dave "Lil Dave" Santillan said his club did not come to New Jersey to stir up trouble. She recalled that Martinez told her that he was struggling with meth addiction three weeks prior to the incident. For four hours David watched the SWAT team ransack his familys home. All the evidence had been presented. 13.6K followers. Representatives from several local law enforcement departments also said they had no such records. Hes retiring, hes retiring. The shooter should pay for that. David Santillan currently lives in Temple City, CA; in the past David has also lived in Arcadia CA and South Pasadena CA. Inside, the blare of a bagpipe announced the arrival of Diamonds casket, carried by officers in uniform. How loud was the sound of the ripram hitting the gate? The Mongols claimed in their motion for a new trial that Mr. Santillan had an inappropriate working relationship over the years with the lead A.T.F. Unbeknownst to him, she was recording the. Emmy Winning TV news writer currently @latimes VP for @NAHJSDTJ formerly @10News @thedailyaztec @sdsu '19 A jury ordered the forfeiture, but Judge Carter reversed the order, concluding that it infringed on the groups constitutional rights. When Martinez took the stand, it was Deputy District Attorney Michael Blake who rose from his chair. On one side of the door, a police officer was killed. Talking to reporters he said, the patch is like a ring in a marriage, it symbolizes our loyalty and commitment. Ultimately, the Mongols retained rights to their emblem under free-speech laws, but the ATF continued to pursue other means of eliminating the Mongols brotherhood. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, Contributing . He believed in his case and his client but the question remained how could he convince a jury to not convict a man who shot a cop? At a young age, Diamond passed up opportunities to go to college to become an officer and provide for his daughter, Margo. But then the seas changed as Darrin Kozlowski approached the stand. They would judge David Martinez as a person. Sullivan shut his laptop and gave Martinez a nod. He used gang slang, talked about tattoos and encouraged Martinez to talk about the Mongols. Do inmates sometimes lie because they know theyre being recorded? he asked. Diamond was known as a devoted officer and a family man. There he reunited with prosecutor Jack Garden who was now joined by co-counsel Michael Blake a man who had the easy confidence and commanding stature of a politician. He yelled through the air vent to his friend, Raul, that he didnt know it was the cops at his door. Fundraisers were held to contribute to legal expenses, which initially amounted to $60,000 and were constantly growing with Esquedas long hours. He explained: We wanted them to know we were there monitoring.. They shot me!. Michael Tyrone Delaney for The New York Times. The case status is Pending - Other Pending. Martinez lived in a two bedroom, Spanish style, stucco home with his parents, his sister, Brenda, who has Down syndrome, his wife, Sandra, and their two young children, Alyssa and David Jr. The explosive allegations come after a secretly recorded video. On the day of the hearing, Esqueda took charge in the courtroom with practiced bravado. Judge Rejects Claim That Mongols Biker Club Leader Was a Rat, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/07/us/mongols-informant.html. Davids parents stood firm in their belief that their son never shot Shaun Diamond. At 3 am, Martinez finished his reports. And if they waited, maybe David wouldnt have felt the need to defend his family with his shotgun. David had testified that he hadnt seen or heard the police and that he feared for his life. Sullivan called other witnesses, including neighbors who didnt hear the police announce and friends of David Martinez who attested to his character. I thought you were the Mongols. When Esqueda cross-examined the witnesses he floundered. The shocking accusation arrives after a secretly recorded video of Santillan talking to his wife about a special agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Later in the morning, Detective Lugo received a somber phone call: Officer Shaun Diamond was dead. After reviewing the evidence Judge Olmedo ruled the tape of Martinez in the police car as inadmissible and refused to make a firm ruling on the admissibility of the Montebello or Perkins recordings. After Judge Carters ruling, he declared vindication in what he said was a contrived internal political witch hunt to smear my name and to get me dethroned.. The Mongols are a recent arrival in El Paso and one of three major biker gangs in the city, a police gang investigator testified earlier this year in the trial of a member of the Kinfolk MC. It was the summer of 2019, and David Martinez was on trial for the murder of Pomona Police Officer Sean Diamond. Closing arguments began the following day. He wanted to be absolved of Shaun Diamonds death entirely. The lawyer appeared to be a Godsend. The prosecution also pointed to the fact that the President of the Mongols Motorcycle Club and several other high ranking members put money on Martinezs books while he was in jail. The drugs and the partying had gotten old. According to the California State Bar public records, Esqueda faced private reproval in 2001 for failure to respond to client inquiries, failure to promptly release a client file, and failure to keep a client informed of significant developments. With the help of an assistant he had managed to edit the hours of the Perkins audio tapes and the Montebello jail video tapes into small clips that the judge had found admissible in court. **** IMPORTANT**** Check out the totally redesigned app!! Sandra was cornered. They call themselves the Mongols Motorcycle Club - and they're one of the largest Motorcycle Clubs in the world. Martinezs story was consistent: He was worried about his father, concerned about his kids, and he thought the intruders were rival gang members, not police. Sullivan reassured him. He also denied that he ever helped Mr. Santillan win lenient treatment in his brushes with the law, which included a crash in his Mercedes five years ago while driving impaired. The recordings also proved that David didnt brag about his actions to the other Mongols at Montebello or during the Perkins Operation. She informed him that his father was doing well after having surgery to repair the bullet wound on his arm. Statements like I didnt know it was the police, and they had no reason to come to my house, and I was just protecting my family bro, like anyone else would. The fragments of dialogue underscored Sullivans assertion that Martinez didnt know law enforcement was at his door the sentences pointed to his innocence. Noyla dodged the question Theres no way to tell, he said. A retrial was scheduled to begin in February of 2020, but was continued until fall of 2020 in order to provide the defense with more time to interview potential witnesses. It was a logical expansion but wasn't intended as a provocation against the Outlaws, the former Mongols leader says. The #1 Biker News Website Since 2011-Covering up to minute biker news including Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs & Biker News Worldwide. David Santillan was the president of the Mongols motorcycle club for nearly 13 years, until he was voted out of the club in July of 2021. On the final day of testimony, Sullivan walked into the courtroom bleary-eyed but beaming. From his vantage point he could see into the house through the living room window. Three years passed and it seemed everything was the same. Case Details Case Number GD042186 Track Case Changes Filing Date January 24, 2008 Last Refreshed During all that time, the threat of the death penalty hung above Martinezs head keeping him up at night. Upon reaching the Martinez home, several officers rammed the padlocked gate that led to the backyard of the property while others announced their presence and approached the front porch. After two hours Martinez turned to Noyola and said, Im not sayin nothin. The interactions between client and attorney became increasingly contentious. Medics swarmed the porch. David has been working at The Daily Aztec since 2017 and is the current Assistant News Editor. Most of the members were military veterans and all loved to ride their Harley Davidson motorcycles. Noyolas plan commenced the following day around noon. Available on GOOGLE PLAY CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FROM GOOGLE PLAY STORE. His 1% badge meant he considered himself an outlaw. A former ATF agent denied during courtroom testimony Friday that a now-deposed leader of the notorious Mongols Motorcycle Club served as a secret source of information for the government during a lengthy legal battle over whether the outlaw . Each of their dress blues nicely ironed, all of their tie pins immaculately shined. "Lots of brothers have tattoos of the marks on their necks and heads and everywhere," David Santillan, the national president of the club, said. In the fall of 2017 David Martinez fired Edward Esqueda a man he would later call a liar who doesnt deserve to be called an attorney and the court reappointed Brady Sullivan as counsel. The air buzzed with the hushed tones of dozens of different conversations each regarding a different case. Diamond was shot in the back of the base of his neck with a shotgun during the service of a search warrant. The explosive allegations come after a secretly recorded video surfaced of Santillan talking to his wife about the lead ATF agent on the case John Ciccone. It would have been impossible from where he was standing. A police informant (known as AV) also entered the holding cell dressed as an inmate and attempted to cajole David into bragging about shooting a cop. Ethan Tate, Meghann M. Cuniff and Lauren Herstik contributed reporting. Their conversation was recorded by a hidden mic and a camera that was concealed in the janitors closet opposite the tank. He climbed into bed with Sandra and was just about to fall asleep when he heard a banging noise that rattled the whole house. After his incarceration, Mongols Club members voted for his removal from office in 2008. Supporters and relatives gathered for BBQs in the park and Martinez niece, Pricilla, took to social media to expose what she considered to be the LAPDs self-serving lies. The SWAT team had been issued a knock warrant meaning that they had to clearly announce themselves before entering the premises. That line of questioning was immediately buried in objections from the prosecution. The coroners report showed that Diamond was shot in the back of the neck. He called Officer Noyola to the stand and asked him the purpose of the Perkins Operation. Santillan Annie Yumiko , filed a (n) Divorce,Separation - Family case against Santillan David , in the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County. The tapes were garbled and filled with overlapping discussions that would have to be meticulously picked apart. Santillan's wife, Annie Santillan, told ABC7 that she recorded their conversation because the couple had become estranged due to his infidelity. Martinez would be his last big case, the culmination of his years as defense counsel. By this time, Sullivan was fuming. Santillan's wife backed her husband during her testimony this week, saying she didn't know what he was talking about during the recorded phone call and denying he was a government informant.. But of all those cases, few if any bore the weight of the circumstances now looming over David. But he was also looking forward to retirement. David Santillan informants Mongols Motorcycle Club racketeering U.S. District Judge David O. Carter Follow Law&Crime: Next Post A graduate of the University of Oregon, Meghann worked at The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, and the Idaho Statesman in Boise, Idaho, before moving to California in 2013 to work at the Orange County Register. On October 28, 2014, in San Gabriel, California, Mongols member David Martinez allegedly shot and killed Pomona Police SWAT Team member Shaun Diamond. 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Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. When it came time for Martinez to address the court, he stood before the judge in his jail-issued orange scrubs. The case was one of the first that Crime Story covered and at the outset it appeared simple: a coldblooded gang member had killed a cop. Judge Charlaine Olmedo sustained the objection, but she told Sullivan that he could play the video and audio tapes if they were edited down to exclusively include the parts in which Martinez was speaking.This task would be difficult for anyone.