Warlocks Motorcycle Club (Florida)

Victims Unknown
Born Unknown
Died Unknown
Known for Unknown
Criminal penalty Unknown

Introduction

The Warlocks Motorcycle Club was founded in 1967 in Florida, United States by ex-US naval servicemen serving on the aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La. It is a "One Percenter motorcycle club" with chapters in various parts of the United States, Canada, England, and Germany. Established by Tom "Grub" Freeland,[citation needed] an ex-US Navy veteran in Orlando, Florida, in 1967. The Mother Chapter is still located there. The club's founder, Tom "Grub" Freeland, died in 2019.


History

In February of 1967, thirteen sailors aboard the U.S.S. Shangri-La were on an eight month deployment with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. Among them was the club's founder, Thomas Freeland, also known as Grub. All of them, being motorcycle enthusiasts, and discussing plans on what to do after returning home, discussed forming a motorcycle club together. One suggested the name Warlocks, one designed the Phoenix logo. They then made plans, that each of the thirteen new brothers would found a chapter in his hometown after retiring from the Navy. With most of the members, the euphoria passed very quickly after their return from service. But one brother, who took this commitment serious enough to make this dream a reality, was Grub from Lockhart, Florida. The original chapter he founded was on the outskirts of Orlando, where the club's mother chapter remains to this day.

On February 21, 1991, Raymond "Bear" Chaffin, president of the club’s Smyrna Beach, Florida chapter, is shot to death in his garage. Chaffin was a former member of the Outlaws MC, and in talks to merge interests with the Hells Angels down in Florida, as well as in talks with the Boozefighters about patching over into the Warlocks, which would have made them one of the largest motorcycle clubs in the world at the time. The ATF would later use his funeral as a raid to arrest members of the club after the end of a 13 month long sting operation led by ATF agent Stephen Martin.


Global Charters

The Warlocks have charters in three countries, most of which are active in the United States. There are fourteen chapters in Florida, seven in South Carolina, five in Virginia, four in West Virginia, three in Georgia, two in Ohio, two in New York, two in Minnesota, one in Connecticut, two in Canada(one frozen), three in England, and two in Germany. There are also several Nomads who live and work in states that don't have Warlocks chapters.


Insignia

The club's insignia is a blazing Phoenix between a top and bottom rocker, their colors are crimson red, yellow and black. Mottos include "Our Business is None of Your Fucking Business" and "Warlocks forever, forever Warlocks" ("W.F.F.W.").


Criminal activities

The Warlocks were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in 1991, after Stephen Martin, an undercover agent, infiltrated the club, engaged in illegal entrapment, and several members were arrested and released. It was made clear by all involved outside of law enforcement that none of the illegal activities would have ever transpired without being initiated by Stephen Martin. Again, in 2003 the ATF investigated the Warlocks, and convicted several members of drug and weapon charges once more.

Several members and associates were arrested in a small Alberta, Canada town in March 2014 on weapons charges.