Mongols Motorcycle Gang Members Accused In Rival's IE Killing

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — An alleged Mongols motorcycle gang member was arrested by federal officials Tuesday in connection with the Inland Empire killing of a rival motorcycle gang member. The arrest follows charges against a fellow Mongols member who is also accused in the March 4 slaying at an Ontario bar.

Clifford Michael Lavoy, 51, a.k.a. “Buckshot,” of Montclair was arrested Tuesday morning on a federal criminal complaint that charges him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering.

Together with Mongols member Julian Pulido, 35, a.k.a. “Juls,” of Upland, the men are accused in the killing of a Vagos motorcycle gang member who is identified in court documents as “V.S.”

Pulido is charged via the same federal complaint with murder in aid of racketeering. He was already in state custody, charged in San Bernardino County Superior Court with murder. He is expected to make his initial appearance in Riverside federal court in the coming weeks.

Lavoy made his initial appearance Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Riverside. A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond and scheduled a May 6 arraignment in Riverside federal court.

According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, during the early morning hours of March 4, Pulido and Lavoy violently attacked V.S. at the unnamed bar. Inside the establishment, the defendants confronted the victim, who was wearing clothing reflecting his Vagos membership, argued with him, and told the victim that he needed to show respect to them as Mongols members.

Later, the defendants assaulted and overpowered V.S., including by punching him in the face, choking him, and causing injuries to his face, head and neck, according to federal prosecutors.

When the victim tried to run out of the bar, Pulido allegedly pulled out a gun and shot him several times in the back, causing the man to fall through the door of the bar and bleed out on the sidewalk, prosecutors said.

The defendants then fled the scene.

V.S. was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:45 a.m. March 4.

Law enforcement caught up with Pulido later that same day after he led a nine-hour police chase across five California counties. He was arrested after crashing a black Dodge vehicle into a ditch during a high-speed chase along Highway 46 near Lost Hills in Kern County. At the time of his arrest, Pulido possessed the same Mongols-branded clothing he had worn on the night of V.S.’s murder, according to prosecutors.

Details about Lavoy's arrest were unavailable, though authorities said he was arrested in Whittier.

If convicted, Pulido faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in federal prison; Lavoy faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.