FBI Classifies All Motorcycle Owners as Gang Members-Fiction!

FBI Classifies All Motorcycle Owners as Gang Members – Fiction!

Summary of eRumor: 

Reports claim that the FBI classifies all motorcycle owners as gang members.

The Truth: 

A fake news website is behind this bogus story.

The political satire website National Report ran a fake story that claimed a government official named Darrin Cornia told MSNBC that the FBI has classified all motorcycle owners as gang members since 1994:

“(The interviewer) asked Cornia to explain the reasoning behind the list which seems inappropriately broad, to Cornia answered the question with the following statement, ‘It’s nothing more than collecting and utilizing data. We may not like to admit it, but the truth of the matter is that those that own and operate motorcycles are 67% more likely to be involved in illegal or criminal activity than those that do not own or operate a motorcycle.’

“The National Security Official went on to explain, ‘It’s the same as firearms, if local P.D or Highway Patrol were to pull someone over that is a registered firearm owner, that officer has the right to know this information going into the interaction, the same could be said about a local P.D or Highway Patrol Officer that pulled over a registered motorcycle owner, the situations are honestly interchangeable in the eyes of National and Homeland Security.’”

The bogus story was quickly shared thousands of times on social media, and many readers were duped into believing that it was real.

But National Report isn’t a trustworthy source of news. The website’s disclaimer says that it’s a political satire web publication:

“All news articles contained within National Report are fiction, and presumably fake news. Any resemblance to the truth is purely coincidental. Advice given is NOT to be construed as professional. If you are in need of professional help, please consult a professional. National Report is not intended for children under the age of 18.”

The fake news story broke just days after an FBI investigation led to six members of the Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club being convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and violent-racketeering-related offenses in Detroit, according to an FBI press release.

That conviction and other similar ones are the result of the FBI’s work to crackdown on violent gangs. As part of those efforts, the FBI says it targets outlaw motorcycle gangs “whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises.”

That means the FBI doesn’t have any interest in law abiding motorcycle owners.