IPS President and senior instructor John Woosnam’s expert testimony in a criminal gang case made headlines. You can read a summary of the Nevada Supreme Court decision here.

On May 29, 2022, members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang shot members of the rival Vagos motorcycle gang on Interstate 11 in Henderson, Nevada. A grand jury indicted the Hells Angels members under Nevada Revised Statute 193.168, a sentencing enhancement for crimes committed in furtherance of a criminal gang. John offered expert testimony to support the prosecution’s case. The Nevada Supreme Court considered the defense argument that the Hells Angels were not a criminal gang. The Court found in favor of the prosecution.

Woosnam’s expert testimony was critical in the court decision because it provided detailed insight into the organizational structure, activities, and criminal methods of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang. His testimony helped establish the group as a criminal enterprise under the law, directly supporting the prosecution’s case. Additionally, John’s expertise clarified the context and significance of evidence, such as coded language and symbols, which might otherwise have been misunderstood. This contributed significantly to the court’s understanding and ultimate ruling.

Download the complete decision.

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John Woosnam is President of Intelligent Police Solutions and our senior trainer and consultant. A 30-year police veteran, John began his career in law enforcement in 1994 as a patrolman with the Upper Moreland Township Police Department in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, where he served for five years. He joined the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in 1999. John was assigned to LVMPD’s Organized Crime Bureau, Criminal Intelligence Section in 2002, and spent the next 15 years investigating the criminal activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs. John was assigned to the Mt. Charleston Resident Officer Detail, providing police services throughout 2200 square miles of rural Clark County. In addition to his principal duty, John was a member of LVMPD’s Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) for 17 years. As a member of the CNT, John responded to hundreds of barricade and hostage incidents. John retired form the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in 2024. Retiring as a Major in the Army National Guard, John served in a broad range of assignments as a Cavalry officer, including troop commander, logistics, air operations, battalion operations and executive officer, and embedded advisor to the Afghan National Police. John has presented over 700 hours of training to security officers, citizens, and thousands of police officers throughout the world, on topics related to motorcycle gangs, emergency management, and crisis negotiations. He was an instructor for the Southern Nevada Community Emergency Response Team program, taught at the California Attorney General’s Conference on Organized Crime, International Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Association conferences in the United States and Germany, National Tactical Officers Association Crisis Negotiations Conference, Western States Hostage Negotiators Association annual conferences, International Conference on Transnational Organized Crime & Terrorism, to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Calgary Police Service, US Marshall’s Service, FBI, Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Police Department, the Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Australian Federal Police. John holds a Master’s Degree in Crisis and Emergency Management from University of Nevada, Las Vegas.