Charges dropped against casino shootout Hells Angel

Almost three months after the casino shootout between rival Hells Angels and Mongols gang members in Las Vegas, the only gang member to have been arrested and charged is now a free man again.

Hells Angel Calvin Schaefer was the only person charged after the shootout, which left three dead. The 13 dropped charges against him included attempted murder and gang murder, and police alleged that Schaefer fired at least 11 shots during the fighting. He could have faced a maximum prison term of life without parole.

The charges have been dropped because prosecutors could not turn over copies of more than 100 videotapes of the brawl, as they are still being studied and preserved for future cases.

Schaeffer, who had been released on $250,000 bail, could still face subsequent criminal complaints or a grand jury indictment, but for the moment he is a free man.