William Queen

William "Billy" Queen Jr. is a retired undercover agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the author of the bestselling books "Under and Alone" and "Armed and Dangerous".

Queen was raised in North Carolina, the son of an ATF agent.cite web | last = Leduff | first = Charlie | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Chased by Mean Bikers, Former Agent Sheds His Cover to Chase Fame and Fortune | work = | publisher = "The New York Times" | date = March 23, 2005 | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E0D61F3CF930A15750C0A9639C8B63 | format = | doi = | accessdate = ] He was in the Special Forces during the Vietnam War, before joining the police. He then moved to Border Patrol, and subsequently the ATF. Early operations involved infiltrating the Aryan Nation and the Ku Klux Klan, two white supremacist organizations.cite web | last = Booth | first = William | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Undercover Lawman Who Went Hog Wild | work = | publisher = "Washington Post" | date = October 18, 2005 | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/17/AR2005101701670.html | format = | doi = | accessdate = ]

In early 1998, as part of an operation to infiltrate motorcycle gangs, Queen joined the San Fernando Valley chapter of the Mongols as "Billy St. John", and was a member for 28 months. Despite his nickname, "Billy the Slow-Brain",cite web | last = Gettleman | first = Jeffrey | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Biker Gang Learns the Hard Way 'Billy the Slow-Brain' Is an Agent; Crime: Undercover operative compiles evidence against Mongols, who will be in federal court next month. | work = | publisher = "Los Angeles Times" | date = September 18, 2000 | url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60632674.html?dids=60632674:60632674&FMT=ABS | format = | doi = | accessdate = ] he was successful within the ranks of bikers, and even rose to the position of chapter vice-president and treasurer. Thanks to evidence he gathered while in these positions, a series of raids on May 19, 2000 by almost 700 lawmen in four states led to the arrest and conviction of 54 gang members. The ATF later described Queen's time undercover as "its most successful [biker gang] penetration."

Queen was awarded the Federal Bar Association's Medal of Honor for his successful involvement with the Mongols.cite web | last = Meyer | first = Josh | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Agent Honored for Undercover Probe of Motorcycle Gang; Crime: ATF investigator is given the Federal Bar Assn.'s Medal of Valor. Nine other agents also receive awards. | work = | publisher = "Los Angeles Times" | date = April 19, 2001 | url = http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/71520023.html?dids=71520023:71520023&FMT=ABS | format = | doi = | accessdate = ] After the trials of the gang members, Queen retired from the ATF, and wrote "Under and Alone: The True Story of the Undercover Agent Who Infiltrated America's Most Violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang" while in the witness protection program.cite web | last = Kamiya | first = Gary | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = 'Under and Alone': Hairy Guys on Wheels | work = | publisher = "The New York Times" | date = July 24, 2005 | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/24/books/review/24KAMIYAL.html?n=Top/Features/Books/Book%20Reviews | format = | doi = | accessdate = ] In 2003, while it was still only a , film rights to the book were sold for one million dollars to Icon, the Hollywood production company owned by Mel Gibson.cite web | last = Garvey | first = Spencer | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Gibson Joins Motorcycle Gang | work = | publisher = Filmstew.com | date = September 24, 2003 | url = http://www.filmstew.com/ShowArticle.aspx?ContentID=6839 | format = | doi = | accessdate = ] The book became a bestseller upon its release in 2005, and the movie adaptation, with Gibson himself playing Queen, is scheduled for release in 2010.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Under and Alone (2010) | work = | publisher = "IMDb" | date = | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383026/ | format = | doi = | accessdate = ]

Queen was also heavily featured in "Outlaw Bikers", a 2008 television documentary about federal agents infiltrating biker gangs.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Program: Outlaw Bikers | work = | publisher = BackChannel Media | date = May 12, 2008 | url = http://research.backchannelmedia.com/programs/Outlaw_Bikers?id=EP000209250001 | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-05-14 ]

Bibliography

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References

External links

* [http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=52438 Author spotlight: William Queen] , Random House website
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383026/ Alone and Under] at IMDB