Justice was served, or so the euphoria was claimed. He insisted on his innocence, declaring he faced no fear of prison or consequences. From Hanover, Germany, Frank Hanebuth greeted the moment with a broad smile as the final chapter of a tumultuous life appeared to close. Yet the confidence he projected suggested he believed himself untouched by the storms that had roiled his career.
Known as a rock boss, a biker enforcer, and a towering presence in Hanover, Hanebuth was a central figure in the Expendables, a group he helped organize and expand. The 59-year-old leader of the Hells Angels in Europe was recently cleared of charges by a Spanish court, a verdict that followed a police crackdown in Mallorca years earlier. The acquittal touched on allegations of criminal organization, drug trafficking, money laundering, and pimping, with judges noting a lack of evidence that he intimidated anyone or that he had settled in Spain to direct gang activity from Mallorca.
That outcome, startling to some, did not come as a complete surprise to Hanebuth himself. He appeared at Madrid’s National Court earlier in the year, smiling and upbeat alongside fellow accused members of the Hells Angels. To many, he seemed confident that the Spanish justice system did not possess enough elements to convict him for long. It was another instance in a lifetime marked by dramatic twists.
Carpenter and pimp
Born in 1964 in Langenhagen, just north of Hanover, Hanebuth grew up the son of a vocational school director and a secretary. He left formal schooling behind early and began as a carpenter in Hanover, only to shift his life’s trajectory toward the nightlife. He first worked as a doorman, leveraging his athletic build and boxing know-how, then moved into the red-light district of Steintorviertel as a facilitator within the sex trade economy.
The 1990s ended with a violent collision of rival criminal factions from Albanian, Turkish, Kurdish, and Russian backgrounds vying for control of prostitution. In this volatile landscape, a biker gang moved into the region and, some claimed, helped curb hostilities. Hanebuth founded the German chapter of the Expendables, built power, and managed a brutal quiet war over the trade.
Yet the price of influence began to show. In 2000, he received a three-and-a-half-year sentence for injuring a rival gang member, a consequence settled by a payment of 26,000 German marks, roughly 13,000 euros, effectively clearing the first major legal hurdle.
Steintorkönig
Hanebuth’s influence reshaped Hanover’s nightlife, with many venues—discos, brothels, and strip bars—opening under his vision. He earned the nickname Steintorkönig, meaning “King of the Stone Gate,” a nod to the Steintorviertel district. His public persona—a robust, two-meter-tall figure with a formidable presence—resonated with the local community, even as critics argued his operations extended beyond legal boundaries.
German media, including the magazine Taz, noted how Hanebuth’s circle connected him with influential people in society, from politicians to entertainers and prominent musicians. These ties broadened his reach into regional elites, complicating perceptions of his influence.
On May 24, 2012, Lower Saxony police raided Hanebuth’s Wedemark property as part of ongoing investigations. In 2013, a separate inquiry into contract killings, ordered by him, was dropped for insufficient evidence. The pattern suggested a man adept at navigating legal peril as it arose.
Arriving in Mallorca
By 2012, Hanebuth had relocated to Mallorca, serving as president of the island’s Hells Angels chapter. He arrived with a show of force, bringing along a significant following and purchasing a villa in Lloret de Vistalegre worth more than two million euros. His aims echoed past efforts: to organize the biker fraternity in a way that mirrored his German operations, with Playa de Palma soon in his sights.
The National Police and Civil Guard began an operation in July 2013 that led to the arrest of 25 motorcycle gang members, including Hanebuth. The operation, named Casablanca by investigators, charged participants with membership in a criminal organization, crimes against public health, extortion, money laundering, prostitution, and more. Property seized spanned firearms, explosives, various weapons, vehicles, boats, jewelry, and large sums of money along with illegal drugs.
Time in Spanish prisons followed, including Madrid and Puerto de Santa María, keeping him away from the mainland for about two years. He was released in 2015 and returned to Hanover, where a celebratory welcome and a grand wedding in 2017 marked a return to public life and personal milestones.
Last hurdle
Even as a public figure and humanitarian, Hanebuth’s name remained tied to legal battles and accusations. Prosecution documents suggested efforts to create a Palma red-light district reminiscent of his Hanover base. Claims of leading a criminal group and compelling women into prostitution hung over him, even as he continued to present himself as a philanthropist on his social channels.
When he appeared before Madrid’s judiciary again, his imposing presence and calm demeanor underscored a steadfast insistence on innocence. The Spanish legal authorities ultimately acquitted him, finding insufficient evidence to substantiate the charges. The moment was celebrated as a reprieve for a man whose life had become a perpetual cycle of high-profile scrutiny and hard-fought legal battles, a story that kept drawing attention back to the German and Spanish media landscapes.