And unfortunately, theres also a population who glamorizes groups like them. The Hells Angels and Mongols motorcycle gangs decades-long feud sparked dozens of incidents of violence over the years in cities across the country. [1] These men are capable of violent crime up to and including murder, Croke says. Hes depicted as a fire god, sitting on the sun. Last year, the Hells Angels moved out of their famous Third Street clubhouse in the East Village to an old two-story brick building and former American Legion hall in the Bronx. The sweep resulted in the arrests of 19 Pagan associates from New York and New Jersey, some of who conspired to kill members of the Hells Angels with grenades, according to the indictment. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. As any Pagan would tell you, he runs Hell because he killed all the other gods. A few years ago, I was in the car with my sister and four children between us when a biker gang in full colors roared past us. They mostly distribute drugs or hire out as protection to drug operations. Please go back to posting actual articles. Market data provided by Factset. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. During their recent investigation into the biker threat, New Jersey state legislators invited the Pagans top leadership to appear before their committee. Boss says, 'I try to be friends with everybody'. Robert DeRonde, 55, of Rahway, had pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault for beating the victim, Jeffrey Shank, with a baseball bat at the Exxon station on Elizabeth Avenue on April 24, 2018. WebGR SOURCES: Hells Angels Want Backing From Highwaymen MC In Fight With Outlaws MC For Brand Building In Michigan Next Pagans MC Parties In The Ozarks As Part Of Expansion Agenda, Recruiting Rally In Branson, Missouri Runs Smoothly. One of the injured individuals was Kenneth Murphy of Hilton, New York, who witnesses said was struck with a baseball bat, cut and stabbed during the altercation. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. In true biker fashion, though, they refused to talk. Nieves even pleaded the Fifth when he was asked to state his age. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Shank suffered multiple broken collar bones as a result of the beating, prosecutors said. These are serious cases. Out marched a collection of long-haired men with scraggly beards and faded denim vests, some of them so beefy that, later, the police had to use three sets of handcuffs to link their hands behind their backs. 7. White Hall Police were aided by the Marion County Sheriffs Office, the Fairmont Police Department and the West Virginia State Police in the investigation. He pleaded the Fifth as well. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. The primary alleged attacker, Robert Hellboy DeRonde, used a red metal bat to break a number of Shanks bones. Honig was joined by Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Susan Gibson; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acting Special Agent in Charge Toby Taylor; and Acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo. The FBI's most wanted gangs like the Hells Angels and Pagans have support clubs made up of people who dont want to be full-time members but they will support and glamorize the gang. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. It will now go to trial.. The mom put the little boy on my lap for the picture and I whispered in his ear, 'Dont grow up to be like me.'". Thats one of the dangers of groups like this, says Dave Wedge, a journalist and co-author of Crokes book Riding with Evil, which is scheduled for launch next week. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Another reputed national leader, Luis Arocho, was there, too. Once, he was even asked to help move the body and dig a shallow grave in the Catskills. The #1 Biker News Website Since 2011-Covering up to minute biker news including Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs & Biker News Worldwide, Insane Throttle Support Club Become a memberNow, Insane Throttle/Motorcycle Madhouse Radio YouTube and AudioDisclaimer, Meet the Insane Throttle Contributing Columnist James Hollywood Macecari, Motorcycle Clubs Riding Clubs and Associations Near Me Index &Listings, Our Policies here at Insane Throttle Publications. It would be easy to assume motorcycle gang members are psychopathic, senseless fools, but Croke says you cant underestimate them; theyre methodical and on high alert. 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A few bikers hopped out. Hangers on, if you will. Sometime in 2015 or 2016, according to law enforcement, this sort of violence became Pagan national policy with the election of Keith Conan the Barbarian Richter as the biker gangs new president. Later that same year, the Hells Angels planned to hold an event the Hellraisers Ball in Long Island to show off their growing power on the East Coast. Gang members follow a hierarchy, and leadership is structured with at least a president, vice president, sergeant at arms, secretary, and treasurer. ", Investigator:Pagans growing more violent in NJ. 2022Recurrent Ventures. Officers managed to break up the brawl and disperse the groups. All rights reserved (About Us). The Pagans and the Hells Angels are known to be rival gangs. hacked off the driver's side mirror with his fist in rage. Biggie was out on bond for both those charges when the Pagans-Hells Angels incident occurred. What has, however, grabbed the attention of local, state and federal investigators recently is how fast the Pagans have been growing. All thats stopping them is a pandemic, and theyre no more scared of it than they are the Hells Angels. Within minutes, the police said, Raymond Dwyer, 38, a Hells Angel and a tattoo artist from Oceanside, N.Y., opened fire at the invaders with a small-caliber handgun, wounding five people., In the end, one Pagan was killed and 73 were arrested, 66 of whom pled guilty to federal racketeering-related charges stemming from the fracas., Two years later, the Pagans took aim at revenge against Thinker Wood once more. Market data provided by Factset. Send a not to tips@thedrive.com. or redistributed. DeRondes attorney, Maximillian Novel, said at Mondays sentencing that DeRonde has been drug-free for more than eight years and has become a good father to his fiances children. Five months later, the Hells Angels responded by assassinating 51-year-old Francisco Rosado. On June 29, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hooban's residence and recovered approximately 30 grams of cocaine and a loaded firearm. The cycle of perpetual bloodshed between the Hells Angels and Pagans can be traced back to the dawn of such outlaw biker clubs a direct result of World War II, as a large number of war-affected veterans in Southern California formed riding clubs. * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts, Connecticut man killed in violent attack in West Bank, NYPD asks shop owners for help in crime fighting efforts, At least 29 dead, 85 injured after trains collide in Greece: officials. Technology, performance and design delivered to your inbox. Robert Deronde, a Pagan, walked up behind the man, who was sitting on his bike, and hit him in the head with an ax handle, according to both the complaint and First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. All Rights Reserved. The post-New Years gunfire was meant to be an unsubtle reminder of this fact. Then on my 95th birthday, my grandson took me on his motorcycle down in Houston. [5] Pagan's Motorcycle Club member beats Hells Angels associate "These charges relate to an April 2018 encounter during which they beat an associate of the Hells Angels.". The attack happened at a gas station in Newark, New Jersey on April 24, 2018. According to a Monongalia Emergency Centralized Communication Agency 911 report filed August 3, 2019, at 1:50 p.m., there was a fight/stabbing in Fairmont To each small business, it was easier to hand over the money than to resist. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! In this file photo James Cody Biggie, of Rivesville, sits in court after his formal arraignment on one count of attempted murder. Lots of young men were eager to slouch over a Harley, dressed in a white T-shirt and cuffed jeans, as they snarled at the normies and gained a reputation and recognizable energy. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. DeRonde was previously convicted in 2013 with a felony drug charge for his role in a major Pagans Motorcycle Club bust out of the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Southern District of New York. As special agent Ken Croke witnessed during a two-year undercover sting, thats just a taste of what the dangerous Pagan's Motorcycle Club was (and is) capable of inflicting. Or Maryland. Police say two people were taken to hospitals to be treated for injuries. Hes the man who launched the Blue Wave initiative to grow the Pagans with relentlessly violent soldiers to best the Hells Angels. Similarly, the partnerships with the cartels are worrisome, but the bikers arent a huge player in the drug world. Croke even served a few days in jail for a gun arrest without breaking cover. Hells Angels moved out of their famous Third Street clubhouse, to an old two-story brick building and former American Legion hall in the Bronx, allegedly shooting up the side of the Hells Angels new digs. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. One of the Pagans claim to fame was that they had never been infiltrated by the law, and they found paranoia served them well. If you were a neighbor or acquaintance, perhaps youd assume hes a former linebacker for a Division I football team. Harleys arent just the machine of choice for the Pagans but a requirement, and there are strict rules about riding formation as well as travel structure. Members of the Hells Angels went to confront Mongols because they were misled to believe their Club Brothers were in trouble by the police officer. Law enforcement officers recovered seven .40 caliber shell casings from the shooting scene. Two Hells Angels were also charged in the fight that erupted inside the Vanderbilt. ", While it is no crime and it is not an issue for anyone wearing a Pagans patch or a Hells Angels patch to ride a motorcycle through the county of Essex, he continued, it is a problem when members associated with either of those two crews bring violence into this county in association with the organizations.. Periods of rain. Chance of rain 90%. In the past, bikers always considered themselves a cut above gang members. Riding side by side is challenging for a lot of riders, and youre doing that with 100 others at 100 miles an hour. A thoroughly working-class borough, the Bronx has long been known to be the Pagans turf. In 2002, they approached Thomas Thinker Wood, Mondevergines loyal No. Liked the format before, Insane Throttle Support Club Become a memberNow, Insane Throttle/Motorcycle Madhouse Radio YouTube and AudioDisclaimer, Meet the Insane Throttle Contributing Columnist James Hollywood Macecari, Motorcycle Clubs Riding Clubs and Associations Near Me Index &Listings, Our Policies here at Insane Throttle Publications. First published on October 31, 2016 / 8:23 AM. Interestingly, Pagans are very structured about their branding and dont want the public to identify with them in cages, only on motorcycles. Though authorities estimate that the club has about 200 members statewide, the commission believes that number is actually far greater. This includes the group's national president, Keith Richter, who was arrested in East Windsor in February after law enforcement found a loaded 45-caliber pistol in a secret compartment in his car. Part of the Pagans' menace, as with any motorcycle gang, is the imposing sight and sound of dozens of men on Harley-Davidson bikes riding two abreast. Can the pandemic or the law slow them down? Cant stand listening to them, rather just read. No arrests have been made. He was supposed to enter a guilty plea on a preexisting drug charge for which hes been indicted. They dont use banks; they keep money in shoeboxes under their beds. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. In it, two bikers dressed in hoodies popped out of a parked Jeep Cherokee with pistols. WebNot knowing it was peaceful. The two men, along with associates of their own club, allegedly saw Shankfilling his motorcycle with gasolineon April 24, 2018, at an Elizabeth Avenuegas station about a quarter-mile from the Angels' Newark clubhouse, according to a complaint filed by an agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Under that suburban smile is a steel backbone, however; Croke spent many years in the thick of the criminal underground, playing the part of gun runner, gang member, and drug buyer in more than 1,000 undercover assignments. Known for his quick temper and warm heart, Rosado was a building superintendent. You can be dark-skinned, or Black Latino, but you can not be, per se, Black., To further his point, he played an audio recording of a Pagans informant who claimed that outlaw bikers have made potential members prove they werent Black by threatening to inject them with an IV needle, which they claimed was full of sickle cell. The bikers believed the potential new members would only fear the disease if they were Black thus, proving their racial identity. At the time, they didnt suspect it was him but the possible leak was jolting. For bikes, they had their pick of the large surplus of Harley Davidsons the U.S. Army no longer needed. In 2010, numerous Pagans were arrested after several members of the Long Island, N.Y. chapter met with gang members from other divisions in New Jersey, where they discussed plans to kill members of the rival motorcycle gang, Hells Angels. The investigation involved court-authorized wiretaps, the use of multiple undercover law enforcement agents, and execution of multiple search warrants at physical locations in multiple jurisdictions. Yet, there are important distinctions to be made. The charges were filed as part of a federal investigation led by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Honigs office said. A fistfight ensued, during which Mondevergine pulled out a handgun and shot Flood in the knee. All rights reserved. "Today's charges are simply an example of the successes that we have been able to achieve by working cooperatively and in a coordinated fashion," Honig said during a Mondaynews conference. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream, Golden Retriever Chunk, missing for 2 weeks, rescued from Barnegat Bay, Curtain lifts on first full-capacity Broadway show since pandemic began, Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts. For instance, neither the Hells Angels nor Pagans allows Black people to join. Police say members of the Pagans and Hells Angels began fighting around noon on Sunday in the parking lot of the Pennysaver Amphitheater in Farmingville. The hitters leveled their pistols, aimed and fired. At the same time, members of the Pagans have started wearing motorcycle jackets known as their colors with patches that say East Coast instead of a local chapter location. Every lie builds on a lie; tell a story about where you went to dinner last night and youll be able to wing it, but if I come back and ask you about that dinner next week, Ill bet you there will be inconsistencies in that story. Ultimately, he knew that being caught in a lie wouldnt result in simply being kicked out of the gang. To seen the attack, scroll to the video above. This is at the behest of Pagan national President Keith Conan Richter out of Long Island. At first, though, the Pagans little brother to the Hells Angels by about a decade eschewed such brutality. We watched, transfixed, as the last gang member rode up to the side of the SUV and hacked off the driver's side mirror with his fist in rage. Surveillance video from the gas station identified the license plate registered to DeRondes truck. "Our full investigation crushed the Pagans' hierarchy," Susan Gibson, the agent in charge of the federalDrug Enforcement Administration's New Jersey division, said Monday. Officers managed to break up the brawl and disperse the groups. [ Stay updated on this story by downloading the Asbury Park Press app. NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Two high ranking members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club have been arrested for an alleged assault, Acting US Attorney for New Jersey Rachel Honig announced Monday. Two people were killed, and the murders got everybodys attention. To that end, on April 24, 2018, a biker named Jeffrey Shank had just left his nearby Newark Hells Angel clubhouse to pull into a gas station to refill his tank.