There are also individual chapter presidents, and those members are referred to as the Mother Club, responsible for managing Pagans' business and recruitment efforts on a local level. The federal charge against Dorazo came as the U.S. Attorneys Office of New Jersey has put an emphasis on investigating the Pagans, an organization that has expanded rapidly in the state recently and has allegedly been responsible for brutal assaults, drive-by shootings and distributing drugs across the state. Marino and DAlessandro pleaded guilty at separate hearings in Camden federal court on Jan. 24 and Jan. 27. Police searched the vehicle and found a loaded Ruger P345 .45-caliber handgun underneath the cupholder of the center console, authorities said. At the SCI hearing in 2019, Nieves was called to testify, along with other high-ranking members of the Pagans. Those charges remain pending. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Richter was previously convicted in 1998 when he was the national president of the Pagans, Frazer said, of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and two counts of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. A Pagans MC leader, Jay Carl Wagner, 66, was arrested in Washington County, Maryland, by 60-plus officers from state, local and federal officials with a bomb disposal robot on May 9, 2007, and later charged with possession of a regulated firearm after conviction of a violent crime. 970 Broad Street, 7th Floor
A purported member of a the Pagan's Motorcycle Club was charged with attempted murder after breaking into a home and firing a gun Saturday night in South Jersey.Michael F. Dorazo, 41, was armed with a pair of handguns and a high-power, hig Gloucester + Follow Contact Us Gloucester Daily Voice servesDeptford, The victim would file a police report, but quickly rescinded it, fearful of retaliation at the hands of one of the most dangerous outlaw motorcycle clubs in the country. Count Five carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million. The report said law enforcement agencies estimate the club has about 200 members in New Jersey . The Pagans formed in Prince Georges County, Maryland, in 1959. He made a series of turns, but couldnt shake them. In New Jersey, Pagans membership which has always been strong in South Jersey has grown at an alarming rate in recent years, with approximately 200 members in 17 chapters. Torres said thePagans are believed to have150 to 350 members in New Jersey. FAX: 856-968-4917
Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. NEWARK, N.J. Two high-ranking members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club were indicted today for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, narcotics distribution, and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. It was around this time it adopted the outlaw motorcycle mentality, collectively known as the one-percenters. The theory is most motorcycle riders are law-abiding citizens, except for the 1% who arent. There has been an almost 50% increase in chapters in New Jersey over the past three years, officials said. Bucciarelli was also indicted for distributing five grams or more of methamphetamine, prosecutors added. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). According to Honig, "that includes the national president, a member of the Pagans Mother Club, which is a national organization that oversees its operations, the president of presidents in New Jersey, the presidents of the Jersey City and Gloucester County chapters of the Pagans, the vice-president of the Elizabeth chapter and the sergeant at arms, or the enforcer, for various other chapters. The Pagans Motorcycle Club, as its officially called, formed in Prince Georges County, Maryland, in 1959. Hundreds of Pagans showed up at Roar tothe Shore motorcycle event in Wildwood in September, what'sknown in the outlaw motorcycle club world as a "Pagan event.". Its unclear how the arrest of Richter will impact the group. There are 900 Pagans spread across 12 states and in Puerto Rico, officials said. The group's move into North Jersey is why the violence has increased, investigators said. Among the hiearchy of women associated with the Pagans, the lowest are called "pets. Count Three carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. In New Jersey, its going to be hard to find a county where there isnt a Pagan presence.. Richter and prosecutors agreed on the sentence as part of the plea deal, according to court documents. The judge is to sentence Marino on May 26 and DAlessandro on June 1. A Pagan approached him and threatened him, a police report said. Three reputed Pagan leaderssubpoenaed to testify asserted their Fifth Amendment rightsand did not answer questions. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Through the investigation, law enforcement seized 10 firearms and more than 800 grams of methamphetamine. It should also share information among agencies to identify larger trends, the report said. The New Jersey State Commission of Investigation found that Richters leadership had led to the club multiplying its members, but also engaging in violence and other criminal acts as they expanded. The bail hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. On Nov. 5, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Aquinos residence and recovered, among other items, multiple .40 caliber rounds of ammunition and approximately 50 grams of cocaine. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Later, the same Pagan and two of his companions ambushed the patron, hitting him twice in the head with an axe handle a weapon of choice for the Pagans. FAX: 609-989-2275. "The Pagans are an outlaw motorcycle gang and in the charges that we announced today, as well as in the charges that we brought over the past 11 months, we identify the Pagans as a racketeering enterprise that engages in various forms of illegal activity, including narcotics trafficking, weapons possession and trafficking, and violent crime," Honig said during a Monday press conference announcing the latest indictments. In a separate case, a federal grand jury returned an indictment on Monday, charging Nicholas Bucciarelli, 56, of Brooklawn, with aggravated assault in aid of racketeering, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. The Pagans have also started recruiting members from traditional street gangs, like the Bloods, Crips and the Latin Kings, officials said. Glen Turner, 73, of Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, was charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He made a series of turns, but couldnt shake them. DeRonde, 56, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2019 after he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. The club also extorts business owners and relies on members to pay monthly dues of $100, the commission said. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Our journalism needs your support. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain expressed permission from the copyright owner. Pagans MC: Glen Turner - The Shooting Of A NJ State Trooper (1982-83) MOBFAX 71.5K subscribers Subscribe 471 34K views 4 months ago Pagans MC: Glen Turner - The Shooting Of New Jersey. From left, attorney Carlos Martir, suspected Pagan Motorcycle Club member James Helveston Jr., suspected Pagan Motorcycle Club National Vice President Hugo Nieves and suspected Pagan Motorcycle Club National Mother/National Club member Luis Arocho.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Hugo Zorro Nieves, the alleged vice president of the Pagans, broke his silence to say, It is not the policy of this club to engage in any criminal activity, and thats all I will say about that.. The Pagans are run like a business and are organized as such. One was Hugo Nieves, also known as "Zorro," a New Jersey resident believed to be national vice president of the Pagans, according to testimony. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. It included interviews with Pagan members their voices altered to protect their identities and video of a brutal attack in 2018 near a Hells Angels clubhouse in Newark. The gang currently has 17 chapters across the state, up from 10 in 2016, according to the SCI. Richter, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 1998 for attempted murder and racketeering and released in 2012, took control of the Pagans in 2018, according to officials. Those charges are being prosecuted in state court and remain pending. This story has been updated to reflect that Dorazos attorney declined to comment. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. as one of the four major outlaw motorcycle gangs operating in the U.S. That group includes the Hells Angels, the Outlaws and the Bandidos. Prosecutors said Turner is a long-time member of the Pagans. The Pagans are run like a business and are organized as such. Over the last year, federal authorities have charged at least 10 Pagan members in New Jersey with a number of crimes, including for their alleged roles in shootings and drug distribution. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Dorazo, also known as Cage, was not charged in the assault. The two groups are locked in a violent struggle for control of New Jersey, investigators said. At the time of his arrest, Ortiz was the president of the Pagans Jersey City membership chapter. The most climactic moment came at the hearings end when three reputed leaders of the motorcycle club were called to testify. Luis Arocho, aka "LuRoc," 43, of Keansburg, New Jersey, and Maurice Guzman, aka "Dawg," 51, of Newark, are charged by complaint with one count of aggravated . YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Arocho and Guzman are both high-ranking leaders in the Pagans organization, authorities alleged. An inside look at the Pagans MC and the threat it poses in N.J. Ex-bikie Ben Geppert arrested again in NSW, Sturgis biker rally may have led to 260,000 new COVID-19 cases: study, DMCA Notice of Alleged Infringement and delivering it to our Designated Copyright Agent. (Authorities said they seized them.). Keith Richter, known as Conan, was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Pagans continue to distribute methamphetamine but are getting away from manufacturing it, relying more on "super labs" in Mexico. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Please subscribe today to NJ.com. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said during Ritchers first appearance in court Friday that the government has incontrovertible evidence that Richter possessed the firearm at the party. Marino also agreed to surrender his interest in one gun, while DAlessando is to forfeit ownership of 11 weapons, their agreements say. Chief investigative reporter Jonathan Dienst on crime, corruption and terrorism. The Pagans which started in Prince George's County, Maryland, in 1959 has swelled to more than 1,300 members across at least 12 states, experts said. The club is structured with a president, vice president, sergeant at arms, secretary and treasurer. Monday, June 28, 2021 Eleven Members of The Pagan's Motorcycle Club Charged with Narcotics Distribution, Firearms Offenses, and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering NEWARK, N.J. - Two high-ranking members of the Pagan's Motorcycle Club were arrested today for assault in aid of racketeering, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. The charges against Bucciarelli are only allegations.
We respect every Motorcycle Club that adheres to proper MC protocol. In 2018, Pagan Robert DeRonde, known as Hellboy, brutally beat an associate of the Hells Angels with a baseball bat at a gas station near the Newark clubhouse. Unlike the Hells Angels, the Pagans dont have clubhouses, and instead have weekly meetings in different locations. Seemingly random assaults like these on the citizens of the Garden State have officials at the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation urging law enforcement to take action. The assault victim, whose name was not disclosed, had alerted investigators in July 2020 that hed been asked to store guns and ammunition by another suspect in the case, Michael Cage Dorazo of Gloucester City, a criminal complaint alleges. The group, which started with just 13 members, evolved into a formal club in the 1960s, spreading to neighboring states. Significantly, many of the accused hold national, regional, and local leadership positions in the Pagans Motorcycle Club. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. DEPTFORD, NJ - A Pagan's Motorcycle Club member, an outlaw biker gang who was out of federal prison awaiting trial for firearms charges has been charged with attempted homicide. NEWARK Federal agents Monday arrested two high-ranking members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club from New Jersey for assault in aid of racketeering as part of a long-running investigation into Over the last year federal authorities have been aggressive in investigating the Pagans, as they rapidly expanded in New Jersey under Richters leadership. At the time of Aquinos arrest, he was the vice president of the Pagans Elizabeth membership chapter, prosecutors said. The outlaw bikers were once a familiar scourge in Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pa., as well as the southern half of New Jersey. In New Jersey, Pagans membership, which has always been strong in South Jersey, has increased at an alarming rate in recent years, with 300 members in 17 chapters throughout the state.. A former Pagan chapter president in South Jersey is currently serving a life prison sentence for orchestrating the 2012 murder-for-hire plot of April Kauffman, a well-known radio personality in the Atlantic City area. The investigator, understanding that he was on speaker and that members of the (Pagans) might be listening to their conversation, remained in his undercover persona throughout the conversation, says the complaint. The rise of the Pagans motorcycle club in New Jersey was the focus of an investigation conducted by the State Commission of Investigation, an independent state watchdog group formed in the late 1960s to investigate public corruption and organized crime. Then in May, a federal judge lifted the home incarceration and allowed Dorazo to look for employment, according to court documents. On Nov. 17, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ortizs residence and recovered approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. It was. They're one of four major outlaw clubs. Dorazo admitted guilt in December 2021 to possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Dorazo was initially being held on the federal gun charge, according to court documents, but a judge released him in December 2020 on a $100,000 unsecured appearance bond, home incarceration with location monitoring and other restrictions. Its expanding at a rate weve never seen before, Edwin Torres, an SCI investigative agent, said at an open hearing in 2019. This website may contain copyrighted material, the use of which may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. That group includes the Hells Angels, the Outlaws and the Bandidos. [ Stay up-to-date on this story by downloading the Asbury Park Press app. On Nov. 17, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ortizs residence and recovered approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. In recent years, the group has spread into more northern areas of the state, with a large presence in Elizabeth. It was at that moment it became clear who the man was dealing with: two members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club. Richter, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 1998 for attempted murder and racketeering and released in 2012, took control of the Pagans in 2018, according to officials. Main Office:
The victim eventually was allowed to leave the clubhouse. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Unlike other motorcycle clubs, the Pagans dont have a clubhouse, but hold weekly meetings called church.. The Pagans are now taking in members from street gangs like the Bloods, the Latin Kings, the Crips and the Netas. All rights reserved (About Us). While the Pagans have traditionally drawn members from white supremacist groups, the diversifying of the club has been a sharp turn that has angered older members. The Pagans and the Hells Angels are known to be rival gangs. The Pagans have also started recruiting light-skinned Latino members from traditional street gangs, like the Latin Kings, though they still prohibit Black people from joining their ranks. as one of the four major outlaw motorcycle clubs operating in the U.S. That group includes the Hells Angels, the Outlaws and the Bandidos. 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