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. U.S. District Court Judge Kevin McNulty sentenced Keith Conan Richter, 62, in federal court via videoconference after Richter pleaded guilty in July to being a felon in possession of a firearm after authorities discovered a loaded gun in a vehicle he was in during a traffic stop in Mercer County earlier this year. 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). He made a series of turns, but couldnt shake them. as one of four major outlaw motorcycle gangs. There has been a 50% increase in chapters in New Jersey over the past three years, officials said. In New Jersey, its going to be hard to find a county where there isnt a Pagan presence.. 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). 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. The club also extorts business owners and relies on members to pay monthly dues of $100. 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 judge is to sentence Marino on May 26 and DAlessandro on June 1. 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. Wolves in Sheep's Clothing: New Jersey's SPCAs 17 Years Later. This newfound level of aggression has led to drive-by shootings, savage beat downs of adversaries and unprovoked physical assaults on members of the public across New Jersey, the report states. 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 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. And Pagans are expanding, moving out West, into . Unlike other motorcycle gangs, the Pagans dont have a clubhouse, but hold weekly meetings called church.. Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Police searched the vehicle and found a loaded Ruger P345 .45-caliber handgun underneath the cupholder of the center console, authorities said. All rights reserved (About Us). Those self-proclaimed members proudly display a 1% patch on their jackets. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Members useWhatsApp, a communication app, and encrypted devicesthat keeps law enforcement from tappingphone calls. The arrest has sent ripples through the Pagans organization. The charges against Bucciarelli are only allegations. Prosecutors said Bucciarelli commissioned a gang-related gunpoint assault, in which an associate of the Pagans was assaulted for breaking the organizations rules. According to a criminal complaint, law enforcement learned during the party that Richter had a gun. It was. Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Luis Arocho, aka LuRoc, 43, of Keansburg, and Maurice Guzman, aka Dawg, 51, of Newark, were arrested Monday and charged by complaint with one count of aggravated assault in aid of racketeering. Now there are 900 Pagans spread across 12 states and in Puerto Rico, officials 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. Chief investigative reporter Jonathan Dienst on crime, corruption and terrorism. 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. 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. They have 30 chapters in 12 states, according to a recent N.J. State Commission of Investigation report on the biker world. Law enforcement considers the Pagans, founded in 1959 as a fellowship of 13 motorcyclists in Maryland, to be among the largest and most violent outlaw motorcycle clubs in the country, according. The Pagan's Motorcycle Club is trying to assert control over New Jersey and it's using more violence to do it, according to testimony given Wednesday during a State Commission of Investigationhearing. An official website of the United States government. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. The Pagans have also started recruiting members from traditional street gangs, like the Bloods, Crips and the Latin Kings, officials said. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 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. There has been an. Ortiz was also charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. All rights reserved (About Us). The Pagans Motorcycle Club, one of the major outlaw motorcycle groups in the U.S., is a growing threat to citizens in New Jersey and every cop in the state should be trained to deal with them, according to a new report issued Wednesday. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Three reputed Pagan leaderssubpoenaed to testify asserted their Fifth Amendment rightsand did not answer questions. In New Jersey, its going to be hard to find a county where there isnt a Pagan presence.. Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs - State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation 1989 Report THE PAGANS Operating in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, the Pagans' overall membership has been estimated at between 300 and 400. Arocho and Guzman are both high-ranking leaders in the Pagans organization, authorities alleged. The outlaw bikers were once a familiar scourge in Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pa., as well as the southern half of New Jersey. More violent incidents have been committed by the Pagans in a recent 18-month period than in the prior 10 years, according to the SCI report. "Despitethesometimesroughappearanceoftheseguys,theyarenotatall unsophisticatedwhenitcomestounderminingandfrustratinglawenforcement," said Lee Seglem, executive directorofthe commission, in his opening statement. District of New Jersey A report released Wednesday by the group, an independent state watchdog formed in the late 1960s to investigate public corruption and organized crime, says the Pagans have increased their membership ranks in the past three years and pose a growing threat to the public. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. A Pagan approached him and threatened him, a police report said. Joe Atmonavage | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, charged with attempted murder earlier this year, other influential leaders of the Pagans in South Jersey, has put an emphasis on investigating the Pagans. The recent charges against Arocho, Guzman and Bucciarelli were filed as part of a multi-agency investigation into the Pagans Motorcycle Club, which has been accused of narcotics trafficking, weapons trafficking and violent crimes, authorities said. The Pagans are now taking in members from street gangs like the Bloods, the Latin Kings, the Crips and the Netas. 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). Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Richter personally possessed that gun, did not hide it from the numerous people that were there, Frazer said. The ex-national prez of Pagans MC Keith Conan Richter has pleaded guilty to a federal gun charge. The Pagans formed in Prince Georges County, Maryland, in 1959. Many of the accused hold national, regional, and local leadership positions in the Pagans Motorcycle Club, prosecutors say. The victim told the Pagans hed sold the guns for $5,000 and turned over that amount of money, which was provided by federal investigators, to Dorazo, the complaint alleges. In recent years, the group has spread into more northern areas of the state, with a large presence in Elizabeth. ]. "They want to take over the entire East Coast," Torres said. 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. Our journalism needs your support. Ritchers attorney argued that his client is at high-risk to COVID-19 if he is detained and offered a $1 million bail package for Richter to be released on. Also on Monday, a federal grand jury returned indictments charging Nicholas Bucciarelli with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. 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. One of the more disturbing elements of the investigation, the commission said, is that sensitive law enforcement information regarding the Pagans has been leaked to members of the club. After being released, Richter eventually re-gained his position as national president of the Pagans Motorcycle Gang in 2018, Frazer said, overseeing a major expansion of the outlaw motorcycle gang on the East Coast. A locked padlock Biker News does not belong to or support any Club. After hearing gunshots ring out in the neighborhood, Deptford police officers rushed to the area and began a search for Michael F. Dorazo, 41, of Glendora. The victim allowed investigators to seize the weapons without the Pagans knowledge. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Rachael Honig announced two additional indictments, bringing the total of Pagans members facing crimes to 11 -- although the number may increase as the investigation continues. In October 2019, the State Commission of Investigation, an independent state watchdog formed in the late 1960s to investigate public corruption and organized crime, held an exhaustive hearing in Trenton detailing how the Pagans are increasing membership in all corners of the state. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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