Bucciarelli has pleaded not guilty to charges that include assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The group, which started with just 13 members, evolved into a formal club in the 1960s, spreading to neighboring states. Alleged members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club appear with their attorney in an SCI public hearing. 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 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. The Pagans and the Hells Angels are known to be rival gangs. Pagans associate pleads guilty to trafficking cocaine and illegally possessing firearms and ammunit More details released on Carlyle bar incident connected to biker club feud. Women are considered property and rank lower than dogs in the order of importance to the group. The cache included an AR-15 style ghost gun, a shotgun, and almost 1,800 rounds of ammunition, according to the federal prosecutor's office, which describes the Pagans as an "outlaw motorcycle gang. If you are a copyright owner or are authorized to act on behalf of one or authorized to act under any exclusive right under copyright, please report alleged copyright infringements taking place on or through the site by completing the DMCA Notice of Alleged Infringement and delivering it to our Designated Copyright Agent. They are among 11 members of the outlaw motorcycle gang who have recently been charged with various weapons, drug-trafficking and violent crimes. The report was issued following a lengthy investigation focused on the Pagans, which has been identified by the F.B.I. Nieves made one statement, saying"All I will say is it is not the policy of this club for anybody to engage in any criminal activity.". Ortiz was indicted for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. He was cruising on his motorcycle on Route 1 in Elizabeth when he passed two other drivers on the right of the multi-lane roadway in June 2019. They have 30 chapters in 12 states, according to a recent N.J. State Commission of Investigation report on the biker world. This story has been updated to reflect that Dorazos attorney declined to comment. The victim allowed investigators to seize the weapons without the Pagans knowledge. 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. Its expanding at a rate weve never seen before, Edwin Torres, an SCI investigative agent, said in reference to Pagan membership in New Jersey. When Richter took control of the club in 2018, his main mission was to expand its membership across the country, authorities said, which eventually put a target on the motorcycle club. It is unclear why Richter was not arrested during the traffic stop. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. The neighborhood was put in lockdown during the search, with residents instructed to stay inside for about four hours. Those charges are being prosecuted in state court and remain pending. Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Alex Napoliello | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, increasing membership in all corners of the state. The club is structured with a president, vice president, sergeant at arms, secretary and treasurer. These charges, according to Honig, are in connection to a separate gang-related assault in which Bucciarelli retaliated against another member of the Pagans for breaking the organizations rules. Trenton:609-989-2190 The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 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. Wolves in Sheep's Clothing: New Jersey's SPCAs 17 Years Later. Dozaro was eventually found by police in the neighborhood. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The commission recommended the state Attorney Generals Office create a working group comprised of law enforcement officials at every level devoted to identifying and prosecuting criminal activity conducted by outlaw motorcycle clubs. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Newark, NJ 07102, Newark:973-645-2700 NEWARK, NJ More members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club have been arrested in New Jersey, as a violent, long-running rivalry with the Hells Angels continues, federal prosecutors said Monday. The crimes were committed for the purpose of maintaining and increasing position in the Pagans' Motorcycle Club, according to plea agreements. The most climactic moment came at the hearings end when three reputed leaders of the motorcycle club were called to testify. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or kserrano@gannettnj.com, Wall dispatcher acquitted when top cop's aide admits affair with Pagan head, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Prosecutors allege that Arocho, Guzman, and other associates of the Pagans brutally assaulted an associate of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club at a gas station in Newark in April 2018. All rights reserved (About Us). Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. 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. There has been an. I dont care if it is two cops, a priest, a nun, five little kids or Jesus f------ Christ himself, if you pull something on me, I am going to shoot you, Ritcher allegedly said in the recorded conversation, according to Frazer. A member of the Pagans motorcycle club is seen at the funeral of a fellow biker.EXT. It is not the policy of this club to engage in any criminal activity, and thats all I will say about that, he said. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited a joint task force comprised of special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews; the Union County Prosecutors Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to these charges. The arrest has sent ripples through the Pagans organization. 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. 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. 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 outlaw motorcycle club has a clubhouse in Newark. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 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. Hearing Impaired: 856-968-4983 U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey, Two Members of Pagans Motorcycle Club Indicted for Shooting at Hells Angels Associate on New Jersey Turnpike, Bergen County Man Charged for Possession of Machine Gun, Rifle, Handgun, and Fraudulent United States Marshals Service Credentials in Newark Airport, Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Role in Murder for Hire, Three Hudson County Men Charged with Narcotics and Firearms Related Offenses Inside Jersey City Apartment Building, Two Members of Pagans Motorcycle Club Indicted For Shooting At Hells Angels Associate On New Jersey Turnpike. 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). more information Accept. These charges relate to an alleged April 2018 encounter during which they beat an associate of the Hells Angels, a rival motorcycle club, and the victim sustained serious injuries, including fractured ribs. Violence has risen since a change in national leadership in 2018 when Keith "Conan" Richter took over as president, according to testimony. Female clerks and staff in police departments and other law enforcement offices and in the courts who are linked to the Pagans have compromised investigations and passed along confidential information to the group. All rights reserved (About Us). Multiple law enforcement officials told NJ Advance Media that Robert Big Bob Francis, of Virginia, has taken over as the national president of the Pagans. It sells marijuana and cocaine, but a bulk of its business is from methamphetamine, acquired from a Mexican drug cartel. The group now has 900 members in 12 states, he said. These cases are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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). Through the investigation, law enforcement seized 10 firearms and more than 800 grams of methamphetamine. 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 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 Pagans were founded in the 1960s out of Maryland. Not only are there violent attacks on rival biker gangs like the Hells Angels and the Warlocks, the report states, but a 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.. Members of the Pagans became enraged with the informant, who authorities said was an associate of the motorcycle club, when the person told the club he sold the Pagans firearms. This website may contain copyrighted material, the use of which may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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. 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). 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