Category: Gangs in the news…

Jury deadlocked in murder trial for last Pagan Motorcycle Club member charged in 2022 shooting

by: Sam Kirk WBOY Sep 2, 2025
https://www.wboy.com/news/crime/jury-deadlocked-in-murder-trial-for-last-pagan-motorcycle-club-member-charged-in-2022-shooting/

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — No verdict has been reached in the murder trial for Pagan Motorcycle Club member Ryan Lane, who was charged in the 2022 shooting death of Henry Silver in Marion County.

After nine days, the jury was given the case Friday afternoon and deliberated throughout the day on Friday. After deliberating for more than six hours Tuesday following the Labor Day weekend, the jury was deadlocked, and the judge declared a mistrial.

Lane, who is the President of Presidents of the national Pagan Motorcycle Club, is the last of six local Pagan Motorcycle Club members who were charged with murder in the case of Silver’s death to got to trial. Silver was shot and killed by a group masked men in Carolina, West Virginia in September 2022.

Lane was charged in 2024 after testimony during the first murder trial in the case for John Wolfe, who was convicted of planning the murder because the victim was sleeping with his girlfriend.

Although Lane was known to be in contact with other Pagan members around the time of the murder and held a leadership role in the Pagan Motorcycle Club, his cellphone location did not put him near the murder when others who were convicted, including Austin Mullins, Derek Clem and Dane Hull, were at the scene in Carolina.

Lane’s Pagan Motorcycle Club jacket, which was presented as evidence during the trial, also had no “patches of violence.”

More than a dozen witnesses testified over the course of the trial, but the eighth day on Aug. 28, Austin Mullins, who is serving 40 years in prison for his role in the killing, was called to the stand by Lane’s defense attorney but refused to testify. A redacted version of is testimony from a previous trial was read into evidence.

A hung or deadlocked jury means that the jury, which was comprised of eight men and eight women in this case, was unable to reach a unanimous decision. This means that Lane has been neither convicted or acquitted in the case. Moving forward, the Marion County prosecutors will either retry the case, negotiate a plea deal or dismiss the charges.

You can watch a full playlist of 12 News coverage of Lane’s trial in the player above.

SQ raid alleged Hells Angels drug operation in Quebec City

Montreal Gazette August 28, 2025
https://www.montrealgazette.com/news/article1130538.html#storylink=cpy

Quebec provincial police, along with Quebec City police, raided a drug trafficking operation that they believe is linked to the Quebec chapter of the Hells Angels.

Around 25 officers searched a residence, a vehicle and two dwellings on Wednesday in Quebec City, the Sûreté du Québec wrote in a statement.

In the raid, police seized $854,000 in cash, over 31 grams of “shatter” cannabis concentrate, around 200 grams of cocaine, about 20 methamphetamine tablets, eight cellphones and a vehicle.

They also arrested two men at the searched premises, who were later released pending further investigation. Wednesday’s operation is linked to an investigation that began in March.

Any information related to the trafficking, distribution, sale or possession of narcotics or firearms can be communicated confidentially to the SQ’s criminal information centre at 1-800-659-4264.

Biker gang holds anniversary gathering in Helsinki under police watch

https://yle.fi/a/74-20180210 August 30, 2025

Checks have been reinforced with the Border Guard, particularly with police carrying out an operation at Helsinki Airport on Friday evening.

The Bandidos motorcycle gang is holding a celebration in Helsinki this weekend, with members attending from outside Finland.
“Police have stepped up monitoring of entry and residence in the country in connection with the event,” said Henri Helminen, superintendent and head of emergency operations at Helsinki Police.

Checks have been reinforced with the Border Guard, particularly at Helsinki Airport and at ferry terminals. Police carried out an operation at the airport on Friday evening.

“There is no information in advance about a concrete rise in the threat level, but based on previous court rulings police interpret the club’s activities as linked to organised crime. Naturally, police will step up surveillance when this kind of event is taking place,” Helminen said.

Ilta-Sanomat earlier reported that police checked the passports of all passengers on an SAS flight from Copenhagen to Helsinki on Friday night. Inspections were also carried out elsewhere at the airport.

Dozens of participants, some from abroad

Helminen said dozens of members are expected to attend the event, although he did not give an exact figure.

“These aren’t exactly annual occasions – it seems to be something bigger, perhaps an anniversary,” he said.

Police have not received any advance notification of a public event, such as a parade or ride-out. Authorities have also not commented on possible deportations, but said more information would be provided later over the weekend.

According to Helsingin Sanomat, the operation prevented between 20 and 30 members from taking part in the gathering. The paper cited Bandidos president Antti Kainulainen, who said the event marked the 30th anniversary of the gang’s Finnish chapter.

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Police block Bandidos members from entering Finland for gang anniversary

Helsini Times Finland 30 August 2025
https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/27808-police-block-bandidos-members-from-entering-finland-for-gang-anniversary.html

Police and border authorities in Finland prevented dozens of foreign members of the Bandidos motorcycle club from entering the country on Friday evening as the gang prepared to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its Finnish chapter in Helsinki.
Helsingin Sanomat was the first to report the operation, which took place at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and involved collaboration between the police, Border Guard, and customs officers. The action drew public attention as several passengers arriving from European cities were stopped and questioned upon landing.

According to Helsinki Police Superintendent Henri Helminen, the operation was part of increased monitoring tied to the biker gang’s gathering. “Police intensified checks on entry and residence in cooperation with the Border Guard,” he told Helsingin Sanomat. He confirmed the operation was connected to the Bandidos event.

The authorities did not report any change in the general threat level. However, Helminen said that past legal rulings support the police interpretation of Bandidos activities as being associated with organised crime. “Naturally, we increase surveillance when such an event is taking place,” he said.

At least 20 to 30 foreign members were refused entry and deported, according to Antti Kainulainen, the president of Bandidos Finland. He told Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday that the members were stopped at the border and ordered to return to their home countries.

The deported individuals arrived from across Europe to attend the anniversary event, which Kainulainen confirmed was a private celebration. Most of them were not wearing gang insignia during travel, but reportedly had club vests in their luggage.

Kainulainen criticised the uniform treatment of all arriving members. “Even those without criminal records were given three- to five-year entry bans,” he said. He called the police action an abuse of law and questioned the legal grounds, referencing a 2011 Finnish Supreme Court decision that ruled Bandidos Helsinki was not a criminal organisation.

He also claimed that an unresolved legal case, in which the National Police Board is seeking to ban Bandidos and its subgroups, was used as the basis for some of the entry refusals. “The same written notice was handed to dozens of people. Shouldn’t each case be evaluated individually?” he said.

Kainulainen added that the members were unaware they would be denied entry and criticised the lack of prior notice from Finnish authorities.

Eyewitnesses at Helsinki Airport described the scale of the operation. A passenger on a flight from Copenhagen told Ilta-Sanomat that police were stationed at the jet bridge, checking passports of all arriving passengers before allowing them into the terminal. “There were many officers, including police, customs agents, and border guards,” said the passenger, Joonatan Sirkka.

Superintendent Helminen declined to specify how many individuals were refused entry, stating that the operational phase is still ongoing. He said police will turn back any person who does not meet the requirements for staying in the country, regardless of club affiliation.
No public events, parades, or demonstrations have been announced in connection with the gathering. Helminen confirmed the police had received no prior notification from the group. Authorities have not disclosed whether further enforcement actions will occur during the weekend.

California restauranter accused of hiring biker gang to burn down eatery

James Ward, Visalia Times-Delta August 26, 2025
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/california-restauranter-accused-hiring-biker-202548225.html

Bobby Salazar, a well-known San Joaquin Valley restaurant operator whose name is tied to a chain of half a dozen Mexican restaurants in the region and a popular locally sold salsa brand, has been arrested on federal arson charges, authorities said Monday.

Salazar, 63, is accused of hiring the president of the Screamin’ Demons Motorcycle Club to set fire to his vacant restaurant in Fresno on April 2, 2024. Fire investigators said the blaze was intentionally set after finding partially burned gas cans inside the building and extensive damage to the interior.

Court documents allege Salazar denied involvement in the fire and collected at least $980,739 from an insurance claim.

History of Bobby Salazar restaurants

Salazar has been a familiar figure in the Central Valley dining scene for decades, operating restaurants in Fresno, Clovis, and Kingsburg in the San Joaquin Valley. His family-style Mexican restaurants built a loyal following, and his branded salsa and other products are sold in regional grocery stores. Several of his restaurant locations have closed in recent years, including one Fresno location.
San Joaquin Valley city of Selma, opened in 1942.

In 1998, Bobby Salazar began selling his original recipe salsa in local supermarkets. The retail salsa is now available in major chain grocery stores, including Costco and Save Mart, and smaller independent markets from Oregon to San Diego.

Bobby Salazar also operates a cocktail bar called Lucy’s Lounge, named after his wife Lucy.

What’s next in the Bobby Salazar case?

Salazar is scheduled to appear in federal court Aug. 27 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe in Fresno. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and up to 20 years for commercial arson, plus a consecutive compulsory 10 years for arson in furtherance of a felony.

The investigation is the result of a multi-agency effort, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Fresno Fire Department, with assistance from the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Veneman-Hughes and Brittany M. Gunter are prosecuting the case.

The charges are allegations, and Salazar is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, federal officials said.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Bobby Salazar arrested in Fresno on arson case, faces federal charges

UPDATE: Witness calls alleged president of Pagans the ‘#2 guy’ in W.Va. during murder trial

By WDTV News Staff Published: Aug. 21, 2025 at 1:39 PM EDT
https://www.wdtv.com/2025/08/21/alleged-president-pagan-motorcycle-clubs-murder-trial-continues-marion-county/

FAIRMONT, W.Va (WDTV) – UPDATE (8/26): The murder trial of an alleged president of a Pagan motorcycle club is continuing in Marion County this week.

Day six of Ryan Lane’s murder trial, in which he is accused of playing a role in Henry Silver’s murder in 2022, was held Tuesday.
More details about the case can be found in the original story below.

The testimony of an ATF agent that has investigated motorcycle gangs since 2006 took up most of the hearing on Tuesday.

The agent broke down the history and structure of the Pagans before testifying that he believes Lane is the “number two guy” in the organization’s hierarchy in West Virginia. He said Lane reports directly to the “mother club.”
“Everything runs through him,” the agent said.

Lane’s case is expected to continue throughout this week.

ORIGINAL (8/21): The alleged president of a Pagan motorcycle club is standing trial in Marion County this week for murder.
Ryan Lane, 37, is accused of playing a role in Henry Silver’s murder in 2022 after sending a text to some of his members that said, “Handle that f—–,” according to court documents.

Lane is one of six men arrested in relation to the murder, which occurred on September 9th of 2022 in the Carolina area of Marion County. John Wolfe, a member of the club, learned of a hidden relationship involving Silver and his girlfriend. Deputies alleged that Wolfe then conspired with other members of the club to murder Silver.

Ten minutes prior to the murder occurring, Wolfe texted Lane and told him “keep ur phone on I might need bail money,” court documents say. After that text, deputies said Lane continued to communicate with Wolfe and traveled to where he believed he would be to discuss the events that occurred.

During day four of Lane’s trial Thursday, the jury got to hear from the prosecution, police and multiple other witnesses, including Wolfe’s girlfriend at the time. The defense aimed to cast reasonable doubt upon the prosecution’s case by bringing up Lane’s twin, who they say owns the property connected to the club house and led to confusion surrounding who the club’s president actually was during the night of the police raid.

Wolfe was found guilty of Silver’s murder in April 2024 and sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder in June 2024. Another man, Austin Mullins, who prosecutors have alleged was the shooter, was sentenced to spend 40 years in prison in March for his role in the crime.
Two other men involved — Derek Clem and Dane Hull — were sentenced to time in prison for their roles in the crime in April of this year.

Biker from Pennsylvania allegedly flips off cop on I-75

by Staff Report August 26, 2025

Biker from Pennsylvania allegedly flips off cop on I-75

A biker from Pennsylvania landed in jail after he allegedly flipped off a member of law enforcement on Interstate 75 in Sumter County.
Dacota Lee Paul, 33, was riding a motorcycle traveling at 80 miles per hour in a 70 mph zone at about 12:30 p.m. Sunday near Mile Marker 314 on I-75, according to an arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol. The trooper activated his siren, prompting Paul to gesture toward the trooper with “what seemed to be a middle finger,” the report said.

The motorcycle, bearing a Pennsylvania license plate, merged into the lane closest to the trooper’s patrol car and Paul continued throwing his hands up and “staring” at the trooper.

Paul pulled over and when the trooper approached him, the trooper noticed that Paul was wearing a “partial helmet” and a “skull face mask” covered his face. He was also wearing a leather Iron Order Motorcycle Club jacket. He was identified by his Pennsylvania driver’s license.

Paul refused orders to remove his mask and denied he had been speeding. He raised his voice and tried to talk over the FHP trooper. The trooper could see Paul was armed with a large knife. The trooper “escorted” Paul to the hood of his vehicle and took him into custody. Paul was found to have additional knives, one in his boot and one in his pocket.

Sumter County sheriff’s deputies soon arrived on the scene as backup.

The trooper found that the license plate on the motorcycle had been assigned to a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle. A check of the VIN number of the 2006 Honda motorcycle Paul was riding revealed it was unregistered.

Paul was arrested on charges of failure to obey a law enforcement officer and failure to register his motorcycle. He was taken into custody and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center. Bond was set at $2,000.

Alleged Sarnia biker gang member arrested for fourth time in two years

Terry Bridge August 23, 2025
Theobserver.ca/news/local-news/alleged-sarnia-biker-gang-member-arrested-for-fourth-time-in-two-years

Two alleged members of a biker gang, including one who was at the centre of a controversial Remembrance Day ceremony last fall, have been arrested linked to what Sarnia police are calling a gang assault.

A 54-year-old Sarnia man who was wearing motorcycle gang clothes was walking on Exmouth Street near Indian Road North shortly before 5 p.m. on Aug. 8 when a passing motorist, with alleged ties to a different gang, stopped and confronted him. The man kept walking to the nearby No Frills plaza, which was busy at the time, where they were confronted by several members of the other gang.
He was surrounded and attacked in the parking lot, police said.

“One gang member held the (man) in a headlock while the others punched him repeatedly. During the commission of this offence, one of the offenders was prominently wearing his ‘colours’ (a vest) identifying him as a motorcycle gang member,” police said in a statement issued Friday evening.

People outside the grocery store came and tried to help the man, who suffered minor injuries. The attackers fled, but were later identified on security video footage.

On Thursday night, about two weeks after the altercation, the Sarnia police emergency response team executed search warrants on Davis Street in Sarnia and Monk Street in Point Edward.

“The warrants were conducted to retrieve evidence in relation to the assault as well as the co-ordination of the assault. At this time, two individuals were arrested in relation to the incident,” police said.

Arthur Shura, 65, who police say lives on Monk Street, has been charged with assault, causing a disturbance, and conspiracy to commit assault. Stewart McQueen, 43, of Davis Street in Sarnia, has been charged with the same three offences. They were both later released with upcoming court dates.

This is the fourth time in less than two years Shura has been arrested following alleged public disturbances. He was recently handcuffed following a Canada Day clash in Canatara Park and charged with causing a disturbance in a public place and disobeying a court order.

Prior to that, Shura and his wife were both arrested on Nov. 11 at the Sarnia cenotaph and charged with the same two offences.

Tactical officers arrested a pair after police said people wearing clothing affiliated with an outlaw motorcycle gang tried to lay a black wreath at the cenotaph. They didn’t register, refused to leave when asked, and caused a disturbance by using foul language, police said.
Sarnia police tactical officers escort two men – one wearing an Outlaws patch, the other sporting a Filthy 15 patch – away from a Remembrance Day ceremony in Veterans Park in Sarnia on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (Screengrab from YourTV Sarnia video/Youtube)

The incident, most of it caught on video, shocked onlookers, the city’s mayor and police chief, and sparked a social media debate about whether Sarnia police or the bikers were in the wrong. The Outlaws took the rare step of releasing a formal statement soon after, saying it was unfairly targeted and denied the right to honour veterans.

But Ontario’s top biker cop said the club chose to break the rules at the ceremony and was seeking attention by wearing patches to the event.

Shura was also previously arrested at Point Edward’s Christmas in the Village community event in December 2023 amid reports of kids being chased by a man with weapons. But an assault with a weapon charge laid by Lambton OPP at the time was dropped last summer by the Lambton Crown attorney’s office after Shura agreed to a peace bond. The one-year bond ordered him to keep the peace and be of good behaviour and banned him from contacting the Christmas event complainant, going to his home, work and school, and from weapons.

That is the court order police have charged him with disobeying on Remembrance Day and Canada Day by allegedly not keeping the peace and being of good behaviour.

-with files from Dale Carruthers of the London Free Press

Five arrested after police recover pipe bomb in Johnstown

by: Jackson Tollerton August 21,2025
https://www.news10.com/news/crime/five-arrested-after-police-recover-pipe-bomb-in-johnstown/

JOHNSTOWN, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Johnstown Police Department reported the arrest of five people following an extensive investigation in Fulton County. John Lamont, Krista Moore, Thomas Warner, Laura Seeley, and Danielle Murray (also known as Danielle Lasher), are all facing several charges.

On July 15 around 11 p.m., Johnstown Police pulled over Lamont and his passenger, Moore, in the parking lot of Summer’s Best Ice Cream on Briggs Street during a traffic stop. Officers learned that Lamont, who claimed to be a Hells Angels Outlaw Motorcycle Club member, was driving without a valid license.

During the stop, a K9 unit with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office alerted police to the presence of narcotics at the scene, leading to officers reportedly recovering over a half an ounce of meth and a homemade pipe bomb, resulting in Lamont and Moore being taken into custody. The New York State Police Bomb Disposal Unit responded to the area and safely disposed of the explosive device.

The ensuing investigation led to law enforcement executing search warrants at two residences: Lamont’s home on North Main Street in Gloversville, and a home on Washington Street in Johnstown. Warner was arrested at the Washington Street property, and detectives reportedly located evidence indicating explosives manufacturing at Lamont’s home.

Further investigative review of surveillance footage led to Murray and Seeley being identified as suspects in the operation, with the two allegedly being seen on video removing numerous items from Lamont’s home. They were both taken into custody on August 19 after police executed two additional search warrants at properties on Third Street and Steel Avenue in Gloversville.

Investigators reported that two more pipe bombs, meth, and a shotgun were seized during the searches on August 19. The five defendants now face the following charges:

John Lamont
• First-degree criminal possession of a weapon – explosive
• Fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon
• Aggravated unlicensed operation

Krista Moore
• First-degree criminal possession of a weapon – explosive
• Third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance
• Fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance

Thomas Warner*
• Second-degree obstructing governmental administration
• Resisting arrest

Laura Seeley
• First-degree criminal possession of a weapon – explosive
• Second-degree hindering prosecution
• Second-degree obstructing governmental administration
• Tampering with physical evidence

Danielle Murray (Lasher)*
• Second-degree hindering prosecution
• Second-degree obstructing governmental administration
• Tampering with physical evidence

*Further charges pending

Johnstown Police confirmed that there is no threat to the public as the investigation remains ongoing.

Feds won’t seek death penalty for 2 Bandidos members accused of killing rivals in Houston gang war

By John Wayne Ferguson ,Houston Chronicle Staff August 22, 2025
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/bandidos-rival-biker-gang-war-death-penalty-20869785.php

Two members of the Bandidos biker gang accused of waging a deadly war in Houston against a rival group will not face the death penalty, according to court records.

On Aug. 13, prosecutors notified Judge Keith Ellison that they would not seek the death penalty against David Vargas and Roy Gomez, two of the 14 alleged gang members who were indicted in a organized crime case earlier this year.

Vargas and Gomez faced some of the most serious charges in the sprawling indictment, which accuses the men of killing and assaulting members of the Brothers East biker gang to take control of territory around the Houston area.

Brothers East, or B*EAST is another biker gang that was once tolerated by the Bandidos, one of the oldest outlaw motorcycle groups in the U.S. The groups’ relationship soured however and eventually devolved into armed conflict, according to federal prosecutors. Since 2020, Bandidos have been under orders to kill or assault B*EAST members on sight, according to the indictment.

Vargas is accused of murder in aid of racketeering and using a firearm during a violent crime resulting in death. He is accused of killing Michael John Zimbrich, a member of the Brothers East biker gang in November 2021 outside the Blue Bayou Cafe in east Harris County.
Gomez is also charged with using a firearm during a violent crime resulting in death. He is accused of shooting and killing Adam Burns, another B*EAST member, in September 2020.

The men still face possible life sentences if they are convicted.

Decisions about seeking the death penalty in federal cases are not made solely by local prosecutors. Death-penalty eligible cases are reviewed by a capital review committee at the Justice Department, which makes a recommendation to the U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on whether the harshest penalty will be sought. The decision to seek the death penalty is ultimately made by Bondi.

Since taking office, Bondi has authorized prosecutors to seek the death penalty against 19 people — far more than her predecessor, Merrick Garland, who approved just one death penalty case during his four-year tenure.

Federal prosecutors haven’t said if they intend to seek the death penalty against one other indicted Bandido, John Pfeffer, who they allege was the leader of the faction that targeted B*EAST members. Pfeffer is also accused of murder in Burns’ death.

Eleven other men were indicted on charges that don’t carry a possible death penalty, including racketeering, assault, witness tampering, distributing cocaine and illegal weapons possession.

Most of the indicted men are being held in federal custody until the case reaches trial. All 14 men are scheduled to go on trial together in October, though next week a judge will hear arguments from lawyers who are seeking to delay proceeding until 2026.

Oak Creek biker rally proves uneventful following anticipated boom

Emma Pilger Steamboat Pilot August 22, 2025 epilger@steamboatpilot.com
https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/oak-creek-biker-rally-proves-uneventful-following-anticipated-boom/

The Pagan’s Motorcycle Club rally in Oak Creek was projected to bring anywhere from 100 to 700 people to the town the weekend of Aug. 15, but only about 30-40 members showed, according to Routt County Undersheriff Joshua Carrell.

The Pagan’s Motorcycle Club, founded in 1957, is considered one of the “Big Four” motorcycle gangs, along with the Hells Angels, the Outlaws and the Bandidos, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Steamboat Springs Police Chief Mark Beckett, who has an extensive history in gang activity investigations, said the low turnout could be due to members of the club knowing there would be a large law enforcement presence in the town, and because of the growing Crosho Fire.

When the original information we heard was up to 700 members, that would have had a profound negative impact on our community,” said Beckett. “Luckily, it was much smaller. We don’t want any gangs getting comfortable being in or operating in our community because when they’re here, we also get drug trafficking.”

“I think everyone in Steamboat would agree that we do not want organized crime in our community, and that’s what they are,” added Beckett.
Beckett and Carrell said that law enforcement issued multiple citations during traffic stops, but no members of the club were arrested over the weekend.

In July, the Colorado Information Analysis Center notified the Routt County Sheriff’s Office that there could potentially be a Pagan’s Motorcycle Club rally in Oak Creek from Aug. 14 or 15 to Aug. 17.

According to a July comment from Carrell, a property purchase in Oak Creek — either personally by a club member or by a family member — came with the information that 100 to 700 people planned to attend the rally, but that the use of the property, whether for the event itself or for other purposes, was unclear.

Local business owners, including Skyler McKinley, owner of the Oak Creek Tavern, had told the Steamboat Pilot & Today the prospect of hundreds of visitors patronizing the town was exciting.

Following what was an underwhelming weekend in that respect, McKinley said Wednesday that the gathering went smoothly for his bar.

“We had more of our regular customers in for a longer period on both Friday and Saturday, so numbers were up” said McKinley. “Our numbers tend to go up when there’s an excitement in the town akin to the Pagan’s rally or akin to all the conversations going on right now about wildfires.”

By the end of the weekend, McKinley said he only saw about six or seven members of the Pagan’s at his bar.

“I would say that the impact of the motorcycle club’s presence was largely unnoticeable,” he continued. “Generally, they were friendly. They were asking thoughtful questions. They were engaging with members in the community.”

Members of the club even donated food to the patrons and staff of The Oak Creek Tavern, McKinley said, who added that he discourages motorcyclists from stopping at Oak Creek Tavern to avoid impaired driving. He also noted that he did see an increased law enforcement presence in the town over the weekend.

“I understand it,” he said. “The sheriff’s office and other law enforcement partners believed there would be a huge number of folks coming into the county. I don’t think that number materialized in that way, but it’s better to be overprepared, right?”

Oak Creek Town Administrator Louis Fineberg said Thursday that he didn’t see any members of the club in the town over the weekend, but “heard” that the Oak Creek residents had a positive experience.

“I guess what’s remarkable is how unremarkable it was,” Fineberg said.

“Everything I heard was that if anyone did have an interaction with (the club members), it was polite and courteous, and they weren’t too concerned,” he added.

Fineberg added that club members also donated food to the firefighters working on the Crosho Fire.

When asked about the property in Oak Creek purchased by a possible member of the club, Fineberg said he met the man when he asked him questions about building permits.

“I mean, if someone wants to come in and buy a building, they’re welcome to do it,” said Fineberg. “It’s a free country. As long as they’re not creating issues while they’re here, then it’s all good by me.”

An attempt to contact the local resident potentially affiliated with the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club was unsuccessful.

“The local member worked with RCSO and provided us information so RCSO could properly prepare to keep the community safe and we thank them for that,” said Carrell in a Friday email to the newspaper. “Our objective is to provide people the opportunity to enjoy everything Routt County has to offer in the safest way possible.”

“RCSO prepared for 100-700 people coming into our communities where an unexpected fire had just begun and evacuations were occurring,” the email from Carrell continued. “RCSO did our best to obtain resources before the event as opposed to after the event had already started …

RCSO is committed to our citizens and our communities to keep the peace. We support all citizens who want to gather safely and assemble peacefully in Routt County.”

Beckett said he doesn’t mind when motorcycle clubs come to Routt County communities in a peaceful manner, but he took a strong stance against inviting gang activity.

“They’re like any other person,” said Beckett. “They’re welcome to do what they want. When you hear things from them like when I told them they’re not welcome here, that’s a reference to their gang activity and the gang organization.”

“There’s just a log of violent crime and organized crime that comes with these groups, no matter what they may want to say,” he continued.
Beckett said he wouldn’t be surprised if another biker rally took place in a Routt County community — particularly Oak Creek — again in the future.

“Law enforcement has been dealing with organized crime and motorcycle gangs for a very long time,” he said. “They are not welcome here.

We’ll make sure that we address it appropriately and we treat them fairly, but if they break the law, we’re going to address it.”