Ex-Pagans MC Member Plead Guilty to Violence Against Rival Motorcycle Clubs in Kansas and Missouri

Kansas City man admits role in armed biker gang attacks targeting rival club members

Nick Sloan KMBC in Kansas City Missouri March 12, 2026
https://www.kmbc.com/article/kansas-city-man-admits-role-in-armed-biker-gang-attacks-targeting-rival-club-members/70727633

A former member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club has admitted to taking part in a series of violent attacks targeting rival motorcycle club members in Kansas and Missouri.

James Prettyman, 44, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to three charges connected to the assaults.

hose charges include attempted assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm during a violent crime.

Prosecutors say the violence stemmed from ongoing rivalries between motorcycle clubs.

Court records show that on Sept. 3, 2022, Prettyman and other members of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club and a support club traveled to Topeka with plans to attack members of a rival club attending an event there.

Investigators said the group intended to “catch a stray,” meaning any rival member they encountered, and attack them using either an axe handle or a gun.

The group spotted a rival member in a hotel parking lot.

Court documents say a disagreement broke out among the Pagan’s members before any violence occurred, and the group returned to the Kansas City area.

Two weeks later, on Sept. 17, the conflict escalated. Authorities say Prettyman and others chased a rival motorcycle club member in Blue Springs and forced him off the road.

Members of the group were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle, according to court records.

The victim was confronted on the side of the road and shot seven times, suffering gunshot wounds to his knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks and the back of his leg.

Prettyman now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and could receive up to life behind bars.
His sentencing date has not yet been set.

The investigation involved the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and law enforcement in Kansas City, Independence and Blue Springs.