16 members of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club – including several from Cattaraugus County – have been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection to a major racketeering operation involving the club’s national president as well as regional and chapter presidents.
US Attorney William Hochul says that with the indictment, an era of violence perpetrated upon so many communities across the county by a single criminal enterprise has come to an end.
Among those indicted are 37-year-old Robert Osborne and 46-year-old Thomas Scanlon both of Olean; and 44-year-old Emmett Green and 45-year-old Jack Wood of the Arcade Chapter.
Besides the racketeering, other charges including attempted murder, robbery, using firearms in crimes of violence, and a number of drug offenses.
Named in the indictment are:
- David Pirk, 65, KMC National President;
- Andre Jenkins, 37, KMC member, Nomad;
- Timothy Enix, 56, KMC member, Florida/Tennessee Regional President;
- Filip Caruso, 51, KMC member, New York Northern Regional President;
- Edgar Dekay, 34, KMC member, North Tonawanda Chapter President, Nomad President;
- Jason Williams, 41, KMC member, North Tonawanda Chapter Vice President;
- Thomas Koszuta, 52, KMC member, Nomad;
- Gregory Willson, 50, KMC member, Nomad;
- Emmett Green, 44, KMC member, Arcade/Delevan Chapter President, New York Southern Tier Regional President, and New York Regional President;
- Robert Osborne, Jr., 37, KMC member, Olean Chapter President;
- Stanley Olejniczak, 51, KMC member;
- Jack Wood, 45, KMC member, Arcade Chapter Sergeant at Arms;
- Ryan Myrtle, 32, KMC member, North Tonawanda Chapter President;
- Thomas Scanlon, 46, KMC member, Olean Chapter President, Nomad, and New York Regional President;
- Glen Stacharczyck, 49, KMC member and North Tonawanda Chapter President;
- Sean McIndoo, 42, KMC member and Nomad.
The charges include: Rico Conspiracy; Possession of Firearm In Furtherance of a Crime of Violence; Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Using and Maintaining a Premises for Drug Dealing; Distribution of Marijuna; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes; Felon in Possession of Firearm; Hobbs Act Conspiracy; Hobbs Act Robbery; Assault with Dangerous Weapon in of Racketeering; Use of Firearm During and in Relation to Crimes of Violence; Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime; Accessory after the Fact; Obstruction of Justice; False Statements before Grand Jury; User of Controlled Substance in Possession of Firearms; Distribution of Cocaine; and Distribution of Marijuana.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caleb J. Petzoldt and Joseph M. Tripi, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, beginning in 2013, certain KMC members wanted to establish the KMC as a 1% club. The 1% refers to a previous statement by a representative of the American Motorcycle Association that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens with the remaining 1% engaged in certain activities such as drug trafficking, firearm trafficking, and acts of violence.
Acts of violence allegedly committed by the KMC include:
- In September 2014, defendant KMC President David Pirk told defendant Andre Jenkins to “take care of it.” This was in reference to KMC members Paul Maue and Daniel “DJ” Szymanski who were murdered behind the North Tonawanda KMC Chapter clubhouse on September 6, 2014.
- On June 7, 2013, KMC forcibly shut down the Springville Chapter and strip members of their colors because they were non-compliant members. Brandishing firearms, KMC members struck a victim in the head with a blunt object and stole items from the Springville clubhouse. They then used bleach to clean areas where the victim bled and cut and removed portions of the rug which contained blood. As a result of assault, defendant Willson was elevated to the position of Nomad within the KMC. A KMC Nomad was a KMC member that was not required to regularly attend meetings but was expected to serve the interests of the KMC enterprise including fighting other clubs and committing violent crimes.
- On September 12, 2009, a female victim was punched repeatedly in the face by a KMC member and then held against her will for three days to conceal her facial injuries from police.
Fifteen of the defendants are in custody and the remaining defendant is expected to be taken into custody soon.
The superseding indictment is the culmination of the an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen. Assisting in the investigation: the FBI Knoxville, TN, and Jacksonville, FL Field Offices, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, the Buffalo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York State Police, the Olean Police Department, the Lancaster Police Department, the Amherst Police Department, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department, the Hamburg Police Department.