Charges resolved in two more Pagans' cases

OFF THE WIRE
BY: Andrew Clevenger
Source: wvgazette.com
West Virginia - CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Two more defendants in the federal racketeering case against members and associates of the Pagans Motorcycle Club resolved the charges against them on Thursday, one by pleading guilty and one by agreeing to stay out of trouble for a year.
Corey Charles "Mohawk" Hinkle, 30, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting obstruction of justice. Acting on orders from Floyd "Jesse" Moore of St. Albans, the club's national vice president, Hinkle removed a large container containing clothing that Pagans had commandeered from another motorcycle club from the Pagans' clubhouse in St. Albans in February 2009, according to a stipulation of facts attached to his plea agreement.

At the time, Hinkle knew that federal authorities were investigating the Pagans and collecting evidence against them, the stipulation states. Some members had been subpoenaed and testified in front of a grand jury.

"The topics of the searches and the grand jury testimony were discussed frequently and often among members of the PMC," the stipulation states.

Moore was concerned that the government would seize the clothing as part of the ongoing investigation, according to the stipulation.

Hinkle put the clothes in a garbage bag and gave them to someone else to destroy, according to the stipulation.

Although the charge comes with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, prosecutors and Hinkle entered a binding plea deal, which allows U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston to impose a maximum sentence of one year and one day.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss three additional charges against Hinkle as part of the plea deal.

Johnston scheduled Hinkle's sentencing for Oct. 28.

Also Thursday, Kirk Norman "Razor" Dean, 52, of Dunbar, entered into a pre-trial diversion with prosecutors. Essentially, if Dean stays out of trouble for a year, prosecutors agreed to drop the charge pending against him.

According to the indictment and testimony at earlier hearings, Dean allegedly confronted someone wearing a rival motorcycle club's T-shirt and, using the threat of violence, coerced him into surrendering the T-shirt.

As part of his agreement, Dean agreed to plead guilty to simple assault in state court and perform 1,000 hours of community service. Dean's agreement went into effect as soon as his probation officer signed it, which happened at the conclusion of Thursday's hearing.

Last week, in a separate hearing, a Huntington member of the Last Rebels Motorcycle Club, which is a smaller club aligned with the Pagans, pleaded guilty to transporting a stolen vehicle.

Richard Lee "Stump" Stevens admitted he stole a 2004 Honda VTX 1300 motorcycle in Ironton, Ohio, on July 1, 2005, then took it to Scottown, Ohio, according to court records.

Stevens had been charged with conspiring to murder a member of the Pagans who was serving time in a federal prison in Ashland, Ky. Prosecutors alleged that Stevens helped members of the Pagans reach out to his brother, Michael, who was a prison guard at the facility.

Prosecutors dropped those charges in exchange for the stolen vehicle plea, which was not part of the original indictment.

As with Hinkle's plea, prosecutors agreed to a maximum sentence of one year and one day instead of the possible 10 years Stevens could have faced.

Johnston scheduled Stevens' sentencing for Nov. 4.

Although 55 defendants were named in the sweeping racketeering indictment unsealed in October 2009, almost all have pleaded to lesser charges. Johnston recently postponed the first of two trials scheduled for the remaining defendants until the week of July 19.