DOJ: Lancaster County man part of ‘Thug Riders Motorcycle Club,’ 13 others arrested

(WHTM)– A Pennsylvania man who was allegedly part of an Ohio motorcycle gang was indicted by a federal grand jury, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Matthew Hawkins, 32, of Pequea, Lancaster County, also known as “Hawk,” was one of 14 people who are a part of the “outlaw motorcycle gang” known as the Thug Riders Motorcycle Club (TRMC), according to a news release.

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The DOJ says members of the TRMC partook in crimes that included murder, arson, and assault, and some gang members also partook in extortion and identity fraud.

Law enforcement arrested TRMC’s Midwest Regional Boss and the other 13 members on June 13, according to the DOJ.

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The indictment, which was returned by the grand jury on June 11, alleges that members engaged in the following acts listed below, according to the release:

  • Blowing up a former member’s vehicle in May 2021

  • Killing a man during a shootout in Sept. 2021

  • Shooting over 190 rounds into a rival motorcycle gang’s clubhouse in Kentucky in April 2023

  • Threatening and extorting former members

  • Breaking the leg of a patron at a Dayton bar in June 2023

  • Attacking a rival gang member at a different Dayton bar

  • Partaking in a shootout at a motorcycle gang’s clubhouse in March in Ohio

  • Assaulting members of another motorcycle gang in Ohio in May

Other than Hawkins, the 13 others indicted are: Juan Robles, 45, of Arizona, Joey Marshall, 44, of Ohio, Jared Peters, 37, of Ohio, Brandon Fisher, 26, of Ohio, John Smith, 37, of Dayton, Norman Beach, 49, of Ohio, Michael Henry, 40, of Ohio, Daniel Hutton, 39, of Ohio, Michael Reese, 44, of Ohio, Joseph Rader, 32, of Kentucky, Justin Baker, 29, of Ohio, Cody Hughes, 28, of Ohio, and Brent Egleston, 36, of Ohio.

According to court documents, Robles was the “boss” of the club and was important in establishing the Dayton chapter. Marshall, Peters, Fisher and Smith along with Robles all had leadership roles, with Marshall specifically being the “sergeant at arms.” Peter served as the president of the Dayton chapter, Fisher served as the “sergeant at arms” of the Dayton chapter and Smith served as the “enforcer” of the Dayton chapter.

Robles, Marshall, Peters, Fisher, Smith, Beach, and Henry were indicted on racketeering (RICO) charges, and the rest of the defendants were indicted on charges of assaults, attempted assaults, and conspiracy to commit assaults, the release says.

The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.

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