Sixteen members of two outlaw motorcycle gangs — the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and the Red Devils Motorcycle Club —were named in a federal indictment for their alleged roles in engaging in violent criminal activity in Raleigh and Fayetteville, North Carolina.
The Red Devils MC is the main support club nationwide for the Hells Angeles MC.
Five of the defendants are charged with murder in aid of racketeering for allegedly killing a member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club (PMC), a rival gang, on Jan. 1, 2023, in Raleigh.
Two additional defendants are charged with accessory after the fact for their alleged actions following that murder.
Eight defendants are charged with attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, both in connection with racketeering, for their alleged roles in a violent attack on Pagans MC members in the Dairy Queen parking lot in Wade, North Carolina, on July 22, 2023.
Additionally, one defendant faces obstruction charges for allegedly trying to prevent a witness from cooperating with the investigation.
The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
“Two years ago, we launched a Violent Crime Action Plan to partner with local law enforcement to identify the individuals and groups driving violence in North Carolina, especially criminal enterprises that support and encourage violence by their members,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “We’ll keep pursuing cases like this one, charging violent crimes in aid of racketeering, to expose patterns of violence and hold gang members and those who enable them accountable.”
“Outlaw motorcycle gangs are notorious for lawless and violent behavior,” said Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Charlotte Field Division. “These criminal organizations are allegedly responsible for a long list of illegal activities, including firearms trafficking, assault, and homicide, and operate with absolutely no regard for the safety of law enforcement or the community.”
Most of the charges are being brought under the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Activity (VICAR) statute, which makes it illegal to commit certain violent crimes to join, maintain one’s position with, or move up in rank within the enterprise.
The violent crimes included in this statute include murder, kidnapping, maiming, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and threatening to commit a crime of violence.
The indictment alleges that all 16 defendants are members or associates of the HAMC, a violent outlaw motorcycle group that allegedly uses violence, threats, and intimidation to carry out its perceived mission and enforce its rules.
The indictment alleges that Hells Angels MC members are under a standing order to attack, injure, and kill members of the Pagans MC.
The indictment also alleges that HAMC members commonly commit physical assaults, including murder, threats to injure, and intimidation to keep witnesses to their criminal conduct silent.
The indictment charges the following offenses:
Vidaul Rashaad Reed, 31, also known as Hootie, of Columbus, Mississippi; Anthony Edward Cheever, 34, also known as Rowdy, of Garner, North Carolina; David William Stephens, 26, also known as 007, of Spring Lake, North Carolina; Martinus Jermaine Starks, 43, also known as Tee, of Fayetteville; and Tyler Scott Grissom, 31, also known as Snow, of Warrenton, North Carolina, are alleged members of the Red Devils MC. They are each charged with murder in aid of racketeering and discharging a firearm during a violent crime, resulting in death. These charges stem from the alleged murder of a Pagans MC member on January 1, 2023. If convicted, the murder charge carries a mandatory life sentence.
Christopher Dylan Manor, 28, of Fayetteville, and Robert Scott Brown, 62, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are both charged with being accessories after the fact in the January 1, 2023, murder. Manor was allegedly a member of the Red Devils MC at the time, while Brown is a member of the Hells Angels MC. If convicted, they each face up to 15 years in prison.
Jason Lee Hathaway, 47, of Michigan City, Indiana; Fred Joseph Prosperi, 42, also known as Freddy and Snow Boy, of Wheeling, West Virginia; William Scott Gardner, 33, also known as Big Will, of Garner, North Carolina; Terry Lewis Akins Jr., 51, of Palatka, Florida; J.R. Nevarez Darr, 31, of Raleigh; Darrell Dewayne Strickland Jr., 26, of Fayetteville; William Franklin Beasley, 64, of Nashville; and David Lee Woodall, 45, of Fayetteville, are all charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering.
These charges relate to the July 22, 2023, attempted murder and assault of Pagans MC members in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen in Wade, North Carolina. They were allegedly members of the Hells Angels MC at the time.
If convicted, they face up to 30 years in prison.
Jonathan Michael Robarge, 40, of Orlando, is charged with witness tampering through harassment.
Robarge allegedly has ties to both the Hells Angels MC and the Red Devils MC. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty three years in prison.
The ATF, Raleigh and Fayetteville Police Departments, and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein and Deputy Chief Kelly Pearson of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly L. Sandling and Robert Dodson for the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.