JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Three members of the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club have pleaded guilty in federal court to charges stemming from a fatal 2021 shooting at the Lake of the Ozarks, as well as racketeering, extortion and drug-trafficking offenses, officials announced last week.Federal prosecutors said Tonka Way Con Ponder, 55, Keith Nolen, 36, and Tretch Lawrence, 50, admitted participating in criminal activities conducted by the motorcycle club.
Ponder pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including violent crimes in aid of racketeering, firearm offenses, methamphetamine conspiracy and distribution, and possession of unregistered firearms.
He admitted participating in the July 15, 2021 confrontation at Casablanca Pub & Grille that resulted in serious bodily injury after he fired at another person.
Nolen pleaded guilty to violent-crime and racketeering-related charges and admitted possessing a firearm despite a prior felony conviction. Authorities recovered the weapon during an August 2023 traffic stop.
Lawrence pleaded guilty to a violent crime in aid of racketeering and attempted extortion. Prosecutors said he participated in efforts to pressure members of the Iron Celtics Motorcycle Association to cease operations.
The defendants admitted the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club engaged in racketeering activities, including attempted robbery and extortion targeting the Iron Celtics Motorcycle Association. They also acknowledged involvement in a December 2021 assault at the Chuckwagon Café in Camdenton, Missouri, where one victim was struck with a pistol.
Quick Facts
- Location: Jefferson City, Missouri
- Organization: Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club
- Defendants: Tonka Way Con Ponder, Keith Nolen, Tretch Lawrence
- Incident: July 15, 2021 shooting at Lake of the Ozarks
- Result: One person killed
- Additional charges: Methamphetamine trafficking
- Court: U.S. District Court
- Guilty pleas entered: May and June 2026
Ponder additionally admitted participating in a methamphetamine-distribution conspiracy in 2022 and selling methamphetamine in 2023. He also admitted possessing an illegal silencer recovered during a 2024 ATF search of his residence.
Sentencing dates have not yet been announced.