Sixteen members of two outlaw motorcycle gangs, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and the Red Devils Motorcycle Club, are being charged in the Eastern District of North Carolina with murderous and violent racketeering activity around Raleigh and Fayetteville.

What You Need To Know

  • The charges include murder, attempted murder and obstruction in connection with an attack on a rival gang member at a Dairy Queen

  • The suspected gang members have "standing orders" to attack members of the Pagans, authorities said

  • The defendants face three years to life in prison if convicted of all charges

The charges include murder in aid of racketeering for killing a member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club, a rival gang, attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering for supposedly violently beating up a Pagans member in a Dairy Queen parking lot in Wade, N.C., and obstruction for trying to deter a witness from helping with the investigation, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina.

“Outlaw motorcycle gangs are notorious for lawless and violent behavior. These criminal organizations are responsible for a long list of illegal activities, such as assault and homicide and operate with absolutely no regard for the safety of law enforcement or the community,” ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims said in the release.

Many of the charges are brought under the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Activity law, which makes kidnapping, murder, maiming, assault causing bodily harm, assault with a dangerous weapon and threatening to commit any other violent crimes to move up, join or stay in a violent gang illegal, the release said.

The charges allege the 16 suspects are members of or are associated with Hells Angels and have a “standing order” to attack, possibly kill and injure Pagans members, officials said.

Some of those charged include David Williams Stephens, aka “007,” Jonathan Michael Robarge, William Scott Gardner, aka “Big Will,” Anthony Edward Cheever, aka “Rowdy,” and Jason Lee Hathaway. Defendants are facing three years to life in prison if convicted on all charges. 

“I want to make it clear: violent activity is not tolerated in Cumberland County. The Sheriff’s Office is 100% committed to maintaining a safe and peaceful community,” Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis W. Wright said in the release.

The investigation was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, in which state, federal and local agencies work together to fight high-level criminal organizations, authorities said.