STAFF REPORTS
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Following a four-month trial, a federal jury in Buffalo, New York, has convicted three leaders and members of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club (KMC), including the National President, of multiple charges for their roles in a major racketeering operation that involved violence and murder.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. for the Western District of New York and Special Agent in Charge Gary Loeffert of FBI Buffalo made the announcement.
David Pirk, 67, KMC National President, and Andre Jenkins aka Little Bear, 39, KMC member and Nomad, were convicted of RICO conspiracy, possession of firearms in furtherance of crime of violence, murder in aid of racketeering, possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, using and maintaining premises for drug dealing and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Jenkins was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Timothy Enix, aka Blaze, 58, KMC member and Florida/Tennessee Regional President, was convicted of RICO conspiracy, possession of firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence, using and maintaining premises for drug dealing and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“The defendants and their associates transformed the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club into a vicious gang that terrorized the Buffalo area, engaging in senseless murders, brutal violence, robberies, and drug trafficking,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “But after today’s verdict, the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club’s reign of terror is coming to an end. The U.S. Department of Justice and our partners will aggressively pursue violent gangs wherever they are found and bring them to justice.”
“Today’s verdict demonstrates that the rule of law, as enforced by the dedicated men and women of this Office together with our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement, is more powerful than even the murderous leaders of an outlaw biker gang,” said U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Through the tireless work of our trial team, led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Tripi, Chief of the Strategic Operations and Prosecutions Section, and Brendan Cullinane, of the Office’s Narcotics and Violent Crime Section, together with prosecutor Marianne Shelvey of DOJ’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and case agents, HSI Special Agent Gregory Mango and FBI Special Agent Steven Donnelly, the full truth has finally been revealed. The ringleaders of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club have been exposed as the murderous, drug-dealing, gun-toting, misogynistic thugs that they are, and all of those responsible for the senseless murders of Paul Maue and Daniel ‘DJ’ Szymanski have been finally brought to justice.”
“Motorcycle gangs have evolved over 70 years from bar-room brawlers to somewhat sophisticated criminals,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Loeffert. “The Kingsmen’s leadership not only voiced a desire to turn its club into a “one-percenter” gang, it acted on that desire when Paul Maue and DJ Szymanski were killed. Those murders told everyone that the Kingsmen do not want to be aligned with the vast majority of riders who are law-abiding citizens. With today’s verdicts, the repeated and regular acts of violence so inculcated into the culture of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club are over.”
“The guilty verdicts issued today are a powerful example of justice being served against a ruthless and violent criminal gang,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly. “Cases like these demonstrate that the combined resolve of all of the participating law enforcement agencies is a vital force against criminal groups.”
According to court documents and evidence presented by the government at trial, beginning in 2013, certain KMC members, including defendant David Pirk, wanted to establish the KMC as a 1 percent club. The 1 percent refers to a previous statement by a representative of the American Motorcycle Association that 99 percent of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens with the remaining 1 percent engaged in certain activities such as drug and firearm trafficking, and acts of violence. The defendants, and others, participated in, directly and indirectly, acts of murder, assault, robbery, kidnapping, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering.
Acts of violence committed by the KMC include:
• In September 2014, Pirk told defendant Jenkins to “take care of it.” This was in reference to KMC members Paul Maue and Daniel “DJ” Szymanski who were murdered behind the North Tonawanda KMC Chapter clubhouse on Sept. 6, 2014.
• On June 7, 2013, KMC forcibly shut down the Springville Chapter and strip members of their colors because they were non-compliant members. Brandishing firearms, KMC members struck a victim in the head with a blunt object and stole items from the Springville clubhouse. They then used bleach to clean areas where the victim bled and cut and removed portions of the rug, which contained blood.
• On Sept. 12, 2009, a female victim was punched repeatedly in the face by a KMC member and then held against her will for three days to conceal her facial injuries from police.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 25 before U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, who presided over the trial of the case.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. Assisting in the investigation were the FBI Knoxville, Tennessee and Jacksonville, Florida Field Offices; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office; the Buffalo Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the New York State Police; the Olean Police Department; the Lancaster Police Department; the Amherst Police Department; the Town of Tonawanda Police Department; the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police; the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department; and the Hamburg Police Department. Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Tripi and Brendan Cullinane for the Western District of New York prosecuted the case.
