What did they plead to?
• Guilty pleas: Juan Robles pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and attempted assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio.
Michael Reese pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering.
Who was involved?
• Fourteen indicted: Fourteen Thug Riders members were indicted on various racketeering, conspiracy, assault and attempted assault charges in federal court.
In addition to Robles and Reese, Joey Marshall, John Smith, Norman Beach, Brent Egleston, Brandon Fisher, Cody Hughes, Justin Baker, Jared Peters, Michael Henry, Joseph Rader, Daniel Hutten and Matthew Hawkins were also charged.
• Gang leadership: Robles was the initial president of the Thug Riders Dayton chapter and was the Midwest regional boss at the time of the indictment, according to court documents.
Marshall, Peters, Fisher and Smith reportedly held leadership positions in the Dayton chapter and Midwest region.
• Remaining cases: Fisher, Hughes, Baker and Peters have pleaded guilty but have not been sentenced as of Nov. 14.
Hawkins was sentenced to three years in prison, Henry to 30 months in prison, Hutten to 18 months in prison and Rader to 15 months in prison, according to court records.
Hawkins and Henry also will be on supervised release for three years.
Rader and Hutten were sentenced to a year of supervised release.
What are they accused of?
• Violent crimes: Investigators claim the gang was involved in various violent acts, including a murder, shootings, assault and arson.
Members also participated in extortion and identity fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to the indictment, the Thug Riders were connected to the following
• The explosion of a former member’s pick-up truck in Huber Heights on May 25, 2021.
• The fatal shooting of 43-year-old Joseph Nicholson in Harrison Twp. on Sept. 26, 2021. Hawkins, Fisher and Smith, along with other unnamed Thug Riders, fired more than 40 shots at the Chevrolet Tahoe Nicholson was sitting inside, according to court records.
• A gunfight on April 9, 2023, at a rival motorcycle group’s clubhouse in Lexington, Kentucky. The Thug Riders reportedly fired 192 rounds during the attack, but no one was injured.
• A fight at a Dayton bar on June 17, 2023. The gang allegedly broke a man’s leg and gave him a black eye.
• A gunfight at another motorcycle club’s clubhouse in Springfield on March 20, 2024. Fisher was reportedly shot twice in the head.
• The assault of two members of a rival motorcycle club in London, Ohio, on March 16, 2024.
What happens next?
• Sentencings: Robles’ and Reese’s sentencings have not been scheduled.
Robles’ defense sought a sentence of 10 years, according to a sentencing memo.
His attorney claimed Robles’ regional leadership role was primarily administrative and that he didn’t have the power to order members to commit violent crimes.
Reese’s attorney requested a sentence of three years.
His attorney wrote Reese has a strong potential for rehabilitation and that he has accepted responsibility for his actions and poor decision making in a sentencing memo.
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