Federal authorities in New Jersey slapped Pagans MC President Keith “Conan” Richter with a gun charge after he was stopped in East Windsor, New Jersey on his way home from a Pagans gathering in Lancaster, Pa.
The 62 year old biker had traveled from his home in Bayshore Long Island to the Pagans gathering and was on his way home in a GMC SUV when he was stopped by authorities. During a search of the vehicle authorities say they found a hidden compartment containing a .45 caliber handgun.
Richter is a convicted felon who is not permitted to possess a gun. He and a fellow Pagan had just traveled over state lines in to New Jersey.
Richter, investigators say, has been on a campaign to beef up the ranks of the Pagans up and down the East Coast and return the MC to some of its old school ways.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Newark announced the arrest Friday and says Richter faces a possible 10-year prison sentence if convicted on the gun charge.
Here is some of the complaint filed by federal prosecutors in Newark:
“The Pagan’s Motorcycle Club (the “Pagans”) is an outlaw motorcycle gang known by law enforcement to engage in criminal activity, including drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and violent crimes. Through investigative techniques including, but not limited to, surveillance, public records searches, and sources of law enforcement intelligence, law enforcement has confirmed that Keith Richter, a/k/a “Conan” (“RICHTER”), currently serves as the Pagans’ national president.
On or about February 20, 2021, the Pagans hosted a party in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At approximately 7:00 a.m. on that date, RICHTER left his residence in Bay Shore, New York in a white GMC (the “GMC”). He arrived at the party sometime around noon. At approximately 11:10 p.m., RICHTER left the Pagans’ party as the passenger in the GMC while another member of the Pagans (“Individual-1”) drove.
While the party was ongoing, law enforcement learned that RICHTER was in possession of a firearm. As a result of that information, law enforcement performed a motor vehicle stop on the GMC after it left the party.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. on or about February 21, 2021, law enforcement pulled the GMC over in or around East Windsor, New Jersey. During the stop, law enforcement searched the GMC and recovered a firearm from a hollowed-out compartment underneath the cupholder in the front-seat center console.
The firearm was identified as a Ruger P345 .45 caliber handgun, bearing serial number 664-28083 (the “Firearm”) and was loaded with at least one round of .45 caliber ammunition (the “Ammunition”).
After seizing the Firearm and the Ammunition, law enforcement advised RICHTER and Individual-1 that they were free to leave. As RICHTER and Individual-1 re-entered the GMC, a Special Agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives heard RICHTER say, in sum and substance, “I guess they didn’t find it.”
The Firearm and the Ammunition were manufactured outside the State of New Jersey, and thus necessarily traveled in interstate commerce prior to February 21, 2021. In addition, RICHTER himself traveled across state lines with the Firearm and Ammunition from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to East Windsor, New Jersey.
On or about September 4, 1998, RICHTER was convicted in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York of felony offenses, including one count of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and two counts of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959. RICHTER was sentenced to a sixteen-year term of imprisonment for those offenses, from which he was released on or about March 1, 2012.
The charges and allegations contained in this complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
