16 bikers face federal charges

Sixteen members of two motorcycle gangs — the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and the Red Devils Motorcycle Club — have been arrested on federal charges in an indictment unsealed Wednesday in the Eastern District of North Carolina, a release from its U.S. Attorney’s Office says.

The charges stem from “violent criminal activity” in and around Raleigh and Fayetteville.

The cases involved are:

• Five defendants were charged with murder in aid of racketeering in the Jan. 1, 2023, slaying in Raleigh of a member of the rival Pagan’s Motorcycle Club.

Arrested were Vidaul Rashaad “Hootie” Reed, 31, of Columbus, Mississippi; Anthony Edward “Rowdy” Cheever, 34, of Garner; David William “007” Stephens, 26, of Spring Lake; Martinus Jermaine “Tee” Starks, 43, of Fayetteville; and Tyler Scott “Snow” Grissom, 31, of Warrenton. All are members of the Red Devils, the release says.

• Two other defendants were charged with being an accessory after the fact to the slaying.

Arrested were Christopher Dylan Manor, 28, of Fayetteville, and Robert Scott Brown, 62, of Cumberland County. The release lists Manor as a member of the Red Devils and Brown as a member of the Hell’s Angels

• Eight defendants were charged with attempted murder in aid of racketeering and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering in a July 22, 2023, attack on Pagan’s members at a parking lot in Wade.

Arrested were Jason Lee Hathaway, 47, of Michigan City, Indiana; Fred Joseph “Freddy” (or “Snow Boy”) Prosperi, 42, of Wheeling, West Virginia; William Scott “Bill Will” Gardner, 33, of Garner; Terry Lewis Akins Jr., 51, of Palatka, Florida; J.R. Nevarez Darr, 31, of Raleigh; Darrell Dewayne Strickland Jr., 26, of Fayetteville; William Franklin Beasley, 64, of Nashville; and David Lee Woodall, 45, of Fayetteville. All are members of the Hell’s Angels, the release says

• A ninth defendant — Jonathan Michael Robarge, 40, of Orlando — was arrested and charged with obstruction after an attempt was made to dissuade a witness to the Wade attack from aiding the ensuing investigation. Robarge has ties to the Hell’s Angels and Red Devils, the release says.

“According to the indictment, these defendants were leaders, organizers, and members of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club and committed multiple crimes to advance their positions in this violent gang,” Nicole M. Argentieri, principal deputy assistant attorney general and head of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Justice Department, said in the release. “The gang’s alleged violent acts included the murder of a rival gang member on a public street and the assault and attempted murder of other rival gang members in a restaurant parking lot. This indictment demonstrates that along with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, the Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those responsible for acts of violence that terrorize local communities.”

The Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Activity statute was the source of authority for most of the charges. The law makes it illegal to commit certain violent crimes for the purpose of joining, maintaining one’s position with, or moving up in rank within a criminal enterprise.

The indictment alleges that Hell’s Angels members are under a standing order to attack and injure or kill members of the Pagan’s, and that Hell’s Angels members use violence and threats of violence to keep witnesses to their actions silent.

The release says that the Red Devils are the “main support club nationwide” for the Hell’s Angels.