Gypsy Jokers Indicted, Feb. 1

A federal grand jury has returned a five-count superseding indictment charging six members and associates of the Gypsy Joker Outlaw Motorcycle Club (GJOMC) for racketeering, kidnapping and murder. The superseding indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams of the District of Oregon; Special Agent in Charge Darek Pleasants of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive’s (ATF) Seattle Field Division; and Chief of Police Danielle Outlaw of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). GJOMC National President Kenneth Earl Hause, 61, of Aumsville, Oregon; Mark Leroy Dencklau, 58, of Woodburn, Oregon; Earl Deverle Fisher, 48, of Gresham, Oregon; Ryan Anthony Negrinelli, 36, of Gresham; Joseph Duane Folkerts, 61, of Battleground, Washington; and a sixth unnamed defendant are charged, as members and associates of the GJOMC, with conspiring to conduct and participate in the activities of a racketeering enterprise. Additionally, Dencklau, Fisher, Negrinelli, Folkerts and the unnamed defendant are charged with murder in aid of racketeering; kidnapping in aid of racketeering, resulting in death; kidnapping resulting in death; and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, resulting in death for the June 30 to July 1, 2015 kidnapping and murder of Robert Huggins, a former GJOMC member and resident of southeast Portland, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the GJOMC criminal enterprise.  “According to the indictment, since at least 2003, the Gypsy Jokers have engaged in a wide range of crimes, including kidnapping, murder, drug dealing, robbery, extortion, and witness tampering,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “Thanks to the efforts of ATF, the Portland Police Department, and federal prosecutors, we will work hard to hold accountable the leaders and members of this brutal and highly organized gang for their alleged crimes.” “Kenneth Hause is the leader of a criminal organization that, through its many chapters and support clubs, has sowed violence and intimidation throughout the Pacific Northwest. This is an organization whose members and associates pride themselves on living outside the law and use kidnapping, assault, murder and other forms of violence to extend and maintain their power. Kenneth Hause and his co-defendants will soon face the consequences of their crimes thanks to a seamless partnership of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “This is a continuation of ATF’s operations against the Gypsy Joker Outlaw Motorcycle Club for racketeering, kidnapping and murder,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Pleasants. “As president of a criminal organization, Mr. Hause put the community at risk and showed contempt for law and order. It is among ATF’s core commitments to protect the public from violent criminals such as these Gypsy Jokers.” “The Portland Police Bureau is proud to be a part of this cooperative effort,” said Chief Outlaw. “Violent crime deeply affects our community. By working with our partners, we can utilize a collective group of strategies and tactics to investigate and apprehend those responsible for committing violent acts or profiting from people’s fear through extortion and intimidation.” According to the superseding indictment, the GJOMC preserves, promotes and protects its power, territory and profits through violence and intimidation and enriches its members through extortion, robbery and the distribution of narcotics. The organization is known for using fear through its members and associates as a tactic for establishing and maintaining its power. The GJOMC oversees several “support clubs” in Oregon and Washington, including the Road Brothers Northwest Motorcycle Club, Solutions Motorcycle Club, Northwest Veterans Motorcycle Club, High-Side Riders, and the Freedom Fellowship Motorcycle Club. Dencklau, Fisher and Tiler Evan Pribbernow, 37, of Portland were first charged in a four-count indictment unsealed in July 2018. Pribbernow pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiring to conduct and participate in the activities of a racketeering enterprise on November 7, 2018. Dencklau and Fisher are detained pending trial. In addition to the criminal charges brought against the named defendants, the government is seeking forfeiture of a property located in Salem, Oregon used as a GJOMC clubhouse. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case was investigated by the PPB and ATF, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon State Police, and the Oregon and Washington State Crime Labs. Leah K. Bolstad and Steven T. Mygrant, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, are prosecuting the case with Rebecca A. Staton, Trial Attorney for the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.