Outlaw motorcycle groups on the rise in ENC

Authorities: Outlaw motorcycle groups on the rise in ENC

May 22, 2011 10:01 PM
HOPE HODGE

If you drive anywhere in Onslow County, you have likely seen them: groups of bikers out on a run, straddling Harleys with high handlebars and sporting well-worn leather or denim vests emblazoned with an evocative image: a skull wearing an Indian headdress. A mythical troll-god. A winged harpy.

They are members of motorcycle clubs, close-knit, dedicated and frequently secretive groups formed around a shared identity and a collective love of steel pipes and roaring down the freeway.

The prized jackets are known as colors, a military term emphasizing a regimental authority structure and the notion of brotherhood that is signature to the armed forces. They identify the biker’s club affiliation and frequently his state of origin as well.

While the majority of motorcycle clubs in Onslow and elsewhere cooperate with local authorities and may even participate in community events or charitable causes, a few label themselves “outlaws” or “one-percenters,” contributing to a fierce subculture of violence, drug dealing and other fringe criminal activities.

And this region’s one-percenter population is thriving.

Last July, Onslow County Sheriff’s detective John Dubois told The Daily News that among local gangs, outlaw biker groups were among the office’s greatest concerns.

“Motorcycle gangs are the biggest problem we’re going to have right now,” he said. “They’re very active and moving into this area, although there’s no evidence of any increase in crime associated with those gangs.”

According to the report, Naval Criminal Investigative Service Officials observed members of the Pagans recruiting Marines for their main support club, the Untamed Rebels.

“It has been observed that many members in the Untamed Rebels are either active-duty or recently retired USMC, Government contractors at Camp Lejeune, or retired military members who are attracted to the lifestyle and camaraderie of being a member or associate of an OMG,” said the report.

Among regional recommendations for law enforcement: identify the large number of Pagans support club members who are retired United States Marine Corps and/or current DoD contractors at Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point, and identify the United States Marines, active duty and prior enlistment, who are associating with the Outlaws OMG.

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Outlaw motorcycle groups on the rise in ENC