DOJ: 21 Members of Criminal Motorcycle Gang Charged in 75-Count Indictment

The Mongols Motorcycle Club, according to the Department of Justice, are "engaged in the transportation and distribution of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine. The Mongols are also known to frequently commit violent crime including assault, intimidation and murder in defense of their territory, and to uphold the reputation of the club." (Department of Justice)

Two additional associates of the Tennessee Mongols motorcycle gang have been hit with a slew of charges, now bringing the total number charged to 21.

The suspects, Janie Lee, 22, of Owensboro, Kentucky, and Jessie Marie Decker, 33, of Trenton, Kentucky, were charged with drug trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, money laundering, tampering with evidence, and more, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on July 9. They were associates of the Clarksville, Tennessee, branch of the gang.

The new charges were announced as part of a 75-count, third-superseding indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury on June 29 and unsealed on July 6.

The Mongols self-identify as an “outlaw” motorcycle gang with chapters across the United States and other countries; its “mother“ base is located in Southern California. The gang is known to commit violent crimes, including murder, and is ”actively engaged” in money laundering and large-scale drug trafficking, including of methamphetamine and oxymorphone, court records revealed.

The exact number of members is unclear, but there are believed to be more than 1,000, according to multiple media reports.

An earlier indictment in March charged more defendants with the kidnapping and murder of Stephen Cole, an estranged former member of the Mongols.

Gang members usually wear leather vests with a patched image of a Mongol rider and the name of the regional chapter. Many also publicly display a sign saying “1%”, which is flaunted as a statement to distinguish Mongol members from the “99%” of law-abiding motorcycle club members.

Court records show that Lee was hit with multiple charges relating to drug trafficking, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, and money laundering.

Decker was also charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses, tampering with the grand jury investigation, and use of a firearm. Decker is also separately charged with making false statements to law enforcement in relation to the murder of Cole.

The latest third-superseding indictment also brings additional charges centering on violent criminal activity and drug trafficking against other previously indicted defendants.