2 Gypsy Joker gang members get life in federal prison for kidnapping, murdering former member (2024)

Two members of the Gypsy Joker Outlaw Motorcycle Club were sentenced to life in federal prison Thursday for kidnapping, torturing and murdering former Portland club member Robert Huggens in 2015.

Portland clubhouse president Mark Leroy Dencklau, 61, of Woodburn, and clubhouse member Chad Leroy Erickson, 51, of Rainier, face life in prison after jurors found them guilty of 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, in December according to a release Thursday from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Oregon. Dencklau was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, while Erickson was acquitted of the same charge.

Previous coverage:Jurors dismiss racketeering charge against Gypsy Joker gang member Kenneth Hause

“Mark Dencklau and Chad Erickson will rightfully serve the rest of their lives in federal prison," Scott Asphaug, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, said in a statement. "These men prided themselves in using violence to intimidate others and increase their power and influence among club members and rivals. Organized violent crime has no place in Oregon and will not be tolerated."

The club is described as a hierarchical criminal organization where members maintained their status by participating in acts of racketeering including murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion and narcotics trafficking, according to court documents and trial testimony.

Since the 1980s, the club has been active in several states including Oregon and Washington and, until recently, operated six clubhouses in the Pacific Northwest, including one in Salem. The club also has international chapters in Germany, Australia and Norway, according to U.S. Department of Justice officials.

The club oversaw multiple 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, department of justice officials said. Support club members conducted criminal activities in support of the Gypsy Joker club and served as a source of new members and revenue for the club, federal officials allege.

Dencklau served as president of the club's Portland chapter from 2003 until his arrest.

On July 1, 2015, Robert Huggins, a former member of the Gypsy Joker's Portland chapter, was found lying in a field in Clark County, Washington, department of justice officials said.

Huggins' body was badly beaten and he appeared to have been tortured before his death.

Huggins was previously stripped of his club membership for allegedly stealing from the club and, after breaking into Dencklau’s Woodburn residence, tying up Dencklau’s girlfriend and stealing multiple firearms, officials said.

Dencklau and others kidnapped Huggins June 30, 2015 from a Portland residence and brought him to a rural property in Southwest Washington where they tortured and beat him for several hours.

Huggins suffered a fractured skull; lacerations to his chest and torso; and removed nipples. A medical examiner ruled his death was caused by multiple blunt and sharp force injuries.

Several members of the club, including Dencklau, Earl Fisher, 48, of Gresham, and Tiler Evan Pribbernow, 40, of Portland, were indicted in June 2018 on 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.

That November, Dencklau; Fisher; Erickson; Kenneth Earl Hause, 64, of Aumsville; Ryan Anthony Negrinelli, 36, of Gresham, Oregon; and Joseph Duane Folkerts, 61, of Battleground, Washington, were charged by superseding indictment with racketeering conspiracy.

In December 2021, the same jurors who convicted Dencklau and Erickson, dismissed a lone racketeering conspiracy charge against Hause, the club's national president and a longtime Aumsville resident, according to federal officials.

After pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge, Pribbernow was also sentenced April 12 to more than 11 years in federal prison. Fisher, Negrinelli, and Folkerts, who all pleaded guilty to the same charge, are awaiting sentencing, officials said. They face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon StatePolice, and the Oregon and Washington State Crime Labs, officials said.

Virginia Barreda is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at 503-399-6657 or at vbarreda@statesmanjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2. Unmute

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: 2 Gypsy Joker gang members get life sentences

2 Gypsy Joker gang members get life in federal prison for kidnapping, murdering former member (2024)

FAQs

2 Gypsy Joker gang members get life in federal prison for kidnapping, murdering former member? ›

Gypsy Joker Outlaw Motorcycle Club Members Sentenced to Life in Prison for Kidnapping, Torturing, and Murdering Former Club Member. PORTLAND, Ore. —Two members of the Gypsy Joker Outlaw Motorcycle Club (GJOMC) were sentenced to life in federal prison today for kidnapping, torturing, and murdering a former club member.

Are the Gypsy Jokers a gang? ›

The Gypsy Jokers, a notorious California biker gang that until recently operated six clubhouses in the Pacific Northwest, had attracted federal scrutiny after several members, including the Portland chapter president, kidnapped and brutally murdered a former member, Robert Huggins, in 2015.

What states are Gypsy Jokers in? ›

The Gypsy Jokers have been active since the 1980s in several states including Oregon and Washington and have international chapters in Germany, Australia and Norway.

Were the Gypsy Jokers the first prison gang? ›

The first known American prison gang was the Gypsy Jokers formed in the 1950s in Washington state prisons (Or- lando-Morningstar, 1997; Stastny & Tyrnauer, 1983). The first prison gang with nationwide ties was the Mexican Mafia, which emerged in 1957 in the Califor- nia Department of Corrections.

Who was the leader of the Portland Gypsy Joker? ›

Mark Dencklau, the president of the Portland chapter of the Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club, went to trial and was convicted and sentenced to life for orchestrating the kidnapping, torture and killing of ex-club member Robert “Bagger” Huggins Jr. in 2015.

Who is the leader of the Joker's gang? ›

Known Members

Joker: Joker is the gang leader. He is also known as the Clown Prince of Crime and planned to win both gang wars with Bane and in Arkham City. After Batman defeated Clayface, Joker died of a disease from TITAN. Harley Quinn: Harley Quinn is the gang's second in command.

Are Gypsy Jokers 1%? ›

The Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club (GJMC) is a "one-percenter" motorcycle club that was originally formed in San Bernardino, California on April Fool's Day, 1956. Though founded in the United States, the MC expanded successfully overseas and gained significant notoriety in Australia, the United States, and Norway.

Who is the founder of the Gypsy Jokers? ›

The widow of Gypsy Jokers founder Les Hoddy has given an unprecedented and candid look inside one of Australia's most secretive outlaw families in an exclusive documentary series released by The West Australian.

What happened to Steve Williams Gypsy Joker? ›

“His disappearance has been described by family members as out of character. Steven was formerly a member of the Gypsy Jokers MC and was involved in the debt collection business. “It is suspected he has been murdered. His body has not been recovered.”

What is the biggest MC in Oregon? ›

The most prevalent motorcycle club in Oregon is known as the Gypsy Jokers. Here in Eugene, the Free Souls are the most prevalent, with about 30 local members, and 115 across the state.

What is the oldest biker gang in America? ›

They left Washington at 8' o'clock Tuesday morning, and stopped at Ellis' home, Yonkers, en route to Boston. [3] Since 1924, the club has been chartered by the American Motorcyclist Association. The Yonkers Motorcycle Club is the oldest active motorcycle club in the world.

What is the Joker gang called? ›

The Joker's Streetgang, sometimes known as the Jokerz, sometimes known as the Joy Boys, is a gang of criminal thugs working for the Joker in Gotham City. In spite of his unstable manner, the Joker has always managed to find like-minded anarchists to enact his various schemes.

Who is the founder of the Hells Angels? ›

History. The Hells Angels originated on March 17, 1948, in Fontana, California, when several small motorcycle clubs agreed to merge. Otto Friedli, a World War II veteran, is credited with starting the club after breaking from the Pissed Off Bastards motorcycle club over a feud with a rival gang.

Where is Mark Dencklau now? ›

“Mark Dencklau and Chad Erickson will rightfully serve the rest of their lives in federal prison. These men prided themselves in using violence to intimidate others and increase their power and influence among club members and rivals. Organized violent crime has no place in Oregon and will not be tolerated.

Who is Earl Fisher? ›

Earl Fisher (born September 7, 1954), also known by his stage name Dean Barnett, is an American voice actor who voiced and puppeteered Booker T. Bookworm on Barney & Friends. Fisher also provided the voiceover narrations for the Dairy Queen Kids' commercials from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s.

What is a 1 percenter? ›

One percenter

This is said to refer to a comment made in 1960 by William Berry, a former president of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, implying the last one percent were outlaws.

Does the Joker have a gang? ›

The Joker's Gang are a large group of career criminals operating in Gotham City, led by the murderous Joker. The gang commits various acts of extreme crime that almost always lead to large amounts of death and destruction, usually for the Joker's own amusement.

Is Samcro a gang? ›

Concept. The Sons of Anarchy (SOA) is an outlaw motorcycle club with many charters in the United States as well as overseas. The show focused on the original and founding ("mother") charter, Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original, often referred to by the acronym SAMCRO, Sam Crow, or simply "Redwood".

What biker gang is Sons of Anarchy based on? ›

The Hells Angels were the biggest source of inspiration for the Sons of Anarchy characters, and while SAMCRO might be fictional, they share some major similarities with real-life bikers.

Are the Hells Angels considered a gang? ›

Numerous police and international intelligence agencies classify the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) as a motorcycle gang and contend that members carry out widespread violent crimes, including drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, gunrunning, extortion, and human trafficking operations.

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