Pennsylvania - 7 plead guilty to disorderly conduct
A May fight in Millcreek Township involving a motorcycle club led police to charge 15 people, with some accused of the felony of causing a riot.
The criminal prosecution ended quietly on Tuesday.
None of the defendants was sentenced to prison.
Seven members of the motorcycle club, called Lucky 13, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, either as a summary or a third-degree misdemeanor, and agreed to pay fines ranging from $100 to $250, plus court costs.
Three others connected to the club had all of the charges dismissed.
Three other defendants accused of fighting with the club members also had charged dismissed, and two other people accused of fighting with the club members pleaded guilty to third-degree misdemeanors without fines assessed.
The plea deals were reached before Millcreek Township District Judge Paul Manzi, who had scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case for Tuesday.
The fight -- which police said involved knives, crowbars and drawn handguns -- occurred shortly before 11 p.m. May 9 in the parking lot of the Last Shot Bar and Grill, 3064 W. 12th St., Millcreek.
The lawyer for the Lucky 13 members, Vincent Nudi, said the motorcyclists stopped at the bar to post flyers for a fundraiser. He said people in the bar, who he said wanted to form their own motorcycle club, confronted the Lucky 13 members. The people in the bar had the charges against them dismissed.
"All the individuals from the Lucky 13 have said from day one that they were defending themselves," Nudi said after the plea deals.
He said his clients agreed to the deals because "they wanted to get this behind them."
Nudi said Lucky 13 is "a collection of individuals who like to ride together" and that the group is not a motorcycle gang that engages in criminal activity.
"They are a motorcycle club. There is a distinction," Nudi said.
He said two of his clients suffered head injuries in the fight. Any of his clients who drew handguns in the fight had permits to carry them, Nudi said.
The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Roger Bauer, said evidentiary issues were one of the factors that prompted the prosecution to agree to the plea deals.
"There were limited witnesses other than those involved," Nudi said.
According to court records and interviews, the case was resolved as follows:
Lucky 13 members:
- Joseph A. King, 39, the club's president, and Matthew D. Smith, 42 -- pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct as a third-degree misdemeanor; agreed to pay fines of $250, plus costs.
- Timothy J. Carder, 31; Brian Lock, 39; Daniel L. King, 52; Roger G. Murphy, 59; Frederick Stover, 42 -- pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct as a summary offense; agreed to pay fines of $100, plus court costs.
- Edwina Kirby, 32; Melinda A. Sheckler, 23; Dara Thompson, 42 -- charges dismissed.
Other defendants:
- Kimberly A. Bessette, 42; Nicole Spinelli, 38; Kevin A. Skrutsky, 45 -- charges dismissed.
- Michael J. Henry, 28; and Toby J. Shaffer, 40 -- pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct as a third-degree misdemeanor. The two had been in Erie County Prison since their arrests, unable to post bond of $50,000 cash each. Manzi, the district judge, ordered both freed on Tuesday and did not assess fines.
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