Thug Riders Motorcycle Club member pleads guilty to conspiracy

Fourteen members of the Thug Riders Motorcycle Club were indicted in federal court in an organized crime scheme that reportedly involved multiple violent acts in Ohio and Kentucky. Photo courtesy the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

Fourteen members of the Thug Riders Motorcycle Club were indicted in federal court in an organized crime scheme that reportedly involved multiple violent acts in Ohio and Kentucky. Photo courtesy the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

One of the 14 members of the Thug Riders Motorcycle Club facing charges in federal court in connection to an organized crime scheme has pleaded guilty.

Michael Seth Henry of Xenia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in racketeering, conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering and commission of a violent crime in aid of racketeering as part of a plea agreement earlier this month, according to U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio records.

The court has not issued a decision on whether it will accept Henry’s plea.

He was referred to the probation department for a pre-sentence investigation pending the court’s decision.

Henry is the first motorcycle club member to plead guilty in the case.

In total, 14 members were indicted last summer for running a criminal enterprise and engaging in violent behavior, including murder, arson and assault.

Some of the violent acts the group is accused of include:

  • Blowing up a former member’s truck in Huber Heights on May 25, 2021.
  • Killing a man during a shootout in Harrison Twp. on Sept. 26, 2021.
  • Traveling to Lexington, Kentucky, to attack a rival motorcycle club in April 2023. Nearly 200 rounds were reportedly fired during the shootout.
  • Breaking a man’s leg during a fight at a Dayton bar on June 17, 2023.
  • Engaging in a gunfight with a rival motorcycle group in Springfield on March 20, 2024.

In addition to Henry, 13 others were indicted in the case: Juan A. Robles of Arizona; Joey A. Marshall of Xenia; Jared T. Peters of Dayton; Brandon W. Fisher of Piqua; John A. Smith of Dayton; Norman D. Beach of Dayton; Daniel B. Hutton of Fairborn; Michael L. Reese of Miamisburg; Mathew J. Hawkins of Pennsylvania; Joseph M. Rader of Kentucky; Justin J. Baker of Columbus; Cody D. Hughes of Columbus; and Brent A. Egleston of Xenia.

Robles helped created the local Thug Riders chapter and was the Midwest “boss” at the time of the indictment, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Marshall, Peters, Fisher and Smith also reportedly held leadership roles in the Midwest and Dayton chapters.

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