Fort Wayne, Indiana – The Allen County Prosecutor’s Office has filed motions to add a “criminal gang” enhancement charge to each of the six men accused of violently beating a pub patron a month ago.
According to court records, prosecutors filed motions on Friday to add the enhancement charge to the cases against Vard Warnock, Justin Wert, Jerrad Impton, Douglas Zuber, Ryan Minick, and Christopher Yoho.
The six men are accused of beating James Simmons, a Black man, on May 30 at Pikes Pub, located just outside Fort Wayne. Many people believe the attack was racially motivated, despite conflicting accounts of what happened. And all of the men are alleged members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club.
According to the motions filed on Friday, prosecutors are now accusing the men of not only being members of a criminal gang, but also of carrying out the beating to benefit, promote, or further the interests of the Outlaws criminal organisation.
That means the state must prove the men were actively members of a criminal gang – or were committing the crime to help the gang – at the time of the beating.
If the judge accepts the motion, time could be added to each man’s sentence if convicted.
The sentencing enhancement has the potential to double the length of the longest felony sentence given to each man.
All six men have been charged with Level 5 battery counts, with some facing lesser additional charges that could result in a prison sentence ranging from one to six years.
