The sextet of Pagans face a joint May 18 trial on assault charges (Credit: Montgomery County DA)
Jury to hear about outlaw motorcycle club culture, but limits placed on testimony
A Montgomery County judge has ruled that jurors will be allowed to hear expert testimony about outlaw motorcycle gangs when six alleged members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club stand trial next month in connection with a shooting at a West Norriton Wawa.
In an April 15 order, according to The Mercury, Common Pleas Judge Risa Vetri Ferman granted, in part, prosecutors’ request to introduce expert testimony on the structure, hierarchy and culture of so-called “1 percenter” motorcycle clubs.
The ruling, per the report, allows an expert to explain the “dynamics, ethos and relationships” of outlaw gangs, as well as the meaning behind clothing, patches and other symbols commonly associated with such groups.
Ferman said the information is beyond the knowledge of the average juror and would help the jury understand key issues in the case, including intent.
However, according to The Mercury, she also placed limits on the testimony, barring the expert from offering opinions on the events captured on surveillance video or discussing prior alleged crimes or arrests of those involved.
The charges stem from an Oct. 17, 2025 confrontation between members of the Pagans and a rival group, identified as the Unknown Bikers, in the parking lot of a Wawa on West Main Street. Prosecutors allege the Pagans surrounded and assaulted the rival group in an attempt to remove their “colors,” triggering gunfire that left six people injured, including two bystanders.
Six men — George Hripto Jr., Erik Rosenberger, George Cwienk III, Manuel Baez-Santos, Joel Hernandez-Martinez and Justin Noll — are charged with offenses including aggravated assault, conspiracy, riot and reckless endangerment. Prosecutors are pursuing the case under an accomplice liability theory, arguing the group acted collectively.
Defense attorneys have pushed back on both the charges and the use of expert testimony, arguing it could unfairly prejudice jurors by focusing on alleged gang affiliation rather than individual actions. They have also pointed to evidence that most of the shell casings recovered at the scene were linked to firearms associated with the rival group, which has not been charged.
Prosecutors maintain the rival group acted in self-defense and that the confrontation — and resulting injuries — would not have occurred if the Pagans had not initiated the encounter.
Jury selection in the case is scheduled to begin May 18.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
