14 Facts About The Pagans Motorcycle Gang (2025)

In 1974, a teenager by the name of Amy Billing went missing in Coconut Grove, FL. She hitchhiked a ride to her father's store and was allegedly last seen getting into a van by some workers. Billig never made it to her destination.

Her family reported her missing and the only tip received by the police in her disappearance was someone calling in and saying that Billig was with some bikers. Since then, her case has remained unsolved.

Things shifted in 1996 when a woman called authorities and stated that her husband, a Pagan biker, had made a deathbed confession regarding Billig's disappearance. The woman alleged that her husband had told her that Billig was taken by the bikers, drugged, violated, and killed. He also claimed the body had been left in the Everglades. Unfortunately, no direct location was given and no remains have ever been found.

The Center for Missing and Exploited Children continues to list her on their site, though nearly four decades have gone by. Billig's family continues their search for her, as have the detectives on the case.

In March 2022, ex-ATF agent Ken Croke published a memoir account of the two years he spent as an undercover agent with the Pagan MC. Croke is the first undercover agent who was able to successfully infiltrate the group.

Croke spent months gaining trust and had to prove his loyalty time and time again, often by aiding in criminal activity. He even earned the nickname “Slam” while undercover. Croke writes,

Every day living with those guys was a mindf*ck, especially when I was a prospect [a prospective member]. Every day I woke up, I wondered what sort of sh*t was going to happen. Would I have to jump into a barroom brawl? Would I be faced with a pile of coke and a choice? What sort of dumb sh*t would they ask me to do? I always had to expect the unexpected and could never let my guard down. It was a stressful way to live and my brain was working overtime.

Of course, there were some law-breaking activities that Croke couldn't take part in, which became a balancing act:

There’s certain things that I can’t do. There’s certain things that I can’t be a part of. There’s certain things that I will have to stop. There was a night we went to kill somebody; we were going to stab this person and throw them off a roof. That can’t happen and so how am I going to get out of that?…

There’s a time when we drove to a house to kill or seriously injure this man. It’s like, “OK, I cannot participate in this and I can’t allow it to happen. So what am I going to do to stop it?” There’s a skill that goes to it, a coordination, but there’s also dumb luck. When we got to that house, if this person was there, we were going to have to come out of role and stop it, which would have ended the investigation.

His grueling mental and physical work, and his time away from his family, paid off in 2010, when authorities apprehended over 20 high ranking Pagan members for a variety of offenses. When he went back to his regular life, the ATF made him see a psychologist to ensure he hadn't really gone to the “dark side.”

Croke admits to the immense personal toll being undercover with the Pagans took on his life and says that while he has kept his jacket and colors, he also “promised myself that I would never wear them again. And I haven’t.”

Upon realizing that Slam had actually been an undercover agent, the club took out a contract to have Croke executed for $50,000. The ATF assigned him a security detail and he continues to look over his shoulder to this day.

The Pagans created an image of never being afraid to take on any criminal organization. This was tested in the 1980s when a vicious rivalry erupted between the Italian mob in Philadelphia and the club.

In the ‘80s, the Pagans’ control over the drug market in Philadelphia increased due to Jimmy DeGregorio (AKA Jimmy D). Jimmy D created Pagan Purple, a potent form of crystal meth. Unsurprisingly, the syndicate noticed and demanded the club pay a street tax known as the the “Scarfo Street tax,” which the club refused to do.

Kidnappings and assaults between the two organizations commenced, but a turning point was reached when, during an argument with two mobsters, Jimmy D fired into a crowd of people that included police. Jimmy D was subsequently taken into custody and charged, but served no time.

However, he soon learned of a plan to have him eliminated, a conspiracy that included members of the Pagans themselves. Jimmy D then became a cooperating witness for the government.

The Quebec Biker War was considered one of the deadliest biker conflicts in modern history. The conflict began in 1994 and lasted until approximately 2002, and resulted in the known slaying of at least 162 individuals, including women and children.

The conflict was primarily fought between the Hells Angels MC and The Rock Machine MC - a Canadian motorcycle club. While there have been several explanations for the cause of the conflict, the most widely held belief is that the Hells Angels were attempting to move into Rock Machine MC territory and take over the drug trade in Quebec. With money and drugs on the line, the conflict quickly became violent - and caught the attention of other MCs, most notably those who were already rivals with the Hells Angels.

The Bandidos MC, another American outlaw motorcycle club, and the Pelletier Clan, a Montreal crime family, became embroiled in the conflict and took Rock Machine's side against the Hells Angels. The Pagans were known to be rivals with the Hells Angels and were looking to expand into Canada, leading them to consider aligning with Rock Machine. Ultimately, the Pagans chose not to expand north.

Outlaw bikers in Canada are known to be exceptionally aggressive and the anti-gang laws especially tough. American bike gang leader Andrew Glick even told media:

In Canada and Australia, that’s where the heaviest (toughest) one per centers are. Being a one per center in Canada, I would say is a little more dangerous than being a one per center in the US.

In the last few years, the MC has seen an unprecedented uptick in membership, resulting in their numbers nearly doubling. Authorities have noted that the group has also increased their criminal activity. The changes in the MC are attributed to their new president, Keith “Conan” Richter, who took control of the club in 2018.

Richter spent 16 years in prison for racketeering and attempted murder prior to becoming club president. Richter implemented an aggressive recruitment strategy that included an easing of membership restrictions and Pagan MC rules to allow certain minorities into the club. The club has since recruited many Latino members from street gangs and smaller MCs, adding many men who already have violent street life experience to their ranks.

It's alleged that, through a rule called “cash for colors,” new non-white members have to pay a $1,000 fee to be part of the club - in addition to going through the membership process. While they've opened up for other minorities, the club still prohibits Black people and ex-cops from joining.

The Pagans' overall culture is known to be aggressive and prejudiced. Traditionally, the requirements for joining were being of legal age, owning a motorcycle, and being white. The white cloud that makes up part of the Pagans patch originally symbolized white supremacy. Undercover federal agent Ken Croke spent years with the group documenting their activity, and reported, “They weren’t burning crosses, but the racism many spewed was persistent, blatant, and strong.”

While some members don’t agree with allowing non-white members into the club, it has become more common in the last few years. In 2018, a new club president, Keith “Conan” Richter, came into power and he has focused on increasing membership. This focus on increasing membership numbers has opened doors for individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds to join. Pagans often absorb smaller MCs and have also begun recruiting from street groups such as the Latin Kings, Crips, and Bloods.Latino members are now known to be part of the Pagan MC and the group has expanded their activities and membership to Puerto Rico.

Not all members are happy with this change. A Pagan member told investigators, “A lot of white members hated it. You know, people quit over it.”

Despite ongoing changes in the demographic of the members, prejudice continues to bea big part of the group’s culture, despite the fact they have non-White members.