PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Three people connected with the Gypsy Jokers Outlaw Motorcycle Club were indicted for the conspiracy kidnap and murder of Robert Huggins, whose body was dumped in a Clark County field in 2015.
Mark Leroy Dencklau of Woodburn, Earl Deverle Fisher of Gresham and Tiler Evan Pribbernow of Portland are accused of kidnapping and murdering Huggins to "advance their positions" in the gang, the US Attorney's Office said in a release.
The three were indicted June 28, but the indictment was unsealed Friday.
“This indictment is an important step toward dismantling this violent gang, and should send a clear message that the Department of Justice will bring to justice those who commit such heinous criminal crimes on our streets," Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Cronan of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said in a statement.
'Bagger Bobby'
Prosecutors said Huggins was killed around June 30, 2015. Huggins lived in Southeast Portland and was a former member of the Gypsy Jokers.
The murder of Robert Lee Huggins was a brutal payback. He was kidnapped, his tortured body then dumped like trash in rural Clark County, according to police and prosecutors.
Huggins — often times called "Bagger Bobby" — was well known within the Gypsy Joker motorcycle gang, senior deputy district attorney Glen Banfield said in 2016.
During a bail hearing at that time, lead detective James Lawrence said:
Huggins was the former treasurer of the local chapter for the Gypsy Joker motorcycle gang and was also known as the "enforcer" or the Sergeant at Arms.
He was kicked out of the gang for breaking 2 rules — shooting heroin and stealing. He was reportedly stealing from the gang to feed his drug use.
Around June 30, 2015, Huggins was at a known drug house near NE 119th and NE Holladay Street in Portland. He was kidnapped and driven across the state line into Washington. He was tortured to death.
Huggins body was driven to a rural field in Ridgefield, Washington and dumped.
Detectives were able to piece the case together using cell phone records, which showed the suspects traveling north and into the area where Huggins' was found.
Huggins' body was found by loggers. Detectives were able to quickly identify him after looking at his tattoos. They didn't release his name publicly for several weeks because of the ongoing investigation.
The 2018 indictment
The indictment said the 3 men "engaged in violent actions" that led to Huggins death in a bid to increase "their positions in the GJOMC criminal enterprise," the US Attorney's Office said.
Denklau is 58. Fisher is 48 and Pribbernow is 37. They are each charged with:
- Murder in the aid of racketeering
- Kidnapping in the aid of racketeering resulting in death
- Kidnapping resulting in death
- Conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death
Over time, the case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau, the ATF, the Clark County Sheriff's Office, the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the Oregon State Police and the state crime labs of both Oregon and Washington.
