A member of the dangerous motorcycle gang Mongols Motorcycle Club was accused of participating in the brutal murder of a member of another gang and was classified as a “snitch”, the authorities indicated.
The victim identified as Dominick Paternoster, aged 46, was shot to death in April by several members of the Mongols because they thought he was cooperating with the police. The deceased was shot multiple times, including one in the head, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri reported Monday. Paternoster’s alleged killer, Paul Pogilevsky, was formally charged with murder in the first place. degree. Gualtieri said at a press conference.
Paternoster was a member of the Raiders motorcycle gang, a group that was described by Gualtieri as a “lower” level club, which served as a feeder to the Mongols of higher rank, the New York Post reported.
Gualtieri stated that the Mongols are based in California, but have a significant presence in the Tampa Bay area, where they carry out a series of criminal activities ranging from prostitution to drug and arms trafficking.
“These people are not the people you see on a motorcycle ride on Sunday,” Gualtieri said. “It’s really these gangs of thugs that terrorize.”
The sheriff described Mongols Motorcycle Club as an “organized crime” syndicate that has nationwide reach.
In January 2022, a total of 10 Tampa Mongols were arrested in connection with a gang murder that occurred in Colorado.
“This is not something that is seen in the movies or just happens in California and other places. He is alive and well here, “Gualtieri warned.