Motorcycle gang leader convicted

WALLA WALLA – Jurors convicted John Smith, 52, of College Place on Wednesday of two counts of second-degree assault, each a felony. The Walla Walla Regional Drug and Gang Task Force said this conviction stems from a robbery which occurred in March 2023 at the PetSmart in Walla Walla.

During the altercation, Smith threatened and pointed what appeared to be a firearm at two PetSmart employees. Smith’s accomplice, Christopher Peters, 30, of Walla Walla, was armed with a bat during the incident. Peters was also convicted of related charges.

According to law enforcement, Smith wore clothing representing the Pagan’s Outlaw Motorcycle Gang during the incident, and at the time, was the president of the Walla Walla area chapter of the gang. The bat used by Peters had been fashioned into a club, and was decorated with colors, letters, and symbols consistent with the Pagan’s Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.

In a news release issued Friday, the Walla Walla Regional Drug and Gang Task Force said the Pagan’s Outlaw Motorcycle Gang is present throughout the United States, and has existed in the Walla Walla Region for approximately three years, which includes a culture that idealizes violence, bullying, and intimidation. This is just one of a series of convictions involving local members of the Pagan’s Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, as both the state and federal level, for crimes involving serious assaults and illegal firearms possession.

Following the conviction, Smith was remanded into custody, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 7.

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Elkhorn Media Group

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