United States v. Pirk

• Decision Date: 15 January 2018
• Docket Number: 1:15–CR–00142 EAW
• Citation: 284 F.Supp.3d 398
• Parties: UNITED STATES of America, v. David PIRK, Andre Jenkins, a/k/a Little Bear, Timothy Enix a/k/a Blaze, Filip Caruso a/k/a Filly, Jason Williams a/k/a Toop, Gregory Willson a/k/a Flip, Robert Osborne, Jr., Stanley Olejniczak, Jack Wood a/k/a Jake a/k/a Snake, Thomas Scanlon a/k/a Tom, Glen Stacharczyck a/k/a Turbo, and Sean McIndoo a/k/a Professor, Defendants.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Western District of New York

284 F.Supp.3d 398

UNITED STATES of America,

v.David PIRK, Andre Jenkins, a/k/a Little Bear, Timothy Enix a/k/a Blaze, Filip Caruso a/k/a Filly, Jason Williams a/k/a Toop, Gregory Willson a/k/a Flip, Robert Osborne, Jr., Stanley Olejniczak, Jack Wood a/k/a Jake a/k/a Snake, Thomas Scanlon a/k/a Tom, Glen Stacharczyck a/k/a Turbo, and Sean McIndoo a/k/a Professor, Defendants.

1:15–CR–00142 EAW

United States District Court, W.D. New York.

Signed January 15, 2018

Brendan T. Cullinane, Joseph M. Tripi, U.S. Attorney's Office, Buffalo, NY, Marianne Shelvey, U.S. Department of Justice/Organized Crime Section, Washington, DC, for United States of America.

Barry Nelson Covert, Herbert L. Greenman, Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria LLP, Michael S. Deal, DeMarie & Schoenborn, P.C., Terrence M. Connors, James W. Grable, Jr., Connors LLP, John Patrick Pieri, John Patrick Pieri, Esq., Lori Ann Hoffman, Tully Rinckey PLLC, Lawrence J. Desiderio, Law Office of Lawrence Desiderio, Daniel C. Oliverio, Reetuparna Dutta, Kristen Elizabeth Flick, Patrick E. Fitzsimmons, Spencer Leeds Durland, Timothy W. Hoover, Hodgson Russ LLP, Mark J. Mahoney, Harrington and Mahoney, Thomas J. Eoannou, Emily P. Trott, Kevin W. Spitler, Michael J. Stachowski, Buffalo, NY, Cheryl Meyers Buth, Meyers Buth Law Group PLLC, Orchard Park, NY, William T. Easton, Rochester, NY, A. Joseph Catalano, Niagara Falls, NY, Andrew D. Brautigam, Brautigam & Brautigam, LLP, Fredonia, NY, John J. Molloy, West Seneca, NY, Mehmet K. Okay, The Okay Law Firm, Batavia, NY, for Defendants.

DECISION AND ORDER

ELIZABETH A. WOLFORD, United States District Judge

INTRODUCTION

The above-captioned matter involves eight remaining defendants¹ (collectively, "Defendants") named in a 46–count Second Superseding Indictment (Dkt. 33) ("Indictment") returned on March 16, 2016, alleging various crimes, including a conspiracy in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961etseq. ("RICO"), in connection with the operation of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club ("KMC"). Among the overt acts of the alleged conspiracy are the execution-style murders of two KMC members—Paul Maue ("Maue") and Daniel "DJ" Szymanski ("Szymanski")—that occurred outside the KMC North Tonawanda Chapter clubhouse during the early morning hours of September 6, 2014. (See Dkt. 33, Count 1, Overt Acts ¶¶ 41–66). Defendant Andre Jenkins was convicted for the murders in state court, following a jury trial.

This Decision and Order addresses the motions for severance and for change of venue filed by defendants David Pirk ("Pirk") (Dkt. 434; Dkt. 435; Dkt. 789; Dkt. 833); Filip Caruso ("Caruso") (Dkt. 776); Jack Wood ("Wood") (Dkt. 777); Stanley Olejniczak ("Olejniczak") (Dkt. 781; Dkt. 784); Gregory Willson ("Willson") (Dkt. 782); Sean McIndoo ("McIndoo") (Dkt. 783); Glen Stacharczyck ("Stacharczyck") (Dkt. 785); Robert Osborne, Jr. ("Osborne") (Dkt. 787); Timothy Enix ("Enix") (Dkt. 790); Thomas Scanlon ("Scanlon") (Dkt. 791); and Andre Jenkins ("Jenkins") (Dkt. 522; Dkt. 792; Dkt. 836). For the reasons set forth below, the Court severs Caruso, Wood, Stacharczyck, and Jason Williams ("Williams") from the trial commencing on January 16, 2018, and determines that that trial will take place in Buffalo, New York.

BACKGROUND

In December 2016, four defendants—Scanlon, Osborne, Olejniczak, and Williams—moved for severance. (Dkt. 384; Dkt. 387; Dkt. 394; Dkt. 400). In a Decision and Order dated February 9, 2017, the Court denied those motions without prejudice, reasoning that severance was premature at that time.² (Dkt. 490).

In January 2017, Pirk moved to sever his trial from his co-defendants and to change the location of his trial from Buffalo, New York, to Rochester, New York. (See Dkt. 434 at 21–27 (motion to change venue); Dkt. 435 (Severance Motion)). Jenkins' pretrial omnibus motion, filed in March 2017, requested a change of venue to another district, or, alternatively, from Buffalo, New York, to Rochester, New York. (Dkt. 522 at ¶¶ 140–46).

In July 2017, the Court issued a Decision and Order on certain aspects of Defendants' pretrial omnibus motions. (Dkt. 688). However, in that Decision and Order, the Court did not address Pirk's motions for severance and to change venue (Dkt. 435; Dkt. 435) or Jenkins' motion for change of venue (Dkt. 522), choosing instead to resolve those motions closer to the time of trial. (Dkt. 688 at 2. n.4). In August 2017, the Court issued a Pretrial Order, which set a deadline of September 15, 2017, for Defendants to file or renew previously filed severance motions. (Dkt. 739 at 2).

Defendants moved or renewed their motions for severance, pursuant to Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 8 and 14, as listed below:

                • David Pirk:             Motion to Change Venue                           Dkt. 434
                                               Motion to Sever Defendant and Counts             Dkt. 435
                                               Renewed Motion to Sever                          Dkt. 789
                                               Renewed Motion to Change Venue                   Dkt. 833
                • Filip Caruso:           Motion to Sever Defendant                        Dkt. 776
                • Jack Wood:              Motion to Sever Defendant                        Dkt. 777
                • Gregory Willson:        Motion to Sever Defendant                        Dkt. 782
                • Stanley Olejniczak:     Motion to Sever Defendant                        Dkt. 781
                                               Amended Motion to Sever Defendant                Dkt. 784
                • Thomas Scanlon:         Motion to Join in Request for Separate Trial     Dkt. 783
                                               Motion to Sever Defendant                        Dkt. 791
                • Glen Stacharczyck:      Motion to Sever Defendant                        Dkt. 785
                • Robert Osborne:         Motion to Sever Defendant, Joinder               Dkt. 787
                • Timothy Enix:           Motion to Sever Defendant                        Dkt. 790
                • Andre Jenkins:          Motion to Change Venue                           Dkt. 522
                                               Motion to Sever Defendant                        Dkt. 792
                                               Motion for Joinder                               Dkt. 836
                

On September 29, 2017, the Government filed a consolidated response to Defendants motions for severance. (Dkt. 803). Some defendants filed replies in further support of their motions. (Dkt. 808 (Pirk); Dkt. 809 (Scanlon); Dkt. 810 (Stacharczyck); Dkt. 811 (Enix); Dkt. 812 (Jenkins)).

On October 24, 2017, the Court held oral argument on the motions for severance and for change of venue cataloged above. (Dkt. 844). After the oral argument concluded, the Court orally announced its decision to sever Caruso, Wood, Stacharczyck, and Williams from the trial commencing on January 16, 2018, to defer ruling on Jenkins' motion for severance, and to deny all other motions for severance.³ The Court also announced its decision to hold the trial commencing on that date in Buffalo, New York. On October 26, 2017, the Court issued a Text Order summarizing its oral decision and indicating that a forthcoming Decision and Order would memorialize the Court's reasoning in further detail. (Dkt 840). This Decision and Order sets forth that reasoning.

SEVERANCE

I. Defendants' Arguments in Support of Severance

Caruso, Wood, Willson, Olejniczak, Stacharczyck, and Osborne each argues, in the main, that he should not be tried with co-defendants who are charged with committing or ordering acts of violence, and particularly, those charged with the overt acts of the murders. (See Dkt. 776 at ¶¶ 32–39 (Caruso); Dkt. 777 at ¶ 9 (Wood); Dkt. 782 at ¶ 28 (Willson); Dkt. 784 at ¶¶ 8, 12, 14, 19–21 (Olejniczak); Dkt. 785 at ¶ 4 (Stacharczyck); Dkt. 787 at ¶ 5 (Osborne)). These defendants also argue that the admission into evidence of Jenkins' prior state court conviction for the murders would prejudice their rights to a fair trial. (See Dkt. 776 at ¶ 28; Dkt. 782 at ¶ 27; Dkt. 784 at ¶ 10; see also Dkt. 783).

To those ends, Caruso and Willson both ask to be severed from Pirk, Enix, and Jenkins, arguing that these defendants are the only ones charged in the murders. (Dkt. 776 at ¶ 32 ("[O]nly these defendants [Pirk, Enix, and Jenkins] are charged in the overt acts of murder which would substantially prejudice the right to a fair trial by Caruso who is not charged in those acts."); Dkt. 782 at ¶ 28 ("The prejudice stemming from the introduction of evidence against Pirk, Enix, and Jenkins—those charged in the murder—would substantially impede the jury's ability to make a reliable judgment.")). Olejniczak asks not to be tried with Pirk and Jenkins, arguing that, in contrast to those co-defendants, he is not named in the overt acts of violence contained in the introduction to the RICO conspiracy count. (Dkt. 784 at ¶ 8, 12, 14, 19–21). Stacharczyck argues that the risk of prejudicial spillover would be too great if he were to be required to stand trial with certain co-defendants (Jenkins, Caruso, Enix, McIndoo, Olejniczak, Pirk, and Willson) who are accused of crimes and acts of violence, including murder. (Dkt. 785 at ¶¶ 4–7). Osborne argues that his alleged participation in Count 1 is "minimal," as the Indictment attributes only five overt acts to him. (Dkt. 787 at ¶ 5). He argues that, as a "peripheral figure," he should be severed from his co-defendants, or alternatively, that the Court should adopt the "groupings" suggested by Scanlon. (Id. at 8–9).

Scanlon proposes three trial groups as follows: Group A, consisting of Pirk, Willson, Olejniczak, McIndoo, Caruso, and Enix; Group B, consisting of Williams, Osborne, Wood, Scanlon, and Stacharczyck; and Group C, consisting of Jenkins. (Dkt. 791 at 8). According to Scanlon, Group A consists of those accused of ordering or carrying out violent acts, whereas Group B consists of those accused mainly of obstruction of justice and various possession offenses related to narcotics trafficking. (Id. ). Finally, he proposes isolating...