NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — One member of the Pagan Motorcycle Club who was accused of sparking a shootout with a rival gang in a West Norriton Wawa parking lot has been found not guilty.
Two others were cleared of the most serious charges and convicted on lesser counts.
Prosecutors alleged George Cwienk, Justin Noll and Joel Hernandez-Martinez were in a pack of nine Pagan Motorcycle Club bikers that attacked two Unknown bikers at the Wawa on Main Street and Trooper Road on Oct. 17.
When the two Unknowns were knocked to the ground, they fired more than a dozen shots, with six people injured including two bystanders unaffiliated with the bikers. Prosecutors determined the Unknowns fired in self-defense and charged the Pagans.
Montgomery County Judge Risa Ferman found Noll not guilty of all charges.
“I'm pleased that Judge Furman saw through the commonwealth’s case. It was weak,” said Noll’s lawyer, Robert Kerwin. “Justin deserved to be found not guilty, because he was not guilty.”
Meanwhile, Cwienk and Hernandez-Martinez were found guilty of a handful of misdemeanors and one lower felony, but not guilty on the most serious felony charges of aggravated assault.
Prosecutors alleged the Pagans attacked the Unknowns over a turf war, but prosecutor Bradley Deckel called it a challenging case as the two Unknowns were forced to testify but were unwilling to answer questions in any detail.
“It's part of their culture to just not talk to police and not discuss these types of things, so that was a challenge that was part of the case,” Deckel said.
“They were never going to say what actually happened that night with regards to not being allowed to be in that area, because they don't believe in cooperating with law enforcement.”
2 co-defendants acquitted on aggravated assault charges, found guilty of lesser offenses
2 co-defendants acquitted on aggravated assault charges, found guilty of lesser offenses
