Reward Upped For Information On Murder Of Pagan Gang Member

SPRING HILL, FL — The Florida Sheriffs Association is offering a $5,000 enhanced reward for information leading to the killer of a member of the Pagan Motorcycle Club in January.

The reward will be combined with a $3,000 reward offer by Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay.

At 6:52 on Jan. 16, Pasco County Fire Rescue received a call about a gunshot victim at 14838 Glenrock Road in Spring Hill.

When they arrived, they found James William Earl, 32, dead in his driveway as his fiance, Stephanie Harper, stood over his body, inconsolable.

While Earl was a documented member of the Pagan Motorcycle Gang, he didn't fit the stereotypical gang member profile.

He grew up in Fairfield, Illinois, where he lettered in track and field at Fairfield High School. He joined the U.S. Navy and was stationed in Afghanistan, returning home with a collection of combat medals pinned to his uniform. The father of a young daughter, Earl had an associate's degree in nursing and was enrolled in the National Aviation Academy in Clearwater at the time of his death.

But it was his affiliation with the notorious motorcycle gang that piqued the interest of the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents and fueled speculation of an impending gang war. The day after his murder, the FBI arrived to search Earl's home. The agency has yet to say what they were searching for.

Earl is the second member of a biker gang to be murdered in Pasco County.

On Dec. 22, 2017, Paul Anderson, the president of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, was murdered execution style during rush hour traffic near the Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54.

Three members of the rival motorcycle gang, the 69ers, were arrested.

The Pagans are considered the granddaddy of outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Formed by Lou Dobkin in 1959 in Prince George's County, Maryland, the club quickly grew during the biker heyday of the 1960s where they battled for territory with arch rivals, the Hell's Angels.

Today, there are more than 100 Pagan chapters, mostly on the East Coast, with an estimated 1,300 members. The FBI and Department of Justice, which closely monitor gang activities, said the Pagans have connections to the Italian Mafia and the Aryan Brotherhood and they've been linked to the production and smuggling of drugs, weapons trafficking, auto theft rings, arson and extortion.

According to the FBI, Florida is home to at least eight outlaw motorcycle gangs including the Outlaws, Mongols, Pagans, Kingsmen, Warbird Warlocks, Harpy Warlocks, 69ers and Kinfolk.

Anyone with information on Earl's death who wants to be eligible for the enhanced reward should call Matt Dunagan, deputy executive director of operations for the Florida Sheriffs Association, at 850-877-2165, ext. 5807.

Related story: Pasco Sheriff Seeks Information On Shooting Death Of Gang Member