November 13, 2019 — Pittsburgh Pagan’s Motorcycle Club heavy Brian (The Dude) Keruskin copped a plea in state court this week, pleading no contest to leading a beat down of a former associate back in the spring in exchange for a shortened prison term. The 57-year old Keruskin, a widely-respected club veteran nicknamed for his resemblance to the Jeff Bridges character in the cult-classic movie The Big Lebowski, was sentenced to 2 to 8 years behind bars by Washington County Circuit Judge John DiSalle Monday morning. He did 3 years in the can for a federal assault conviction in the 2000s.
On April 18 of this year, Keruskin and nine other Pagan’s brutally assaulted Troy Harris inside the Slovak Club in Charleroi, Pennsylvania on orders from Pagan’s brass in Pittsburgh. According to the July indictment, Keruskin was tasked with coordinating the beating of Harris for Harris’ decision to leave the club and join another.
Earlier this month, the man who allegedly sent word to Keruskin that Harris needed to be “tuned up,” Michael (Montana) Barringer, the Pagan’s national sergeant at arms, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and witness intimidation. Harris suffered brain damage in the attack. As part of Keruskin’s plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop the attempted murder counts.
Barringer, 59, pleaded not guilty last week and awaits trial from his prison cell, denied bond by Judge DiSalle. Prosecutors claim Barringer is the third most powerful Pagan’s boss in the country, behind only national President Keith (Conan the Barbarian) Richter of New York and his Vice President Hugo (Zorro) Nieves out of New Jersey.
Richter got the reins in the club two years ago and immediately issued an expansion mandate, per court records. Informants tell the FBI and ATF, Richter is gunning for a total Pagan’s takeover of the east coast and advocating violence against the Hell’s Angels, the other prominent biker club in the region and the mass absorption of any smaller clubs they can get their hands on.
Keruskin and Barringer were lieutenants under Dennis (Rooster) Katona in the 2000s when Katona was the club’s president and ran the Pagan’s national office out of Pittsburgh. Katona and Keruskin were arrested together in 2002 after Katona coordinated an attack on a formal Hells Angels gathering in New York that resulted in a homicide.
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