The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Lakeland Police Department helped in arresting 28 members of the Mongols motorcycle gang linked to a gas station shooting in New Smyrna Beach, authorities said.
The gang members were taken into custody on July 2 in a joint operation between the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Seventh Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office and Lakeland Police Department assisted with the operation, officials said. Search warrants were executed at two homes in Polk County.
In addition, arrest warrants have been issued for three additional Mongols gang members and their arrests are pending.
The gang members were charged with aggravated rioting related to the gas station shooting that occurred in New Smyrna Beach during Bike Week on March 8.
Aggravated rioting is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
There were also 14 search warrants executed, including at the Mongols Clubhouse in Edgewater, the two homes in Polk County, four homes in Volusia County, three homes in Brevard County, two homes in Miami-Dade County, and one home in Palm Beach County.
The joint operation was carried out by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, FBI Jacksonville, FBI Tampa, FBI Miami, FBI Richmond, FBI Newark, FBI Columbia, FBI Charlotte, with assistance from the State Attorney’s Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S Marshals, FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the sheriff’s offices of Polk, Brevard, Broward, Collier, Escambia, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach and the police departments of Lakeland, Boca Raton, DeLand, Lakeland, New Smyrna Beach, Palm Bay, Orange City, Orlando, Rockledge and Titusville.
The investigation is ongoing, and other charges could be added.
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