NJ men indicted in murder plot connected to biker gang menacing locals

🔴NJ trio indicted on charges in shooting

🔴Two men accused of trying to kill victim

🔴Third man allegedly helped try to get survivor to lie

A grand jury in Ocean County has indicted three men on charges for what prosecutors have dubbed an attempted murder over the summer in Jackson.

Michael Vulpis, of Freehold, has been in jail since July 3, when he was arrested for shooting a 27-year-old man in the face.

Vulpis and 24-year-old Noah Phelps, of Monroe, were indicted for attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the June 27 incident.

The 26-year-old Vulpis has been a known member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, NJ.com reported in August.

The report said that the man shot in the face was rumored to be a former member of the club who had been kicked out.

Law enforcement did not publicly confirm a connection in this case to what a State Commission of Investigation report referred to as the "Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Gang."

In Monmouth County, issues of Pagan Motorcycle Club violence in a residential neighborhood was what prompted one Freehold man to run for local office this November, according to his online candidate profile.

"We had Pagan Motorcycle Gang members set up shop on our street. We reached the point where our children were afraid to go outside," Michael Murphy, an independent candidate said. "We had as many as 25-30 gang members here at any given time. They walked our streets with baseball bats and axe handles in hand. They urinated in our streets. They surrounded a mother and her young daughter in their own driveway. They sped and tailgated through our streets . There an assault in broad daylight in front of children."

Vulpis has also been indicted for possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, being a certain person not to possess a weapon or ammunition, and conspiracy to commit witness tampering.

Meanwhile, a 32-year-old Jackson man has been indicted on charges for pressuring the same surviving victim to lie to police, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.

Glenn Franzson was indicted for conspiracy to commit witness tampering, as well as possession of a weapon without a serial number, possession of a high-capacity ammunition magazine, possession of cocaine, and possession of methamphetamine.

Duo accused of plotting to kill Jackson victim

On June 27, around 12:20 a.m., Jackson police responded to a reported shooting along Larsen Road.

Officers found a 27-year-old man who had been shot in the face. He was rushed to an area hospital.

Investigators found the man had been sitting with a woman in a parked vehicle outside of a home when a blue sedan approached and blocked in the first car.

Two men, later identified as Vulpis and Phelps, got out and knocked on the victim’s window. When he got out, he was hit and then shot, Billhimer said.

Third defendant accused of trying to get victim to lie

Detectives have said while Vulpis was in jail, he plotted with Franzson to get the shooting victim to lie to police.

When law enforcement searched Franzson’s home, they recovered a ghost gun with a high-capacity magazine, plus methamphetamine and cocaine, prompting the other charges.

Billhimer has said the investigation is a joint effort involving local, county and federal law enforcement in both Ocean and Monmouth Counties.

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