Horsemen Drawn and Quartered

Iron Horsemen arrested; Suspected of executing numerous area attacks

ST. MARY’S TODAY

LEONARDTOWN — Detectives from St. Mary’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations, assisted with sleuths from Charles and Calvert Counties, successfully collected information on the assault that took place at the hell-hole Toot’s bar in Hollywood on Easter Sunday.
“The three gang members of the Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club were arrested earlier,” said Lt. Daniel Alioto. “They are Robert Grieninger, James Arrington and Douglas Gardiner Sr.,” Alioto said.
In the Easter Sunday attack, officers found the victim John Daniel McGraw of Cobb Island suffering from wounds to the face, head and a laceration to the arm.
“The injuries were caused by the victim being struck with fists, bottles and padlocks,” said Alioto. McGraw’s was rushed to St. Mary’s Hospital, badly mauled.
Alioto said prior to being removed by ambulance, McGraw was able to identify all three suspects. Two of them Gardiner Sr., 45, of Waldorf and Arrington, 44, of Prince Frederick were arrested on the scene, while Grieninger fled on his motorbike.
Arrington and Grieninger were earlier charged with the April 20, 1997 murder of Paul Herrington of Country Lakes at the Mousetrap Lounge, Waldorf. They allegedly used a flashlight to beat their victim to death.
Alioto said all five search and seizure warrants were executed in the neighboring Charles and Calvert Counties.
“We assisted St. Mary’s County with some search warrants that were executed yesterday,” said Kristen Timko, spokesperson for Charles County Sheriff’s office.
Timko’s colleague Capt. Mike Wyant said originally there were three search warrants for Charles County and one for Prince Frederick. “After we developed additional information a fourth search and seizure warrant in Charles County,” said Wyant.
Wyant said during the course of the investigations it was found one of the accused was using a second address and that resulted in an additional warrant.
Wyant described the raids as very productive. “St. Mary’s Sheriff’s office was looking for documents and other articles called club indica,” Wyant said. He said St. Mary’s detectives were also looking for articles used in the assault at Toot’s Bar for forensic evidence.
“The operation began at five in the morning and around 10 O’ clock we were wrapping up things,” said Wyant.
Members of Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club reside all over Southern Maryland and a good number of them reside in Charles County.
Wyant described the cowards as a one-percent club. “The bottom line is they are a criminal group, they engage in criminal activities. They are mostly referred to as an outlaw motorcycle club.
He said the other coward groups include Phantoms, Pagans, and the Hell Angels, who have been active in Southern Maryland over the past three years.
“Several different locations throughout Charles County were raided in the day,” Timko said.
Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans said his boys helped St. Mary’s with search warrants only. “We did not do the investigations. We merely assisted them with the warrants,” Evans said
The warrants were executed on the homes of all three suspects. The warrants were served by members of the St. Mary’s County Emergency Services Team, Charles County Emergency Services Team, Calvert County Emergency Services Team and the Maryland State Police S.T.A.T.E. Team.
“There were no injuries as a result of the entries,” said Alioto. “I believe the raids were successful,” said Alioto. “We have a lot of analysis to do.”
In the pre-dawn raids, numerous items of potential evidence were seized to include photos, Iron Horsemen paraphernalia and clothing, records and receipts, firearms and counter surveillance measures aimed at Law Enforcement.
Detectives in all three counties have joined hands to tighten the noose around the outlaw bikers, who mostly live off easy women’s incomes. Drug dealing is one the main sources of their survival, investigators believe.