A biker gang leader convicted of murder, attempted burglary committed while armed with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery while armed with a deadly weapon, and obstruction of justice learned his fate yesterday. Michael “Billy Goat” Karnuth, leader of the “Heavy Hitters” chapter within the Warlocks Motorcycle Club, was sentenced to 60 years on the murder charge and an additional 60 years on a criminal gang enhancement, according to Prosecutor David Sutter.
Sutter accused Karnuth and four others of plotting to rob and beat a man for false flagging with tattoos and patches without actually being a member of their clubs. “Karnuth had previously seen the man with the phony tattoos and patches at a gas station in North Vernon. Karnuth traveled to Philadelphia to obtain information about the man before planning the attack,” reads a press release by prosecutors. “The gang members met at Karnuth’s house prior to traveling to Dupont and made multiple trips to John Deere Road before the shooting.”
The detailed affidavit shows that an individual named Shawn Rudis was the target of Karnuth and others’ displeasure. Photos of him were shared in a 1%er biker gang WhatsApp group chat. The point of contention discussed later was that Rudis sported tattoos associated with the Warlocks and a cut (or vest) that had a patch for the Pagans. Karnuth reportedly approached Rudis and asked about his affiliation with the Warlocks. They were supposed to meet again, but Rudis ended up blocking Karnuth’s number.
Karnuth and others then decided to get at Rudis by driving to his residence, beating him up, taking his patches and removing his tattoos. Law & Crime reports:
“But when the crime unfolded on June 22, 2021, however, the target wasn’t the one who ended up dead. Dustin B. ‘Kutter’ Lindner, a 35-year-old member of the Pagans, was shot and killed by the target, prosecutors said. The others accused of involvement in the shootout — 54-year-old David K. ‘Karate Dave’ Faulkner, 36-year-old Jason W. ‘Dutch’ Brewer, and 42-year-old Gary W. ‘Mouth’ Fletcher — were identified members of the Warlocks.
Rudis shot Lidner with a .223 rifle after he saw the defendants with guns in hand and heard them looking for him. Lidner opened the tarp to the shed Rudis was hiding in. According to Eagle Country Online:
“Following the shooting, gang members fled the area in two vehicles but crashed into each other. They attempted to dispose of a vehicle, firearms and gang paraphernalia following the shooting.
Karnuth was eventually located at a known Warlock house in Rising Sun.”
Due to Karnuth’s involvement as the operation’s ringleader, he received the severe sentence of 120 years total in prison.