60-year-old man survives nighttime shooting in Philadelphia

Jackson Township, NJ – In what can only be described as a scene from the fictional television series Sons of Anarchy, three members of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club were involved in a plot to murder a former club member.

According to the Ocean County District Attorney’s Office, the victim, Michael Moores, was targeted as part of a violent witness tampering attempt by Michael Vulpis, Glenn Franzion and Noah Phelps, all members of local branches of the One Percenter motorcycle club.

According to NJ.com, this club has been involved in acts of violence across New Jersey in recent months.

Two members, Franzion and Phelps, were released from prison under New Jersey’s Bail Reform Act.

Officials in Jackson this week expressed frustration with New Jersey’s legal system, which allows violent and dangerous criminals to be released from custody while they await trial.

Vulpis is a member of the Freehold section of the club. Franzion is a member of the Ocean County section.

Last week, an Ocean County grand jury indicted three men in connection with what prosecutors called an attempted murder in Jackson Township in the summer of 2024. In the incident, which occurred on June 27, a 27-year-old man was shot in the face, reportedly during a violent conflict with members of a notorious motorcycle club.

Michael Vulpis, 26, of Freehold, has been in jail since July 3 after being arrested for the shooting. Vulpis and Noah Phelps, 24, of Monroe, are now charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Prosecutors allege the shooting stemmed from an ongoing conflict between Vulpis, a known member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club, and the victim, believed to be a former member of the group. The victim had reportedly been expelled from the club prior to the attack.

Although there is no official confirmation from law enforcement that the case is connected to what the New Jersey State Commission on Investigation describes as the “outlaw Pagans motorcycle gang,” such a connection is widely suspected.

Vulpis’ arrest and subsequent indictment followed years of increasing tensions involving members of the Pagan movement in the area.

Adding to the complexity of the case, a third man, 32-year-old Glenn Franzson of Jackson, has been charged with attempting to persuade the victim to lie to police about the night’s events.

Franzson is charged with conspiracy to tamper with witnesses, as well as other drug and weapons offenses. When police searched his home, they found a firearm with no serial number, commonly referred to as a “ghost gun,” as well as cocaine, methamphetamine and a high-capacity ammunition magazine.

The June 27 incident occurred in the early morning hours on Larsen Road in Jackson. Police responded to a 911 call and found the victim with a gunshot wound to the face but still alive.

Investigators determined that the victim had been sitting in a parked car with a woman when a blue sedan pulled up and blocked their vehicle. Vulpis and Phelps allegedly approached the car, attacked the victim, then shot him.

Both Vulpis and Phelps face additional charges including possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and conspiracy to tamper with a witness. Vulpis is also charged with being a certain person prohibited from possessing a weapon or ammunition due to his criminal record.

The case has raised concerns about the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club’s presence in local communities. Residents of nearby Monmouth County have spoken out about the group’s violent behavior. In one case, Freehold resident Michael Murphy reported how his neighborhood was plagued by club members, prompting him to run for local office in November. According to Murphy, as many as 30 members of the group gathered on his street and caused fear among local residents, especially children.

The Pagans are reportedly holding a statewide event this weekend at the Hershey Motel in Seaside Heights. We reached out to Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy and have not heard back. The Ocean County District Attorney’s Office has also not responded to requests for further details on this incident.