Florida ‘Mongols’ biker gang member Paul Pogilevsky indicted in killing

A Florida member of the infamous Mongols Motorcycle Club has been indicted for taking part in the brutal execution of a suspected snitch from another gang, officials said.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Monday that Dominick Paternoster, 46, was gunned down by several Mongols in April because they thought he was cooperating with law enforcement.

Paternoster was a member of the Raiders biker gang, a group Gualtieri described as a lower-level club that served as a feeder to the more powerful Mongols.

The crews shared a clubhouse in Tampa, he said.

One of Paternoster’s alleged killers, Mongol member Paul Pogilevsky, has been hit with a first-degree murder charge in connection with the slaying.

Gualtieri said the Mongols, who are based in California, have a “strong” presence in the Tampa Bay area and conduct a range of criminal activity from prostitution to gun and drug dealing.

“These people are not the people you see out on Sunday on a motorcycle ride,” Gualtieri said at a press conference announcing Pogilevsky’s indictment. “They are really these gangs of thugs that terrorize.”

The sheriff categorized the group as an “organized crime” syndicate with national reach.

A total of 10 Tampa-based Mongols were arrested in January in connection with a gang killing in Colorado.

“This isn’t something you see in the movies or just happening in California and other places — it is alive and well here,” Gualtieri said.  

The sheriff said more than one person shot Paternoster and that more arrests are forthcoming.

He noted that he was shot several times — including in the head.

“They’re sending a message when they do that,” he said.