Galloping Goose Motorcyle Club members plead guilty to crimes related to deadly Lake of the Ozarks brawl
Matthew Sanders
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Three members of the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club have pleaded guilty in federal court to racketeering and other charges related to a deadly brawl outside a Lake of the Ozarks bar and grill in July 2021.
Tonka Way Con Ponder, 55, pleaded guilty on May 13 to two counts of a crime of violence in aid of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence in aid of racketeering, one count of shooting a gun in furtherance of a crime of violence, three methamphetamine-related charges and two counts of having an unregistered gun.
Tretch Lawrence, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of a crime of violence in aid of racketeering and a count of attempted extortion on Wednesday.
Keith Nolen, 36, pleaded guilty May 5 to one count of a crime of violence in aid of racketeering, a count of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence in aid of racketeering and a count of being a felon in possession of a gun.
An indictment filed in June 2024 alleged that Ponder was the leader of the motorcycle club’s Lake of the Ozarks chapter.
A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office states that Ponder, Nolen and Lawrence were part of an assault on members of the Iron Celtics Motorcycle Association in July 2021 outside Casablanca Pub and Grille. A man identified in court documents as “B.C.” was fatally shot in the confrontation.
Investigators alleged after the shooting that security video from outside the pub showed Ponder pull out a gun and shoot another man after a gun was pointed at him.
The men also admitted to assaulting Iron Celtics members in another confrontation at the Chuckwagon Cafe in Camdenton in December 2021.
Ponder and Nolen also pleaded guilty to conspiring with other members of the Galloping Goose club to attack members of the Iron Celtics and the Mongols Motorcycle Club, leading to the deadly confrontation outside Casablanca, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Ponder also admitted to selling methamphetamine and owning a silencer, the release states.
Lawrence admitted to threatening two Iron Celtics members at their home and demanding money from them, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.