Mohammed Zeidan, also known as “Mo,” was found guilty on September 5, 2024, of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, and firearms conspiracy. The conviction followed a four-day trial before Senior United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani in Scranton.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Zeidan was associated with members of the Schuylkill County chapter of the Infamous Ryders Motorcycle Club. Steven Wong, who served as president of the club and is a co-defendant in the case, used his leadership position to organize a series of armed home-invasion robberies in Schuylkill and Berks counties during the summer and fall of 2020.
Gurganus stated: “Zeidan agreed to participate in an August 29, 2020, home-invasion robbery with three other co-conspirators in which Zeidan and two others entered the home of a street-level drug dealer while wearing masks and armed with firearms and knives and rob the victims of drugs and drug proceeds. One of the firearms used was a fully automatic homemade AR-15 style assault rifle. Zeidan did not personally carry a firearm during the robbery but tried to break down the backdoor of the residence and impersonated a police officer in order to convince the potential victims to come downstairs. Instead, the victims jumped out of the second-floor window, injuring themselves. Zeidan and his fellow co-conspirators then ran from the home without stealing anything of value.”
After this failed attempt, Zeidan’s co-conspirators blamed him for its failure. Other members involved later committed additional armed robberies in Mahanoy City and Shillington, Pennsylvania. All co-conspirators including Wong have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing.
The investigation into these crimes included participation from multiple law enforcement agencies: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Pennsylvania State Police; police departments from Mahanoy City, Schuylkill Haven, Pottsville, Shillington, Reading; as well as assistance from Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys James Buchanan and Sarah Lloyd prosecuted this case.
The prosecution noted that this case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which coordinates efforts among various levels of law enforcement along with community groups to reduce violent crime rates.
If convicted on all charges at sentencing—which will be determined by judicial review according to federal statutes—Zeidan faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment.
