JEFFERSON COUNTY — A Jennings County man is facing between 90 and 130 years in prison after being found guilty of murder and related charges in a 2021 gang shootout that resulted in the death of a gang member.
Michael J. Karnuth, of North Vernon, was also convicted of attempted burglary while armed with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery while armed with a deadly weapon, and obstruction of justice. He was found to be a member of a criminal organization while committing the offenses, and he committed the offenses to further the interests of that criminal organization. His jury trial ended on Feb. 6.
The case began on June 22, 2021, when Dustin B. Lindner, 35, of Georgetown, Kentucky, was fatally wounded shortly after 4 a.m. in Dupont. Lindner, a member of the Pagans motorcycle gang, was with Karnuth, David K. Faulkner, Jason W. Brewer, and Gary W. Fletcher, members of the Warlocks motorcycle gang.
The gang members waited with handguns, knives, and handcuffs to confront a man who they believed was displaying patches and tattoos of those clubs but was not a member. When they approached the man’s house, a shootout ensued. Linder was shot in the chest. Evidence was presented at trial that Karnuth was president of the Warlock Chapter known as the “Heavy Hitters”.
Following the shooting, the gang members disposed of the firearms and tried to get rid of a vehicle before being caught. Firearms were recovered in cornfields and in various bodies of water. Karnuth was arrested by the Indiana State Police while hiding at a known Warlock house in Rising Sun.
Karnuth will now face the sentencing phase of the trial, scheduled for March 15, at 2 p.m.
