Author: terry.katz

ALLEGED BIKER GANG MEMBER IS ACCUSED OF SETTING FIRE TO A LOCAL BAR
An alleged biker gang member was arrested for a fire he allegedly took part in, in April of 2024.
Thursday, June 27th 2024, 6:59 pm
By: News 9, Jennifer Pierce Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://www.news9.com/story/667e02e191f1567fc5628509/alleged-biker-gang-member-is-accused-of-setting-fire-to-a-local-bar

An alleged member of a biker gang is accused of setting a fire to a local bar, according to police. Investigators believe the fire was in retaliation to to an alleged assault on a fellow biker.
According to police, 26-year-old Jordan Ysasago was arrested for the fire he allegedly took part in, in April of 2024.

Court papers show that two people broke into a biker club near Northwest 10th and MacArthur Boulevard. Police say the suspects poured gasoline on the floor and lit it on fire.

Investigators say this building was a meeting place for the Fear City Firing Squad Motorcycle Club.

Baltimore cop sentenced for trading ghost gun, homicide intel with biker boss for cocaine

Dylan Segelbaum Baltimore Banner June 28, 2024
hebaltimorebanner.com/community/criminal-justice/steven-angelini-baltimore-police-officer-drugs-biker-B4OQSLH5NNFHJGBN4ZIW5CULWY/

Jessica Angelini approached the lectern on Friday inside a federal courtroom in Baltimore and reflected on the moment: “I still can’t believe this is my life.”

She was speaking on behalf of her husband, Baltimore Police Officer Steven Angelini, at his sentencing on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone and cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He admitted to trading oxycodone pills, information about the homicide of a drug dealer and a ghost gun for cocaine with the president of the Infamous Ryders Motorcycle Club in 2022.

After her husband’s arrest, Jessica Angelini said, she was furious — and disgusted. But she said she’s seen the work that he’s put toward his recovery from drug addiction. Being a good man, she said, is important to him.
“I know his heart, so I know he’s truly sorry,” she said. “He will never fall this far or this hard again.”
At the end of an almost two-hour sentencing hearing that laid bare the devastating effects of addiction on people and their families, U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander said she could not sugarcoat the seriousness of the crime: A police officer traded secrets about a homicide investigation and sold a ghost gun to a drug trafficker.
But Hollander said he otherwise served with distinction and noted how people described him as a loving husband, father and son. She drew a contrast between his actions and the conduct of members of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force, who she said were motivated by greed.

“This will not define your life,” Hollander said. “Clearly, you’re remorseful. And clearly, you have started to begin the rehabilitation.”
Hollander then ordered Steven Angelini, 43, of Middle River, to serve 2 1/2 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He must complete inpatient drug rehabilitation, spend six months in home detention and perform 100 hours of community service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Goo pushed for five years in prison.
Goo spoke at length about the facts and circumstances of the case. She said it would be serious if a regular person committed the crime.
“But Mr. Angelini is not just an ordinary person,” said Goo, who added that he violated his oath as a police officer. “He was well aware of the danger he was creating.”

Steven Angelini joined the Baltimore Police Department in 2006. He remains suspended without pay, said Detective Niki Fennoy, a police spokesperson, in an email.

His attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Sedira Banan, asked for a two-year sentence.
Banan said the case had to be understood through the lens of addiction, and that it illustrates how no one is immune.
But Banan said the story was also one of resiliency. She noted that her client has put tremendous work toward his recovery, and even lobbied the Howard County Detention Center to allow federal detainees like himself to take part in treatment.

“If we think of punishment as suffering, I can assure the court, Mr. Angelini has suffered tremendously,” Banan said. “He is worthy of going home.”

Marco Angelini, Steven Angelini’s brother, described the arrest and prosecution as a “blessing in disguise.” Meanwhile, Siena Angelini, Steven Angelini’s daughter, spoke about how her father has missed major life events, including her senior prom, high school graduation and driver’s license test, and said she’s been left “grieving somebody who’s still alive.”

At various points, Hollander complimented the defense presentation and the character witnesses. She mentioned the case of Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, as an example of how addiction is a pervasive problem that touches every community.

Before he was sentenced, Steven Angelini said he’s reflected on his actions over the past two years and that the poor decisions that he made will forever affect him and his family.
Through tears, he spoke about how he has lost his reputation, job and freedom. He apologized to the Baltimore Police Department.

He started abusing prescription pain medication after he got hurt on the job, he said, and needed help long before his arrest.

When he’s released from prison, he wants to share his story and help law enforcement.

“Police officers are human,” he said. “They can be affected by drug addiction.”

When the hearing was over, Steven Angelini blew kisses to his family members and friends who filled the gallery of the courtroom inside the Edward A. Garmatz U.S. Courthouse. He said he loved them.

Members of Pa. motorcycle club convicted on federal robbery, conspiracy charges

by: Kaylee Lindenmuth WHTM (ABC 27) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, June 25, 2024
https://www.abc27.com/pennsylvania/members-of-pa-motorcycle-club-convicted-on-federal-robbery-conspiracy-charges/

(WHTM) — Two members of a Pennsylvania motorcycle club were convicted last week on federal robbery charges.
Solomon Rodriguez, 34, of Reading, and Steven Wong, 43, of Shalotte, N.C., were facing Hobbs Act Robbery, firearms, and related charges. Hobbs Act Robbery relates to robbery affecting interstate or foreign commerce, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The two were members of the Infamous Ryders Motorcycle Club’s Schuylkill County chapter, of which Wong was president.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said Wong recruited members of the club “to participate in a series of brutal home-invasion robberies” in Berks and Schuylkill counties.

“Wong rewarded loyal members involved in the conspiracy with money and free drugs,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The robberies targeted street-level drug dealers and involved the use of a fully-automatic assault rifle.
“This group acted with extreme violence, invading people’s homes with machine guns drawn, and committing crimes that brutalized their victims,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Though our cooperative efforts with the Pennsylvania State police and local police departments, we successfully brought these criminals to justice and ended their trail of crimes, making our communities safer again.

Entire California Hells Angels chapter arrested in criminal street gang investigation

Police seize 25 firearms as Bakersfield chapter of ‘outlaw motorcycle gang’ is detained

By Greg Norman Fox News
Published June 26, 2024 7:54am EDT
https://www.foxnews.com/us/entire-california-hells-angels-chapter-arrested-criminal-street-gang-investigation

An entire chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club has been arrested in California as part of a criminal street gang investigation and now face charges including kidnapping, robbery and assault, police say.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office announced that the Bakersfield chapter of the “outlaw motorcycle gang” was taken into custody on Tuesday following a joint probe with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the California Highway Patrol.

“More than 150 law enforcement personnel seized approximately 25 firearms, ammunition, multiple high-capacity magazines, and gang affiliate paraphernalia,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Police released images of the firearms – which included several rifles – laid out on a table, along with patches, jackets and other clothing.

Those arrested were identified as Ricardo Alvarez, 42, Armando Villasenor, 55, Joseph Soto Sr., 57, Joseph Soto Jr., 33, Joshua Zavala, 31, and John Seeger, 57, all from Bakersfield.

A seventh suspect linked to the investigation, 37-year-old Joshua Vaughn, was already in custody on other charges and “eight search warrants were executed at various locations throughout Bakersfield,” the Sheriff’s Office also sai

“Alvarez, Villasenor, Soto Sr., Soto Jr., and Zavala are active, patched members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Bakersfield Chapter,” police added. “Vaughn and Seeger are members of the Sons Of Hell Motorcycle Club. This sub-affiliate Motorcycle Club takes orders and direction from the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.”

All seven of the suspects now face charges of kidnapping, first-degree robbery, criminal threats, false imprisonment, assault with a firearm, participation in a criminal street gang, criminal conspiracy, intimidating a witness or victim and elder abuse, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.

Orlando Biker Gang Member Murdered Man after Dispute with Opposing Biker Club

ByStaff West Orlando News.com June 24, 2024
https://westorlandonews.com/orlando-biker-gang-member-murdered-man-after-dispute-with-opposing-biker-club/

An Orlando biker gang member murdered a man and injured another after randomly firing shots at a group outside of a party of an opposing motorcycle club.

An Orange County jury recently found 26-year-old Tahj Williams guilty of Second Degree Murder (with a Firearm) and Attempted Second Degree Murder with a Firearm.

On September 11, 2021, members of the Orlando-based motorcycle club, the Chosen Few, attempted to gain entrance to a party at the Elks Lodge, located at 12 N. Primrose Avenue. The party, hosted by another motorcycle club, the Aftermath Riders, denied the Chosen Few members entry.

As the group departed, Tajh Williams indiscriminately fired several rounds from a handgun into a crowd at the Elks Lodge entrance, striking and killing 49-year-old Rajah Graham and injuring another man in the ankle.

Detectives from the Orlando Police Department tracked down several members of the Chosen Few by obtaining video surveillance from the Elks Lodge and traffic cameras. The footage showed the group leaving the establishment and fleeing the area after the shooting.

Through investigative means, OPD detectives identified the members of the Chosen Few present at the Elks Lodge. After contacting several members, detectives learned that Williams was responsible for the shooting. Independent witnesses also gave a description of the shooter that matched the defendant. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant and Williams was tracked down and apprehended by OPD’s Fugitive Investigative Unit. After serving a search warrant, the murder weapon was found in two separate pieces at the defendant’s apartment.

After a five-day trial, a jury found Williams guilty as charged. The judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation to help determine an appropriate sentence. Williams has his sentencing hearing scheduled for July 8th.

Leader, Members of Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club Indicted for Criminal Racketeering Enterprise
Friday, June 21, 2024
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri

Among Seven Area Residents Charged with Violent Crime, Drug Trafficking, Firearms Violations

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Seven area residents, including the leader and several members of the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in an ongoing criminal enterprise that involved acts of violence, drug trafficking, and illegally possessing firearms.

Tonka Way Con Ponder, 53, and his wife, Carolynn L. Ponder, 47, both of Preston, Mo., and Tretch Lucius Lawrence, also known as “Travis Dewain Shankle,” 48, Keith Dewayne Nolen Jr., also known as “Seg,” 34, Paul Leon Gardner, 52, Daniel Scot Kurtzenborn, 41, and Robert Russell Warren, also known as “Russ,” 54, all of whom have unknown addresses, were charged in a 25-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City on Tuesday, June 18.

That indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of six of the defendants (with the exception of Warren). Tonka Ponder, Lawrence, Nolen and Kurtzeborn remain detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Tuesday, June 25. Gardner and Carolynn Ponder were released on bond.

The federal indictment alleges that Tonka Ponder, Lawrence, Nolen, Gardner and Kurtzeborn are members of the Lake of the Ozarks chapter of the Galloping Goose outlaw motorcycle gang, an organized criminal enterprise. Members of the Galloping Goose, says the indictment, engaged in acts of violence, including assault, attempted robbery, and extortion.

According to the indictment, Tonka Ponder was the leader of the local chapter of the Galloping Goose, which has a clubhouse in Camdenton, Mo.

The federal indictment charges Tonka Ponder, Lawrence, Shankle, Nolen, Kurtzeborn and Gardner with committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering. They allegedly assaulted another person with a deadly weapon on Dec. 12, 2020.

The federal indictment charges Tonka Ponder, Lawrence, Nolen, and Kurtzeborn with committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering. They allegedly conspired to assault members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club and the Iron Celtics Motorcycle Association, resulting in serious physical injuries, on July 15, 2021.

Tonka Ponder is charged with two counts of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering and two counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Tonka Ponder allegedly shot two persons, resulting in serious physical injury, on July 15, 2021.

Kurtzeborn is charged with one count of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Kurtzeborn allegedly attempted to assault a victim by shooting at him on July 15, 2021.

Tonka Ponder and Lawrence are charged with one count of attempted extortion. The indictment alleges that, from July 1, 2020, to July 15, 2021, they attempted to obtain the property of the Iron Celtics Motorcycle Association by threatened use of force, violence, and fear.

The federal indictment charges Tonka Ponder, Carolynn Ponder, and Warren with participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Camden and Miller Counties from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31, 2022. Tonka Ponder is also charged with five counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and four counts of traveling across state lines to facilitate the illegal distribution of methamphetamine.

Tonka Ponder is charged with two counts of using his cell phone to facilitate a drug-trafficking conspiracy. Carolynn Ponder is charged with one count of using her cell phone to facilitate a drug-trafficking conspiracy.

Kurtzeborn and Nolen are each charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kurtzeborn allegedly possessed a Taurus .357-caliber revolver on July 15, 2021. Nolen allegedly possessed a Taurus 9mm handgun on Aug. 24, 2023.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron M. Maness and Cecily L. Hicks. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., Police Department, the Miller County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Camden County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Updated June 21, 2024

UPDATE: 6th man arrested in relation to Marion County Pagan Motorcycle Club murder

By WDTV News Staff June 21, 2024
https://www.wdtv.com/2024/06/21/update-6th-man-arrested-relation-marion-county-pagan-motorcycle-club-murder/

FAIRMONT, W.Va (WDTV) – A sixth man has been arrested this week in relation to a Marion County Pagan Motorcycle Club murder.

Ryan Lane, 36, of Fairmont, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder on Tuesday, according to Marion County Sheriff Jimmy Riffle.

Deputies served a search warrant at Lane’s residence Tuesday morning in regard to an ongoing investigation into Henry Silver’s 2022 murder, Riffle said.

Silver was shot and killed on September 9, 2022 in the Carolina area of Marion County. John Wolfe, a member of the Pagan Motorcycle Club who was found guilty of Silver’s murder in April, learned of a hidden relationship involving Silver and his girlfriend. Deputies allege that Wolfe conspired with other members of the club to murder Silver.

Lane texted Wolfe about the situation multiple times. In one text, Lane tells Wolfe they need to “handle that f——,” according to court documents. Ten minutes prior to the murder occurring, Wolfe texted Lane and told him “keep ur phone on I might need bail money.” After that text, deputies said Lane continued to communicate with Wolfe and traveled to where he believed he would be to discuss the events that occurred.

In June 2023, four other men were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy in relation to the murder. Jonathan Biller, Derek Clem, Dane Hull and Austin Mullins were arrested at that point of the investigation, deputies said.

The investigation is still ongoing, Riffle said.
Copyright 2024 WDTV. All rights reserved.

Alamogordo Man Sentenced for Federal Firearms Offense
Friday, June 14, 2024

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – A member of the notorious Bandidos Motorcycle Club was sentenced to 21 months in prison for unlawful possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to publicly available court records, on August 31, 2023, the FBI and local law enforcement partners executed dozens of search warrants around New Mexico targeting the Bandidos Motorcycle Club. During the search of Jonathan Bivins, 42, home, agents discovered thirteen firearms in a safe located in his bedroom.

As a previously convicted felon, Bivins knew that he was prohibited from owning firearms or ammunition.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Bivins will be required to serve 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and New Mexico State Police led the investigation as part of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph M. Spindle and David B. Hirsch are prosecuting the case.
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New Mexico Bandidos Motorcycle Club member sentenced to prison after FBI investigation

by: Curtis Segarra KRGE Weslaco, TexasJune 16, 2024
https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/new-mexico-bandidos-motorcycle-club-member-sentenced-to-prison-after-fbi-investigation/

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The U.S. Attorney’s Office says a member of the Bandidos is set to serve 21 months in prison after investigators found illegally-owned guns in his home. The Bandidos member, 42-year-old Jonathan Bivins, was prohibited from owning firearms as a previously convicted felon, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says.

In the fall of 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local law enforcement agents executed search warrants on multiple people they say have ties to the Bandidos. The massive statewide raid came in response to a fatal shooting in Red River, New Mexico. The DOJ calls the Bandidos a “notorious” club with 75 to 100 members across the state.

The DOJ says the raid uncovered 13 firearms in Bivins’ bedroom. Bivins pled guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. Now a judge has handed him a 21-month sentence followed by three years of supervised release, the DOJ says.

Vagos’ Outlaw motorcycle gang member arrested, 1 outstanding: KCSO
by: Luis Garcia KGET Updated: June 18, 2024
https://www.kget.com/news/crime-watch/vagos-outlaw-motorcycle-gang-member-arrested-1-outstanding-kcso/

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A member of the “Vagos” Outlaw motorcycle gang was arrested Friday after deputies executed a search warrant and found a firearms including an automatic machine gun. Another member is at large as of Tuesday, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.

On June 14, KCSO deputies received reports of several “Vagos” Outlaw motorcycle gang members harassing customers at a business in Tehachapi. Deputies with the Community Oriented Policing Project later searched Angela Vasquez’s, 37, of Tehachapi home in the 20,000 block of Dawn Avenue.

During the search, KCSO found gang paraphernalia and a firearm inside a “Vagos” vest. Investigators also found another firearm hidden in a motorcycle, a fully automatic machine gun, and a 40mm launcher, the office said through a news release.

Vasquez was taken into custody for multiple felonies including, firearm charges, child endangerment, and participating in a gang.

Deputies also obtained a $305,000 Ramey warrant for Ulisses Navarette of Tehachapi for numerous felonies and participating in the “Vagos” Outlaw gang. Navarette has not been located and is considered armed and dangerous, according to KCSO.

The Sheriff’s office is asking for the community’s help locating Navarette. He is described as standing five-feet eight-inches tall, weighs around 212 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Three Hells Angels sentenced to life in case that centered on murder, betrayals and deeply-guarded secrets
Sentences loom for second trial group

NATE GARTRELL | ngartrell@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group June 15, 2024

Three Hells Angels sentenced to life in case that centered on murder, betrayals and deeply-guarded secrets

SAN FRANCISCO — Three prominent members of the Hells Angels motorcycle club have been sentenced to life in prison in a case full of murder, mayhem, clandestine cremations and secret government informants.

Santa Rosa residents Jonathan “Jon Jon” Nelson, 46, and Russell “Rusty” Ott, 70, along with Brian Wendt, 45, of Tulare, were all given life sentences for their roles in the murder of Joel Silva, a Hells Angels sergeant-at-arms who disappeared 10 years ago. Prosecutors contend Silva was lured to Fresno, shot in the back of the head by Wendt and illegally cremated at a nearby funeral home.

The three men were convicted in 2022 in a trial that rested on the word of two former Hells Angels who left after receiving beatings that have become emblematic of the biker gang. Other key government witnesses included former associates and members of subsidiary biker clubs, as well as the Fresno funeral home director who claimed he was intimidated into burning multiple bodies of murder victims at the behest of a Fresno Hells Angel.

Nelson, the former president of the club’s Sonoma chapter, was convicted of helping lead the plot to kill Silva, whose increasingly erratic behavior and drug use was becoming a source of concern among the club. The tipping point came when Silva threatened a friend of Salem/Boston chapter president Christopher “Rain Man” Ranieri, who was convicted of his role in the murder plot in a separate trial last year.

Wendt — a Fresno Hells Angel who has a “Filthy Few” tattoo that prosecutors claim is a symbol of murder — shot Silva inside the Fresno clubhouse under the guise of showing him some marijuana, according to prosecution witnesses. He allegedly later called it “one of my better kills.” Before Wendt was sentenced, a friend of his named James Arce wrote a letter to the court describing him as a warm and generous man, full of empathy for others.
“Brian’s caring nature has created a positive ripple effect in my life, and I am immensely grateful for his presence. In both good times and bad, Brian stands as a pillar of reliability and warmth,” Arce’s letter says. “His friendship is a treasure, and I feel fortunate to have him by my side.”

Ott was convicted of helping lure Silva to his death, since he was one of the only men Silva trusted at that point. His defense, in a nutshell, was that he was too drunk to have been involved in a murder conspiracy.
Last year, a Fresno chapter member named Merl Hefferman was sentenced to four years in prison for cremating Silva’s body. Prosecutors contended that he was in charge of disposing of murder victims’ bodies for the Hells Angels and was responsible for extorting the funeral home director. They blamed him for three other clandestine cremations of missing persons: Robbie Huff, Arthur Carasis and Juan Guevara, who were all fellow club members. Hefferman denied he’d taken part in more than one.

Ranieri, along with Raymond “Ray Ray” Foakes, are still awaiting sentencing. Foakes was convicted of racketeering and mayhem for beating a former member who later testified for prosecutors, but was not involved in the plot to kill Silva.

The U.S. Attorney’s office announced the sentences in a news release Friday.

“The record in this case describes a brutal brotherhood whose deeds should shock the conscience of us all,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey in a written statement. “While the life sentences cannot reverse the harm done to the defendants’ victims, it should bring some comfort to our communities to know these three defendants will never again have the ability to continue their destructive activities on our streets.”

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Bay Area Hells Angels sentenced to life in prison for violent crimes

June 15, 2024 / 9:31 AM PDT / CBS/Bay City News Service
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/bay-area-hells-angels-sentenced-life-prison-violent-crimes/

SANTA ROSA — Three men were sentenced to life in prison for murder in aid of racketeering as part of their membership in the Sonoma County chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, federal prosecutors said Friday.
The sentencings of Jonathan “Jon Jon” Nelson, Brian Wayne Wendt and Russell Taylor “Rusty” Ott followed a jury trial in June of 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney for Northern California.

The jury concluded that the trio participated in an enterprise that engaged in a broad array of violent crimes including murder, assault, robbery, extortion and witness intimidation, prosecutors said in a press release.
Nelson, 46, of Santa Rosa, Wendt, 45, of Tulare, and Ott, 70, of Santa Rosa, were convicted of murder related to the killing of Hells Angels member Joel Silva.

Nelson, who was then the president of the Sonoma County chapter, arranged for Ott to take Silva to Fresno. At the Hells Angels Fresno clubhouse, Wendt, then president of the Fresno chapter, shot Silva in the back of the head, prosecutors said.

Silva’s body was then cremated. The three and other Hells Angels threatened the lives of witnesses and their families to keep anyone from cooperating with law enforcement.

Five other defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 84 months.