Sonoma County Hells Angels leaders sentenced to life in prison

The following is a press release issued by the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of California.:

Jonathan Nelson, aka Jon Jon; Brian Wayne Wendt; and Russell Taylor Ott, aka Rusty, were all sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison. The sentences were imposed by the Honorable Edward M. Chen, United States District Judge, after a jury found in June 2022 that the defendants were guilty of murder in aid of racketeering in connection with their participation in a criminal enterprise involving their membership in and association with the Sonoma County Charter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HASC).

“The record in this case describes a brutal brotherhood whose actions should shock all of our consciences,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey. “While life sentences cannot undo the harm done to the defendants' victims, it should provide some comfort to our communities to know that these three defendants will never again have the opportunity to continue their destructive activities on our streets.

“These three Hells Angels members were the most violent of the dozens of people convicted in this investigation. They used violence and fear to intimidate our community, but their brutality and disregard for human life earned them life in prison,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “Today’s announcement is a direct result of years of perseverance, dedication and collaboration with our partners at the California Highway Patrol and the Santa Rosa Police Department. Today, these individuals have faced the consequences of their actions, and today we are one step closer to fulfilling our mission to eradicate organized crime and keep our neighborhoods safe.

Nelson, 46, of Santa Rosa; Wendt, 45, of Tulare; and Ott, 70, of Santa Rosa, were all members or associates of HASC. As stated in the indictment, the Hells Angels are a transnational violent outlaw motorcycle gang and HASC is a subset of the gang whose members operate primarily in Sonoma County, California. On October 10, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted eleven members and associates of HASC, charging the defendants with being part of a conspiracy whose members furthered the company's goals by engaging in a wide range of activities criminals. The indictment describes murder, drug distribution, assault, robbery, extortion, illegal possession of firearms and obstruction of justice as some of the activities in which the The company is committed to achieving its objectives. The indictment also described how HASC members worked cooperatively with other sections of the Hells Angels to engage in criminal activity. On September 11, 2018, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment adding a murder charge related to the killing of HASC member Joel Silva.

The charges against Nelson, Wendt and Ott were the subject of a nine-week trial that resulted in guilty verdicts against all three defendants. In finding all three defendants guilty, the jury found that each conspired to further the goals of the criminal conspiracy and that each played a role in carrying out the July 15, 2014 murder of HASC member Joel Silva. At trial, the government presented evidence describing each defendant's role in the murder. All three defendants concluded, for various reasons, that Silva should be killed. Nelson, who was then president of the HASC, arranged for Ott to take Silva to Fresno, and Silva agreed to go there with Ott. After the two arrived at the Hell's Angels Fresno clubhouse, Wendt, then charter president of the Fresno Hells Angels, shot Silva in the back of the head. On the morning of July 16, 2014, Silva's body was delivered to a local crematory and cremated. In addition to Silva's murder, evidence presented at trial included proof that HASC engaged in assault, witness intimidation, extortion, drug trafficking, and theft. For example, witnesses said that HASC has developed a reputation for threatening anyone who speaks to the police about its activities. Additionally, testimony demonstrated that Nelson, Wendt, and other HASC members and associates threatened the lives of witnesses and their families to make it clear that anyone who cooperated with law enforcement would suffer harm.

In summary, the jury found all three defendants guilty of participating in a corrupt and racketeer-influenced organization conspiracy, in violation of 18 USC § 1962(d); murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 USC § 1959(a)(1); and conspiracy to commit racketeering murder, in violation of 18 USC § 1959(a)(5). In addition, Nelson was also convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 USC § 1959(a)(3), and use or possession of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, in violation of 18 USC § 924(c)(1)(A).

Five other defendants pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy charges and were sentenced to prison terms of up to 84 months. Two defendants were convicted at trial of participating in a corrupt and racketeer-influenced organization conspiracy, in violation of 18 USC § 1962(d); conspiracy to commit murder in furtherance of racketeering, in violation of 18 USC § 1959(a)(5), assault with a dangerous weapon in furtherance of racketeering, in violation of 18 USC § 1959(a)(3) ) and witness intimidation 18 USC § 1512(b).

This pursuit is part of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach based on intelligence that leverages the forces of federal, state and local law enforcement against criminal networks.

Assistant United States Attorneys Ajay K. Krishnamurthy and Kevin Barry are prosecuting the case with assistance from Kevin Costello. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Santa Rosa Police Department, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol.