Federal Grand Jury Indicts Stanislaus County Business Owner
and Associates on Racketeering Charges
Stanislaus County Law Enforcement Officer, Two Others Indicted as Part of Federal Probe

FRESNO, Calif.—United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today that a federal grand jury in Fresno indicted ROBERT C. HOLLOWAY, 61, of Turlock, Calif.; BRENT F. HOLLOWAY, 36, of Turlock.; ALFREDO F. RINCON, 37, of Manteca, Calif.; MICHAEL J. OROZCO, 51, of Manteca, Calif.; JOSEPH S. TYLER, 65, of Merced, Calif.; REYNALDO W. SOTELO, 52, of Gilroy, Calif.; FREDRICK A. NOREBERG, 36, of Sweden; and RAY M. HEFFINGTON, 40, of Chowchilla, Calif. on racketeering and conspiracy charges arising out of the operation of Road Dog Cycle in Denair, Calif.

In separate indictments, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Captain RAUL DeLEON, 51, of Modesto, Calif.; former Stanislaus County Deputy Sheriff-Bailiff DAVID A. SWANSON, 52, of Modesto, Calif.; and retired law enforcement officer and current law enforcement dog trainer STEVEN J. JOHNSON, 60, of Linden, Calif. have each been charged for making false statements to federal investigators and lying to a federal grand jury during a federal probe into leaks surrounding the racketeering investigation.

This case is the product of an extensive investigation conducted by the Central Valley Gang Impact Task Force, which is comprised of state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office; the Police Departments of Ceres, Modesto and Turlock; Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department; and the FBI.

Stated United States Attorney Scott, “This case underscores our collective commitment to disabling and disrupting organized criminal enterprises, and to protecting the integrity of law enforcement investigations and the grand jury process.”

According to Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Cullers and Laurel J. Montoya, who are prosecuting the case, ROBERT HOLLOWAY and his son BRENT HOLLOWAY, are co-owners of Road Dog Cycle. RINCON is a member of the East Bay Dragons outlaw motorcycle club; OROZCO is the Manteca Chapter President of the Alky Haulers outlaw motorcycle club; TYLER is a retired deputy with the Merced County Sheriff’s Department; SOTELO is the former Chief Executive Officer of Indian Motorcycles; NOREBERG is the Chapter President of the Red Devils outlaw motorcycle club in Sweden; and HEFFINGTON is the current Merced Chapter President of the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle club.

The indictment alleges that, from 1997 to 2008, there existed a racketeering enterprise located at Road Dog Cycle, and that the enterprise was led by ROBERT and BRENT HOLLOWAY. The indictment alleges that they, along with others, participated in acts involving trafficking in stolen motor vehicle parts, robbery, making extortionate extensions of credit and collecting extensions of credit by extortionate means, all as part of the enterprise’s criminal activities.

Wiretaps placed on various telephones associated with ROBERT HOLLOWAY and Road Dog Cycle identified several individuals, including some associated with law enforcement, aiding HOLLOWAY in carrying out his alleged criminal activities.

The indictment alleges that ROBERT HOLLOWAY and OROZCO conspired to commit assault against a victim to further the enterprise’s activities, and that ROBERT HOLLOWAY attempted to commit assault against another victim in furtherance of the enterprise’s activities.

ROBERT HOLLOWAY is also charged with two counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence for commanding another to commit assault against two victims in order to collect monies owed him.

BRENT HOLLOWAY is charged in multiple counts of conspiring with ROBERT HOLLOWAY to make extortionate extensions of credit and collecting extensions of credit by extortionate means.

SOTELO and NOREBERG are charged along with ROBERT HOLLOWAY with conspiring to traffic in stolen motorcycle parts and conspiring to fraudulently export a motorcycle contrary to U.S. law.

ROBERT and BRENT HOLLOWAY, RINCON, TYLER and HEFFINGTON are charged with conspiracy to operate a chop shop at Road Dog Cycle and with the operation of a chop shop.

If convicted of the most serious racketeering charges, ROBERT HOLLOWAY and BRENT HOLLOWAY each face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

If convicted of the most serious charges, RINCON, OROZCO, SOTELO, and NOREBERG each face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

If convicted of the most serious charges, TYLER and HEFFINGTON each face a maximum of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

DeLEON has been charged with three counts of making false statements to federal investigators concerning the nature and extent of his relationship with ROBERT HOLLOWAY as well as concealing contacts he had with HOLLOWAY during the execution of a State search warrant at the residence of one of HOLLOWAY’s employees. The indictment alleges that HOLLOWAY told DeLEON that the employee needed time to hide evidence of the employee’s Hells Angels affiliation from investigators and that DeLEON lied to investigators when asked whether HOLLOWAY informed him of this fact.

SWANSON has been charged with three counts of making false statements to federal investigators concerning his leak of confidential law enforcement information to an associate of ROBERT HOLLOWAY, who in turn informed HOLLOWAY of possible search warrants that were to be executed at Road Dog Cycle.

JOHNSON has been charged with two counts of making false statements to federal investigators and five counts of perjury before the grand jury, concerning the nature and purpose of his calls to HOLLOWAY and an associate of HOLLOWAY regarding possible surveillance activity at Road Dog Cycle and intelligence regarding a theft at the Sharpe Army Depot. The indictment alleges that JOHNSON trained narcotics and bomb detection dogs for law enforcement and the military, and thus had access to sensitive law enforcement information.

Each false statement count carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Each perjury count carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

If convicted on all counts, DeLEON faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $750,000 fine; SWANSON faces a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $750,000 fine; and JOHNSON faces a maximum of 35 years in prison and a $2.5 million fine.

The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables and any applicable statutory sentencing factors.

The charges are only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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