Second Defendant in Modesto Racketeering Case Pleads Guilty

FRESNO, CA—Acting United States Attorney Lawrence G. Brown announced today that RAY M. HEFFINGTON, 40, of Chowchilla, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Oliver W. Wanger to trafficking in certain motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts, as part of the overall racketeering indictment brought against Stanislaus County business owner Robert C. Holloway and others.

This case was the result of an extensive investigation conducted by the Central Valley Gang Impact Task Force, which includes the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, the Modesto Police Department, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.

According to Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Cullers and Laurel J. Montoya, who are prosecuting the case, HEFFINGTON admitted that, between August 3, 2006 and December 4, 2007, he bought or received motorcycle parts with altered vehicle identification numbers and delivered those parts to Road Dog Cycle in Denair, on June 29, 2007. At the time HEFFINGTON engaged in such conduct, he was the chapter president of the Merced chapter of the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle club.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 14, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Wanger. HEFFINGTON faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, 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.

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