Road Dog suspect to be released

FRESNO -- He won't be home for Christmas, but he's scheduled to be home soon.

Michael J. Orozco, 51, of Manteca was ordered by a federal judge to be released from custody after a court hearing Tuesday.

Orozco has been in custody since July, when he was indicted with about a dozen others on charges relating to suspected illegal operations at a Denair motorcycle shop going back to 1997.

Orozco, Ray M. "Ray Ray" Heffington, 40, of Chowchilla and retired Stanislaus County sheriff's deputy Robert C. Holloway III of Turlock are the only defendants in the case who remain in custody. Heffington also had a hearing Tuesday, but the judge has not ruled on his release.

Authorities said Orozco was the chapter vice president of the Alky Haulers, a motorcycle club with close ties to the Hells Angels. He was indicted in connection with a series of phone calls prosecutors say he made to try to recover a motorcycle for Robert Holloway. Holloway and his 35-year-old son, Brent, were among those indicted in July.

Prosecutors say Robert Holloway operated a chop shop, illegally extended credit to customers and encouraged threats and violence against customers who didn't pay bills.

According to prosecutors, Orozco threatened a man in his club who failed to make payments on a motorcycle from Holloway's Road Dog Cycle. Orozco had vouched for the man so, according to the relationship between Holloway and the Alky Haulers, prosecutors say, Orozco was responsible for recovering the bike when payments were not made.

Orozco's attorney, Mac McGinnis of Fresno, said the charges against his client are "based on innuendo and supposition." His client, he said, is harmless. If anything, he added, Orozco is guilty of tough talk.

"We'll plead to a count of felony stupid (for that)," he said at the hearing before U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger.

Wanger ordered Orozco to be released on strict supervision, if the defense puts up property owned by Orozco's parents as collateral. It could take several weeks for the paperwork to go through, said McGinnis.

Wanger said Orozco has no criminal record, no history of drug or alcohol abuse and a long record of stable employment, along with strong ties to his community.

In a brief statement before the court, Orozco chalked up the alleged threatening phone calls to a "midlife crisis."

"I'm not a bad person, your honor," he said before the judge made his de- cision. About prosecutors, he added: "They don't know me. They don't know my heart. They don't know what my life is about. That was one little fraction of a time in my life. You have my solemn word unequivocally, (if I'm released) I'll be sitting at home with the kids and playing Play Station, feeding the dog and baking cookies."

Heffington also asked for his release Tuesday. Heffington, who was the Merced chapter president of the Hells Angels until his arrest, was indicted in connection with operating a chop shop and trafficking in motor vehicles or their parts.

Wanger said he would need more time to consider arguments made by attorneys about whether Heffington should be released. A character witness who supervised Heffington at a job and became friends with him spoke about Heffington's strong work ethic and devotion to his family.

Heffington's attorney, Jai Gohel of San Francisco, raised questions about whether Heffington even knew that bike parts he delivered to Robert Holloway's shop were stolen, part of the basis for the charges against him.

Prosecutors said Heffington served as an enforcer for collecting debts, but Gohel argued that their evidence, including wiretaps on Robert Holloway's phone that were in place for nearly four months in late 2007, was weak.

"Mr. Holloway has gotten a lot of people in trouble with what he's said on the phone," Gohel said. "Who knows what he meant when he said 'Ray Ray will take care of it' ?"

Bee staff writer Emilie Raguso can be reached at eraguso@modbee.com or 578-2235.