Indictments snare bikers, Stanislaus County lawmen

Chop shop, trafficking, extortion alleged

By EMILIE RAGUSO
eraguso@modbee.com

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Eleven men -- including five with law enforcement backgrounds -- have been indicted after a federal investigation into a decade of suspected racketeering and extortion at a Denair motorcycle shop.

Nine of the men were taken into custody early Tuesday morning in a series of coordinated arrests across Stanislaus and Santa Clara counties, officials said. Some of the men are believed to have ties to outlaw motorcycle clubs, such as the Hells Angels.

Robert C. Holloway, 61, and his son, Brent F. Holloway, 36, along with six others, were indicted on racketeering and conspiracy charges related to the operation of Road Dog Cycle in Denair. Robert Holloway lives in Turlock and Brent Holloway in Modesto.

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Authorities say that for more than a decade, the Holloways participated in illegal activities including trafficking stolen motor vehicle parts, operating a chop shop and extending "extortionate" lines of credit, as well as collecting that credit by force or threat of force.

Authorities identified the other men as East Bay Dragons outlaw motorcycle club member Alfredo F. Rincon, 37, and the chapter president of the Alky Haulers outlaw motorcycle club, Michael J. Orozco, 51, both of Manteca; retired California Highway Patrol officer and former part-time Merced County sheriff's deputy Joseph S. Tyler, 65, of Merced; the former chief executive officer of Indian Motorcycles, Reynaldo W. Sotelo, 52, of Gilroy; Fredrick A. Noreberg, 36, of Sweden, the chapter president of the Red Devils outlaw motorcycle club in that country; and Ray M. Heffington, 40, of Chowchilla, Merced chapter president of the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle club.

Stanislaus County sheriff's Capt. Raul DeLeon, 51, and David A. Swanson, 52, a former deputy who was a court bailiff, face charges of making false statements about the Road Dog Cycle case to federal investigators. Both men live in Modesto.

A third man, Stephen J. Johnson of Linden, who also has a background in law enforcement, is accused of making false statements to investigators and lying to a federal grand jury in June.

Sheriff's captain on leave

DeLeon has been on administrative leave since December. Swanson retired in February, a few weeks after he was placed on administrative leave.

Johnson formerly worked as a corrections officer for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, federal officials said. He is a dog trainer for law enforcement and military groups.

The charges were announced Tuesday afternoon at the Modesto Police Department by Drew Parenti, Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent-in-charge, and U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott, both from Sacramento.

The suspects are expected to appear today in federal court in Fresno. If convicted, they could face decades in prison and fines of $250,000 to $2.5 million.

Investigators said wiretaps placed on telephones associated with Robert Holloway and Road Dog Cycle allowed them to identify several people, including some associated with law enforcement, who helped Holloway carry out criminal activities. Authorities would not comment on the length of the investigation, but said it lasted at least two years.

Authorities are looking for Noreberg and Heffington. The other men were arrested Tuesday morning. All were arrested in Stanislaus County, except Sotelo, who was found in Gilroy, authorities said.

A federal grand jury in Fresno returned the indictment Thursday, but it was sealed until Tuesday morning, Scott said.

Bike business called a front