agingrebel.com
Much of the government’s case against Christopher Ablett during the last two days has focused on the testimony of two friends – one alive and one dead. Federal prosecutors are trying Ablett for racketeering and the murder of Frisco Hells Angels President Mark Guardado in September 2008.
The dead witness was a motorcycle mechanic named George Jimenez. Jimenez also participated in an unsuccessful, 2010, reality television show called “The Prospect” “about a group of bikers who are competing amongst each other to join a motorcycle club. As prospects they have to prove to them selves and to the club that they are worth it.” Jimenez played the “Vice-President of the Raging Raptors MC.”
Jimenez spotted Ablett lingering outside the Dirty Thieves bar the night Guardado died. He helped Ablett pick up his motorcycle after a minor crash caused the bike’s fuel supply to shut off. And, he kept Ablett near the bar by not telling him how to turn the gas back on.
Jimenez gave several statements about that night to authorities and a federal grand jury and transcripts of those statements were read to jurors both Friday and Monday.
Watso
Jimenez knew some real bikers, as well as imaginary ones so the night Guardado died he called his friend Samuel Thunder Sun Watso (photo above.) Watso’s father, who goes only by watso (it is an Algonquin Wabanaki name and he spells it all lower case) is the owner of Axis 101, a motorcycle shop in South San Francisco.
Samuel Watso is young enough to have left few tracks in life. He usually refers to himself as either Thunder Watso or Thunder S. Watso. He has been a member of a rock band and he states his current occupation as “bouncer.” Watso testified Friday that he called Mark Guardado and said “There are Mongols down on Treat. You better watch yourself.” That call brought Guardado to Ablett.
Watso was accompanied by a lawyer when he testified. He denied witnessing the fight and explained that he was at another bar three blocks away on 24th Street when the fight occurred. Phone records indicated that Watso and Jimenez had at least five conversations within eight minutes before Ablett and Guardado fought.
The Gun
The government still doesn’t have the gun that killed Guardado. So last week they began to introduce evidence that demonstrates that Ablett may have owned that gun. That evidence includes: “One fired copper bullet jacket and six apparent lead bullet fragments;” “Ammunition Analysis Report and Notes;” “Receipt from Wal-Mart for .357 magnum ammunition and Winchester 38;” “Winchester 38 special ammunition;” and a “Handgun holster.”
The firearms evidence was seized from the home Ablett shared with his parents and from his motorcycle.
The Confidential Informant
Monday, Judge Richard Seeborg also refused to disclose “the identity of a confidential informant” who had discussed Guardado’s death with FBI Agents in the days after the murder. Ablett’s lawyers thought the man might have information that would prove their client innocent.
Seeborg interviewed the informant behind closed doors last Friday. Seeborg “determined, on the basis of the examination, thatno further disclosure is required.” Then he directed that the “record of that hearing…be filed under seal.”