OFF THE WIRE
agingrebel.com
Michael Edward Ottinger, Jr., a former Sergeant at Arms for the San Diego
charter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, was sentenced by U.S. District
Court Judge Marilyn L. Huff in San Diego to serve 262 months in prison and five
years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Ottinger pled guilty to the charge on June 4.
Ottinger was the lead defendant in successive federal indictments that
accused 36 members and alleged associates of the motorcycle club in San Diego
County of selling drugs. Ottinger was arrested in December 2010. Most of the
other defendants in the federal case were arrested and the Hells Angels San
Diego clubhouse was searched on September 29, 2011.
Mostly Sealed Case
The initial indictment culminated a year-long investigation of the San Diego
club that included more than 6,000 recorded telephone conversations and
extensive video surveillance. At Ottinger’s sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney
Andrew G. Schopler, told the court that Ottinger was the “highest-value target”
in the investigation.
Ottinger, who is now 43, had faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison as
a “career criminal.” He has seven prior convictions for false imprisonment, a
firearms violation, auto theft, evading an officer while driving recklessly, and
three drug related convictions.
Most of the “public” record concerning Ottinger’s role in the multi-defendant
case is sealed including his plea agreement, the government’s sentencing
recommendations and his attorney’s objections to those sentencing
recommendations. Ottinger’s image is also sealed by court order. In a status
hearing held last May 25, Schopler and Ottinger’s lawyer, Robert A. Garcia cited
“security concerns” as the reason for the secrecy. Ottinger is now in the San
Diego Central jail.
State Charges
Ottinger faces additional state charges in San Diego Superior Court for
murder, attempted murder, mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, and
criminal threats. He is accused of the murder of Fernando Fernandez in March
2010.
Fernandez, of Chula Vista, was a member of the Dago chapter of the Mongols
Motorcycle Club. Fernandez was on a date with his girlfriend when the couple
became involved in a dispute with two men at a bar in the North Park area of San
Diego north of the San Diego Zoo. The couple left the bar about midnight and
rode to Los Panchos Taco Shop at 409 Washington Street in Hillcrest. The two men
in the bar followed the couple and tried to continue the argument with
Fernandez’ girlfriend at the Taco Shop. When Fernandez confronted the men he was
stabbed in the chest, head and neck.
A video recording of that assault appears to have been part of the sealed
record in the federal case. Ottinger is also charged with the January 2010
stabbing of Jesus Morales. He will be tried on the state charges next year.
