The Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club is a Stockton, California outlaw biker group that federal prosecutors have identified as a support club affiliated with the Hells Angels. Its founder, 27-year-old Lodi resident Jashanpreet Singh, was sentenced on May 11, 2026 to 64 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawfully dealing firearms and possessing a machine gun.1U.S. Department of Justice. Founder of Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club in Stockton Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Prison
Who the Punjabi Devils Are
Federal authorities have described the Punjabi Devils as a “1%er” outlaw motorcycle gang, the label outlaw clubs use to mark themselves as openly immersed in criminality rather than recreational riding.2Los Angeles Times. Punjabi Devils Hells Angels Indictment The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California repeatedly called the club a “support” or “puppet” club operating under the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, though it did not publicly spell out the mechanics of that relationship beyond the label.3The Indian Express. Punjab-Origin Biker Gang Founder Sentenced to US Prison in Illegal Firearms Case In outlaw biker culture, a support club typically takes direction from a dominant parent club and carries out tasks on its behalf.
Members wore black leather vests reading “Punjabi Devils” with a “Nor-Cal” rocker, and patches that depicted a turbanned skull over a map of Punjab.3The Indian Express. Punjab-Origin Biker Gang Founder Sentenced to US Prison in Illegal Firearms Case The club was founded “along the lines of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club,” according to reporting by The Print.4ThePrint. India-Origin Founder of Hells Angels-Linked Punjabi Devils Gets 5 Years Prison in US Illegal Arms Case No other members have been publicly identified as facing charges in connection with the Singh investigation, and no public reports have indicated whether the club continues to operate.
What Investigators Found
The federal case grew out of a June 6, 2025 undercover operation. Prosecutors said Singh tried to sell an undercover officer a short-barreled rifle, three assault weapons, three machine gun conversion devices, and a revolver.5U.S. Department of Justice. Founder of Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club in Stockton Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Dealing Firearms
Agents then obtained a warrant and searched Singh’s home and vehicle in Lodi. Inside, they recovered a fully automatic machine gun, another machine gun conversion device, a silencer, and high-capacity drum magazines. They also found a “pineapple”-style capped and fused hand grenade and what law enforcement identified as a military-style electronic capped Claymore mine.6Stocktonia. Founder of Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club Pleads Guilty to Weapons Charges The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad destroyed the grenade and the Claymore on site.5U.S. Department of Justice. Founder of Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club in Stockton Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Dealing Firearms
Flight Attempt and Arrest at SFO
Singh was first charged in San Joaquin County Superior Court. He was scheduled to appear in state court on July 21, 2025 but failed to show, and the court issued a bench warrant.1U.S. Department of Justice. Founder of Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club in Stockton Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Prison
Two days later, on July 23, 2025, the FBI received an alert from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that Singh had booked a flight to India. Agents arrested him on July 26, 2025 at San Francisco International Airport before he could board.1U.S. Department of Justice. Founder of Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club in Stockton Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Prison A federal grand jury indicted him on July 31, 2025 on charges of unlawful dealing in firearms, possession of a machine gun, and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle. The case was filed as No. 2:25-cr-00174 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.7PACER Monitor. USA v. Singh Singh has been in federal custody since the airport arrest.
Guilty Plea and Federal Sentence
On February 2, 2026, Singh pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to two counts: unlawfully dealing in firearms and unlawfully possessing a machine gun.8The Stockton Record. Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club Founder Pleads Guilty to Gun Crimes The dealing count carried a statutory maximum of five years and a $250,000 fine; the machine gun count carried a maximum of ten years and a $250,000 fine.5U.S. Department of Justice. Founder of Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club in Stockton Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Dealing Firearms
Judge Drozd sentenced Singh on May 11, 2026 to 64 months, or five years and four months, in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Alex Cárdenas prosecuted the case under U.S. Attorney Eric Grant, with the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office leading an investigation that drew in the ATF, DEA, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations, CBP, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s and Sheriff’s offices, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, and Stockton police.1U.S. Department of Justice. Founder of Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club in Stockton Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Prison
Not to Be Confused With Legitimate Sikh Riding Clubs
The Punjabi Devils’ patches drew on Sikh and Punjabi imagery, but established Sikh motorcycle organizations in North America operate on an entirely different footing. The Sikh Motorcycle Club, active primarily in Canada, focuses on motorcycle safety, charitable work, and community engagement; its members raised more than $100,000 for Khalsa Aid during a 2019 transcontinental ride, and the club received a King Charles III Coronation Award in 2025.9Sikh Motorcycle Club. Sikh Motorcycle Club The Sikh Motorcycle Club of the Northeast, founded in New Jersey in 2012, similarly emphasizes faith, fellowship, legal compliance, and a code of conduct rooted in Sikh principles.10BuzzFeed News. On a Ride With a Sikh Motorcycle Club These groups have nothing in common with outlaw gang activity.
Stockton and Lodi sit inside a Central Valley region with a large and longstanding Punjabi American community, much of it tied to agriculture.11The Desert Sun. Stockton Punjabi Devils Founder Guilty in Federal Weapons Case As of mid-2026, Singh remains in federal custody serving his 64-month sentence.