How California’s Jashanpreet Singh landed in gun trafficking case
According to investigators, Singh later failed to appear in court in July 2025, prompting a warrant for his arrest. Federal agencies then tracked him to San Francisco International Airport, where he was arrested while allegedly attempting to board a flight to India
16 May, 2026 – Chandigarh : A California court has sentenced Indian-origin biker gang founder Jashanpreet Singh to more than five years in prison after US authorities uncovered an illegal firearms trafficking operation allegedly linked to the outlaw motorcycle club “Punjabi Devils”.
The case has drawn attention for its alleged links to the notorious Hells Angels network and the seizure of machine guns, explosives and assault-style weapons.
Who are the ‘Punjabi Devils’?
The “Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club” is a Stockton-based biker gang founded by 27-year-old Jashanpreet Singh of Lodi, California. According to the US Department of Justice, the group was considered an “outlaw motorcycle gang” associated with the Hells Angels, one of America’s most infamous biker organisations.
The gang reportedly used Punjab-themed symbols and Sikh imagery on jackets and social media, attracting attention within sections of the Punjabi diaspora in California. Some online discussions described the group as mixing Punjabi identity with outlaw biker culture.
How did Jashanpreet Singh get into the gun trafficking case?
Federal prosecutors said the case began with an undercover operation on June 6, 2025. Authorities alleged that Singh attempted to sell multiple illegal weapons to an undercover officer, including:
A short-barrelled rifle
Assault-style weapons
Machine gun conversion devices
A revolver
After the transaction, investigators searched Singh’s residence in California and allegedly found:
A machine gun
Additional conversion devices
A silencer
High-capacity magazines
Explosive devices, including a grenade and suspected Claymore mine
Authorities said bomb disposal teams were called to the property due to the explosives recovered during the raid.
Arrest while allegedly trying to flee to India
According to investigators, Singh later failed to appear in court in July 2025, prompting a warrant for his arrest. Federal agencies then tracked him to San Francisco International Airport, where he was arrested while allegedly attempting to board a flight to India.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Jail sentence
Earlier this week, US District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Singh to five years and four months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to unlawful dealing in firearms and possession of a machine gun..
The Tribune