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Punjabi Devils motorcycle club founder gets 5-yr jail in US gun trafficking case
A federal court in California has sentenced Punjab-origin Jashanpreet Singh, founder of the “Punjabi Devils” motorcycle club, to five years and four months in prison for illegally dealing firearms and possessing a machine gun, a statement released by the US Department of Justice said
Chandigarh
A federal court in California has sentenced Punjab-origin Jashanpreet Singh, founder of the “Punjabi Devils” motorcycle club, to five years and four months in prison for illegally dealing firearms and possessing a machine gun, a statement released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
Singh, 27, a resident of Lodi, California, was sentenced by US district judge Dale A Drozd. The sentencing was announced by US attorney Eric Grant.
According to court documents, Singh founded the Stockton-based “Punjabi Devils” motorcycle club, which authorities described as an outlaw biker gang associated with the Hells Angels.
Federal investigators said that on June 6, 2025, Singh attempted to sell several illegal weapons to an undercover officer. The cache allegedly included a short-barreled rifle, three assault weapons, three machine-gun conversion devices, and a revolver.
A subsequent search of Singh’s residence led officers to recover additional firearms, including a machine gun, another machine-gun conversion device and a silencer. Authorities also found a pineapple-style hand grenade and what was believed to be a military electronic capped claymore mine. The explosives were destroyed at the scene by the San Joaquin County sheriff’s office bomb squad.
Singh initially faced state-level charges in San Joaquin County. However, after failing to appear in court on July 21, 2025, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Federal authorities later learned that Singh had booked a flight to India departing from San Francisco International Airport on July 26, 2025. FBI agents arrested him at the airport before he could leave the country. He has remained in federal custody since then.
On February 2, 2026, Singh pleaded guilty to unlawful dealing in firearms and possession of a machine gun.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, US Customs and Border Protection, the Stockton Police Department, and several California county law enforcement agencies.
The case was prosecuted by assistant US attorney Adrian T Kinsella as part of “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide DOJ initiative targeting violent crime, firearms trafficking, cartels, and transnational criminal organisations.
