New Delhi: A federal court in California has sentenced the Indian-origin founder of a motorcycle club ‘Punjabi Devils’ to five years and four months in prison. Jashanpreet Singh, 27, has been accused of dealing in illegal firearms and possessing a machine gun, a statement released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
Singh has been in federal custody in California since 26 July 2025 when was trying to escape on a flight to India. On 2 February 2026, Singh, 27, pleaded guilty to unlawfully dealing in firearms and possessing a machine gun.
According to court documents, Jashanpreet Singh was the founder of the ‘Punjabi Devils’, a motorcycle gang based in Stockton, California, whose members were often seen sporting black leather vests bearing the legend ‘Punjabi Devils’ and ‘Nor-Cal’.
The club was founded along the lines of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC), an international organisation often classified by law enforcement agencies as an outlaw motorcycle gang involved in organised crime. While members describe themselves as motorcycle enthusiasts, they are frequently linked to drug trafficking, violent crimes, extortion, and illegal firearms deals.
On 6 June 2025, Singh had attempted to sell several weapons to an undercover officer, including a short-barreled rifle, three assault weapons, three machine gun conversion devices, and a revolver.
A search of Singh’s residence resulted in the discovery of additional firearms, including a machine gun, another machine gun conversion device, and a silencer.
The DOJ statement said that officers also discovered a single pineapple-style capped and fused hand grenade, as well as what law enforcement believed was a military electronic capped claymore mine (command-detonated anti-personnel mine developed for the US Armed Forces).
The Explosives Ordinance Detail of the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department bomb team destroyed these items at the scene.
Attempted a quick exit
The official documents say that on 21 July 2025, when Singh failed to appear in court, the state court issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Then, on 23 July 2025, the FBI received an alert from the US Customs and Border Protection that Singh had booked a ticket to India and was scheduled to depart from the San Francisco International Airport on 26 July 2025. On that day, officers located and arrested Singh at the airport before he could flee.
Who are the ‘Punjabi Devils’
The ‘Punjabi Devils’ motorcycle club, founded by Singh last year, was considered a support group of the Hells Angels.
The ‘Punjabi Devils’ club used patches depicting the map of Punjab along with a turbanned skull, showcasing the group’s Punjabi identity. The members wear black leather vests sporting legends like ‘Punjabi Devils’ or ‘Nor-Cal’ in blue on yellow patches.
On Instagram, many videos of the group have gone viral from 2023-2024.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice against illegal immigration, cartels and transnational criminal organisations.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Nearly 1/3rd of gangsters plunging Punjab into chaos sitting on US soil, as foot soldiers face heat