The notorious Hells Angels motorcycle gang allegedly used a California funeral home nicknamed a “pizza oven” to dispose of bodies, federal prosecutors claim.
Merl Hefferman, a member of the Sonoma County Hells Angel, told Levi Phipps, manager of the Yost & Webb funeral home in Fresno, that he wanted to make things disappear, which Phipps understood to be human bodies, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Prosecutors allege that Hefferman, 54, used the funeral home’s crematorium to cremate the remains of Joel Silva, a motorcycle gang member who was murdered in 2014, as well as three other people.
“Merl Hefferman arranged the illegal cremation of Joel Silva’s body. “This was deliberate and premeditated conduct,” prosecutors wrote in court documents obtained by the Times.
“Hefferman obstructed justice. “It also caused immense pain to Silva’s family: they had no body to mourn, no closure, and no certainty about what had happened to Silva until… almost eight years after Silva disappeared.”
Merl Hefferman, a member of the Sonoma County Hells Angels, allegedly used a funeral home to dispose of the bodies of murder victims, according to federal prosecutors. Merl Hefferman/Facebook The biker gang allegedly used the Yost & Webb Funeral Home crematorium in Fresno to dispose of the bodies of Joel Silva and three others. Google Maps
Hefferman pleaded guilty to obstructing justice for disposing of Silva’s body in December, but has not yet been charged or convicted in connection with the three other alleged cremations of people killed by members of the outlaw club.
Three Hells Angels were convicted of part-murdering Silva: Brian Wendt was convicted of shooting Silva in the head and two senior members of the Hells Angels, Jonathan Nelson and Russell Taylor Ott, were convicted of murder for orchestrating the murder, the L.A. reported. Times.
Phipps testified that he did not know who the other three bodies were, but claimed that Hefferman ordered him to cremate them.
Hefferman pleaded guilty to obstructing justice for disposing of Silva’s body in December. Alamy Stock Photo
The timeline of the cremations coincides with the disappearances of three members of the Hells Angels: Robbie Huff, who assisted in the cover-up of Silva’s murder, and Art Carasis, who disappeared in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Hefferman’s attorney identified the fourth missing person as Juan Guevara, another Hells Angels member, according to the newspaper.
Phipps’ testimony was consistent with call records between him and Hefferman, who communicated with the funeral home manager around the time of each disappearance, prosecutors said.
“The nearly identical pattern of contact between Hefferman and Phipps around the time of Silva’s murder and Huff’s disappearance is powerful corroboration of Phipps’ testimony before the grand jury,” prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors have requested that Hefferman be sentenced to seven years in prison. Merl Hefferman/Facebook
Hefferman’s lawyers accused prosecutors of making a “Hail Mary” attempt to link him to the disposition of the other bodies for which he has not been charged.
The judge refused to allow prosecutors to mention the other three cremations during the trial.
“Despite ample opportunities to do so, it is clear that the government did not find Phipps credible enough to seek additional charges through the grand jury or to include him in the conspiracy charge,” his attorneys said.
Hefferman is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.
Prosecutors requested seven years in prison, while his lawyers requested two and a half years.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn