A 27-year-old California man of Indian origin has pleaded guilty in a US federal court to unlawfully dealing in firearms and possessing a machine gun, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has said.
Jashanpreet Singh, of Lodi, California, entered the guilty plea on Tuesday, US Attorney Eric Grant announced in a statement released in Sacramento.
According to court documents cited by prosecutors, Singh was the founder of the “Punjabi Devils” Motorcycle Club, a Stockton-based outlaw motorcycle gang associated with the Hells Angels.
According to the DOJ, Singh attempted to sell several weapons to an undercover law-enforcement officer on June 6, 2025, including a short-barrelled rifle, three assault weapons, three machine-gun conversion devices and a revolver. A subsequent search of Singh’s residence uncovered additional firearms, including a machine gun, another machine-gun conversion device and a silencer.
Officers also found a “pineapple”-style hand grenade and what investigators believed to be a military electronic capped claymore mine. The explosive devices were destroyed at the scene by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad.
Singh had initially faced state charges in San Joaquin County.
Court records show he failed to appear at a hearing on 21 July 2025, prompting a state judge to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.
Two days later, the FBI was alerted by US Customs and Border Protection that Singh had booked a flight to India and was due to depart from San Francisco International Airport on 26 July.
Federal agents arrested him at the airport before he could leave the country. He remains in federal custody.
Singh’s arrest had earlier been disclosed by federal authorities, who said a grand jury had returned a multi-count indictment accusing him of unlawfully dealing in firearms, unlawfully possessing a machine gun and possessing an unregistered short-barrelled rifle. He is scheduled to be sentenced on 11 May 2026 by US District Judge Dale A. Drozd.
For the firearms-dealing conviction, Singh faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The machine-gun charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Prosecutors said the final sentence will be determined by the court after considering statutory factors and federal sentencing guidelines.
The investigation involved multiple federal, state and local agencies, including the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations and US Customs and Border Protection.
The DOJ said the case forms part of 'Operation Take Back America', a nationwide initiative aimed at tackling violent crime, illegal firearms and transnational criminal organisations.