The Hells Angels Bakersfield case began with a June 25, 2024 multi-agency raid that dismantled the club’s entire Bakersfield chapter, and it centers on a string of violent robberies against a 69-year-old man living at the group’s former clubhouse in Oildale. Seven defendants were arrested. One has since been sentenced to prison. The other six are awaiting trial in Kern County Superior Court, currently reset for February 25, 2026.
What the Defendants Are Accused Of
The charges trace back to a property on North Chester Avenue that had served as the Bakersfield Hells Angels clubhouse until the chapter vacated it around mid-2023. A 69-year-old man named James Dickens was living there afterward. Between March 1 and April 11, 2024, members returned repeatedly to collect what vice president Armando Villasenor described as club property.1KGET. Bakersfield Hells Angels Held Man at Gunpoint, Blinded Him in Right Eye During Robberies
Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesse Turner testified that on March 1, 2024, chapter president Ricardo Alvarez jumped a fence onto the property, punched Dickens in the head, and pointed a .357-caliber handgun at him. Alvarez allegedly threatened to burn the house down with Dickens inside if he called law enforcement. Another member stood watch with a hammer while others removed items.2Yahoo News. Hells Angels First Witness Testifies
On a later visit in April, Joshua Vaughn allegedly drew a gun and chambered a round when Dickens resisted the group’s attempt to retrieve a motorcycle. On April 11, Joshua Zavala and another member returned for a signed Willie Nelson guitar belonging to a woman living in the home. Deputy Turner testified that Zavala punched Dickens in the right eye, and Dickens testified his “vision went black.” Defense attorneys objected to that testimony.1KGET. Bakersfield Hells Angels Held Man at Gunpoint, Blinded Him in Right Eye During Robberies
Who Was Arrested
The June 2024 operation was a joint effort by the ATF, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol. Officers seized roughly 25 firearms, ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and Hells Angels vests.3ATF. Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Members Arrested
Five patched Bakersfield chapter members were taken into custody: chapter president Ricardo Alvarez, 42; vice president Armando Villasenor, 55; Joseph Soto Sr., 57; Joseph Soto Jr., 33; and Joshua Zavala, 31. Two members of the Sons of Hell Motorcycle Club, which authorities described as a Hells Angels sub-affiliate, were also arrested: John Seeger, 57, and Joshua Vaughn, 37. Vaughn was already in custody on unrelated charges.3ATF. Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Members Arrested1KGET. Bakersfield Hells Angels Held Man at Gunpoint, Blinded Him in Right Eye During Robberies
All seven were booked at the Kern County Sheriff’s Lerdo Facility on nine counts: kidnapping, first-degree robbery, criminal threats, false imprisonment, assault with a firearm, participation in a criminal street gang, criminal conspiracy, intimidating a witness or victim, and elder abuse.4Los Angeles Times. Six Members of Hells Angels Arrested in Bakersfield on Suspicion of Kidnapping, Robbery
What Survived the Preliminary Hearings
The seven defendants were split into two groups for preliminary hearings. The first group — Alvarez, Villasenor, Zavala, and Vaughn — appeared before Judge Kenneth Twisselman in August 2024. On August 19, the judge dismissed all gang participation charges and enhancements against the four, citing a lack of evidence. Defense attorneys had argued the Bakersfield chapter was not equivalent to every other Hells Angels charter and pointed to the local group’s involvement in community events and toy drives.5The Bakersfield Californian. Hells Angels Judge Drops Gang Charges, Defendants Held to Answer for Robbery
The four were still held to answer on the remaining counts. Alvarez, Villasenor, and Zavala faced first-degree robbery of an inhabited house, assault with a firearm, and false imprisonment of an elderly adult; Alvarez also faced criminal threats and dissuading a victim from testifying. Vaughn faced second-degree robbery, assault with a firearm, false imprisonment of an elderly person, and dissuading a victim. Alvarez was held without bail. Villasenor, Zavala, and Vaughn were each held on $500,000 bail.5The Bakersfield Californian. Hells Angels Judge Drops Gang Charges, Defendants Held to Answer for Robbery
The second group — Joseph Soto Sr., Joseph Soto Jr., and John Seeger — had their preliminary hearing in September 2024. All three were held to answer on first-degree robbery, assault with a firearm, false imprisonment of an elderly adult, and participation in a street gang. The gang count survived for this group, unlike the first. All three pleaded not guilty. Soto Sr. and Seeger remained in custody; Soto Jr. was out on release.6The Bakersfield Californian. Trial Date Selected for 3 Defendants in Hells Angels Robbery Case
The Only Conviction So Far
Joshua Vaughn was the first defendant to resolve his case. He pleaded no contest to charges in two separate felony assault cases, one of them the clubhouse case. On January 10, 2026, Kern County sentenced him to six years in prison. The term was doubled under California’s three-strikes law because of a prior conviction, and the judge denied both probation and credit for time served. Vaughn was ordered to serve his sentence at Wasco State Prison.7BakersfieldNow. Motorcycle Gang Member Sentenced to Six-Year Prison Term in Assault Cases
Where the Remaining Six Stand
Trial dates for the first group were originally set for October 21, 2024, and for the second group October 29, 2024.6The Bakersfield Californian. Trial Date Selected for 3 Defendants in Hells Angels Robbery Case Both were pushed back. As of early 2026, all six remaining defendants — Alvarez, Villasenor, Zavala, Soto Sr., Soto Jr., and Seeger — were awaiting a reset trial date of February 25, 2026.7BakersfieldNow. Motorcycle Gang Member Sentenced to Six-Year Prison Term in Assault Cases
Not to Be Confused With the Ocean Beach Case
The Bakersfield case is separate from a San Diego prosecution that received heavy coverage around the same period. That case involves a June 6, 2023 attack in Ocean Beach in which Hells Angels members and associates assaulted three Black men, with longtime Hells Angels leader Troy Andrew Scholder stabbing one victim in the chest. A grand jury indicted 17 people. In June 2025, a San Diego jury convicted Scholder of attempted murder, assault, and a hate crime allegation, and he was sentenced to 21 years to life. Thirteen co-defendants pleaded guilty and received sentences ranging from state prison to probation.8NBC San Diego. Hells Angels Member Sentenced in Ocean Beach Attack9ABC 10News. 14 Sentenced for Roles in Hells Angels-Led Ocean Beach Hate Crime Attack The San Diego prosecution has no defendants in common with the Bakersfield matter.