A member of the Hells Angels, who played a role in arranging the incineration of four murder victims' bodies at a crematory facility in California, has been sentenced to four years in prison. Merl Hefferman, aged 54, had previously admitted to obstructing justice and was sentenced on Friday.
The case involved three Hells Angels members, Brian Wendt, Jonathan Nelson, and Russell Ott, who were involved in the murder of former member Joel Silva in 2014.
In total, five defendants have been sentenced out of ten convictions, which included charges related to narcotics distribution, assault, robbery, and more.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp praised the courage of witnesses and stated that Hefferman and others had tried to use fear and intimidation to escape justice.
Levi Phipps, the crematory manager at Yost & Webb Funeral Home in Fresno, testified that Hefferman had arranged the illegal cremation of the victims' bodies and had threatened him when they were loaded into the incinerator.
The court also heard that Hefferman facilitated similar cremations of three other bodies, which were believed to be murder victims.
Hefferman's attorney, James Bustamante, mentioned his client's difficult upbringing and the challenges he faced, while friends wrote character letters about Hefferman's charitable work in the Fresno community.
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