San Diego Hells Angel enforcer gets 21 years on drug conviction

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A Hells Angels enforcer has been sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison on a drug charge linked to the gang’s use of violence to dominate the sale of methamphetamine in San Diego neighborhoods.

Michael Edward Ottinger Jr., 43, still faces charges of murder, attempted murder, mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery and criminal threats. Before the drug charge conviction, Ottinger’s criminal record included seven felony convictions.

Ottinger was the sergeant-at-arms of the San Diego chapter of the Hells Angels. According to testimony during his trial in federal court, the Hells Angels had awarded Ottinger the ‘Filthy Few’ and ‘Thug Crew’ patches, given only to members who use violence on behalf of other Hells Angels.

Among the charges still facing Ottinger is a murder charge involving the stabbing death of a rival motorcycle gang member, Fernando Fernandez of the Mongols.

Ottinger was considered the ‘highest-value’ target of a yearlong undercover investigation into the Hells Angels by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force that resulted in the indictment of 36 people.

According to court documents, the Hells Angels were determined to control the distribution and sale of meth, particularly in the Ocean Beach and Point Loma neighborhoods.

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