Entire Bakersfield chapter of the Hells Angels arrested in kidnapping and robbery investigation

As part of a multi-departmental investigation, authorities arrested a group of members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Bakersfield on kidnapping and robbery charges.

As part of the joint investigation involving representatives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol, six arrests were made early Tuesday morning.

More than 150 law enforcement officers raided eight different locations, where they arrested the six people and seized more than two dozen firearms, ammunition, multiple high-capacity magazines and gang paraphernalia, the ATF said in a statement.

In total, Bakersfield men Ricardo Alvarez, 42, Armando Villasenor, 55, Joseph Soto Sr., 57, Joseph Soto Jr., 33, Joshua Zavala, 31, and John Seeger, 57, were taken into custody.

They say a seventh member, identified as 37-year-old Joshua Vaughn, is already in custody on other charges.

Alvarez, Villasenor, Soto Sr., Soto Jr. and Zavala are all active, patched members of the Bakersfield chapter of the Hells Angels, investigators say. Vaughn and Seeger are members of the Sons of Hell motorcycle club, a sub-organization that takes orders and instructions from Hells Angels leaders.

All seven suspects were charged with kidnapping, aggravated robbery, criminal threats, false imprisonment, assault with a firearm, membership in a criminal street gang, criminal conspiracy, intimidation of a witness or victim, and elder abuse.

Because the investigation is ongoing, no further information was provided. The charges have been forwarded to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office for filing.