Mongols Member Gets Life for Murdering San Francisco Hells Angels President

The Modesto Mongols member who killed the president of the Hells Angels San Francisco chapter in a 2008 fight outside of a bar received life in prison. Christopher Bryan Ablett is a member of the Modesto chapter of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang known as "Stoney."

The Modesto Mongols member who killed the president of the Hells Angels San Francisco chapter in a 2008 fight outside of a bar received life in prison.

Christopher Bryan Ablett, a member of the Modesto chapter of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle gang known as "Stoney," was sentenced today to serve two concurrent life sentences and one life sentence to run consecutive, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

Ablett killed Mark "Papa" Guardado, the president of the San Francisco Chapter of the Hells Angels, on Sept. 2, 2008 at 24th Street and Treat Avenue in the Mission District of San Francisco.

"The defendant killed a complete stranger for no reason other than his membership in a rival motorcycle gang," said U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag. "This sentence should send a clear message that there is a heavy price to pay for engaging in such a senseless act of violence."

At the time, Ablett traveled to San Francisco to visit a friend. He brought a foot-long military knife and a .357 magnum revolver, as well as and a Mongols full-patch vest and T-shirt that only a full member of the Mongols is allowed to wear. The Mongols are an organized criminal motorcycle gang whose primary rival is the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.

When Guardado learned that Ablett was wearing a Mongols-patch shirt in a bar in the Mission District, Guardado went to the street outside the bar and approached Ablett. A fight broke out, and Ablett stabbed Guardado four times and shot him twice, killing him. Ablett's phone records showed that he spent the next several hours calling other Mongols members.

On Feb. 22, a jury rejected Ablett's claims that he acted in self-defense, in defense of his friends, and in the heat of passion. The jury also found that the defendant murdered Guardado to maintain or increase his position in the Mongols and that the Mongols engaged in racketeering activity.

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