Local motorcycle luminary Rey Sotelo was arraigned in federal
court Monday for allegedly conspiring with a central California
chop shop, but the judge continued the status conference until
October, according to court records.
Local motorcycle luminary Rey Sotelo was arraigned in federal court Monday for allegedly conspiring with a central California chop shop, but the judge continued the status conference until October, according to court records.
Sotelo is scheduled to appear in federal court again at 9 a.m. Oct. 14. He has yet to enter a plea, according to his attorney’s assistant, but he has told the Dispatch he is innocent and had no idea the motorcycle shop was trying to export a stolen Harley-Davidson to Sweden without Uncle Sam’s permission.
The bike in question never made it across the Atlantic Ocean, but Sotelo has been charged with conspiracy after state and federal law officers arrested him July 15 in Gilroy for allegedly helping to counterfeit the bike’s official papers. Eight other men throughout Stanislaus County were also arrested that morning for allegedly associating with the Road Dog Cycle in Denair, southeast of Modesto. Federal prosecutors have used a grand jury’s findings to indict a total of 11 men, including five with law enforcement connections.
