Justin DeLoretto - Ex-Mongols President Breaks Silence on the Hells Angels Blood Feud | SRS #329

What happened in this episode?

Shawn Ryan interviews Justin DeLoretto, a former Mongols Motorcycle Club chapter president, about his path from street-gang violence and punk subculture in Oregon to senior roles in an outlaw motorcycle club, and his later career as a social worker and therapist. DeLoretto recounts being arrested as a teenager for assaults linked to anti-racist street fights, and describes a serious ambush that left his identical twin with life-altering injuries. He also outlines how touring in a punk band intersected with ‘crew’ conflicts and organised violence.

A central section focuses on DeLoretto’s account of law enforcement scrutiny after he helped establish the Mongols in Oregon. He says a 60-mile pursuit of an unmarked vehicle ended in his arrest on multiple felony counts, including conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and $14m bail, before he was ultimately convicted on misdemeanours and placed on restrictive probation. He alleges the prosecution narrative was inconsistent with recorded admissions from agents, and separately claims federal infiltration operations (Operation Black Rain) demonstrated the limits of club background checks.

DeLoretto also offers a second-hand origin story for the Hells Angels–Mongols feud and describes the continuing toll of the conflict through killings of friends. He says he sued Oregon’s Youth Authority after being fired from an internship over his club history, winning a small award. In later years, he describes imposing fitness and anti-meth rules in his regions, then leaving the Mongols after internal politics, threats, and the death of a younger member he had supported. He now runs men’s groups and works with at-risk youth, arguing he does not miss club life.

What are the key points?

• DeLoretto says he was charged with multiple felonies, including conspiracy to commit kidnapping, after a pursuit he believed involved rival bikers, and later convicted of misdemeanours with maximum sentencing conditions.
• He alleges an interrogation recording that he says supported his version of events was not admitted at trial, and characterises the case as targeted policing.
• He says he sued Oregon’s Youth Authority for discrimination after being removed from a youth-counselling internship due to his organised-club history, and claims he won nominal damages and costs.
• He claims undercover ATF agents infiltrated the Mongols during Operation Black Rain, including by passing internal checks and polygraphs, and argues this undermines vetting effectiveness.
• He recounts a severe ambush on his twin brother following a touring-band feud, describing ICU treatment and long-term disability.
• He offers a second-hand narrative of how the Hells Angels–Mongols conflict began in the 1970s, involving a defector and a swap-meet fight that escalated into bombings and killings.
• He says he left the Mongols after internal politics and the killing of a younger member he had personally backed, and now works in mental-health services and men’s support groups.

Which topics are covered?

How is this page sourced?

Programme

Shawn Ryan Show

Published

10 August 2026

Duration

4h 3m

Original episode

Open the original source ↗

Egleze verifies the speaker, source and timestamp for each linked moment. Unless a moment is explicitly marked independently verified, statements remain attributed claims by the named speaker rather than established facts.