SEATTLE – The president of the Bellingham chapter of the Bandidos motorcycle gang has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to engage in racketeering.
Glenn Merritt, 65, of Bellingham was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court by Judge John Coughenour. He was one of 32 people in Washington, Montana and South Dakota who were indicted last year as federal officials raided the Bellingham-based gang.
Members were accused of conspiracy to commit murder, witness tampering, violent crime in aid of racketeering, and drug and weapons offenses. The organization’s international president, George Wegers, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 months in prison last month for conspiracy to engage in racketeering.
Merritt received the longest sentence of 18 Bandidos defendants who have pleaded guilty; the others received sentences ranging from probation to 30 months in prison.
Prosecutors said Merritt sold methamphetamine and marijuana to an undercover informant on four occasions and sold guns to the informant once. Federal agents recovered 52 guns at his home. He was also accused of trafficking in stolen vehicles and motorcycle parts, and of assaulting a club prospect who had complained about him.
At the time of the bust, the Bandidos had about 170 chapters in 14 countries, including 90 in the U.S. and 14 in Washington state.
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