Jay Dobbins lived a double life for two years and almost lost his life.
Dobbins, now retired, worked for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which enforces the country’s gun laws. From 2001 to 2003, he infiltrated the Arizona State Hells and the Angels.
He is currently sharing his account in a new A&E series, “Secrets of the Hell’s Angels,” which examines the history of the infamous biker club. It includes new interviews with the former branch chief, as well as law enforcement officers, undercover investigators, and victims.
Infiltrating the Hells Angels: An Undercover Agent’s Story
Jay Dobbins, who was seen here with another agent posing as his girlfriend, had been infiltrating the Hells Angels in Arizona for two years. (A&E)
“An intrusion like this has never been done before by law enforcement,” Dobbins told FOX News Digital. “The police had never been caught in the Hell’s Angels’ net before. All other outlaw gangs had been infiltrated, but the Hell’s Angels prided themselves on being impenetrable. .
“Their belief was that law enforcement officers could never keep up with them,” Dobbins said. “Cops can’t run as long, hard, and fast as the world requires them to until they sniff out and eliminate a potential intruder. So the fact that we’re inside means that we can solve the problem. The test of time.”
The organization has a long history in California, dating back to 1948, when it was founded by returning World War II veterans to the dusty town of Fontana. These include the infamous incident in 1969 when a member of the audience was stabbed by a Hell’s Angel security guard during a Rolling Stones performance at Altamont. A jury later found the killer not guilty, finding that he acted in self-defense.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones stand guard against the Hells Angels on stage at Altamont Speedway in Livermore, California on December 6, 1969. (Robert Altman/Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images)
In 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that the Hells Angels had 2,500 members in 230 chapters in 26 countries. According to the FBI, the Hells Angels remain listed as an outlaw motorcycle gang involved in a variety of criminal activities, including drug trafficking.
Federal, state, and local police have been tracking the club for decades, infiltrating undercover agents and indicting suspects on harsh charges once reserved for the Mafia, leading to drug trafficking. Members have been indicted on a variety of charges ranging from mortgage fraud.
Still, the club has flourished over the years. The company has opened offices around the world and has aggressively enforced its trademarks in court. He has also won high-profile acquittals and other legal battles with law enforcement.
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Frisco Hells Angels, circa 1964. (Peter Breining/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Dobbins already had 15 years of undercover street work experience when he was assigned to Operation Black Biscuits. In preparation for his mission, Dobbins shaved his head and went “full sleeve” with tattoos from shoulder to wrist. He bulked up again.
The former star football player and family man has transformed into the chain-smoking, Harley-riding rebel “Jaybird” Davis.
“I never tried to convince the Hells Angels that I was an experienced biker, because they would have sniffed me out right away,” Dobbins explained. “I portrayed myself as a gangster trying to be part of their world. That brought my story very close to the truth. I portrayed myself not as a biker, but as a gunfighter. I depicted them as traffickers and debt collectors.”
Dobbins’ words were persuasive. And it didn’t take long before he was welcomed with open arms.
“I didn’t picture myself as a biker, but as a gunman and a debt collector,” Jay Dobbins told Fox News Digital. (A&E)
“A group that called themselves fun-loving thugs had a huge amount of internal rules and laws about what the organization’s policies were,” he recalled. “They don’t want to live according to society’s rules and laws, but they have more of their own internal rules and laws than we as ordinary citizens follow.”
”[T]Hell’s Angels are uniquely paranoid. They are paranoid for very good reasons. That paranoia is what keeps them out of prison. It keeps them out of jail. It prevents their invasion. ”
The Angels have always maintained that they are a club of motorcycle enthusiasts that is unfairly considered an organized crime syndicate because of the crimes of a small number of its members who acted independently. The club participates in charity events such as Toys for Tots, bike rides, and blood drives.
“When we did the right thing, no one remembers,” the club’s website states. “If we do something wrong, no one will forget.”
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The Angels have always maintained that they are a club of motorcycle enthusiasts and are unfairly considered an organized crime syndicate. (Ricardo de Alatanha/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Dobbins was invited to join the group only after he “murdered” the leader of a rival gang, the Mongols. The shootings were staged by Hollywood make-up artists, and dead cows were used to splatter blood and brain matter onto the victims’ clothing.
Ms Dobbins admitted there were moments when she feared for her life.
”[A]People who do secret work and treat it like a hobby or like a gimmick end up getting hurt or killed. You have to do your best. You have to get sucked into that world because it never turns off. ”
“You’re pretending to be someone you’re not,” he said. “And the Hells Angels are uniquely paranoid. They’re paranoid for a very good reason. That paranoia keeps them out of prison. It keeps them out of prison. That’s what keeps them out. Because of that paranoia, everything you do is the way you walk, the way you talk, the clothes you wear, the bike you ride, the car you drive, the way you live. Your location and the situation where you live are being scrutinized.
Jay Dobbins admitted there were moments when he feared for his life. (A&E)
“In that world, mistakes are not tolerated, because mistakes can mean life or death.”
As Dobbins rose through the ranks, his home life deteriorated. He recalled signing his personal checks using his alter ego’s name. His wife was beginning to lose recognition of her spouse, she was losing herself.
“I caused a lot of battle damage to my wife and children,” Dobbins admitted. “My regret, my failure, the shame I still carry with me is that I put my work before my family. At the time, I tried to justify it to myself and secretly That said, anyone who does the job of a hobby and treats it like a gimmick, ends up getting hurt or killed. You have to give it your all. You are never off, so you have to allow that world to consume you.
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Jay Dobbins retired from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) after more than 20 years and more than 500 undercover investigations. (A&E)
“I lived in that role for so long that it took over my personal life,” he added. “Performing my secret mission in front of my wife and children is probably the biggest regret of my life now. I know I should try to flatter myself…but what if… If I wasn’t transparent, if I wasn’t honest, none of that I regret.”Authenticity. ”
Operation Black Biscuits ended in 2003. At that point, Dobbins said, the incident had become “almost too dangerous to survive.” He filed 16 indictments, including charges such as murder and extortion.
Dobbins said that once his identity was revealed, several Angels wasted no time in seeking retribution. He said he was “inundated with threats” to gang rape his wife, kill his family and infect him with HIV.
His house burned down in 2008, but Dobbins’ wife and children are still sleeping inside. They escaped safely, but the arsonist was never caught.
Jay Dobbins co-wrote the New York Times bestseller No Angel with Nils Johnson-Shelton, based on his harrowing experiences within a notorious biker gang. (Ian Martin/Getty Images)
“If the Hells Angels felt betrayed, they would take their own lives,” Dobbins said. “When you show up as a newcomer, a new person in their world, the Hells Angels see you as two things. They see you as a threat at first because you’re an outsider. Then , they see you as a victim, someone who can be manipulated or taken advantage of, so I have to prove to them that I’m not a threat and I’m not a victim. did. That was his challenge for two years.
“I may have signed up for this assignment, but my wife and kids didn’t,” he recalled. “They were becoming victims of these threats, but by that point it was too late. … The Hells Angels have a Ph.D. in violence and intimidation. They’re very good at it. … They… We do not forgive, and they do not forget.”
“They’re all likable. … They’re dangerous, violent guys, but they’re also very charming.”
“While these threats are not necessarily as prevalent today as they were a few years ago, I am still wary,” he continued. “I’m not living my life in fear. I’m not trying to hide. … I’m telling the truth. I’m not trying to run or hide from the truth.”
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Jay Dobbins lends his voice to “Secrets of the Hells Angels.” (A&E)
Dobbins retired from the ATF in 2014 after conducting more than 500 undercover operations during his 20 years on the job. In 2009, he co-authored his memoir, No Angel.
Reflecting on his experience, Dobbins said there are good reasons why Americans remain fascinated with the Hells Angels.
“Everyone is likable,” he laughed. “In my personal experience, those guys were nice to be around. … They’re dangerous and violent people, but they’re also very attractive.”
“Secrets of the Hell’s Angels” premieres Sunday at 10 p.m. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
