A member of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang has been convicted in the death of a fellow member.
Jay Witt, 48, was sentenced to 30-40 years behind bars, charged with manslaughter in the death of William Furlong. Furlong, 48, was found dead at a Nebraska Hells Angels clubhouse on July 14, 2013. Authorities said he died from a single gunshot wound.
The testimony in court detailed surveillance video that put Witt a the scene of the crime when the murder happened. According to a detective who testified, “surveillance video outside the clubhouse shows a man believed to be Witt and his girlfriend enter around 2:15 a.m. Furlong shows up just before 5 a.m… The video shows the man believed to be Witt and the woman leave around 9:30 a.m. with a plastic bag, the detective testified. The man is seen wiping down the door and door handles with towels before leaving in a Chevy Cruise with Virginia license plates.”
Prosecutors said the Furlong and Witt “had been fighting before Witt shot Furlong. Authorities allege Witt then trashed the clubhouse to make it appear as though a rival gang was responsible.”
In August, Witt pleaded guilty to the charges against him, and prosecutors therein dropped the murder charge. The charge was changed to manslaughter, which came down as a guilty conviction this week. The charges are one of a handful of incidents going against the Hell’s Angels in recent years. Shooting incidents, drug dealings, and gang warfare has led to several arrests all across the world in the last few months.
Jay Witt is no longer a member of the Hell’s Angels and will be eligible for parole after he serves seven and a half years of his 30-40 year sentence in Nebraska.
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