SAN JOSE — A Hollister man has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for selling methamphetamine and firearms to an undercover agent, crimes that prosecutors say were committed when he served as the president for a Hells Angels support club.
William Alnas Jr., 55, pleaded guilty to a methamphetamine sales charge and was sentenced in late July by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila. Alnas is required to report to prison in October but remains free in the meantime, court records show.
Prosecutors say that in April 2021, a confidential FBI informant told them about a drug dealer named Richard Gutirrez , and that an undercover agent began purchasing cocaine and methamphetamine from him. Eventually, the agent and informant were introduced to Alnas, who reportedly sold multiple one-pound packets of methamphetamine and several firearms to the agent.
At the time, Alnas was serving as the Hollister chapter president of the Top Hatters Motorcycle Club, described by prosecutors as a “support club” for the Hells Angels. At one point in the investigation, Gutirrez allegedly told the informant he didn’t know if he had guns to sell because he’d given both motorcycle clubs first dibs to purchase them. At another point, Alnas allegedly told informant to use the code word “bike parts” when he wanted to request drugs or guns over the phone.
The pair were indicted in 2022. Charges against Gutirrez are still pending, court records show.
Alnas received numerous support letters, and also wrote multiple letters to the court. In them, he expressed “deep regret and remorse” and said he was working toward going on a “positive path.” He attributed his crimes in part to his issues with addiction, which he said nearly claimed his life.
“At the time, I was so consumed by my own addiction and self-centeredness that I failed to consider the broader consequences of my actions on society. When I distributed and sold drugs and firearms, I didn’t stop to think about the potential harm I was enabling. I didn’t consider who the firearms might be used against or the lives they could destroy,” Alnas wrote. I overlooked the devastating possibility that the drugs I sold could end up in the hands of children. Instead of making excuses or justifying my actions, I should have simply said ‘no’ and walked away.”
Nowadays, Alnas wrote, he focuses on attending adult school, assisting his wife with her business, and finding solace in religion and recovery.
“While waiting in the parent pick up line at my Grandson’s school, I use that time to meditate and read my Bible…I check in with the right people, and I keep myself busy doing positive things,” he wrote. “I’ve also been more present for my family, trying to rebuild trust and be someone they can rely on.”