WALLA WALLA — Local police detectives on Thursday, Sept. 9, helped the Gang Intelligence Team of the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office arrest leaders of an outlaw motorcycle gang.

The sheriff’s office in a press release reported police captured Dustin Wendelin, a corrections officer with the Washington Department of Corrections, and Charles Montgomery of Milton-Freewater. Both hold leadership positions in a local chapter of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club, the sheriff’s office reported. Wendelin is in the Walla Walla County Jail, Walla Walla, and Montgomery is in the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton.

The Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office reported it has been collaborating with Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, in Griffin, Georgia, for several months, along with federal law enforcement partners. Intelligence generated from traffic stops in Walla Walla County led to a joint investigation into two local members of the Pagan’s MC, the sheriff’s office reported.

The Pagen’s is a “1%er” or “One Percenter” club — the 1% of motorcycle clubs that operate outside the bounds of the law. The gang frequently participates in violent crime, trafficking and racketeering, according to the sheriff’s office, and Pagan’s members nationwide in the past have allegedly participated in bombings, shootings, felonious assaults and homicides.

The Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office worked with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the FBI, as well as several law enforcement agencies in Washington state.

Detectives with the Umatilla Tribal Police Department, Morrow County Sheriff’s Office and with the police departments of Pendleton, Hermiston, Milton-Freewater and Boardman also participated in the apprehensions. Those local agencies are members of the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team, the local illegal drug task force.

The Pendleton Police Department oversees BENT. Pendleton Police Chief Charles Byram said the arrests of the two Pagan’s was not an official BENT project, and detective Rick Jackson, the lead on BENT, and detective Howard Bowen, who is not on BENT, both assisted.

Wendelin’s apprehension came at approximately 6 a.m. at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reported public records show Wendelin lives in Milton-Freewater.

About three hours later, police arrested Montgomery at his residence in Milton-Freewater.

The sheriff’s office reported both men are indicted in Georgia with charges of aggravated assault, aggravated battery and three counts each of violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act.

The sheriff’s office also reported Wendelin and Montgomery’s extradition to Georgia is the first step in a joint investigation into the West Coast Pagan’s MC, and the local investigation continues with additional charges pending.