The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

GEORGIA—In September of 2021, Umatilla County residents Dustin Wendelin and Charles Montgomery were arrested on warrants from Georgia for assault and gang charges.

Wendelin was detained at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary, his place of employment, by Walla Walla County law enforcement. Montgomery was arrested in Umatilla County.

Both men, members of the Pagan’s Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, were extradited to Georgia, where they remained incarcerated until recently. On Monday, April 25, both men pleaded guilty to State of Georgia charges related to the arrests.

Wendelin and Montgomery were each convicted of one count of aggravated assault and violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. Both charges are felonies in Georgia. The men were given credit for approximately 5 1/2 months of time served and are subject to up to 12 years of probation.

The Walla Walla Sheriff’s Department offered appreciation to the regional, local, state, and federal law enforcement partners who made the investigations possible.