Jamestown Man With Axe Claims Hells Angels Ties, Faces Multiple Charges

Shannon Dean Syverson walked into a rural Jamestown residence carrying an axe, announced he was with the Hells Angels, and asked "Where are the girls at?" before a resident physically pushed him out and threatened to call law enforcement. The incident, which unfolded around 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 11, ended with Syverson's arrest and, eventually, a felony conviction in Southeast District Court.

Judge Jay Schmitz sentenced Syverson to 28 months in the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Schmitz credited Syverson with 144 days for time served and 24 days of good time, placed him on two years of supervised probation upon release, prohibited him from owning or possessing firearms for two years, and ordered him to pay $3,975 in restitution.

Syverson pleaded guilty to criminal trespass as a Class C felony, along with unauthorized use of a vehicle and ingesting a controlled substance as Class A misdemeanors, and three counts of criminal mischief and disorderly conduct as Class B misdemeanors. A Class C felony carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine under North Dakota law.

The Oct. 11 incident was not Syverson's first appearance at the rural property. The previous day, Oct. 10, he had stood in the roadway outside the same residence holding an axe and wearing camouflage, telling property owners he was "protecting" their property. Earlier that same day he had entered a neighbor's yard without permission and attempted to install a pickup truck battery into a Can-Am side-by-side vehicle. Court documents also reference $2,700 in damage to a garage door in a separate incident on Aug. 24.

When Syverson returned to the residence on the morning of Oct. 11, the resident eventually left to call police. Syverson left but came back. A Stutsman County Sheriff's Office deputy and North Dakota Highway Patrol troopers arrived and found an axe lying on the front deck of the residence. When the deputy contacted Syverson, he said he had been hunting for beaver. He denied entering the home but admitted telling the resident he was with the Hells Angels, and according to Valley News Live, claimed to be the organization's president.

Deputies then followed up at the James River Boat Club, where they located a stolen Bobcat utility vehicle and found a Stutsman County picnic table that had been damaged and was still smoldering on top of a burn barrel. Investigators also determined Syverson had been camping illegally at the boat club with a female companion.

Syverson was booked at the Stutsman County Correctional Center. Bail was set at $15,000 cash or $50,000 surety bond. His age is listed variously as 44, 48, and 49 across different reports; the Jamestown Sun, which covered the sentencing, identified him as 49 years old.