FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
All 36 Charged Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Members and Associates Have Pleaded Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges in Southern District of Texas
73 Convicted Across Five Federal Districts, Including All Five Active ABT Generals, Effectively Dismantling Organization
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Robert W. Elder of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)’s Houston Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Division and Special Agent in Charge David M. Marwell of the Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Division made the announcement.
“The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas launched its murderous and racist ideology within the Texas prisons, but unleashed a violent crime wave that jumped the prison walls and spread like a virus,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “Today we are announcing sweeping convictions that strike at the heart of the ABT gang: 73 convictions in five federal districts, including the five active generals who ran the organization with an iron fist. These convictions will ensure that these ABT gang members, from generals to soldiers, spend their years in federal prison paying for their crimes, not committing new ones.”
“Today, public safety is the winner,” said U.S. Attorney Magidson. “A significant blow to the ABT criminal activities culminated today with the convictions of all 36 as charged in relation to this significant racketeering activity. Only with a coordinated federal, state and local law enforcement effort, could these criminals’ extensive and heinous gang activities be brought before the bar of justice.”
Rusty Eugene Duke of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake in the Southern District of Texas to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity. Tammy Melissa Wall of Otto, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to the same charge on Aug. 6, 2014. Duke and Wall are two of 36 defendants charged in the Southern District of Texas with conducting racketeering activity through the ABT criminal enterprise, among other charges. With Duke’s plea today, all 36 defendants have pleaded guilty.
The 36 convicted are part of a larger, six-year effort that has led to the conviction of 73 ABT members and associates in cases brought in the Southern District of Texas, Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas and Western District of Oklahoma.
“Today marks a great day for the citizens of Texas,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Elder. “As they go about their daily lives, they can rest easier knowing that law enforcement across the state is working tirelessly to keep them safe from violent criminals. Finally, this investigation is a great example of ATF’s Frontline Model, which seeks to go after the very worst offenders by maximizing all of our resources.”
“While these convictions have dealt a serious blow to the gang, there are always others waiting to take their place in the organization,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Turner. “We have a message for them too: Violence and intimidation will not rule the streets of Houston. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue gang leaders and their associates at every level to ensure the safety of our communities.”
Court records and admissions by the defendants have exposed the ABT as a race-based, Texas state-wide organization operating inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout Texas and the United States. Established in the early 1980s within the Texas prison system, the gang modeled itself after, and adopted many of the precepts and writings of, the Aryan Brotherhood, a California-based prison gang formed in the California prison system during the 1960s. The ABT was primarily concerned with the protection of white inmates and the promotion of whites as a superior race. The ABT used murder and the threat of murder to enforce its rules within the gang and maintain a position of power inside and outside of prison. Over time, the ABT expanded its criminal enterprise to include illegal activities for profit. Once released from prison, ABT members and associates continued to engage in criminal activity on behalf of the enterprise.
Court documents portray the ABT as a highly structured organization run by five generals, each of whom oversees one of five geographic regions of Texas and sits on a steering committee. Each general supervises two chains of command —one on the “inside” and one on the “outside” of prison. Reporting to each general is an “inside major” and an “outside major” and each major oversees several captains, lieutenants and sergeants-at-arms and numerous soldiers.
In this prosecution, all five active ABT generals have been convicted, as well as one “acting” general and one former general and founding member. In addition, the majors, captains and other leaders of the gang from each of the five regions – including Duke – were convicted.
ABT enforced its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, arson, assault, robbery and threats against those who violated ABT rules or posed a threat to the enterprise. Members, and oftentimes associates, were required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, referred to as “direct orders.” For example, according to court records, ABT leaders ordered a subordinate to kill a rogue ABT prospect and return the victim’s severed finger as a trophy, engaged in planning to kill a police officer, and ordered the murder of an individual whom the ABT believed had stolen drugs from the enterprise.
Duke, Wall and numerous ABT gang members met on a regular basis at various locations throughout Texas to report on gang-related business, collect dues, commit disciplinary assaults against fellow gang members and discuss acts of violence against rival gang members, among other things. While females are not allowed to become members of the ABT, Wall and other women convicted in this case associated with the ABT, served as communication hubs for the gang, and engaged in criminal activity for the benefit of the ABT.
By pleading guilty to racketeering charges, Duke and Wall admitted to being members of the ABT criminal enterprise. They are both scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 29, 2014.
This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Rangers; Texas Department of Public Safety; Montgomery County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General; Harris County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Atascosa County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Orange County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Waller County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Alvin, Texas, Police Department; Carrollton, Texas, Police Department; Mesquite, Texas, Police Department; Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office; and the Atascosa County District Attorney’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by David Karpel of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Ed Gallagher and Tim Braley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
