Five Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang members from
Dallas were sentenced to prison this week for their roles in the violent ABT
enterprise, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the
Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of
the Southern District of Texas.
Today, James Lawrence Burns, 44, and Kenneth Hancock, 34,
high-ranking members in the ABT’s hierarchical structure, were ordered to serve
respective terms of 20 and 15 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge
Sim Lake in the Southern District of Texas.
Yesterday, Dustin Harris, 30, and Christopher Morris, 39, were each
ordered to serve 10 years in prison, while Clay Kirkland, 35, received a
sentence of more than 11 years in prison.
An additional defendant – Bill Frank Weatherred, 29 – will be sentenced
tomorrow.
According to information presented in court, the six men
were admitted members of ABT, a powerful race-based, statewide organization
that operates inside and outside of state federal prisons throughout Texas and
the United States. Along with other ABT
gang members and associates, they agreed to commit multiple acts of murder,
robbery, arson, kidnapping and narcotics trafficking on behalf of the ABT gang. 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.
The ABT was 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 that was formed in the California prison system
during the 1960s. Previously, the ABT
was primarily concerned with the protection of white inmates and white
supremacy/separatism, but over time, the ABT has expanded its criminal
enterprise to include illegal activities for profit, according to court records.
Court documents allege that the ABT enforced its rules and
promoted discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder,
attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, arson, assault, robbery and threats
against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the enterprise. Members, and oftentimes associates, were
required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, often referred to as
“direct orders.”
In order to be considered for ABT membership, a person must
be sponsored by another gang member.
Once sponsored, a prospective member must serve an unspecified term,
during which he is referred to as a prospect, while his conduct is observed by
the members of the ABT.
The defendants sentenced this week are six of 36 defendants
convicted of conducting racketeering activity through the ABT criminal
enterprise, among other charges.
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; 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 Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ed
Gallagher and Tim Braley of the Southern District of Texas.
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