Aryan Brotherhood leaders sentenced for ordering murders from California prisons
FRESNO, Calif. - Three high-ranking members of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a vast racketeering conspiracy.
The operation, run from within state prisons, involved multiple murders, drug trafficking, and fraud, and highlights the ongoing challenge of organized crime within correctional facilities, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California.
What we know:
On May 19, a federal judge sentenced three members of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang.
Francis Clement, 58, and Kenneth Johnson, 63, both received life sentences after being found guilty of racketeering conspiracy and multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering.
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A third defendant, John Stinson, 70, was sentenced to 20 years in federal custody for RICO conspiracy.
The crimes included murders committed inside state prisons, drug trafficking, fraud, and robbery, all orchestrated by gang leaders using smuggled cellphones.
Timeline:
Between 2016 and 2023, Aryan Brotherhood members and associates engaged in various racketeering activities, including murder, conspiracy to murder, fraud, robbery, and drug trafficking.
In October 2020, Johnson and Clement together ordered the murder of Allan Roshanski, which also resulted in the death of Ruslan Magomedgadzhiev. They also ordered the murder of Brandon Lowery, who was subsequently killed.
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In February 2022, Clement ordered the murder of Michael Brizendine. The following month, in March 2022, Clement ordered the murders of Ronald Ennis and James Yagle.
The backstory:
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Aryan Brotherhood members, particularly Johnson and Clement, who held leadership roles, directed crimes both inside and outside of prison. They used cellphones that had been smuggled into correctional facilities.
Clement, due to his rank, received a cut from illegal drug sales and fraud schemes. Trial testimony revealed that the gang regularly smuggled methamphetamine into California prisons for sale to inmates.
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The murders were ordered because the victims were believed to have violated gang rules or owed the gang money.
Stinson, also a high-ranking leader, used a contraband cellphone to conduct gang business, including sponsoring members and approving murders.
He also engaged in drug trafficking and received a share of illegal drug sales.
What they're saying:
"The convicted defendants led a notorious prison gang that committed ruthless murders, widespread methamphetamine trafficking, and perpetuated a culture of mayhem, fear, and disorder within the prison system that bled into the outside world," said Matthew Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. "Organized crime within the prison system, enabled by the use of contraband cellphones, endangers American neighborhoods by flooding streets with dangerous drugs. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue crime syndicates, like the Aryan Brotherhood and their facilitators, to ensure they go to prison and the harm they inflict on society ends once incarcerated."
Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California stated, "Today’s sentences are yet another blow to the leadership of a violent criminal enterprise run from inside California prisons and spanning multiple counties and states. The Aryan Brotherhood has maintained its deadly influence over members, associates and others both inside and outside prison. We are committed to doing everything we can to stop these violent inmates from orchestrating their criminal activities from inside prison walls."
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"These sentences send a clear message: the walls of a prison do not shield violent gang leaders from justice," said Acting Director Daniel Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). "The Aryan Brotherhood’s leadership operated a brutal criminal enterprise from behind bars — ordering murders, trafficking drugs, and fueling violence in our communities. ATF remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle violent gangs wherever they operate and hold their leaders accountable, no matter where they try to hide."
What's next:
The indictment in this case initially charged 11 defendants with RICO conspiracy and other crimes.
While three defendants have now been sentenced, five defendants are still awaiting trial.
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Three other defendants have already pleaded guilty.
The Source: Information for this story is from a press release published by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California.