Leader of Aryan Knights pleads guilty to racketeering and assault with a dangerous weapon

The pursuing is simply a news merchandise from nan U.S. Dept. of Justice for nan District of Idaho.

BOISE – James Ramsey, 43, formerly nan wide leader of nan Idaho situation pack known arsenic nan Aryan Knights, aliases “AK,” pleaded blameworthy Monday to 1 count of conspiracy to participate successful a racketeering endeavor nether nan national RICO statute (the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act) conspiracy and 1 count of battle pinch a vulnerable limb successful assistance aliases racketeering, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced.

With Ramsey’s blameworthy plea, each defendants successful a 10-defendant RICO lawsuit charged successful 2019 person now pleaded guilty. Sentencing for Ramsey is group for October 22.

The suspect was a personnel of an endeavor called nan “Aryan Knights” (“AK”) since astatine slightest 2007. The AK is simply a situation pack that operates wrong Idaho Department of Correction (“IDOC”) situation accommodation but besides extracurricular of IDOC accommodation successful nan District of Idaho. It was founded to shape criminal activity for a prime group of achromatic inmates wrong IDOC custody. The suspect has held various positions of rank successful nan AK, including being nan wide leader of nan pack successful 2015 and 2016. The AK is simply a corrupt racketeering enterprise, arsenic defined successful nan RICO statute. It has a codification of behaviour that includes, but is not constricted to, carrying retired orders and submitting to subject from nan leaders of nan gang. The AK derives its gross from, among different things, extortion and smuggling and distributing controlled substances into IDOC facilities.

The suspect knowingly agreed that he aliases a co-conspirator would participate successful nan behaviour of nan affairs of nan endeavor done a shape of racketeering activity. Among different things, AK members were ordered by AK leaders, including nan defendant, to prosecute successful criminal activity. As portion of his information successful nan AK, nan suspect often communicated pinch different members of nan AK astir participating successful collecting debts, extortion successful IDOC situation accommodation to beryllium committed by AK members and distributing controlled substances successful IDOC situation facilities.

As portion of nan racketeering conspiracy, nan suspect participated in, and understood that different AK members would participate successful nan pursuing acts:

• From 2010 to 2017, nan AK trafficked narcotics wrong IDOC. This includes a 2015–2016 strategy to smuggle methamphetamine into IDOC utilizing an inmate’s wheelchair, arranging for methamphetamine to beryllium smuggled successful utilizing different inmate’s girlfriend, and a strategy of “kick downs” nan Defendant implemented. The defendant, on pinch different AK members, distributed and arranged nan distribution of drugs, including methamphetamine, during this period.
• In nan outpouring of 2016, nan Defendant ordered that AK members onslaught different inmate (the victim). The unfortunate was a erstwhile AK member. On June 15, 2016, co-defendant Harlan Hale and 2 different AK members attacked nan unfortunate connected an IDOC shot field. They hit and stabbed nan unfortunate aggregate times pinch homemade knives, intending to termination nan victim. Hale antecedently pleaded blameworthy to participating successful nan RICO conspiracy and admitted that he committed this onslaught arsenic an integral facet of pack membership.

All 10 of nan AK defendants successful this lawsuit person pleaded guilty, and 8 person been sentenced truthful far:

• Harlan Hale, 58, was sentenced successful March of 2021 to life successful national prison.
• Christopher Foss, 35, was sentenced successful September, 2020, to 210 months successful national prison, pinch 174 months to beryllium served aft his earliest imaginable parole day for his existent authorities situation sentence. Foss was besides ordered to service 5 years of supervised merchandise pursuing his incarceration.
• Buck Pickens, 35, was sentenced successful September, 2020, to 206 months successful national prison, pinch 60 months to beryllium served aft his earliest imaginable parole day for his existent sentence. Pickens was besides ordered to service 5 years of supervised merchandise pursuing his incarceration.
• Steven Bowman, 41, was sentenced successful May, 2023, to 78 months successful national prison, to beryllium served aft his earliest imaginable parole day for his existent sentence. Bowman was besides ordered to service 5 years of supervised merchandise pursuing his incarceration.
• Nicholas Sites, 39, was sentenced successful January, 2023, to 55 months successful national prison. Sites was besides ordered to service 5 years of supervised merchandise pursuing his incarceration.
• Mark Woodland, 53, was sentenced successful June, 2023, to 51 months successful national prison, to beryllium served aft his earliest imaginable parole day for his existent sentence. Woodland was besides ordered to service 3 years of supervised merchandise pursuing his incarceration.
• Lucas Johnson, 35, was sentenced successful May, 2021, to 48 months successful national situation to beryllium followed by 5 years of supervised release.
• Michael McNabb, 40, was sentenced successful August, 2020, to 28 months successful national situation to beryllium followed by 3 years of supervised release.

This lawsuit was investigated by nan Federal Bureau of Investigation pinch assistance from IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit, nan Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and nan Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.