NEW PORT RICHEY, FL -- Following a lengthy investigation into arms and narcotics trafficking in Pasco County, the U.S. Attorney's Office has arrested 39 members of the notorious gangs Unforgiven and United Aryan Brotherhood.
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U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez, along with Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Assistant Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai announced the results of Operation Blackjack during a press conference Nov. 15.
Operation Blackjack arose out of a partnership between the United States Attorney's Office, the State Attorney's Office for the Sixth Judicial Circuit, the ATF and the Pasco Sheriff's Office. The cases will be prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office's Violent Crimes and Narcotics Section.
'We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to prosecute those who persist in purveying violent crime and drug trafficking on our streets,' said Lopez during the press conference. 'We are committed to working with our partners to render our communities safe for our citizens in the Middle District of Florida.'
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The indictments also notify the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit the firearms used in these offenses and any proceeds traceable to the offenses.
'ATF's primary focus is protecting the public by reducing violent crime,' said Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCrary. 'ATF continues to aggressively pursue violent offenders and will work with our law enforcement partners to protect and serve our communities.'
'The Pasco Sheriff's Office is proud of the partnership it has with the Department of Justice,' said Nocco. 'Taking illegally possessed guns and criminals off the street will have a positive impact on the safety of our community.'
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer. In the Middle District of Florida, Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state and local law enforcement officials.
This investigation is also the result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation's drug supply.
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Those charged include:
- Michael Baun, 29, of Port Richey - charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
- Jade Blair, 25, of Spring Hill, charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
- Nicholas Bollman, 24, of Port Richey - charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
- Jonathan Budowski, 47, of Bushnell - charged with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime
- Crystal Davis, 26, of Tampa, - charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
- Donald 'Dino' Dussell, 41, of Hudson - charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (eight counts); distributing heroin; distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Kurt Gell, 39, of Bartow - pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Melissa James, 33, of New Port Richey - charged with possessing with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Breanna Knights, 21, of New Port Richey - charged with distributing heroin; distributing crack cocaine
- Jerry Koezeno, 30, of New Port Richey- charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (two counts). Pleaded guilty on Oct. 3
- Joshua Koezeno, 25, of New Port Richey - charged with possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- James Thomas Lang, III, 32, of Tampa - charged with conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine; distributing heroin and fentanyl (two counts); distributing methamphetamine; distributing heroin (two counts)
- James Laughery, 44, of New Port Richey- charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (four counts)
- Stephen Kenneth Lore, 48, of Hudson- pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Jamie Manz, 40, of Port Richey- charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (two counts)
- Andre Maytum, 34, of Port Richey- charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
- Chastity McBride, 35, of New Port Richey - charged with conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Stephanie McDonald, 35, of New Port Richey - pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Skyler McMillion, 33, of Port Richey- charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
- Jacob Montgomery, 25, of New Port Richey - charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
- Richard Morman, 31, of New Port Richey - charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; possessing a pipe bomb; possessing pipe bombs
- Arnold Gerard Nelson, Jr., 32, of Tampa- charged with conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, and 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine; distributing heroin and fentanyl (three counts); distributing methamphetamine; distributing heroin (two counts)
- William 'Billy the Kid' Ohrmund, 43, of Port Richey - pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Bobby Osborne, 33, of Hudson - charged with conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Chad Michael Overend, 37, of Port Richey - charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
- Ryan Perrin, 32, of Palm Harbor - charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (two counts)
- Randi Potter, 44, of New Port Richey- charged with possessing with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine; possessing with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine; possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base ('crack cocaine')
- John Christopher Roberts, 35, of Orlando - pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Justin Ruth, 28, of New Port Richey - charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (two counts)
- Anthony Steve, 37, of Port Richey - pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Sentenced to 27 months imprisonment.
- Keith Jason Stewart, 29, of Hudson- charged with distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (two counts); possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon
- George Susick, 29, of Spring Hill - pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Sentenced to five years imprisonment
- Joseph Ward, 46, of New Port Richey - found guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Sentenced to four years and three months imprisonment
- David Weyde, 30, of Port Richey - pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and to possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun. Sentenced to four years, three months imprisonment
- Gary 'Superman' Webb, 40, of Port Richey- charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
- Larry Dean Wilson, Jr., 41, of Land O'Lakes - charged with distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (two counts); distributing marijuana
- Michael Wilson, 45, of Spring Hill - convicted at trial of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Sentenced to 10 years imprisonment
- Andrew Windsor, 34, of Port Richey - charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon
- Bradley Cox, 31, of Palmetto - charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute heroin; possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl; possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Image via U.S. Attorney
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A high-ranking Aryan Brotherhood leader has been sentenced to 50 years in a Texas state prison, where he would spend 23 hours of every day in solitary confinement.
James Lemarc 'Byrdman' Byrd, 45, who has an image of Adolf Hitler tattooed on his back and a swastika on his stomach, was already in federal prison for a series of brutal and sadistic crimes, including slashing a man in the face 37 times and force-feeding another victim a piece of bread soaked in his own blood.
But prosecutors in Tarrant County had sought to remove Byrd from the federal prison system, where he continued to wield considerable influence and conduct Aryan Brotherhood business.
His fate is sealed: Aryan Brotherhood leader James Lemarc 'Byrdman' Byrd, who has an image of Adolf Hitler tattooed on his back (right) and a swastika on his stomach (left), will spend the rest of his life in solitary confinement
On Monday, prosecutors announced that Byrd will spend the rest of his life in a state prison, where inmates linked to gangs are allowed to be kept in solitary confinement.
‘He will be in a box for 23 hours a day,’ Tarrant County criminal prosecutor Allenna Bangs told the Houston Chronicle. ‘That will be 50 very hard years.’
Byrd was convicted as part of a years-long federal initiative aimed at limiting the power of the white-supremacist gang.
New home: Byrd will be transferred from a federal prison to a state prison in Texas, where policy allows to keep inmates linked to gangs in solitary confinement
The ABT, which involves itself in murder, drugs, extortion, robbery and identity theft, has lost at least 73 members to prison since 2009 thanks to the efforts of prosecutors in Tarrant County and elsewhere.
The gang was established in the early 1980s within the Texas prison system to promote the protection of white inmates and white supremacy and it grew to include illegal activities for profit.
In August, a Tarrant County jury found the 45-year-old Byrd guilty of directing the activities of a street gang - the kingpin statute - and the 50-year sentence he received was considered a major victory for the state.
Byrd, who has Aryan Brotherhood tattoos on his eyelids, was on supervised release from prison in 2013 and early 2014 when he ordered underlings to kidnap a backsliding ABT member.
Prosecutors said Byrd ordered the kidnapping of Lovick Stikeleather and then assaulted him with a gun, stabbed him in the shoulders and ordered him to pay a $1,000 penalty for disrespecting him.
Tarrant County prosecutor Joshua Ross told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: 'This guy was like an episode of Sons of Anarchy.
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'He was a true believer. His dedication bordered on theology. For him, the brotherhood came first.
'There was no more devoted person to the precepts of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas than James Byrd.
A SOLITARY LIFE: TEXAS' SEGREGATION UNITS REVEALED
Texas' solitary confinement, officially known as administration segregation units, deprive prisoners like James Byrd of all human contact, according to the site SolitaryWatch.com.
Inmates sentenced to solitary confinement spend 23 hours each day in 60-square-foot cells where the only windows are two narrow Plexiglas rectangles cut into in a metal door.
Most are permitted one to two hours of solitary recreation time. Texas segregation units forbid contact visits for inmates, while telephone use is limited and sometimes banned altogether.
Inmates also do not have access to rehabilitative or educational programs.
Prisoners placed in solitary confinement remain there, on average, for more than four years, although some have been in isolation for up 20 years and more.
'He was the highest-ranking person out of prison in this area.'
In the five months Byrd spent as a free man, prosecutors said he became the leader of a meth-dealing ring in North Texas.
In a bid to move up the ranks of Aryan Brotherhood, Byrd also committed several sadistic acts, including stabbing a man, soaking a slice of white bread in his wound, then eating half of it himself and stuffing the rest in the victim's mouth.
'It was very significant to remove him,' Allenna Bands said. 'His removal in and of itself really calmed things down quite a bit.'
Earlier this year, another ABT member was given a 60-year sentence for murdering a man he thought was faking his membership within the brotherhood.
Staten 'Monster' Corbett, 48, was sentenced for murdering Earnest Lackey and tampering with his corpse.
According to a January 2014 indictment of another ABT member, Shane Gail McNiel: '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.'
Other suspected ABT members arrested by Tarrant County prosecutors included Ronnie Wayne Freeman, Charles Garrett and Jimmy Riddle.
ABT member (patch seen right) Staten William Corbett (left) was sentenced to 60 years on a murder charge
Suspected ABT members Ronnie Wayne Freeman (left), Charles Garrett (center) and Jimmy Riddle (right)