Two Aryan Circle Leaders Convicted in Beaumont Trial

BEAUMONT, Texas — Two men linked to the violent white supremacist prison gang Aryan Circle were convicted Tuesday in federal court on racketeering charges tied to a decade-long campaign of violence, intimidation, and retaliation. William Glenn Chunn, aka Big Head, 39, of Conroe, Texas, and Jesse Paul Blankenship, aka JP, 38, of Stratford, Missouri, now face life in prison after a federal jury found them guilty of multiple counts including racketeering conspiracy and kidnapping in aid of racketeering.

Chunn, identified during trial as one of the five highest-ranking leaders in the Aryan Circle’s national hierarchy, used his position to order stabbings of rival gang members and to target individuals suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. Prosecutors presented evidence that he orchestrated violent attacks from within prison walls, maintaining control over the gang’s operations through coded messages and loyal enforcers on the outside.

Blankenship, meanwhile, was convicted not only of racketeering conspiracy but also of kidnapping in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit the same. Trial evidence revealed he carried out brutal acts on the gang’s behalf — including firing multiple shots into a home occupied by two victims and participating in the forced removal of an Aryan Circle patch by burning the tattoo from a member’s skin using a blowtorch-heated metal rod. These acts, prosecutors said, earned him a rise in rank and authority within the gang.

The convictions stem from Operation Noble Virtue, a sweeping multi-state investigation launched in Houston that has now resulted in 37 total convictions. The probe targeted the Aryan Circle’s expansion beyond correctional facilities and into communities across Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Indiana, New Jersey, and beyond. Authorities say the gang operates through strict racial ideology, enforcing loyalty with threats, assaults, and murder.

“This case exemplifies great collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement to not only stop gang violence in prison, but also to protect innocent persons when that activity overflows into our communities,” said Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who advocate harm to others, and to specifically target the leaders of violent gangs.”\

“Today’s verdicts keep two violent white supremacists from wreaking havoc and hate on the streets of America,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski. Both Chunn and Blankenship face maximum penalties of life in prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, following review of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The investigation was conducted by a coalition of agencies including the ATF, DEA, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and corrections and police departments across six states.