Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Members Plead Guilty to Racketeering Charges

Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, Rusty Eugene Duke and Tammy Melissa Wall, have pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in the Southern District of Texas. Duke, from Dallas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity. Wall, from Otto, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to the same charge on August 6, 2014, and is the second-to-last defendant of 36 to plead guilty.

The remaining 34 defendants charged in the Southern District of Texas with conducting racketeering activity through the ABT criminal enterprise have also pleaded guilty. The convictions are part of a six-year effort that has led to the conviction of 73 ABT members and associates in cases brought in five federal districts.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell stated, "The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas launched its murderous and racist ideology within the Texas prisons, but unleashed a violent crime wave that jumped the prison walls and spread like a virus." U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson added, "Today, public safety is the winner. A significant blow to the ABT criminal activities culminated today with the convictions of all 36 as charged in relation to this significant racketeering activity."

The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas was exposed as a race-based, Texas state-wide organization operating inside and outside of prisons. Court records and admissions by the defendants have revealed the gang’s involvement in murders, kidnappings, brutal beatings, fire bombings, and drug trafficking.

The convictions will ensure that ABT gang members, from generals to soldiers, spend their years in federal prison paying for their crimes, not committing new ones. The law enforcement effort behind these convictions is a testament to the commitment to keeping communities safe from violent criminals.

"Today marks a great day for the citizens of Texas," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Robert W. Elder. "As they go about their daily lives, they can rest easier knowing that law enforcement across the state is working tirelessly to keep them safe from violent criminals."

The ABT’s violent crime wave has been brought to an end with these convictions, and law enforcement will continue to pursue gang leaders and their associates at every level to ensure the safety of communities.

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