In a shocking turn of events, a member of the Aryan Circle gang pleaded guilty to committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering. Daniel B. Jerome, 31, of Wentzville, Missouri, was involved in an aggravated assault on a fellow gang member in Jefferson County, Missouri, on November 9, 2013.
According to the plea agreement, Jerome participated in a ‘patch-burning,’ which included violently assaulting the victim and removing the victim’s gang tattoo using a burning log. The Aryan Circle is a powerful race-based, multi-state organization that operates inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, and the United States.
The plea agreement states that the Aryan Circle was established in the mid-1980s within the Texas prison system (TDCJ). In recent years, the Aryan Circle’s structure and influence expanded to rural and suburban areas throughout Missouri, Texas, and Louisiana. The Aryan Circle emerged as an independent organization during a period of turmoil within the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT).
The plea agreement further indicates that the Aryan Circle enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects, and associates through murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery, and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the organization. Members, and oftentimes, associates, are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question.
Daniel B. Jerome pleaded guilty to committing an assault resulting in serious bodily injury to the victim in aid of racketeering. Sentencing for Jerome has been scheduled for August 7, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White for the Eastern District of Missouri.
The case is being investigated by an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of various law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Bethany Lipman of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angie Danis of the Eastern District of Missouri.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Organized CrimeOrganized CrimeOrganized CrimeOrganized Crime