Samantha Goldman, a 29-year-old Houston resident, has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges stemming from her involvement in the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang. Goldman, who held the position of ABT ‘Hub’ and was referred to as a ‘Featherwood,’ admitted to participating in the gang’s criminal activities, including murder, robbery, arson, kidnapping, and narcotics trafficking.
According to court documents, Goldman and other ABT gang members and associates agreed to commit multiple acts of violence on behalf of the gang. Her role in the gang involved facilitating communication among imprisoned gang members, collecting dues, and enforcing disciplinary assaults against fellow gang members.
The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas was established in the early 1980s within the Texas prison system, modeling itself after the California-based Aryan Brotherhood prison gang. The ABT expanded its operations to include illegal activities for profit, enforcing its rules through murder, attempted murder, and threats against those who violated the rules.
The case against Goldman is one of 35 defendants charged with conducting racketeering activity through the ABT criminal enterprise. She is the eighth defendant to plead guilty in the indictment. Judge Sim Lake has set sentencing for October 17, 2013, at which time Goldman faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Rangers; Texas Department of Public Safety; Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General; sheriff’s offices in Harris, Tarrant, Atascosa, Orange, and Waller Counties; police departments in Alvin, Carrollton, and Mesquite Texas; as well as the Montgomery and Atascosa County District Attorney’s Offices.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Texas and the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
The investigation into the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang has resulted in the indictment of 35 defendants, with Goldman being the eighth to plead guilty. The case highlights the gang’s involvement in violent crimes, including murder, robbery, and arson, as well as their expansion into illegal activities for profit.
Related Federal Cases
- Charles Lee Roberts, Racketeering, Texas 2013 · California
- James Francis Sampsell, Racketeering, Texas 2014 · California
- Ronald Lee Prince, Racketeering Charges, Texas 2014 · California
- Federal Defendant Brought to Justice for Racketeering, New York NY,… · New York
- Amilcar Romero, Racketeering Conspiracy, Los Angeles CA, 2023 · New York
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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