DALLAS — Following a law enforcement operation led by the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division (DPS-CID) and the Dallas Police Department Criminal Intelligence Unit, 54 individuals, members and associates of various white supremacist organizations, have been charged with federal offenses stemming from their respective roles in a drug distribution conspiracy that operated in North Texas and elsewhere from January 2013 to November 2015. U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas made the announcement today. Two of the 54 defendants remain fugitives.
This second phase of the investigation follows a related operation in 2014 in which 37 members and associates of various white supremacist organizations were arrested and charged with similar federal offenses, stemming from their role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. All of those defendants were convicted; one remains a fugitive.
Defendants, all Texas residents, who are charged in this superseding indictment and who are in custody include:
Ramon Aguilar, III, aka “Nelson,” 26, of Dallas
Christopher Alexander, aka “Bear,” 43, of Dallas
William Lee Benham, 32, of Mesquite
Eric Scott Benson, aka “ESB,” 29, of Mesquite
Ronnie Mikel Brown, 39, of Dallas
Jonas Carrera, 36, of Dallas
Hugo Ivan Castaneda, aka “Takua,” 25, of Dallas
John Anthony Chavez Jr., aka “BJ,” 27, of Dallas
Justo Salvador Chavez Jr., aka “Junior,” 39, of Dallas
Micah Torrence Dees, 26, of Sherman
Abraham Dimas Jr., 41, of Dallas
Tina Wynette Easley, aka “Tina Wynette Fields” aka “Big Tina,” 43, of Seagoville
Crissy Lynn Evans, 28, of Richardson
Taylor Maxlynn Fletcher, 26, of Point
Joe Lee Foard, Jr., 46, of Denison
Michael William Getsinger, 30, of Rockwall
Alejandro Gonzalez, 20, of Dallas
Quincy John Goodson, aka “Kidd,” 34, of Scurry
Michael Thor Guinn, 28, of Jacksonville
Tommy Dare Hancock, aka “Big Tom,” 49, of Beaumont
David Lesley Holt, 54, of Mesquite
David Wayne Holt, 28, of Dallas
Brennan Nicole House, 22, of Sherman
Desirae Ann Houser, 24, of Princeton
Beau James Jarnagin, aka “Beau Jamey,” 39, of Dallas
Jeff Jeremy Johnston, aka “Slowpoke,” 42, of Mesquite
Kory Wade Kloecker, aka “Crawl,” 32, of Mesquite
Jimmy David Lance, 54, of Dallas
Samantha Ladell Largent, 25, of Cumby
Blake Allen Long-Rockey, 27, of Dallas
Ricardo Garcia Medina, 31, of Dallas
Benjamin Matthew Melton, 31, of Mesquite
Craig Don Mueller, 34, of Dallas
Brian Casey Mullins, 35, of Rockwall
Stacy Wayne Myers, 48, of Dallas
James Marshall Nation, 39, of Cumby
Wendy Renee Neal, 37, of Princeton
Mackenzie Nelson, 31, of Greenville
Raymond Anthony Nichols, aka “Ant,” 35, of Mesquite
Shanna Lynn Palmer, 32, of Seagoville
Christian Perez, 23, of Dallas
Francisco Manuel Radamez-Nava, aka “Ghost,” 31, of Mesquite
Jorge Ramirez, aka “Gucci,” “Jorge Ramirez-Martinez,” and “Jorge Alejandro” 31, of Mesquite
Bruce Chance Rash, aka “Chaos,” 37, of Dallas
John James Rumfield, 34, of Dallas
Jackie Lemonds Segura, 32, of Dallas
Brandon Kyle Smith, 31, of Mineola
Alicia Gale Tambourine, aka “Slimm,” 31, of Balch Springs
Jamie Lynn Tucker, 49, of Dallas
Troy Anthony Wallace, 46, of Mesquite
Roger Wayne Whitworth Jr., aka “Peanut,” 42, of Mesquite
John Fitzgerald Yates, aka “Po Boy,” 51, of Tyler (deceased)
This just-unsealed superseding indictment charges all of the above-listed defendants, with the exception of Benjamin Matthew Melton and Jorge Ramirez, with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one substantive count of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Ronnie Mikel Brown, Tina Wynette Easley, Michael Thor Guinn, Tommy Dare Hancock, David Wayne Holt, Jeff Jeremy Johnston, and Benjamin Matthew Melton are also each charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Jorge Ramirez is charged with one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
According to the superseding indictment, the defendants were members of, associated with, or performed drug transactions with, various white supremacists organizations or individuals including the “Aryan Brotherhood of Texas” (ABT), the “Aryan Circle,” the “White Knights,” and the “Peckerwoods,” and they engaged in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and other illegal narcotics throughout North Texas and elsewhere. Certain defendants used firearms to further their drug trafficking activities.
Despite their differences, the ABT, Aryan Circle, and White Knights gangs, along with the Peckerwoods, often collaborated with each other and with Mexican gangs and cartels for purposes of drug distribution or other illegal ventures. Peckerwood is a term used to describe an individual who, although not a member, shared a white supremacist ideology or aligned his or herself with these white supremacist gangs.
Up to 20 of the above-listed defendants were members or close associates of the ABT. Up to eight were members or close associates of the Aryan Circle. One was a member of the White Knights and one was a Peckerwood. Two were members of the La Familia drug cartel. Some of the defendants had familial relationships, some were engaged in romantic relationships, and some resided together, as outlined in the indictment.
The indictment alleges that from approximately January 2013 to November 2015, the defendants conspired together, and with others, to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to the indictment, the defendants arranged for the acquisition of methamphetamine and its distribution and delivery. They used stash houses or other locations to store the methamphetamine and acted as intermediaries and brokers to negotiate the acquisition, price, delivery and payment for the quantities of methamphetamine.
Each of the co-conspirators was linked to one another either directly or through another co-conspirator. Certain co-conspirators acted as hubs for narcotics trafficking, supplying methamphetamine to numerous other co-conspirators. Throughout the investigation, 40 pounds of methamphetamine and 22 firearms were seized.
A federal indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. If convicted, however, the statutory maximum penalty for each count of the drug trafficking conspiracy is life in federal prison and millions of dollars in fines. The statutory maximum penalty for each substantive count of possession of methamphetamine is 20years in federal prison. The maximum statutory penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm or for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm is 10 years in federal prison. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation that would require the defendants, upon conviction, to forfeit all real or personal property derived from the proceeds of their offense.
The investigation is being led by the DPS-CID Gang Unit and the Dallas Police Department Criminal Intelligence Unit with assistance from the Garland Police Department Neighborhood Police Officer Unit, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, the Mesquite, Sherman, Denison and Sulphur Springs Police Departments and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Assistant U.S. Attorney P. J. Meitl is prosecuting.
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