U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said that the bust being announced Wednesday morning is one of the “largest takedowns in the history of the Department of Justice of a neo-Nazi, white supremacist, violent extremist organization.”
A total of 68 people were indicted as part of the “Peckerwood gang,” Estrada confirmed. Of the 68, a total of 42 are in custody.
“The Peckerwoods are involved in a wide variety of criminal activity, from drug trafficking to fraud offenses to firearms offenses, violence and identity theft,” Estrada said. “But what truly distinguishes them is their hate and animosity to ethnic and religious minorities.”
The Peckerwoods are based in the San Fernando Valley, Estrada confirmed, and get their name from a derogatory term used against poor white people and Caucasians in the prison system.
Members of the group often have tattoos with the letters “SFV,” which, according to Estrada, means both “San Fernando Valley” and “Searching For Victims.”
They also collect Nazi paraphernalia — such as swastikas — and Confederate flags and then display the symbols on their tattoos, clothing and through social media posts. They also display the symbol “88,” which is the numerical symbol for “Heil Hitler,” Estrada said.
The U.S. Attorney cited one example of one gang member named Ryan Bradford, who was found to be selling drugs and manufacturing explosive devices when he was arrested. A “treasure trove” of white supremacist paraphernalia was also found, Estrada added, including replica Nazi uniforms and posters of Adolf Hitler.
Bradford also allegedly made social media posts indicating he wanted to murder and commit genocide of Jewish people.
“In fact, when we searched his home, we found a notepad that had written as its New Year’s resolution: ‘Bake every single Jew,'” Estrada said. “That’s what this group stands for…that’s what the Peckerwoods are all about.”
The group also used social media to share information about criminal activities and gang rules, identify members in good — and bad — standings and target people who went against them.
“The social media use included a members-only Facebook group and private, direct messages between the gang’s members and associates,” the Department of Justice said in a release issued shortly after the press conference Wednesday.
Incarcerated members of the Peckerwood gang have entered an alliance with the notorious white supremacist Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, and many Peckerwood members are also Aryan Brotherhood members, officials added.
Some of those members benefit from an alliance with the Mexican Mafia, according to U.S. Attorney Estrada.
The indictment unsealed Wednesday by officials alleges racketeering conspiracy against the leadership of the Peckerwoods, who reportedly collected large amounts of dangerous drugs, including fentanyl, to sell on Southern California streets.
Leaders would also commit “a variety” of financial fraud crimes to fund their enterprise, Estrada elaborated, and they would use threats of violence and scare tactic to enforce the gang’s rules, which included paying taxes to the Aryan Brotherhood and not cooperating with law enforcement.
Various individual charges, including 60 counts of drug trafficking, are also included in the indictment, Estrada said.
“That’s 60 separate incidents in which Peckerwood members or associates were caught with wholesale quantities of…dangerous drugs that are plaguing our streets,” he explained.
Other members have been hit with a slew of charges: illegal possession of a firearm, gun trafficking offenses and even stealing money set aside for small businesses suffering from effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most of the defendants who are charged with drug-related offenses will face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, Estrada said.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis echoed Estrada’s sentiments on the takedown, which he called “one of the largest investigative operations in L.A. County history.”
Davis compared the San Fernando Valley Peckerwoods to a “local chapter” of the Aryan Brotherhood and said that members have committed violent acts against minorities in the L.A. area and across the state.
“This is a historic event, to federally indict this many members of a hate group,” Davis said. “We expect this investigation to significantly cripple their network.”
Speaking further on the group’s illicit activities, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division Rob Saccone noted that the group even set up a storefront — a fake drug treatment center — to write false documents to get members of the group off probation or parole in addition to defrauding Medicare and insurance providers.
Photos released by officials show social media posts and paraphernalia associated with the Peckerwood gang. Photos released by officials show social media posts and paraphernalia associated with the Peckerwood gang. Photos released by officials show social media posts and paraphernalia associated with the Peckerwood gang. Photos released by officials show social media posts and paraphernalia associated with the Peckerwood gang. Photos released by officials show social media posts and paraphernalia associated with the Peckerwood gang. Photos released by officials show social media posts and paraphernalia associated with the Peckerwood gang.
In their searches, the DEA also found large amounts of drugs and guns in addition to bomb-making components, Saccone said.
Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi also spoke Wednesday, summing up the findings of the indictment and thanking the multi-agency coalition — made up of local, state and federal officials — for their work.
“It’s a testament of the dedication of everyone involved working towards a single goal,” Choi said. “Making our streets safer for this region.”
In the DOJ release, several of the gang members were identified as Claire Patricia Haviland, 62, of Chatsworth; Brian Glenn Ekelund, 53, of Chatsworth and Brianne Brewer, 38, of North Hollywood.
Each of the three is accused of maintaining and overseeing drug stash houses; Haviland and Ekelund allegedly mailed the illegal drugs to customers and used applications like Zelle and CashApp to receive and send money, officials said.
Other defendants, such as Sean Craig Gluckman, 35, of Encino and Maria Anna James, 30, of Canyon Country, allegedly submitted false and fraudulent applications for the Paycheck Protection Program that was set up during COVID-19 to help small businesses make it through the pandemic.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the remaining Peckerwood gang members is asked to contact the FBI immediately.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/federal-state-officials-announce-arrest-175719317.html
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.