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Trails Pending for Remaining 13 Defendants in ATF-Investigated Case LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- A U.S. District Court juryconvicted a fifth member of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang today oncharges that he violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations(RICO) Act.

Steven Scott, whose trial lasted five days, faces 25 years to life infederal prison when he is sentenced in November.

In October 2002, 40 members and associates of the Aryan Brotherhoodwere indicted for racketeering charges that alleged a series of murders andviolent attacks designed to preserve the power of the white, prison-basedcriminal enterprise. The 10-count indictment charged that members of the ABcommitted 16 murders and 16 attempted murders, as well as additionalconspiracies to commit murder and solicitation to murder. These crimesallegedly were committed on behalf of the AB to promote the gang and itsmembers and to control drug trafficking, gambling and extortion in theprison systems.

To date, 19 defendants pled guilty, two defendants died, the governmentdismissed charges against two others, and, now five defendants have beenconvicted at trial. Trials are pending for the remaining 13 defendants.

"We are extremely pleased with the guilty verdict reached today," saidJohn A. Torres, Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Division,Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (ATF). "We made thedecision to investigate this group over a period of 10 years and willcontinue to investigate violent crime occurring in our prison systems."

The Aryan Brotherhood case was investigated by ATF, the CaliforniaDepartment of Corrections; the United States Bureau of Prisons; and the LosAngeles County Sheriff's Department.

Contact: Susan K. Raichel, PIO Office: (213) 798-8625 Cellular: (213) 798-8625

SOURCE Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives