Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gangster jailed for 50 years

[struggle4progress]

By EVAN BLEIER
PUBLISHED: 17:04 EST, 14 November 2015
UPDATED: 19:51 EST, 14 November 2015

Prosecutors are continuing to imprison and convict members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) as part of a years-long federal initiative limit the power of the white-supremacist gang ...

James Lemarc 'Byrdman' Byrd ... was convicted in Tarrant County of directing the activities of a street gang - the kingpin statute - and the 50-year sentence he received was considered a major victory for the state ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3318822/Aryan-Brotherhood-Texas-gangsters-taken-Tarrant-County-prosecutors.html

[Hortensis]

1. Good job, Feds! And Tarrant County and State of Texas?

It's unclear how many of the 73 or so imprisoned are there because of local efforts and why the feds had to step in to help Texas start cleaning up the mess in their state, but in any case, wow.

Thanks for posting this, Struggle. I hadn't seen see it. Below is a link to the Fort Worth Star, which points out that the feds uses RICO to take down a prison gang for the first time. The Star predicts future violence as ambitious gang members vie for open positions...

"He is among at least 73 Aryan Brotherhood of Texas members who have landed in prison as part of a years-long federal initiative to weaken the white-supremacist gang that dabbles in drugs, extortion, robbery, identity theft and, if necessary, murder.

And while five generals — the brotherhood’s highest rank — were among those put away in federal penitentiaries in Texas, Byrd’s 50-year sentence was considered a major takedown. There was no more devoted person to the precepts of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas than James Byrd,” Ross said. “He was the highest-ranking person out of prison in this area.”

I like the "if necessary, murder." Who wrote that?!
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article44883915.html