SIGN UP FOR BREAKING NEWS Get local stories sent straight to your inbox as news breaks. Submit Privacy Notice

Arkansas grand jury indicts 54 in white supremacist group investigation Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

WEBVTT ALLEGED HATE GROUP IN OUR OWN BACK YARD ARE FACING FEDERAL CHARGES. IN TOTAL MORE THAN 54 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INDICTED AND ARE FACING CONSPIRACY CHARGES. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AFTER A GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION WAS UNSEALED TODAY. NOT EVERYONE IS ACCUSED OF BEING PART OF THIS ALLEGED HATE GROUP ... THOSE PEOPLE ARE FACING FEDERAL DRUG CHARGES. 40/29'S BRETT RAINS WAS IN RUSSELLVILLE TODAY AS THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS TALKED ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION THAT HAS GONE ON FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. "THE GROUP IS CALLED THE NEW ARYAN EMPIRE. POLICE SAY IT STARTED BEHIND BARS AND HAS NOW MOVED INTO NEIGHBORHOODS. 3 YEARS AGO THE ATF HELPED WITH A MURDER INVESTIGATION THAT ENDED WITH 44 PEOPLE INDICTED FOR DRUG AND WEAPONS CHARGES AND TODAY MORE PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED." "today we announce significant damage to a violent, white supremacist criminal organization." IT'S CALLED "OPERATION TO THE DIRT". COURT RECORDS SAY IT'S THE SLOGAN FOR THE NEW ARYAN EMPIRE AND MEANS MEMBERSHIP FOR LIFE UNTIL DEATH OR BEING KILLED. THESE ARE A PORTION OF THE GUNS SEIZED WHEN POLICE MADE THE ARRESTS... OUT OF THE 54 PEOPLE INDICTED, ACCORDING TO COURT RECORDS 17 PEOPLE ARE FACING FEDERAL CHARGES OF EITHE CONSPIRACY TO VIOLATE FEDERAL RACKETEERING LAWS, CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT KIDNAPPING...OR BOTH. "this includes allegations of attempted murder, solicitation for murder, kidnappings, beatings, stabbings, often done in an effort to silence individuals the NAE believed were willing to assist law enforcement." MOST OF THE ACCUSED WERE INDICTED FOR CONSPIRACY TO DISTRIBUTE METHAMPHETAMINE. TODAY FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SAID THE ORGANIZED CRIME RING WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRAFFICKING HUNDREDS OF POUNDS OF THE DRUG THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. "if you're a member of the criminal organization you're in for a penny and you're in for a pound." "these people perpetuate violence and push poison into our communities in order to stay in power a intimidate people." "there are 54 people who are charged and this is an ongoing investigation, I'm not sure I would be comfortable if I was a member of the organization." "ACCORDING TO COURT RECORDS THE NEW NEW ARYAN EMPIRE HAS ABOUT 5- THOUSAND MEMBERS, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE MOST RECENTLY INDICTED ARE NOT FACING CHARGES FOR COMMITTING ACTUAL HATE CRIMES. IN RUSSELLVILLE BRETT RAINS 40/29 NEWS." AS YOU READ THROUGH THE MA PAGES OF THE DOCUMENTS ... YOU SEE THE ALLEGATIONS DETAILED VERY SPECIFICALLY. SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE New Aryan Empire' .. ALSO KNOWN AS NAE' ... ARE BEING CHARGED WITH SOME VIOLENT ACTIONS TO TRY AND PREVENT CERTAIN MEMBERS FROM TALKING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. -- THE GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS DETAIL HOW THE WHITE SUPREMACIST GANG ENGAGED ... "in multiple acts of violence - including kidnapping and attempting to murder one informant, and stabbing and maiming two others suspected of cooperating with law enforcement." (VIDEO) THE INDICTMENT ALLEGES THAT BETWEEN MAY 2014 AND MAY 2016, N-A-E LEADERS' SOLICITED SEVERAL OTHER MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES TO MURDER THE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT ... RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MEMBER MARCUS MILLSAP BEING CHARGED WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING. IT SAYS "NAE President Wesley Gullett" AND OTHER MEMBERS OFFERED DIFFERENT SUMS OF MONEY ... UP TO $50,000 DOLLARS IN ONE INSTANCE AND A HARLEY DAVIDSON IN ANOTHER OFFER WORTH $30,000 ... "to murder the confidential informant Bruce Wayne Hurley". BUT ON JANUARY 4TH, 2016 ... THE INDICTMENT SAYS THE GUN MISFIRED O ONE ATTEMPT TO CARRY OUT THE ASSASINATION. (VIDEO) IN MAY OF 2017 ... THE CHARGING DOCUMENT INDICATES SEVERAL N-A-E MEMBERS "KIDNAPPED, BEAT, AND STABBED AND THREATENED TO KILL" .. A MEMBER IDENTIFIED AS C.L. IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONVINCE C.L. TO NOT TESTIFY AS A WITNESS IN A FELON IN POSSESSION CASE' AGAINST THE MEMBER KNOWN AS KEVIN LONG. -- THEY'RE ACCUSED OF "Stabbing C.L. With a Knife Multiple Times." -- IN JUNE OF 2017 ... THEY KIDNAPPED A PERSON IDENTIFIED AS H.D. "for providing information to law enforcement relating to Long's involvement in a shooting." THEY HIT H.D. WITH FISTS AND A BASEBALL BAT...AN STABBED HIM MULTIPLE TIMES AND PLACED "a heated knife on his face causing permanent disfigurement." (On CAM) THERE ARE MANY MORE CHARGES AGAINST THE 54 DEFENDANTS CHARGED TODAY IN THIS RICO INDICTMENT. THIS IS AN INVESTIGATION WE'LL BE TRACKING FOR YOU IN THE DAYS TO COME. IF YOU'D LIKE TO READ THE FULL INDICTMENT - YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE - OR CHECK OUT OUR APP... THAT'S 4029 TV DOT COM. IF YOU WER