Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Associate Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges
| U.S. Attorney’s Office July 18, 2013 |
HOUSTON—An associate of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges related to her involvement in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson and Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Samantha Goldman, 29, of Houston, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake in the Southern District of Texas to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity.
According to court documents, Goldman and other ABT gang members and associates agreed to commit multiple acts of murder, robbery, arson, kidnapping, and narcotics trafficking on behalf of the ABT gang. According to court documents, Goldman held the position of ABT “Hub” and was often referred to as a “Featherwood.” In her capacity with ABT, she facilitated communication of criminal activities among imprisoned gang members regarding gang-related business, collection of dues, commission of disciplinary assaults against fellow gang members, and acts of violence against rival gang members, among other things.
By pleading guilty to racketeering charges, Goldman has admitted to being an associate of the ABT criminal enterprise.
According to the superseding indictment, the ABT was established in the early 1980s within the Texas prison system. The gang modeled itself after and adopted many of the precepts and writings of the Aryan Brotherhood, a California-based prison gang that was formed in the California prison system during the 1960s. According to the superseding indictment, previously, the ABT was primarily concerned with the protection of white inmates and the promotion of white supremacy/separatism. Over time, the ABT expanded its criminal enterprise to include illegal activities for profit.
Court documents allege that the ABT enforced its rules and promoted discipline among its members, prospects, and associates through murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, arson, assault, robbery, and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the enterprise. Members and oftentimes associates were required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, often referred to as “direct orders.”
Judge Lake has set sentencing for October 17, 2013, at which time Goldman faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Goldman is one of 35 defendants charged with conducting racketeering activity through the ABT criminal enterprise, among other charges. She is the eighth defendant charged in the indictment to plead guilty.
This case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Rangers; Texas Department of Public Safety; Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Office of Inspector General; sheriff’s offices in Harris, Tarrant, Atascosa, Orange, and Waller Counties; police departments in Alvin, Carrollton, and Mesquite Texas; as well as the Montgomery and Atascosa County District Attorney’s Offices.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Texas and the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.