According to officials, two California members of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang were given consecutive life sentences in federal prison on Wednesday for murder in aid of racketeering and other offenses they committed while confined in a prison in the Sacramento region.
At California State Prison, Sacramento, commonly known as New Folsom State Prison, Ronald Yandell, a neo-Nazi prison gang leader, was found guilty in 2015 of ordering two convicts to kill another inmate. According to court documents, Yandell, 62, of Pinole, Contra Costa County, had offered the two prisoners membership in the Aryan Brotherhood in exchange for their ability to carry out the murder.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency intercepted calls made by Yandell on a contraband cellphone approximately a year after the murder. In those calls, he boasted about ordering the murders and paying the killers to join the gang.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Yandell, who was serving a sentence of 65 years to life in prison for murder and voluntary manslaughter, allegedly ordered that funds obtained from the gang’s illegal operations be used to help the two killers.
William Sylvester, who was found guilty of killing another prisoner at CSP-Sacramento in order to obtain his own Aryan Brotherhood membership, was also punished. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Sylvester, 56, of Norco, Riverside County, killed the prisoner because he belonged to a rival gang that did not acknowledge the power of the Aryan Brotherhood.
After extensive preparation, Sylvester and another prisoner executed the attack in a highly restrictive prison setting, stabbing the victim several times with prison-made shanks, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
After a nine-week trial, Yandell, Sylvester, and co-defendant Danny Troxell, 71, were found guilty by a federal jury in April 2024 of RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to kill, murder in aid of racketeering, and several counts of narcotics trafficking. The sentencing date for Troxell is February 18, 2025.
Attempted homicide on prison guards alleged
Investigations are also underway into Yandell’s alleged assaults on two prison guards who escorted him to a doctor’s appointment last month. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, while being returned to his cell, Andell brandished an improvised knife at the guards. According to the CDCR, no one was hurt when one of the guards used pepper spray to control him.
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office was tasked with handling the case.
According to the Sacramento Bee, Yandell stood up to address U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller prior to his sentencing on Wednesday. He denied the crimes, claiming that he was singled out by prison officials for retaliation after taking part in a hunger strike at the state’s infamous Pelican Bay solitary confinement unit in 2013.
In court on Wednesday, Yandell and his attorney referenced an email from a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent who said, “I want to crush him so bad, my teeth hurt,” after finding out that Yandell was taking part in the hunger strike, according to the Bee.
Attorney Steven Kalar stated that he intended to challenge Yandell’s punishment as well as the verdict.
Aryan Brotherhood prison gang activities
According to court filings, Aryan Brotherhood members and allies engaged in racketeering activities at California prisons between 2011 and 2016, committing many murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and drug trafficking charges. Evidence revealed that gang members used their jail cells to control a significant heroin and methamphetamine trafficking enterprise, distributing the drugs on the streets of Sacramento and other California cities. According to authorities, inmates used cellphones to control their drug usage, order killings, and supervise other crimes both inside and outside of jails.
The Aryan Brotherhood gang formed within California state prisons in the late 1960s and has since spread across the federal prison system. It has an estimated 15,000-20,000 members both inside and outside prisons and authorities have spent decades trying to bring down the organization.
Prosecutors have sought to move the most violent and influential gang members out of California’s state prison system and into more restrictive federal prison units.
When Yandell and Sylvester will be transferred from CSP-Sacramento to a federal prison was unclear.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.