BEAUMONT, Texas – The chief of a white supremacist jail gang often called the Aryan Circle was sentenced to life in jail Sept. 8 for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) violations following an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) that included Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) Houston.
Jesse Paul “JP” Blankenship, a 39-year-old resident of Stratford, Missouri, acquired the sentence within the Jap District of Texas after being convicted on Nov. 16, 2021, of racketeering conspiracy, kidnapping in assist of racketeering, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping in assist of racketeering.
Proof offered at trial confirmed that between 2010 and 2021, Blankenship “put in work” by committing violence on behalf of the gang, together with taking pictures at two victims inside their house and collaborating in a kidnapping and elimination of one other member’s patch, or gang tattoo, by burning it from the sufferer’s pores and skin utilizing a metallic rod heated with a blowtorch. After committing these crimes, Blankenship moved up in rank within the gang and has since ordered extra acts of violence.
“This case exemplifies nice collaboration between federal, state and native regulation enforcement to not solely cease gang violence in jail, but additionally to guard harmless individuals when that exercise overflows into our communities,” mentioned Jap District of Texas U.S. Legal professional Brit Featherston. “We’ll proceed to research and prosecute those that advocate hurt to others, and to particularly goal the leaders of violent gangs.”
“Violent gangs pose a rising risk to our communities and the kind of violence related to these organizations has reached an insupportable stage,” mentioned Particular Agent in Cost Fred Milanowski, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Houston. “This case demonstrates that members of violent gangs that interact in heinous crimes will likely be held accountable.”
Different regulation enforcement businesses that participated within the OCDETF investigation included: ATF Houston; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Texas Division of Public Security; Houston Police Division-Gang Division; Montgomery County Precinct One Constable’s Workplace; Texas Division of Prison Justice; New Jersey Division of Corrections-Particular Investigations Division; Indiana State Police; Fort Smith Arkansas Police Division; Arkansas Division of Corrections; Arnold Missouri Police Division; Jefferson County Missouri Sheriff’s Division; St. Louis Metropolitan Police Division; St. Louis County Missouri Police Division; Indiana Division of Corrections; Carrollton Police Division; Montgomery County Sheriff’s Workplace; Travis County Sheriff’s Workplace; Tarrant County Sheriff’s Workplace; Evangeline Parish Louisiana Sheriff’s Workplace; Smith County Sheriff’s Workplace; McCurtain County Oklahoma Sheriff’s Workplace; Montgomery County District Legal professional’s Workplace; Liberty County District Legal professional’s Workplace; Harris County District Legal professional’s Workplace; Mercer County New Jersey Prosecutor’s Workplace; Evangeline Parish Louisiana District Legal professional’s Workplace; and the Sebastian County Arkansas District Legal professional’s Workplace. Precious help was offered by the OCDETF.
Assistant U.S. Legal professional Christopher Rapp of the Jap District of Texas together with Trial Legal professional Rebecca Dunnan of the Justice Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Part prosecuted the case.
The Aryan Circle is a race-based, violent jail gang with lots of of members working all through the nation, each inside and outdoors of prisons. The Aryan Circle enforces its guidelines and promotes self-discipline amongst its members, prospects, and associates via threats, intimidation, assaults, and homicide.
For extra information and knowledge on HSI Houston’s efforts to maintain Southeast Texas communities secure from transnational gangs and different violent prison exercise observe us on Twitter @HSIHouston.