Beeville jail officials smuggled cell phones to help prison gangs (Raza Unida and Aryan Brotherhood)

[TexasTowelie]

A 2009 traffic stop in Corpus Christi led to a four-year investigation that revealed jail officials smuggling cellphones that helped two rival prison gang leaders work together to organize murders, home invasions and drug trafficking.

Federal officials announced the results of the investigation Wednesday — 32 people indicted including 17 corrections officers and two inmates of the McConnell State Prison in Beeville as well as former employees and inmates. As of Wednesday morning, three of the 32 had not been arrested.

“Illegal cellphones defeat the purpose of incarceration,” said Kenneth Magidson, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas. “This is where they are supposed to do the time, not the crime.”

Last year, 13 Raza Unida gang members and their leaders, who were in prison, were prosecuted and sentenced on charges of racketeering, assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder that was organized at the McConnell Unit. One of the leaders was sentenced on Aug. 18, 2011 to life in prison.

More at http://www.caller.com/news/2013/feb/27/operation-prison-cell-reveals-beeville-jail-cell/

[font color=green]This is from the area I was raised as a child. For some reason, the local press at mysoutex.com in Beeville is not carrying this story online even though it is being mentioned in several other newspapers throughout the state. What gives? [/font]

[Gman]

1. Raza Unida is a name of a gang now?

Can't they get a bit more original?

[douglas9]

6. RAZA UNIDA

Raza Unida is a confirmed TDCJ Security Threat Group and international criminal enterprise and should not be confused with La Raza Unida Hispanic civil rights activist group.


http://www.prisonoffenders.com/raza_unida.html

[Gman]

7. Not to be confused with the defunct political party

I thought, "Is Ramsey Muniz back in circulation?"

[Ilsa]

2. I recognized one or two names. I think I know

some of their parents. What a shame.

Glad they are jamming (or whatever) the calls now.

[TexasTowelie]

4. Oops, that is getting close to your part of the state.

I'm just perplexed why the local media is doing nothing about covering the story. It's not like anything really happens in Beeville so this should be a huge story. Instead, the lead story is covering Black History Month in Beeville which is only 3% black.

[Ilsa]

3. I'm still trying to get over the idea that

these two groups were working together. It's downright apocalyptic! Dogs and cats...living together...

[Mopar151]

5. Hells Angels and cops are 2 sides of the same coin - Hunter S Thompson n/t

[TexasTowelie]

8. Aryan Brotherhood of Texas member from Dallas pleads guilty to federal racketeering charges

Story from the Dallas Morning News:

A Dallas-based member of the Aryan Brotherhood pleaded guilty in Houston today to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, according to the FBI.

Christopher James Morris, who goes by the moniker “Rockstar,” was among the 34 alleged members of the gang indicted on federal racketeering charges in November. At the time, assistant Attorney General Breuer called the indictments a “devastating blow to the leadership of ABT.”

Morris’s guilty plea comes one week after co-conspirator Chad Ray Folmsbee, a 30-year-old from Houston who also goes by the nickname “Polar Bear,” also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity.

According to a superseding indictment filed on February 20, the 37-year-old Morris was among several Aryan Brotherhood members who “severely beat a fellow ABT gang member whom the ABT believed had stolen from the ABT enterprise.” Also, says today’s release:

According to court documents, Morris, Folmsbee 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. Morris, Folmsbee, and numerous ABT gang members met on a regular basis at various locations throughout Texas to report on gang-related business, collect dues, commit disciplinary assaults against fellow gang members, and discuss acts of violence against rival gang members, among other things.

More at http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2013/03/aryan-brotherhood-of-texas-member-from-dallas-pleads-guilty-to-federal-racketeering-charges.html/ .

[TexasTowelie]

9. The local newspaper in Beeville finally reported the story two days later. nt