James Ramsey, a 43-year-old former leader of the Aryan Knights gang in Idaho, has pleaded guilty to serious charges related to criminal activities within Idaho Department of Correction facilities.
His guilty plea includes one count of conspiracy under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in support of racketeering. Ramsey’s sentencing is scheduled for October 22, 2024, marking the conclusion of a significant legal case involving ten defendants initially charged in 2019.
US Attorney Josh Hurwit announced Ramsey’s plea on July 16. This development signifies the final plea in a complex legal battle against the Aryan Knights, a group identified as a racketeering enterprise under the RICO statute. The gang has been implicated in various illegal activities, including extortion, drug trafficking, and smuggling controlled substances into IDOC facilities.
Ramsey admitted to participating in the gang’s illicit operations, which spanned from 2010 to 2018. This included schemes to smuggle methamphetamine into prisons, using methods as audacious as concealing drugs in a wheelchair and involving an inmate’s girlfriend in smuggling operations.
One of the more violent aspects of Ramsey’s involvement was his role in ordering an attack on a former gang member in 2016, resulting in severe physical harm to the victim. Ramsey’s guilty plea and cooperation provide critical insights into the operations and activities of the Aryan Knights within Idaho’s correctional system.
Among the ten defendants involved in the case, eight have already been sentenced. Harlan Hale received a life sentence in March 2021, underscoring the severity of the charges and the court’s approach to dealing with organized criminal activities within correctional facilities.
Christopher Foss and Buck Pickens, sentenced in September 2020, received substantial prison terms, highlighting the federal judiciary’s response to racketeering and violent crime. Similarly, Steven Bowman, Nicholas Sites, Mark Woodland, Lucas Johnson, and Michael McNabb received sentences ranging from 28 months to life in federal prison, each coupled with supervised release periods.
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The conclusion of this case marks a significant step in addressing organized crime within Idaho’s prison system. With Ramsey’s guilty plea and the sentences imposed on his associates, law enforcement and judicial authorities have sent a strong message against racketeering and violence, aiming to safeguard the integrity and safety of correctional facilities and the community at large.
