Three Individuals Indicted In January Grand Jury
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today the results of the January 26, 2016 Federal Grand Jury.
"The following named individuals have been charged with a federal crime or crimes by the return of an indictment by the Grand Jury. A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. A grand jury Indictment is a method of bringing formal charges against the defendant. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and may not be found guilty unless evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States Sentencing Guidelines may be considered, upon conviction, by the sentencing court. Federal prison sentences are non-paroleable.”
KALVIN KYLE McCOWN, age 42, of Longview, Texas
a/k/a "RAINMAN"
BRIAN THOMAS GREEN, age 43, of Mount Pleasant, Texas
a/k/a "COUNTRY"
TRAVIS LEE HILL, age 26, of Ore City, Texas
Kidnapping In Aid Of Racketeering
Murder In Aid Of Racketeering
Kidnapping
The Indictment alleges that on or about July 13, 2011, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant and others, aiding and abetting each other, did unlawfully and willfully kidnap and murder Kenneth Earl Ayers, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing position in the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT), an enterprise engaged in racketeering activity.
The charges are in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1959(a)(1) and 2, punishable by any term of years up to Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both; Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1959(a)(1) and 2, punishable by Death or Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both and Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 2, punishable by any term of years up to Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both.
The charges arose from a joint investigation by the Longview Texas Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
TRAVIS LEE HILL was arraigned in federal court today and entered a plea of not guilty on each charge. The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending a jury trial scheduled for April 5, 2016.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Walla
Aryan Brotherhood member pleads guilty to role in fatal shooting in Oklahoma
Graham Lee Brewer by Graham Lee Brewer Published: May 14, 2017 5:00 AM CDT Updated: May 15, 2017 9:43 AM CDT
2
shares
FILE PHOTO: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation director Stan Florence speaks to the media in Oklahoma City. The OSBI assisted with the case involving the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
FILE PHOTO: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation director Stan Florence speaks to the media in Oklahoma City. The OSBI assisted with the case involving the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
MUSKOGEE — Nearly six years after a McCurtain County farmer's plow turned up a human skull, three members of the white supremacist prison gang, the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, have pleaded guilty to charges related to their involvement in a fatal shooting of one of their own.
The three Texans were accused of beating their fellow gang member, driving him across the Red River and fatally shooting him in rural southern Oklahoma.
Brian Thomas Green, 44, of Mount Pleasant, Texas, became the third and final member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas to plead guilty to the 2011 killing of Kenneth Earl Ayres, 48.
Green entered a guilty plea Wednesday in federal court here for the use or carry of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death. Two other men, Kalvin Kyle McCown and Travis Lee Hill, have previously pleaded guilty to kidnapping.
The beating and deadly assault that Ayres endured in July 2011, according to federal court documents, was the result of stealing from his fellow gang members.
"Green admits the kidnapping and shooting were necessary to maintain discipline within the gang," the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, which assisted with the case, said in a news release.
Just what Ayres stole from behind McCown's shed in Longview, Texas, is unclear. Some witnesses said it was methamphetamine or cash, others claim it was a cache of stolen guns, prosecutors wrote. Whatever Ayres may have taken, it was enough to enrage McCown for violating the brotherhood's code to the point he, along with Hill and Green, beat Ayres in that very shed, shot him in the hand and foot and drove him to southern Oklahoma where he was shot in the head.
Ayres' remains and the .22-caliber bullet that ended his life were found two months later scattered across the farmer's field south of Idabel. The State Medical Examiner's Office noted a skull fracture and metal fragments, but less than 14 percent of Ayres' bones were recovered, leaving the official cause of death undetermined.
For many white inmates across the U.S., joining the Aryan Brotherhood is a means for protection. But members quickly learn that crossing a fellow member or disobeying a direct order can get you killed. Striking fear into its members has been an effective control mechanism for the brotherhood.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, classifies the prison gang as a national crime syndicate with thousands of members in Texas alone.
After Ayres was beaten, witnesses saw Green and Hill escorting him to McCown's truck, prosecutors stated in court documents. Green was visibly bloodied, wearing only boxer shorts and a sheet wrapped around his hand. When Ayres hesitated to get into the vehicle, Green told him to "get in or it will be worse for you."
Ryan Keith Smith was present that night, along with his wife and two toddler-age children, prosecutors said. Smith was attempting to join the Aryan Brotherhood, and when he was told to follow McCown's Ford F-150 as they drove off with Ayres, he piled his family into their vehicle and told his wife to follow the truck. Smith's wife eventually turned a different direction, telling her husband she wanted no part in the crime.
Later that night, a distressed and hysterical Smith woke his wife with a rifle, adamant he would face punishment for disobeying orders. After a struggle for the weapon, which Smith fired several times in the home, Smith cycled the rifle's action, sat on the bathroom floor, placed the muzzle to his throat and shot himself. He died instantly.
In an attempt to cover their tracks, investigators said Green and his co-conspirators later would send a series of jailhouse letters to each other and to potential witnesses, discouraging them from testifying.
All three men face up to life in prison.
Graham Lee Brewer
Thursday, 11 May 2017 22:55
OSBI Investigation Helps Send ABT Members to Prison
An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation into a faction of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) was crucial in a case that ended in a guilty plea by one of its members.
Brian Green was the third and final defendant to accept a guilty plea in this case. July 13, 2011, Green, Kyle McCown, and Travis Hill kidnapped Kenneth Earl Ayres in Texas and transported him across the Red River where he was shot and killed.
The victim and defendants were all members of the ABT. Ayres was killed as punishment for taking stolen property from ABT members. Green admits the kidnapping and shooting were necessary to maintain disciple within the gang.
OSBI special agents worked with numerous federal, state (Texas), and local law enforcement agencies to solve the 2011 murder. A press release by the U.S. Department of Justice is below:
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced that Brian Thoma Green, age 44, of Mount Pleasant, Texas, pled guilty to Use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, punishable by any term of years up to life imprisonment, and up to a $250,000.00 fine or both.
The Information alleged that on or about the 13th day of July, 2011, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant, Brian Thomas Green a/k/a Country, did knowingly carry and use a firearm, that is, a small caliber revolver of unknown manufacture and serial number, during and in relation to a crime of violence for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States, that is, Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering – Murder.
The charges arose from a joint investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations Operation Community Shield Gang Task Force, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Longview Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Carrollton Texas Police Department, McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, Panola County Texas Sheriff’s Office, United States Bureau of Prisons, and the Texas Rangers.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace represented the United States.
Published in State
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today the results of the January 26, 2016 Federal Grand Jury.
"The following named individuals have been charged with a federal crime or crimes by the return of an indictment by the Grand Jury. A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. A grand jury Indictment is a method of bringing formal charges against the defendant. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and may not be found guilty unless evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States Sentencing Guidelines may be considered, upon conviction, by the sentencing court. Federal prison sentences are non-paroleable.”
KALVIN KYLE McCOWN, age 42, of Longview, Texas
a/k/a "RAINMAN"
BRIAN THOMAS GREEN, age 43, of Mount Pleasant, Texas
a/k/a "COUNTRY"
TRAVIS LEE HILL, age 26, of Ore City, Texas
Kidnapping In Aid Of Racketeering
Murder In Aid Of Racketeering
Kidnapping
The Indictment alleges that on or about July 13, 2011, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant and others, aiding and abetting each other, did unlawfully and willfully kidnap and murder Kenneth Earl Ayers, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing position in the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT), an enterprise engaged in racketeering activity.
The charges are in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1959(a)(1) and 2, punishable by any term of years up to Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both; Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1959(a)(1) and 2, punishable by Death or Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both and Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 2, punishable by any term of years up to Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both.
The charges arose from a joint investigation by the Longview Texas Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
TRAVIS LEE HILL was arraigned in federal court today and entered a plea of not guilty on each charge. The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending a jury trial scheduled for April 5, 2016.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Walla
Aryan Brotherhood member pleads guilty to role in fatal shooting in Oklahoma
Graham Lee Brewer by Graham Lee Brewer Published: May 14, 2017 5:00 AM CDT Updated: May 15, 2017 9:43 AM CDT
2
shares
FILE PHOTO: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation director Stan Florence speaks to the media in Oklahoma City. The OSBI assisted with the case involving the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
FILE PHOTO: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation director Stan Florence speaks to the media in Oklahoma City. The OSBI assisted with the case involving the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
MUSKOGEE — Nearly six years after a McCurtain County farmer's plow turned up a human skull, three members of the white supremacist prison gang, the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, have pleaded guilty to charges related to their involvement in a fatal shooting of one of their own.
The three Texans were accused of beating their fellow gang member, driving him across the Red River and fatally shooting him in rural southern Oklahoma.
Brian Thomas Green, 44, of Mount Pleasant, Texas, became the third and final member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas to plead guilty to the 2011 killing of Kenneth Earl Ayres, 48.
Green entered a guilty plea Wednesday in federal court here for the use or carry of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death. Two other men, Kalvin Kyle McCown and Travis Lee Hill, have previously pleaded guilty to kidnapping.
The beating and deadly assault that Ayres endured in July 2011, according to federal court documents, was the result of stealing from his fellow gang members.
"Green admits the kidnapping and shooting were necessary to maintain discipline within the gang," the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, which assisted with the case, said in a news release.
Just what Ayres stole from behind McCown's shed in Longview, Texas, is unclear. Some witnesses said it was methamphetamine or cash, others claim it was a cache of stolen guns, prosecutors wrote. Whatever Ayres may have taken, it was enough to enrage McCown for violating the brotherhood's code to the point he, along with Hill and Green, beat Ayres in that very shed, shot him in the hand and foot and drove him to southern Oklahoma where he was shot in the head.
Ayres' remains and the .22-caliber bullet that ended his life were found two months later scattered across the farmer's field south of Idabel. The State Medical Examiner's Office noted a skull fracture and metal fragments, but less than 14 percent of Ayres' bones were recovered, leaving the official cause of death undetermined.
For many white inmates across the U.S., joining the Aryan Brotherhood is a means for protection. But members quickly learn that crossing a fellow member or disobeying a direct order can get you killed. Striking fear into its members has been an effective control mechanism for the brotherhood.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, classifies the prison gang as a national crime syndicate with thousands of members in Texas alone.
After Ayres was beaten, witnesses saw Green and Hill escorting him to McCown's truck, prosecutors stated in court documents. Green was visibly bloodied, wearing only boxer shorts and a sheet wrapped around his hand. When Ayres hesitated to get into the vehicle, Green told him to "get in or it will be worse for you."
Ryan Keith Smith was present that night, along with his wife and two toddler-age children, prosecutors said. Smith was attempting to join the Aryan Brotherhood, and when he was told to follow McCown's Ford F-150 as they drove off with Ayres, he piled his family into their vehicle and told his wife to follow the truck. Smith's wife eventually turned a different direction, telling her husband she wanted no part in the crime.
Later that night, a distressed and hysterical Smith woke his wife with a rifle, adamant he would face punishment for disobeying orders. After a struggle for the weapon, which Smith fired several times in the home, Smith cycled the rifle's action, sat on the bathroom floor, placed the muzzle to his throat and shot himself. He died instantly.
In an attempt to cover their tracks, investigators said Green and his co-conspirators later would send a series of jailhouse letters to each other and to potential witnesses, discouraging them from testifying.
All three men face up to life in prison.
Graham Lee Brewer
Thursday, 11 May 2017 22:55
OSBI Investigation Helps Send ABT Members to Prison
An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation into a faction of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) was crucial in a case that ended in a guilty plea by one of its members.
Brian Green was the third and final defendant to accept a guilty plea in this case. July 13, 2011, Green, Kyle McCown, and Travis Hill kidnapped Kenneth Earl Ayres in Texas and transported him across the Red River where he was shot and killed.
The victim and defendants were all members of the ABT. Ayres was killed as punishment for taking stolen property from ABT members. Green admits the kidnapping and shooting were necessary to maintain disciple within the gang.
OSBI special agents worked with numerous federal, state (Texas), and local law enforcement agencies to solve the 2011 murder. A press release by the U.S. Department of Justice is below:
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced that Brian Thoma Green, age 44, of Mount Pleasant, Texas, pled guilty to Use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, punishable by any term of years up to life imprisonment, and up to a $250,000.00 fine or both.
The Information alleged that on or about the 13th day of July, 2011, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant, Brian Thomas Green a/k/a Country, did knowingly carry and use a firearm, that is, a small caliber revolver of unknown manufacture and serial number, during and in relation to a crime of violence for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States, that is, Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering – Murder.
The charges arose from a joint investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations Operation Community Shield Gang Task Force, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Longview Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Carrollton Texas Police Department, McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, Panola County Texas Sheriff’s Office, United States Bureau of Prisons, and the Texas Rangers.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace represented the United States.
Published in State
Three Individuals Indicted In January Grand Jury
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today the results of the January 26, 2016 Federal Grand Jury.
"The following named individuals have been charged with a federal crime or crimes by the return of an indictment by the Grand Jury. A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. A grand jury Indictment is a method of bringing formal charges against the defendant. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and may not be found guilty unless evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States Sentencing Guidelines may be considered, upon conviction, by the sentencing court. Federal prison sentences are non-paroleable.”
KALVIN KYLE McCOWN, age 42, of Longview, Texas
a/k/a "RAINMAN"
BRIAN THOMAS GREEN, age 43, of Mount Pleasant, Texas
a/k/a "COUNTRY"
TRAVIS LEE HILL, age 26, of Ore City, Texas
Kidnapping In Aid Of Racketeering
Murder In Aid Of Racketeering
Kidnapping
The Indictment alleges that on or about July 13, 2011, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant and others, aiding and abetting each other, did unlawfully and willfully kidnap and murder Kenneth Earl Ayers, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing position in the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT), an enterprise engaged in racketeering activity.
The charges are in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1959(a)(1) and 2, punishable by any term of years up to Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both; Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1959(a)(1) and 2, punishable by Death or Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both and Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 2, punishable by any term of years up to Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both.
The charges arose from a joint investigation by the Longview Texas Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
TRAVIS LEE HILL was arraigned in federal court today and entered a plea of not guilty on each charge. The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending a jury trial scheduled for April 5, 2016.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Walla
Aryan Brotherhood member pleads guilty to role in fatal shooting in Oklahoma
Graham Lee Brewer by Graham Lee Brewer Published: May 14, 2017 5:00 AM CDT Updated: May 15, 2017 9:43 AM CDT
2
shares
FILE PHOTO: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation director Stan Florence speaks to the media in Oklahoma City. The OSBI assisted with the case involving the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
FILE PHOTO: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation director Stan Florence speaks to the media in Oklahoma City. The OSBI assisted with the case involving the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
MUSKOGEE — Nearly six years after a McCurtain County farmer's plow turned up a human skull, three members of the white supremacist prison gang, the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, have pleaded guilty to charges related to their involvement in a fatal shooting of one of their own.
The three Texans were accused of beating their fellow gang member, driving him across the Red River and fatally shooting him in rural southern Oklahoma.
Brian Thomas Green, 44, of Mount Pleasant, Texas, became the third and final member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas to plead guilty to the 2011 killing of Kenneth Earl Ayres, 48.
Green entered a guilty plea Wednesday in federal court here for the use or carry of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death. Two other men, Kalvin Kyle McCown and Travis Lee Hill, have previously pleaded guilty to kidnapping.
The beating and deadly assault that Ayres endured in July 2011, according to federal court documents, was the result of stealing from his fellow gang members.
"Green admits the kidnapping and shooting were necessary to maintain discipline within the gang," the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, which assisted with the case, said in a news release.
Just what Ayres stole from behind McCown's shed in Longview, Texas, is unclear. Some witnesses said it was methamphetamine or cash, others claim it was a cache of stolen guns, prosecutors wrote. Whatever Ayres may have taken, it was enough to enrage McCown for violating the brotherhood's code to the point he, along with Hill and Green, beat Ayres in that very shed, shot him in the hand and foot and drove him to southern Oklahoma where he was shot in the head.
Ayres' remains and the .22-caliber bullet that ended his life were found two months later scattered across the farmer's field south of Idabel. The State Medical Examiner's Office noted a skull fracture and metal fragments, but less than 14 percent of Ayres' bones were recovered, leaving the official cause of death undetermined.
For many white inmates across the U.S., joining the Aryan Brotherhood is a means for protection. But members quickly learn that crossing a fellow member or disobeying a direct order can get you killed. Striking fear into its members has been an effective control mechanism for the brotherhood.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, classifies the prison gang as a national crime syndicate with thousands of members in Texas alone.
After Ayres was beaten, witnesses saw Green and Hill escorting him to McCown's truck, prosecutors stated in court documents. Green was visibly bloodied, wearing only boxer shorts and a sheet wrapped around his hand. When Ayres hesitated to get into the vehicle, Green told him to "get in or it will be worse for you."
Ryan Keith Smith was present that night, along with his wife and two toddler-age children, prosecutors said. Smith was attempting to join the Aryan Brotherhood, and when he was told to follow McCown's Ford F-150 as they drove off with Ayres, he piled his family into their vehicle and told his wife to follow the truck. Smith's wife eventually turned a different direction, telling her husband she wanted no part in the crime.
Later that night, a distressed and hysterical Smith woke his wife with a rifle, adamant he would face punishment for disobeying orders. After a struggle for the weapon, which Smith fired several times in the home, Smith cycled the rifle's action, sat on the bathroom floor, placed the muzzle to his throat and shot himself. He died instantly.
In an attempt to cover their tracks, investigators said Green and his co-conspirators later would send a series of jailhouse letters to each other and to potential witnesses, discouraging them from testifying.
All three men face up to life in prison.
Graham Lee Brewer
Thursday, 11 May 2017 22:55
OSBI Investigation Helps Send ABT Members to Prison
An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation into a faction of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) was crucial in a case that ended in a guilty plea by one of its members.
Brian Green was the third and final defendant to accept a guilty plea in this case. July 13, 2011, Green, Kyle McCown, and Travis Hill kidnapped Kenneth Earl Ayres in Texas and transported him across the Red River where he was shot and killed.
The victim and defendants were all members of the ABT. Ayres was killed as punishment for taking stolen property from ABT members. Green admits the kidnapping and shooting were necessary to maintain disciple within the gang.
OSBI special agents worked with numerous federal, state (Texas), and local law enforcement agencies to solve the 2011 murder. A press release by the U.S. Department of Justice is below:
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced that Brian Thoma Green, age 44, of Mount Pleasant, Texas, pled guilty to Use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, punishable by any term of years up to life imprisonment, and up to a $250,000.00 fine or both.
The Information alleged that on or about the 13th day of July, 2011, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant, Brian Thomas Green a/k/a Country, did knowingly carry and use a firearm, that is, a small caliber revolver of unknown manufacture and serial number, during and in relation to a crime of violence for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States, that is, Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering – Murder.
The charges arose from a joint investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations Operation Community Shield Gang Task Force, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Longview Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Carrollton Texas Police Department, McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, Panola County Texas Sheriff’s Office, United States Bureau of Prisons, and the Texas Rangers.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace represented the United States.
Published in State
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today the results of the January 26, 2016 Federal Grand Jury.
"The following named individuals have been charged with a federal crime or crimes by the return of an indictment by the Grand Jury. A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. A grand jury Indictment is a method of bringing formal charges against the defendant. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and may not be found guilty unless evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States Sentencing Guidelines may be considered, upon conviction, by the sentencing court. Federal prison sentences are non-paroleable.”
KALVIN KYLE McCOWN, age 42, of Longview, Texas
a/k/a "RAINMAN"
BRIAN THOMAS GREEN, age 43, of Mount Pleasant, Texas
a/k/a "COUNTRY"
TRAVIS LEE HILL, age 26, of Ore City, Texas
Kidnapping In Aid Of Racketeering
Murder In Aid Of Racketeering
Kidnapping
The Indictment alleges that on or about July 13, 2011, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant and others, aiding and abetting each other, did unlawfully and willfully kidnap and murder Kenneth Earl Ayers, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing position in the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT), an enterprise engaged in racketeering activity.
The charges are in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1959(a)(1) and 2, punishable by any term of years up to Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both; Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1959(a)(1) and 2, punishable by Death or Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both and Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 2, punishable by any term of years up to Life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both.
The charges arose from a joint investigation by the Longview Texas Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
TRAVIS LEE HILL was arraigned in federal court today and entered a plea of not guilty on each charge. The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending a jury trial scheduled for April 5, 2016.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Walla
Aryan Brotherhood member pleads guilty to role in fatal shooting in Oklahoma
Graham Lee Brewer by Graham Lee Brewer Published: May 14, 2017 5:00 AM CDT Updated: May 15, 2017 9:43 AM CDT
2
shares
FILE PHOTO: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation director Stan Florence speaks to the media in Oklahoma City. The OSBI assisted with the case involving the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
FILE PHOTO: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation director Stan Florence speaks to the media in Oklahoma City. The OSBI assisted with the case involving the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
MUSKOGEE — Nearly six years after a McCurtain County farmer's plow turned up a human skull, three members of the white supremacist prison gang, the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, have pleaded guilty to charges related to their involvement in a fatal shooting of one of their own.
The three Texans were accused of beating their fellow gang member, driving him across the Red River and fatally shooting him in rural southern Oklahoma.
Brian Thomas Green, 44, of Mount Pleasant, Texas, became the third and final member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas to plead guilty to the 2011 killing of Kenneth Earl Ayres, 48.
Green entered a guilty plea Wednesday in federal court here for the use or carry of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death. Two other men, Kalvin Kyle McCown and Travis Lee Hill, have previously pleaded guilty to kidnapping.
The beating and deadly assault that Ayres endured in July 2011, according to federal court documents, was the result of stealing from his fellow gang members.
"Green admits the kidnapping and shooting were necessary to maintain discipline within the gang," the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, which assisted with the case, said in a news release.
Just what Ayres stole from behind McCown's shed in Longview, Texas, is unclear. Some witnesses said it was methamphetamine or cash, others claim it was a cache of stolen guns, prosecutors wrote. Whatever Ayres may have taken, it was enough to enrage McCown for violating the brotherhood's code to the point he, along with Hill and Green, beat Ayres in that very shed, shot him in the hand and foot and drove him to southern Oklahoma where he was shot in the head.
Ayres' remains and the .22-caliber bullet that ended his life were found two months later scattered across the farmer's field south of Idabel. The State Medical Examiner's Office noted a skull fracture and metal fragments, but less than 14 percent of Ayres' bones were recovered, leaving the official cause of death undetermined.
For many white inmates across the U.S., joining the Aryan Brotherhood is a means for protection. But members quickly learn that crossing a fellow member or disobeying a direct order can get you killed. Striking fear into its members has been an effective control mechanism for the brotherhood.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, classifies the prison gang as a national crime syndicate with thousands of members in Texas alone.
After Ayres was beaten, witnesses saw Green and Hill escorting him to McCown's truck, prosecutors stated in court documents. Green was visibly bloodied, wearing only boxer shorts and a sheet wrapped around his hand. When Ayres hesitated to get into the vehicle, Green told him to "get in or it will be worse for you."
Ryan Keith Smith was present that night, along with his wife and two toddler-age children, prosecutors said. Smith was attempting to join the Aryan Brotherhood, and when he was told to follow McCown's Ford F-150 as they drove off with Ayres, he piled his family into their vehicle and told his wife to follow the truck. Smith's wife eventually turned a different direction, telling her husband she wanted no part in the crime.
Later that night, a distressed and hysterical Smith woke his wife with a rifle, adamant he would face punishment for disobeying orders. After a struggle for the weapon, which Smith fired several times in the home, Smith cycled the rifle's action, sat on the bathroom floor, placed the muzzle to his throat and shot himself. He died instantly.
In an attempt to cover their tracks, investigators said Green and his co-conspirators later would send a series of jailhouse letters to each other and to potential witnesses, discouraging them from testifying.
All three men face up to life in prison.
Graham Lee Brewer
Thursday, 11 May 2017 22:55
OSBI Investigation Helps Send ABT Members to Prison
An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation into a faction of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) was crucial in a case that ended in a guilty plea by one of its members.
Brian Green was the third and final defendant to accept a guilty plea in this case. July 13, 2011, Green, Kyle McCown, and Travis Hill kidnapped Kenneth Earl Ayres in Texas and transported him across the Red River where he was shot and killed.
The victim and defendants were all members of the ABT. Ayres was killed as punishment for taking stolen property from ABT members. Green admits the kidnapping and shooting were necessary to maintain disciple within the gang.
OSBI special agents worked with numerous federal, state (Texas), and local law enforcement agencies to solve the 2011 murder. A press release by the U.S. Department of Justice is below:
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced that Brian Thoma Green, age 44, of Mount Pleasant, Texas, pled guilty to Use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, punishable by any term of years up to life imprisonment, and up to a $250,000.00 fine or both.
The Information alleged that on or about the 13th day of July, 2011, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant, Brian Thomas Green a/k/a Country, did knowingly carry and use a firearm, that is, a small caliber revolver of unknown manufacture and serial number, during and in relation to a crime of violence for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States, that is, Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering – Murder.
The charges arose from a joint investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations Operation Community Shield Gang Task Force, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Longview Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Carrollton Texas Police Department, McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, Panola County Texas Sheriff’s Office, United States Bureau of Prisons, and the Texas Rangers.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace represented the United States.
Published in State
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
