United States Drug Enforcement Administration

WACO, Texas - In Waco today, a federal district judge sentenced 18 Aryan (AB) members and associates to federal prison for their roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy announced Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit, Houston Division, Acting United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr. and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.

United States District Judge Walter S. Smith sentenced:

David Aguilar - , age 35, of Belton, TX, to 188 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
Oscar Walker - (aka “Country”), age 30, of Temple, TX, to 188 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
Ronnie Johnson - , age 49, of Belton, to 151 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
Christopher Breckenridge - , age 39, of Gatesville, to 130 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
Robert Morgan - (aka “Hopper”), age 45, of Temple, to 121 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
John McLaughlin - , age 34, of Temple, to 120 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
William Hubert Brackett - , age 24, of Temple, to 108 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
Lucas West - , age 29, of Lampasas, TX, to 84 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
James Malady - , age 28, of Belton, to 84 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
Ricky Levy - , age 54, of Nolanville, TX, to 84 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
Joshua Wilkins - , age 27, of Gatesville, TX, to 60 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
Michelle Johnson - , age 47, of Belton, to 60 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
Nicole Marshall - , age 35, of Gatesville, TX, to 60 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release;
Farron Russell - , age 34, of Belton, to 48 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release;
Thomas Clifton - , age 46, of Waco, to 48 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release;
Jeremiah Jones - , age 37, of Gatesville, to 37 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release;
Larry Wayne Jeremiah - , age 33, of Belton, to 24 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release; and,
Robert Blake Doty - , age 32, of Temple, to 21 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.

In addition to the prison and supervised release terms, Judge Smith ordered each defendant to pay a $1,000 fine.

Sentencing for three defendants, originally set for today, was continued. Loren Swanson - , age 40, of Belton, is now set for 1:00 tomorrow afternoon. Vicki Kay Levy - , age 52, of Belton, is now set for 1:00pm on June 17, 2015. Amanda Petrie - , age 35, of Temple, is now set for 1:00pm on August 12, 2015.

Seven other defendants are scheduled to be sentenced at 1:00pm on June 24, 2015. They are: 40-year-old Robert Eaton - (aka “Compound Rob”) of Kempner, TX; 52-year-old Henry David Walker - (aka “Stalker”) of Temple; 55-year-old Wayne Martin Huisinger - of Belton; 40-year-old Eric Ganos - of Temple; 49-year-old Kirt Easter - of Belton; 30-year-old Robert Helms - of Temple; and, 23-year-old Sonya Whitenburg - of Flat, TX.

Ronnie Knepler - , age 54, of Belton, and Jose Rodriguez - , age 25, a resident alien living in Dallas, are scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2015. Sylvia O’Neal - , age 41, of Temple, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 5, 2015, and Colby Warren - , age 40, of Gatesville, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 2, 2015.

All of the defendants named above pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Robert Eaton also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. David Henry Walker also pleaded guilty to two counts of felon in possession of a firearm. During this 10-month-long operation, investigators conducted several controlled methamphetamine purchases. To date, authorities have seized approximately nine pounds of “crystal” methamphetamine, 15 firearms, over $9,000 in U.S. currency and other assets in connection with this investigation.

“These sentences resulted from unprecedented collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement targeting a large-scale prison gang involved in violent organized crime over three counties in Central Texas,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. “This effort not only exemplifies our commitment to prevent gang violence and criminal activity from poisoning our communities, but it also sends a clear message that we will relentlessly pursue and prosecute the leaders and members of these violent criminal enterprises regardless of where they lay their heads.”

Derrick Cooper - (aka “Red”), age 35, of Temple, and Chris Voerhis - (aka “Lurch”), age 50, of Moffat, TXwere also charged by federal grand jury indictment as a result of this investigation. On June 5, 2015, Cooper withdrew his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute between 50 grams and 500 grams of methamphetamine. He is scheduled for jury selection and trial on August 3, 2015, in Waco before Judge Smith. Voerhis, who was arrested on Monday, is scheduled to have his detention hearing tomorrow at 2:00pm before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey C. Manske in Waco. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute between 50 grams and 500 grams of methamphetamine. Cooper and Voerhis face between five and 40 years imprisonment upon conviction.

“Operation ‘La Flama Blanca’ has inflicted a debilitating blow to the network of shadow and often violent facilitators of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas,” said Joseph M. Arabit, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration--Houston Field Division. “This operation highlights a deliberate and strategic effort to cut off and shut down the supply of methamphetamine trafficked by the Aryan Brotherhood and the corresponding impact that this horrific drug inflicts on our communities.”

This case is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration together with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and (ATF), Temple Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Office of Inspector General, McLennan County Sheriff’s Office, Coryell County Sheriff’s Office, Bell County Sheriff’s Office, Gatesville Police Department, Lampasas Police Department, Killeen Police Department, Austin Police Department and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Frazier and Stephanie Smith-Burris are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.