The courts in Idaho are finally starting to conduct trials for close to a dozen men suspected of being members of white supremacist group Aryan Knights, in Boise. Said to have started in the 1990s, the gang operates both inside and outside the Idaho State Correctional System. Authorities believe that there are more than 100 members of the group within the Boise criminal justice system.
This week, two of the ten men charged in this case were convicted of several crimes. The two Aryan Knights members sentenced to more than 17 years in prison each are 32-year old Christopher Foss and Buck Pickens, 31. Foss was sentenced to 17 years and 6 months while Pickens was sentenced to 17 years and 2 months.
The Aryan Knights are believed to be involved in drug trafficking, gambling, and extortion. These men had been charged under the RICO statute – a law that prohibits racketeering and illegal activities. All of the alleged activities of Foss and Pickens fall under this statute. They were operating both inside and outside the prison system.
Another man – 36-year old Michael McNabb – was sentenced earlier this summer. There are five other defendants that have already pleaded guilty to racketeering charges.
Foss and Pickens are already serving time for other felonies. The 17-year sentences that have recently been ordered will be served concurrently with their prior sentences. The courts have even stated that there is a chance that one or both of these men will be released on parole at some point in the distant future.
If you or your loved one have been charged with any sort of felony in Boise, call our office immediately. Idaho is strict when it comes to penalties, especially for drug trafficking.