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Former leader of Aryan Knights pleads guilty to conspiracy, assault charges

James Ramsey, 43, was formerly the leader of the Idaho prison gang known as Aryan Knights and has been involved since 2007, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit said.

BOISE, Idaho — According to the District of Idaho U.S. Attorney's Office, James Ramsey pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering enterprise, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. 

Ramsey, 43, was formerly the overall leader of the Idaho prison gang known as the Aryan Knights or "AK." Ramsey has played a role in AK since at least 2007, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit said. Ramsey is believed to have been the leader of the Aryan Knights in Idaho in 2015 and 2016. 

Ramsey knowingly agreed that he or a co-conspirator would participate in racketeering activity. Members of the gang were ordered by leaders, including Ramsey, to engage in criminal activities. While Ramsey was involved in AK, he often talked with other members about collecting debts, extortion within Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) facilities, and distributing controlled substances in IDOC prison facilities, a news release said. 

As part of the racketeering conspiracy, Ramsey and others participated in the following, which resulted in all 10 AK members pleading guilty, with eight sentenced so far. 

Officials said from 2010 to 2017, Aryan Knights would traffic drugs into IDOC facilities. There was a 2015-2016 scheme to smuggle methamphetamine into IDOC using an inmate's wheelchair. They also arranged another inmate's girlfriend to smuggle drugs into IDOC. Ramsey, as well as other AK members, distributed drugs during this period of time, including meth. 

In the spring of 2016, Ramsey had ordered that AK members attack another inmate. The victim of that attack was a former AK member. On June 15, 2016, AK members carried out that attack, with help from co-defendant Harlan Hale, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. 

Hale and two other AK members attacked the victim on an IDOC baseball field, intending to kill him with homemade knives. Monday's news release said Hale previously pleaded guilty to participating in the RICO conspiracy and admitted that he committed the attack as an "integral aspect of gang activity."

The following AK members have all been sentenced for their crimes: 

  • Harlan Hale, 58, was sentenced in March 2021 to life in federal prison.
  • Christopher Foss, 35, was sentenced in September 2020, to 210 months in federal prison, with 174 months to be served after his earliest possible parole date for his current state prison sentence. 
  • Buck Pickens, 35, was sentenced in September 2020, to 206 months in federal prison, with 60 months to be served after his earliest possible parole date for his current sentence. 
  • Steven Bowman, 41, was sentenced in May 2023, to 78 months in federal prison, to be served after his earliest possible parole date for his current sentence. 
  • Nicholas Sites, 39, was sentenced in January 2023, to 55 months in federal prison. 
  • Mark Woodland, 53, was sentenced in June 2023, to 51 months in federal prison, to be served after his earliest possible parole date for his current sentence. 
  • Lucas Johnson, 35, was sentenced in May 2021, to 48 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
  • Michael McNabb, 40, was sentenced in August 2020, to 28 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

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