BOISE, Idaho — On Thursday afternoon, law enforcement announced the arrest of Nicholas Umphenour and Skylar Meade, who are accused of coordinating Meade's violent escape from Idaho Department of Correction custody at the Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. Police said both men are affiliated with the Aryan Knights prison gang.
KTVB reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho, who is working with the FBI, state and local law enforcement on this investigation into whether the attack is connected to the prison gang.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit said it's too soon to tell whether or not the crimes the men are accused of committing are gang-sanctioned or gang-related.
With Thursday's law enforcement announcement of both the arrest of Skylar Meade and alleged accomplice Nicholas Umphenour.
Law enforcement said both Nicholas Umphenour and Skylar Meade are affiliated with the Aryan Knights prison gang.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho is working with the FBI, state and local law enforcement on this investigation.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit said it's too soon to tell whether or not the crimes the men are accused of committing are gang-sanctioned or gang-related.
In light of the suspects' alleged affiliation with or membership in AK, KTVB asked Hurwit about his knowledge of the white supremacist prison gang and his office's history with prosecuting cases involving "AK" members.
"The Aryan Knights is a prison gang that is local to Idaho that was formed in 1990s - late 90s, early 2000s - that sort of took off a bit within the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) prison system in those facilities," Hurwit told KTVB, "It has since continued and has had up to an established 85 to 100 members at its height. In 2018 we indicted the leadership of that gang, federally, using the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) statute. That case has been being prosecuted ever since. There's one more defendant from the leadership group remaining to go to trial here later on this year."
"They were a very violent gang," Hurwit added, "We do think the indictment... which charged ten of the leadership of the gang - had an effect in splintering up the organization. But not completely, as evident from continued membership from folks in the Aryan Knights."
Hurwit said, at its core, AK is historically a white supremacist gang that only allows white members. Members subscribe to white supremacist ideologies and, because of that, targets inmates from minority or other marginalized communities within IDOC.
Based on their experience prosecuting cases involving gang members, Hurwit said AK operates from both inside and outside IDOC facilities.
"The gang formed within prison walls for the most part but, as happens, different inmates are released at different times and they continue to associate. Then they use associates on the outside for, for example, drug smuggling activities that were going on at the time of our indictment," Hurwit said.
The U.S. Attorney's cases involving Aryan Knights also involve allegations - and convictions - of extortion, violent assaults, gambling in prison, and drug smuggling.
Like many gangs, Hurwit said AK has a hierarchy and leaders sometimes pull people into it involuntarily. He adds that it's surprising how many people outside prison walls, who've never served time or even met these gang members, will develop relationships, support and commit crimes for the inmates.
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