A Missouri man who was a leader of a white supremacist prison gang has been sentenced to life in prison for violations of a federal law designed to combat organized crime.
Jesse Paul “JP” Blankenship, 39, of Stratford, identified as leader of the gang Aryan Circle, was sentenced Sept. 8 in the Eastern District of Texas after his conviction Nov. 16, 2021, “of racketeering conspiracy, kidnapping in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit kidnapping in aid of racketeering,” a news release said.
“Violent gangs pose a growing threat to our communities and the type of violence associated with these organizations has reached an intolerable level,” Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Houston, said in the release. “This case demonstrates that members of violent gangs that engage in heinous crimes will be held accountable.”
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, including Homeland Security Investigations Houston, found Blankenship violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, according to the release. A race-based, violent prison gang, the Aryan Circle has members who operate inside and outside of prisons throughout the U.S.
Blankenship’s case is an example of “great collaboration” that took place to stop gang violence in prison and to protect innocent people “when that activity overflows into our communities,” Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston, said in the release.
“We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who advocate harm to others, and to specifically target the leaders of violent gangs,” Featherston added, according to the release.
