Deranged American white supremacist of California pleads guilty to murder

Brant Daniel and eight other inmates have been charged with federal racketeering and other crimes at prisons across California. 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A Sacramento member of a white supremacist gang pled guilty to murder in aid of racketeering after a long-running investigation into the California Aryan Brotherhood, according to the United States Department of Justice.

The Aryan Brotherhood (AB) is known as the oldest and most notorious racist prison gang in America. It was formed in California in the 1960s and spread through federal prison systems throughout the United States.

On Wednesday, Brant Daniel, 49, of Sacramento, pled guilty to the murder of an inmate at Salinas Valley Prison on Oct. 29, 2016, as a part of an AB-related killing. Specifically, Daniel admitted that he murdered the victim because they failed to carry out a hit assigned by an AB member.

The failed hit led to the loss of “valuable drugs” that belonged to Daniel and his gang. In his plea, Daniel said that he willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation, murdered the victim to maintain his AB gang status. Daniel received the mandatory life sentence in federal prison.

“This guilty plea and sentence represents a significant setback for one of California’s most notorious white supremacist prison gangs,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “We will continue to use every law enforcement tool to protect the communities plagued by the violence and criminal activities of the Aryan Brotherhood.”

Between 2011 and 2016, AB members and associates committed multiple crimes of murder, conspiracy to murder, drug trafficking, and racketeering, according to court documents. California AB members allegedly oversaw a large heroin and methamphetamine trafficking operation from their prison cells by using smuggled cellphones to direct drug activities, order murders, and oversee other criminal activities inside and outside of the prisons.

According to the U.S. attorney, there are five remaining defendants—Ronald Yandell, Billy Sylvester, Danny Troxell, Pat Brady, and Jason Corbett—who are scheduled for trial in February 2024.

“The Aryan Brotherhood hides behind prison walls while they direct criminal activities and brutal crimes of violence, “said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “In this case, Brant Daniel murdered an individual in cold blood to maintain his status and prove allegiance to the prison gang. We will relentlessly pursue and prosecute those who commit such heinous acts from behind bars and beyond.”