WASHINGTON — Three high-ranking members of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang were sentenced Monday for racketeering conspiracy involving murder, drug trafficking, and other violent crimes committed from within California prisons.
Francis Clement, 58, and Kenneth Johnson, 63, were each sentenced to life in federal prison without parole after being convicted at trial of RICO conspiracy and multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering. A third defendant, John Stinson, 70, was sentenced to 20 years for a single count of RICO conspiracy.
Prosecutors said Clement and Johnson ordered multiple killings between 2020 and 2022, using contraband cellphones while incarcerated to direct gang activity both inside and outside of prison. Clement was found guilty of five murders, while Johnson was found guilty of two.
“These sentences send a clear message: the walls of a prison do not shield violent gang leaders from justice,” said Acting ATF Director Daniel Driscoll.
Stinson, already serving time in the California prison system, was identified as a high-ranking Aryan Brotherhood leader who approved violent actions, oversaw gang operations, and trafficked drugs using a contraband cellphone.
Gang controlled operations behind bars
Between 2016 and 2023, Aryan Brotherhood members ran a violent criminal enterprise, according to court documents. Inmates smuggled methamphetamine into prisons and sold it to other inmates, with proceeds distributed up the gang’s leadership chain, including to Clement and Stinson.
Trial testimony showed Clement ordered three separate killings in early 2022 and shared in profits from drug and fraud schemes orchestrated from prison. Johnson and Clement jointly ordered a killing in October 2020 during which a second victim was also murdered.
Stinson was heard on wiretapped prison calls discussing gang matters, including membership decisions and internal disputes. Prosecutors said his authority extended across state lines and multiple prison facilities.
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that 11 Aryan Brotherhood members were charged in the sweeping indictment. Five defendants are awaiting trial, and three have entered guilty pleas.
Federal prosecutors say the case underscores ongoing efforts to dismantle violent prison-based gangs operating across state correctional systems.
