A member of a Texas white supremacist group pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting another member attempting to switch gangs as well as conspiring to sell firearms.
Rodney Shane Holt, 48, of Tyler, Texas is known as “Turbo” in the white supremacist gang “Aryan Circle” (AC). Holt admitted to a role in a violent October 2016 assault of another AC member who was accused of intending to “patch over,” or switch gang affiliation, according to a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Rodney Shane Holt, aka “Turbo,” a member of the white supremacist gang Aryan Circle, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering, as well as conspiracy to sell firearms to a convicted felon. https://t.co/9152bBrm8E
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 7, 2021
Holt and other AC members reportedly planned and participated in the violent attack, beating up the disloyal member of the gang, according to the court documents, DOJ said in the statement. Turbo and his co-conspirators were determined to “X,” or remove the gang member, since joining another organization violated the AC’s inner rules.
Holt also admitted to conspiracy to sell high caliber firearms to a convicted felon, his plea agreement reportedly states. He now faces the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The sentencing date is yet to be announced, according to DOJ.
The AC is a violent organized crime group that has its roots in the Texas Department of Corrections and is known for operating both in federal prisons across the U.S. and outside correctional facilities in states, including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri, according to DOJ. (RELATED: ‘Operation Noble Virtue’ Targeting Aryan Circle Gang Leadership Indicts 24 Individuals, DOJ Says)
The AC is notorious for demanding total allegiance and subjecting members who violate its rules to vicious punishments, according to Houston Chronicle.