Aryan Brotherhood Prison Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder in Aid of Racketeering

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Jason Corbett, 52, of Paradise, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to life in prison for murder in aid of racketeering, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between 2011 and 2016, Aryan Brotherhood (AB) members and associates engaged in racketeering activity, committing multiple acts involving murder, conspiracies to murder, and drug trafficking crimes. AB members oversaw a significant heroin and methamphetamine trafficking operation from their California prison cells using smuggled cellphones to direct drug trafficking activities, order murders, and oversee other criminal activities inside and outside of the prisons.

According to Corbett's plea agreement, on July 28, 2018, Corbett murdered an inmate at High Desert Prison as part of an AB-related killing. Corbett admitted that he committed the murder because the victim falsely claimed to be an AB member and had run up a significant drug debt at his previous prison - both violations of the AB's expected codes of conduct. Corbett willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation, murdered the victim in order to maintain his status within the gang.

On Jan. 3, 2024, Corbett's co-defendant in the murder, Pat Brady, 54, pleaded guilty to the same murder in aid of racketeering. He was sentenced to life in prison on Aug. 5, 2024.

In April 2024, following a nine-week trial, a federal jury found three of Corbett's co-defendants guilty of RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to murder, murder in aid of racketeering, and multiple counts of drug trafficking. Ronald Yandell, 62, and Billy Sylvester, 56, are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Mueller on Nov. 19, 2024. Danny Troxell, 71, will be sentenced at a date to be set by the Court.

During a status conference today, Kathleen Nolan, 70, of Calimesa, entered a guilty plea for her part in the drug trafficking conspiracy with AB members and associates. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17, 2024. Charges are pending against Kevin MacNamara, 44, of La Palma. The charges against him are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Vallejo Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office, and the Nevada County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, Ross Pearson, and David Spencer are prosecuting the case.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.