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Tuesday, April 02, 2013 10:17:00 PM
Jay Hileman, Federal Prosecutor, Leaves Aryan Brotherhood Case Amid 'Security Concerns': Report
By Simon McCormack Posted: 04/02/2013 6:23 pm EDT
A federal prosecutor has reportedly left a case involving members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas citing "security concerns."
The Dallas Morning News reports that Houston-based assistant U.S. attorney Jay Hileman told defense lawyer Richard O. Ely II [ http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2013/04/federal-prosecutor-over-aryan-brotherhood-racketeering-case-in-houston-withdraws-due-to-security-concerns.html/ ] that he was withdrawing in an email.
Ely is representing one of the defendants in the case, which involves racketeering charges.
Houston defense attorney Katherine Scardino also received the email from Hileman, according to Talking Points Memo.
"He sent the email to every lawyer representing a defendant in the Aryan Brotherhood federal case, and he said -- very short email -- that he was withdrawing for security reasons," Scardino told TPM.
Angela Dodge, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Houston, declined to confirm to The Huffington Post whether or why Hileman left the case.
"The case currently pending in the Southern District of Texas has been and will continue to be worked by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas in partnership with the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division," Dodge said in an email.
The news comes days after Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife were shot and killed in their home.
The Associated Press reports that authorities are investigating whether white supremacists could be behind a recent spate of deadly violence directed at prosecutors and a Colorado corrections official.
Texas law enforcement agencies have been put on high alert, the AP reports.
The killings also come months after 34 members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas were indicted, according to Democracy Now. [ http://www.democracynow.org/2013/4/1/texas_da_killed_two_months_after ]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/02/jay-hileman-texas-aryan-brotherhood_n_3002012.html
Federal prosecutor over Aryan Brotherhood racketeering case in Houston withdraws due to security concerns
Jay Hileman, an assistant U.S. attorney in Houston, has withdrawn from a large Aryan Brotherhood of Texas racketeering case due to security concerns.
Richard O. Ely II, a Houston defense attorney who is representing one of the 34 defendants, said Hileman sent him an email on Tuesday, informing him that he was off the case.
Ely said another Justice Department prosecutor from Washington D.C. will be assigned to the case to replace Hileman.
That person will join David Karpel, an attorney with DOJ’s gang unit, who is already assigned to the case. Ely said the case will continue to be prosecuted in Houston.
The Houston Chronicle reported in November that federal authorities had the key witness in the case, former Aryan Brotherhood general Terry Sillers, under tight security for his own safety. Hileman talked to reporter Dane Schiller for the story, saying authorities were “very confident” that they could protect Sillers from his former associates.
Sillers was arrested in June 2011 in Fort Worth after leading police on a chase on a motorcycle.
The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas is a key focus in the investigation of the recent murders of the Kaufman County district attorney and one of his prosecutors. No evidence has emerged tying the prison gang to the killings. No one has been charged or named as a suspect.
District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were found shot to death in their homes on Saturday. About two months earlier, felony prosecutor Mark Hasse was gunned down in a parking lot near the county courthouse.
Ely said Hileman, who he called a good friend of his, is likely concerned about his family after the killing of the DA and his wife.
“He’s obviously made a decision based on something,” Ely said.
Ely said he received death threats when he was a prosecutor.
“Law enforcement takes it very seriously,” he said.
Angela Dodge, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Houston, did not confirm or deny the personnel change, but issued the following statement:
“The case currently pending in the Southern District of Texas has been and will continue to be worked by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas in partnership with the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.”
http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2013/04/federal-prosecutor-over-aryan-brotherhood-racketeering-case-in-houston-withdraws-due-to-security-concerns.html/
By Simon McCormack Posted: 04/02/2013 6:23 pm EDT
A federal prosecutor has reportedly left a case involving members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas citing "security concerns."
The Dallas Morning News reports that Houston-based assistant U.S. attorney Jay Hileman told defense lawyer Richard O. Ely II [ http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2013/04/federal-prosecutor-over-aryan-brotherhood-racketeering-case-in-houston-withdraws-due-to-security-concerns.html/ ] that he was withdrawing in an email.
Ely is representing one of the defendants in the case, which involves racketeering charges.
Houston defense attorney Katherine Scardino also received the email from Hileman, according to Talking Points Memo.
"He sent the email to every lawyer representing a defendant in the Aryan Brotherhood federal case, and he said -- very short email -- that he was withdrawing for security reasons," Scardino told TPM.
Angela Dodge, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Houston, declined to confirm to The Huffington Post whether or why Hileman left the case.
"The case currently pending in the Southern District of Texas has been and will continue to be worked by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas in partnership with the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division," Dodge said in an email.
The news comes days after Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife were shot and killed in their home.
The Associated Press reports that authorities are investigating whether white supremacists could be behind a recent spate of deadly violence directed at prosecutors and a Colorado corrections official.
Texas law enforcement agencies have been put on high alert, the AP reports.
The killings also come months after 34 members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas were indicted, according to Democracy Now. [ http://www.democracynow.org/2013/4/1/texas_da_killed_two_months_after ]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/02/jay-hileman-texas-aryan-brotherhood_n_3002012.html
Federal prosecutor over Aryan Brotherhood racketeering case in Houston withdraws due to security concerns
Jay Hileman, an assistant U.S. attorney in Houston, has withdrawn from a large Aryan Brotherhood of Texas racketeering case due to security concerns.
Richard O. Ely II, a Houston defense attorney who is representing one of the 34 defendants, said Hileman sent him an email on Tuesday, informing him that he was off the case.
Ely said another Justice Department prosecutor from Washington D.C. will be assigned to the case to replace Hileman.
That person will join David Karpel, an attorney with DOJ’s gang unit, who is already assigned to the case. Ely said the case will continue to be prosecuted in Houston.
The Houston Chronicle reported in November that federal authorities had the key witness in the case, former Aryan Brotherhood general Terry Sillers, under tight security for his own safety. Hileman talked to reporter Dane Schiller for the story, saying authorities were “very confident” that they could protect Sillers from his former associates.
Sillers was arrested in June 2011 in Fort Worth after leading police on a chase on a motorcycle.
The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas is a key focus in the investigation of the recent murders of the Kaufman County district attorney and one of his prosecutors. No evidence has emerged tying the prison gang to the killings. No one has been charged or named as a suspect.
District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were found shot to death in their homes on Saturday. About two months earlier, felony prosecutor Mark Hasse was gunned down in a parking lot near the county courthouse.
Ely said Hileman, who he called a good friend of his, is likely concerned about his family after the killing of the DA and his wife.
“He’s obviously made a decision based on something,” Ely said.
Ely said he received death threats when he was a prosecutor.
“Law enforcement takes it very seriously,” he said.
Angela Dodge, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Houston, did not confirm or deny the personnel change, but issued the following statement:
“The case currently pending in the Southern District of Texas has been and will continue to be worked by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas in partnership with the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.”
http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2013/04/federal-prosecutor-over-aryan-brotherhood-racketeering-case-in-houston-withdraws-due-to-security-concerns.html/
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