Authorities have reported that a leader of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, Ronald D. Yandell, is facing charges in the attempted homicide of two officers at the California State Prison in Sacramento. The incident occurred last Friday morning when Yandell allegedly attacked the officers as they were transferring him back to his cell after a health building appointment.
According to prison officials, Yandell brandished an improvised weapon during the altercation. However, the situation was quickly brought under control when one of the officers used pepper spray, causing Yandell to drop the weapon. Fortunately, no staff members were injured during the incident.
Yandell, who is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter, has been at the prison since 2004. The case will now be referred to the county district attorney's office for potential felony prosecution.
The Aryan Brotherhood is a notorious white supremacist gang that originated in California state prisons in the late 1960s and has since expanded into the federal prison system. Law enforcement agencies have been working tirelessly to dismantle the organization for decades.
In 2019, Yandell was implicated in several inmate killings following a lengthy investigation. He was charged with multiple counts of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, as well as drug-related offenses. Federal officials revealed that Yandell was part of the gang's leadership commission.
It was disclosed that Yandell and his cellmate were involved in a significant drug trafficking operation within the prison, using smuggled cellphones to orchestrate murders and drug distribution in Sacramento and other cities. Additionally, they were responsible for controlling the Aryan Brotherhood's membership.
One of the inmates allegedly killed at Yandell's direction was Hugo Pinell, a reputed leader of the Black Guerilla Family gang and a member of the San Quentin 6. Pinell, who had denied any gang affiliation, was murdered shortly after being moved out of isolation.
