Federal and local law enforcement have arrested 42 members and associates of the SFV Peckerwoods, a white supremacist street gang based in the San Fernando Valley, California, the Department of Justice informed on Wednesday.
The arrests follow a 76-count federal grand jury indictment, which accuses the group of engaging in racketeering over several years, as well as drug trafficking, illegal firearms possession, and fraud related to COVID-19 benefits and loans.
The indictment charges 68 defendants with federal crimes including conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, drug distribution, bank fraud, identity theft, and illegal firearms possession. Of those charged, 29 were arrested on Wednesday and are expected to be arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles. Thirteen defendants were already in custody prior to the arrests.
If convicted, the defendants face a range of penalties, with the most severe carrying a potential life sentence in federal prison.
The Peckerwoods gang engaged in a variety of criminal activities, ranging from drug trafficking—specifically fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine—to identity theft and fraud schemes. Law enforcement seized large quantities of illegal firearms and drugs during the investigation, which targeted the gang's network and operations.
The gang is described as a white supremacist group that maintains alliances with other criminal organizations, including the Aryan Brotherhood and the Mexican Mafia. The Peckerwoods use Nazi iconography, such as swastikas and the number "88," to signal their extremist ideology. Members of the gang allegedly used social media, including a private Facebook group, to share information and coordinate criminal activities.
The indictment also alleges that the gang engaged in financial fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, including fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Several defendants, including Sean Craig Gluckman, submitted false claims to receive unemployment benefits and PPP loans using fake identities, including those of incarcerated individuals.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said the gang's combination of violent ideology and criminal behavior posed a significant threat to the community. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that the arrests are part of the Justice Department's effort to dismantle dangerous criminal enterprises, including those that engage in racially motivated violence.
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