Federal and local law enforcement agencies have arrested 42 members and associates of the SFV Peckerwoods, a white supremacist gang based in the San Fernando Valley, on charges of racketeering, drug trafficking, illegal firearms possession, and COVID-19 benefits fraud, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. A total of 68 individuals were indicted in a sweeping 76-count grand jury indictment.
The indictment outlines a years-long pattern of criminal activity, accusing gang members of trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, along with engaging in identity theft and fraud related to pandemic relief programs.
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The charges include conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, drug distribution, aggravated identity theft, and possession of illegal firearms.
Of the 68 individuals indicted, 29 were arrested on Wednesday and are scheduled for arraignment in downtown Los Angeles. Another 13 defendants were already in custody prior to the operation.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized significant quantities of illegal firearms and large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. The indictment also revealed the gang’s involvement in defrauding COVID-19 relief programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
“The Peckerwoods’ violent white-supremacist ideology and wide-ranging criminal activity pose a grave menace to our community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “By allegedly engaging in everything from drug trafficking to firearms offenses to identity theft to COVID fraud, and through their alliance with a neo-Nazi prison gang, the Peckerwoods are a destructive force. In prosecuting the members of the Peckerwoods criminal organization, our office is carrying out its mission to protect the public from the most dangerous threats.”
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the significance of the takedown, stating, “The Justice Department has dealt a decisive blow to the SFV Peckerwoods, a violent white supremacist gang responsible for trafficking deadly fentanyl, committing robberies, and perpetrating financial fraud.”
The FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with the DEA, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, played key roles in the operation. The SFV Peckerwoods are known for their alliance with the Aryan Brotherhood, a notorious white supremacist prison gang, and their use of Nazi symbolism to promote their violent ideology.
The gang’s members engaged in violence and threats to maintain control over drug trafficking and other illegal activities. They used social media, including a private Facebook group, to coordinate their operations and identify members in good standing.
Key defendants, such as Claire Patricia Haviland and Brian Glenn Ekelund, allegedly oversaw drug stash houses where large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine were stored for distribution. The gang also generated revenue through identity theft and pandemic-related fraud schemes, with some members filing false PPP applications and unemployment claims.
The SFV Peckerwoods operated in coordination with the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia, further amplifying their influence within California’s criminal underworld. Law enforcement officials hailed the arrests as a significant step toward dismantling this dangerous organization.
The defendants, if convicted, face potential life sentences in federal prison.
The investigation was a multi-agency effort involving numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The case will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
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