LITTLE ROCK, Ark — State officials say 31-year-old Russellville man Wesley Gullett, was the president of a white-supremacist group called New Aryan Empire (NAE) and plead guilty for being involved in a racketeering and narcotics conspiracy Wednesday.
The Acting US District Attorney for Eastern Arkansas Jonathan Ross said in a statement that prosecutors allege from 2014 to 2016, Gullett and Marcus Millsap, another member of NAE, offered money repeatedly to other white supremacist group members to kill Bruce Hurley, who reportedly bought meth from Millsap.
NAE members believed that Hurley had given information to law enforcement about Millsap, and other NAE members "carried out other retaliatory acts against those who they believed had provided information to law enforcement," according to the press release.
Law enforcement investigated those acts along with the trafficking of methamphetamine by the New Aryan Empire, which was formed by inmates within the Arkansas Department of Correction.
"During the coordinated federal and state investigation, law enforcement agents made 59 controlled purchases of methamphetamine, seizing more than 25 pounds of methamphetamine, as well as 69 firearms and more than $70,000 in drug proceeds," the press release said.
As part of Gullett’s guilty plea, he and prosecutors agreed to a sentence of 35 years, and a judge will later determine whether to agree to the plea agreement and sentence.
There is no opportunity for parole.
Gullett escaped from jail in September 2019 but was later apprehended by police.
We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.