Two Members of the Aryan Circle Sentenced for Attempted Murder
Two members of the Aryan Circle were each sentenced today to 10 years in prison for their role in the attempted murder of an inmate that occurred while they were incarcerated at U.S. Penitentiary Yazoo City in Mississippi.
On Oct. 3, 2022, William Glenn Chunn, aka Big Head, 40, of Humble, Texas, and Aaron Matthew Rentfrow, aka Mongo, 42, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, were convicted at trial in the Southern District of Mississippi of violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR) attempted murder. Chunn was previously convicted at trial in the Eastern District of Texas of racketeering conspiracy and sentenced to life imprisonment for separate crimes.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Aryan Circle is a race-based and violent prison gang with members operating throughout the country, both inside and outside of prisons. The Aryan Circle enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects, and associates through threats, intimidation, and acts of violence including, but not limited to, acts involving assault and murder. Members are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question.
Evidence at trial demonstrated that on Aug. 17, 2017, Rentfrow beat and stabbed the victim to earn membership into the Aryan Circle. Chunn, one of the five-highest ranking Aryan Circle leaders in the nation, ordered the attack and targeted the victim because he believed the victim was homosexual. The victim sustained severe injuries from the attack, including rib fractures, a collapsed lung requiring a chest tube, multiple puncture wounds to the chest, and lacerations to the face and head.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Prisons; and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Lakeita F. Rox-Love and Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael FiggsGanter for the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case.
