Courts: Authorities say alleged white supremacist leader was from L.B. [Long Beach]
AP, Nov. 19, 2002
http://www.presstelegram.com/
SANTA ANA – An alleged white supremacist leader from Long Beach pleaded innocent Tuesday to fraud and weapons charges.
Jack Frederick Steele II entered the plea a day after he was charged along with two others in what authorities said was an effort to head off hate-related violence.
Steele was charged with three felony counts of falsifying docu ments, one felony count of perjury and one count of possessing a firearm with a prior conviction.
Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Cheryl L. Leininger reduced Steele’s bail from $100,000 to $50,000. He was ordered to appear at a pretrial hearing on Nov. 27.
Authorities described Steele, 29, as the leader of California’s chapter of the Aryan Nations, a unit known as the Brandenburg Division. He is a security guard at the Port of Los Angeles, prosecutors said.
Steele came to the attention of prosecutors when he attempted to rent a hall in La Habra to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday. Steele, who was on parole for a previous assault, was forced to cancel the event after the probation office found out about it.
Terms of his parole forbid association with members of extremist organizations, attending extremist events or possessing extremist paraphernalia.
Christine Greenwood, 28, of Anaheim and her boyfriend, John Patrick McCabe, 23, were also arrested. They were each charged with two counts of possessing bomb-making material and an enhancement allegation of promoting gang membership in white supremacist groups.
Greenwood, who was set to be arraigned today, was identified as the co-founder of Women for Aryan Unity and an organizer of the Aryan Baby Drive.
She and McCabe, who is already in prison, also were identified as members of the militant group Blood and Honor.