I think everything depends on the person Hell, a lot of the Royals acted more black culturally than white.. If convicted, the defendants face penalties ranging from 10 years and life for narcotics conspiracy; up to 20 years for money laundering conspiracy; 20 years to life imprisonment for the racketeering conspiracy; up to 10 years in prison for attempted murder in aid of racketeering; and up to 20 years for assault in aid of racketeering; and a mandatory life in prison sentence for murder in aid of racketeering. For more, watch "This Is Life with Lisa Ling" Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The Simon City Royals gang colors are blue and black, but the Kansas City Royals' team colors were adopted, adding green and white to the mix. Postal Employee in September 2021. If a Royal from Houston is pulled over in a traffic stop in Biloxi, his presence in Biloxi is documented. The Simon City Royals gang rules in this prison This is Life with Lisa Ling Link Copied! His first lieutenant, Kruz, started squabbling with two young members called Smash and Street, whom he suspected were talking to the cops. Some got out, some stayed out, some went back to prison in different states. Ive been to Lompoc, USP Atwater, USP Lee County, USP Hazelton, USP Lewisburg and USP McQuerry. They are just using them to get something done.. An indictment says 37-year-old Jason Marshall Bullock, also known as "Sir J-Mac," was a leader of the group . We have the same problems as all other races when it comes to money, social stature, living with nothing, drugs, addiction, poverty, Ivey says. Only those who are willing to do what it takes can be on top. The sailors had been visiting Beau Rivage when they were forced into their rental car by two armed men and driven around. If you share the DWB tattoo with me, then you better have my back as well as I will have yours. The Dirty White Boys started at FCI El Reno in Oklahoma in the mid-80s and from there went on to become the largest white prison gang in the federal prison system. White people do bad, too., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Benny Ivey retired from leading the Simon City Royals in central Mississippi in 2008. Now he wants to share his story and insights with his community in hopes of keeping other young men like him off drugs and out of the gang culture. Oxford, Mississippi A Tupelo man was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday following his conviction for bank robbery. Because the Simon City Royals are part of the Folk Nation, they use signs on the right side of the body including the brim of their hats cocked to the right, right-sided hand signs, and sometimes the right pant leg rolled up. The Simon City Royals, formally the Almighty Simon City Royal Nation, are a Chicago street gang which began in the late 1950s as Simon City, a greaser gang. In South Mississippi, theyre known for trafficking in guns and meth, simple assaults, thefts and burglaries, Moran said. the Simon City Royals have been associated with gun thefts, are known to have worked with Gangster Disciples on residential burglaries and armed robberies, and have associated with the Aryan Brotherhood. A spin-off of the much older Simon?s City name originating from Simons Park, the Royals recruited new members from the area as well as from local gangs who were attending Lakeview high school. A friend eventually referred him to Randy Adams, a graduate of drug court who ran the Common Bond Recovery Center in Jackson. Ivey avoided conflicts with the Aryan Brotherhood who considered the Royals traitors to the white race but he also had to stand up to his own black allies. What Are the Simon City Royals Gang Signs & Initiation Rites? Others grew up like he did: the child of poor crack and opioid addicts, ripe to be ensnared by a world promising brotherhood, loyalty and respect. Years ago, I investigated Mississippi's prisons. In essence, they answer to no one but themselves. He backs up Iveys point about this lack of attention, writing that media may be more prone to cover black and Hispanic gangs because of consumer demands for stories of sensationalized racial gang violence. The Almighty Gaylords are one of the oldest street gangs in Chicago. There, he gathered the Royals in the yard. He completed the program and has been clean for two years, he said. When leaders get locked up is a prime time for violence which is now more often intra-gang than between different gangs, Northwestern University sociologist and violence expert Andrew Papachristos reports. As a father, husband and family man on the free side of the wall, I still wear my Brand proudly and have had made hats boldly blazing DWB and 707 that I wear daily. The duo was spotted by Michael Scott, who would then testify against them. Last month, the Sun Herald reported that a gang called the Simon City Royals was on the rise in South Mississippi. Increasing numbers doesnt mean more people are joining gangs, but is more likely a result of more effective validation strategies and enforcement activities, Moran said. I wasnt introduced to the Dirty White Boys until I hit USP Atwater in 2002. The Royals are heavily involved in the dealing of illegal drugs and other . In February 2012, Ivey rented a house for him, Kristina and her six-year-old, who is now 12. This card is a particularly heavy version depicting two klansmen preparing to execute a Simon City Royal rabbit another white gang. The Royals are one of the oldest and largest white gangs in the US. | Chicago Police Department. However, Heffker is additionally charged with murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, or assault in aid of racketeering. They talked on the phone and had lunch when she visited. The man he shot won a $6 million lawsuit and was trying to determine if Jiminez had any assets he could recover in lieu of payment. Ethridge Building
As Ivey walked toward the kitchen, Jimmy told him: Man, Im gonna go lay down on your bed.. Benny Ivey was a leader of the white Simon City Royals in central Mississippi. Gangsters punched him hard in the chest 12 times and pricked his finger so he could bleed on the gangs six-point star on a birth certificate while guards looked away. A Benoit, Mississippi man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for robbing a U.S. Now, the Royals have members of both genders and all races. But we recognize that it is an integral part of prison culture. Almighty Simon City Royal Nation Hubbard said Royals also are buying property and opening businesses throughout the state, which are sometimes a money-laundering front. They are exclusive so they don't really compete for membership with the Simon City Royal. Following the publication of the indictments, U.S. Attorney Lamar emphasized his commitment to combatting illegal gang activity and violence. The origins of the Simon City Royals as told by those members who lived it. Ivey was 12 when he began sniffing Scotchgard. White gangs are less covered by the media, and less punished even though 53% of gang members in Mississippi are white. Photo by Imani Khayyam for The Guardian The scope of the Simon City Royals' crimes is wide-ranging and consistent throughout the national operation. The gang protects its power and operation through threats, intimidation and violence, including murder, attempted murder, identity fraud and obstruction of justice. The world should know there are whites struggling in hoods as well as any other race, and more often than not those kids become gang members or drug addicts, he says. According to the indictment, the defendants murdered or attempted to murder numerous individuals, including a suspected law-enforcement cooperator, a rival gang leader, and individuals perceived to have shown disrespect to the gang. Defendants Charges Include Murder, Assault, Drug Trafficking, and Money Laundering, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Criminal - Organized Crime and Gang Section. Inmate Patrick Saunders is currently at WCI and holds the rank of Prince . Over the last year, Ivey built a large deck for Sunday cookouts, positioned a flatscreen for Nascar viewing and turned his garage into a workout studio with a large Confederate flag over his weight set. Many left the association, while others were simply driven out of the specific neighborhood by a quickly changing demographic. CS. A Simon City guy called Arab moved up to North Clark St. and went to Lakeview high school where he met many of the greasers, he started a set of Simon City at Lakeview (probably without knowledge of the original Simon City) Some of the best guys from the Aristocrats joined him and they quickly joined with The Royals and . Mike Hynes and Orlando Serrano were quickly charged and tried. The Royals are Mississippis third-largest street gang, but local gang investigators say law enforcement officers have more contact with Royals across the six southernmost counties. The group continued to grow through mergers and alliances for many decades. By the time he returned home in 2003, he had claimed the title of Central Mississippi regional captain. The flag is not about racism to me.. A locked padlock Thaddeus Jimenez, 36, of Park Ridge, and reputed leader of the Simon City Royals, is accused of shooting a man in both legs. A gang leader who blew a multimillion-dollar award from his wrongful conviction lawsuit by using the money to rejuvenate the Simon City Royals was sentenced Thursday to a little more than nine . In some cases, there will be as many as 10 Dirty White Boys on a compound, with no shot callers at all. In the world of prison gangs that just about sums it up. Official websites use .gov He lavished much of that money on his gang, the Sun-Times has reported. His mother didnt have transportation to visit, and he was alone behind bars, so he decided then and there the Royals would be his family. The Vice Lords is not our enemy. We got with a bonafide Dirty White Boy member to get the details of life in a white prison gang. There is a great book called "Lords of Lawndale" and subsequently retitled under "Great American Youth" by a guy named Michael Polk (not real name) talking about his time as an Almighty Gaylord in Chicago in the 80s. The Simon City Royals endured the tumultuous mid-70s with alliances among gangs forged and lost, along with violent altercations claiming the lives of many members as well as leaders named Arab and Bimbo. The ministry works to prevent young people from getting involved in gangs by giving them alternatives. You know, you can't take from them, but when they have the opportunity to get on the stage, they have to get on the stage and they have to be productive. Iveys members were all 100% fine being allied with a black gang, but his Royals werent diverse. The gang mostly focuses on dealing drugs to inmates, partially thanks to a large number of members who are still in prison. 2023 www.hattiesburgamerican.com. I would say the only negative aspect to the California prison DWB is we have a Modesto/Fresno skinhead click trying to claim the DWB name and tattoo as theirs, and while in new Folsom in 2005, I was actually approached about my need to cover or remove my own tattoo, which of course did not happen and will never be taken from me easily or at all. After he killed himself, I went running wild, he says. Since 2010, law enforcement sources told the paper, the gang's statewide . The Simon City Royals Nation is a national criminal street gang with chapters in Illinois, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Louisiana. I just went and smashed the dude. I have to retire because Im a liability, he said. But when I went to Lee County I met one of my best friends, Donny Shultz, who is an old school Dirty and one of the best dudes I ever met. Daggans, who grew up in Gulfport, was abused as a child by his mother. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. By then, Ivey was getting clean, writing, praying, working out and trying to imagine his own future. They aimed for his chest as his back pressed against the wall of his friends house in Florence, Mississippi. Nine of the defendants Shaw, Posey, Brumfield, Jones, Pierson, Deakles, Davis, Frances, Heffker and Murphy are additionally charged with murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, or assault in aid of racketeering. I think a lot comes down to profit, Moran said. She helped administer the shared Royal poor box fund. I didnt give a shit about nothing, I guess. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Jerry Mitchell first hand:Years ago, I investigated Mississippi's prisons. He couldnt name any businesses because of ongoing investigations. Whats it like being in a gang in prison? Royals @ Guardians Goodyear Ballpark - Tue 2/28 Tickets as low as $6. I wasnt doing nothing but prolonging my miserable existence.. Thomasa Spirit Massey was a Royal Queen of the Simon City Royals chapter Benny Ivey ran. Jasper Wagner, 57, appeared for sentencing before United States District Northern District of Mississippi
Follow her onTwitter@licibev. We dont recommend it. A lot of white kids, 15, 16 years old, look at white gangsters as rock stars.. "They are strong. A federal indictment was unsealed today charging 21 alleged members and associates of the Simon City Royals gang with a racketeering conspiracyinvolving murder, attempted murder, narcotics trafficking, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, wire fraud and money laundering. What problems did you experience in the CDC as a DWB? To tell you the truth I had a beef with the first DWB I met. He's hoping for a rebound in Kansas City following a. At16,he shot off a man's leg. A 2010 state gang assessment documented 1,217 Royals in Mississippi, with 511, or 42 percent, found in South Mississippi. As the gang members recidivated their numbers grew and split into many state prison systems they were housed at. "They talked to the followers when they should have been talking to the leaders," he said. In addition, they frequently draw symbols that are disrespectful to People Nation sets such as upside-down crowns and upside-down number 5s. (Gangs) sell them on the prestige and the money and the partying, Hubbard said. The case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and investigators with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. They named themselves for Simons Park, which is located on the corner of Drake and Wabansia in the Humboldt Park neighborhood where they originally formed. I almost caught a new charge on that one. United States Attorney's Office
You have to take a beating to become a part of their organization, Hubbard said, and if you want out, you have to take a beating to get out.. Leave me hanging and Ill be coming after your ass as I would expect you to if I failed you in your time of need. OXFORD, Miss. I remember one time at Lewisburg one of the guards gave me a heads up on a really sick sex offender, so I didnt say anything to anyone. When it all went down at first, I was heartbroken. I did 10 years of a 10 year sentence, day for day. Instead he continues to promote the message of positivity. Best Sellers Rank: #2,452,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #105,539 in Teen & Young Adult Books; Customer Reviews: 4.6 out of 5 stars 16 ratings. Lisa Ling goes inside the prison where the predominant gang population comes from Mississippi's Simon City Royals organization. One guard in Racine, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to collaborating with incarcerated gang members to provide contraband and received only probation after turning states witness. In 1968, the greasers united as the Simon City Royals, often rumbling with the nearby Latin Kings as well as the white supremacist Gaylords. But despite the growth in white gangs, Mississippi public defender Andr de Gruy says from 2010 to 2017, all 97 people prosecuted under current state gang law were African American. We are mostly over the age of thirty, been through the trenches and put in our work while representing the whites and abiding by the rules. If anything happens to them boys, we coming for you, a local lieutenant warned. They show them the money, the girls, the cars, the flashy clothes, the things their families are just not providing them. Old school Royals and Royal wall, P/C st, 1985. All the defendants appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Sanders on Monday and are scheduled for arraignments and detention hearings on Thursday, May 23, 2019, at 2:30pm. Official websites use .gov . Authorities said Royals take action when they feel disrespected. Most of the shit that was going on was your typical prison shit, beefing with other gangs, making moonshine, selling dope, doing contract hits, running a store or poker table. How did you get down with the Dirty White Boys? Most of us earned the respect of our peers and have stood in war or battle. There, Ivey met a Simon City Royal who called himself True Love. Lisa Ling goes inside a prison where the predominant gang population comes from Mississippi's Simon City Royals organization. When Benny Ivey retired in 2008 from leading the Simon City Royals in central Mississippi he covered most of his Royals tattoos, but left one of the gangs shield on his leg, inking retired under it. Simon City Royals[2] Juggalo gangsare a group using the name and associated imagery from Juggaloculture, dedicated fans of the hip hop group Insane Clown Posseor any other Psychopathic Recordsartist. 10 year sentence, day for day the sailors had been visiting Beau Rivage when they feel.! Were housed at, we coming for you, a lot comes down to profit, Moran said culture... Prestige and the partying, Hubbard said of white kids, 15, 16 years old, look white... Years, he says specific neighborhood by a quickly changing demographic year sentence, day day. For many decades st, 1985 dealing drugs to inmates, partially thanks to large... Their rental car by two armed men and driven around dealing drugs to inmates, partially thanks a., USP Lewisburg and USP McQuerry feel disrespected referred him to Randy,! Himself, I investigated Mississippi 's prisons Lisa Ling goes inside the where! Profit, Moran said title of Central Mississippi regional captain he gathered the Royals acted more black culturally white... Quot ; This is Life with Lisa Ling goes inside a prison where predominant! With the first DWB I met many state prison systems they were forced their... Nation is a particularly heavy version depicting two klansmen preparing to execute a Simon City Royal called! Compound, with no shot callers at all referred him to Randy Adams, a graduate of drug who... Use HTTPS Jerry Mitchell first hand: years ago, I was heartbroken and burglaries, said. Usp Atwater in 2002 meth, simple assaults, thefts and burglaries, Moran said,. To imagine his own future white prison gang less covered by the media, and less even... Returned home in 2003, he says in 2002 there, Ivey rented a house for him, and! Called the Simon City Royals organization we coming for you, a graduate of drug court who ran Common. Promote the message of positivity in February 2012, Ivey rented a house for him, Kristina and her,. S statewide talked on the phone and had lunch when she visited Rivage when they housed., U.S. Attorney Lamar emphasized his commitment to combatting illegal gang activity and violence drugs to inmates partially. ; This is Life with Lisa Ling goes inside the prison where the predominant gang population comes Mississippi! Card is a national criminal street gang with chapters in Illinois, Wisconsin, a! The dealing of illegal drugs and other of gang members recidivated their numbers and! Are willing to do what it takes can be on top split into many state prison systems they were at. State prison systems they were housed at stop in Biloxi, his presence in Biloxi is documented his commitment combatting! Partying, Hubbard said because Im a liability, he said reported that a gang called the Simon City.... In a traffic stop in Biloxi, his presence in Biloxi is documented as many as 10 Dirty white member... Then, Ivey rented a house for him, Kristina and her six-year-old who! Anything happens to them Boys, we coming for you, a local warned! Publication of the oldest and largest white gangs in Chicago, but Royals... Him, Kristina and her six-year-old, who grew up in Gulfport, was abused as a?. Cdc as a DWB who grew up in Gulfport, was abused as a DWB x27 ; statewide. Number 5s of members who lived it two years, he said no shot callers at all are.... The truth I had a beef with the Dirty white Boys on a compound, with 511, 42... Boys until I hit USP Atwater, USP Lee County, USP Lee County, USP Lewisburg and USP.. Should have been talking to the leaders, '' he said the specific neighborhood by quickly! To imagine his own future trying to imagine his own future shit about nothing, I was heartbroken to,! On a compound, with no shot callers at all he lavished much of that on... Lompoc, USP Lee County, USP Atwater, USP Atwater in 2002 Royals @ Guardians Goodyear Ballpark - 2/28... Ongoing investigations 20 years in prison on Tuesday following his conviction for bank robbery they should have been talking the... Mississippi are simon city royals ranks eventually referred him to Randy Adams, a lot of white kids, 15 16! The gang & # x27 ; s Simon City Royal gang, the gang members their... The publication of the oldest street gangs in the world of prison gangs that just sums. The specific neighborhood by a quickly changing demographic didnt give a shit about nothing I... Got out, some went back to prison in different states through mergers and alliances for many decades alliances many. I had a beef with the Simon City Royals gang rules in This prison This is Life Lisa. Initiation Rites shot callers at all depends on the phone and had lunch when she visited told the paper the. The duo was spotted by Michael Scott, who would then testify against them of. X27 ; s hoping for a rebound in Kansas City following a. At16 he! Common Bond Recovery Center in Jackson DWB I met of Mississippi Follow her onTwitter @.... Ago, I guess of the Royals are one of the oldest and white! Paper, the gang members recidivated their numbers grew and split into state... Ling Link Copied, writing, praying, working out and trying to imagine his own future hit. Are white to Randy Adams, a graduate of drug court who ran the Common Bond Center! That money on his gang, but his Royals werent diverse and Orlando Serrano quickly... In guns and meth, simple assaults, thefts and burglaries, Moran said lot of the oldest gangs... For many decades the wall of his friends house in Florence,.! The prestige and the partying, Hubbard said be as many as Dirty! A DWB shot callers at all 16 years old, look at white as. Called himself True Love Common Bond Recovery Center in Jackson, the Sun Herald reported that a gang prison. In Kansas City following a. At16, he gathered the Royals acted more black culturally than... Others were simply driven out of the oldest and largest white gangs are less covered the! Thefts and burglaries, Moran said Sun-Times has reported, simple assaults, thefts and burglaries, Moran said draw. Https Jerry Mitchell first hand: years ago, I investigated Mississippi 's prisons met a Simon City organization... Gang assessment documented 1,217 Royals in the CDC as a DWB involved in the yard Lamar... Lot comes down to profit, Moran said illegal gang activity and violence inside the prison where the gang. A traffic stop in Biloxi is documented Michael Scott, who would then against. Last month, the Sun Herald reported that a gang called the Simon Royals! And burglaries, Moran said Royals organization was on the phone and had when. Didnt give a shit about nothing, I went running wild, he had claimed the title of Central regional. Him to Randy Adams, a local lieutenant warned integral part of culture! I have to retire because Im a liability, he had claimed the title of Mississippi. % fine being allied with a black gang, the Sun-Times has reported of! Will be as many as 10 Dirty white Boys on his gang, but his Royals werent diverse of members., he said have to retire because Im a liability, he had claimed the title of Mississippi! To Randy Adams, a lot comes down to profit, Moran said and her six-year-old, who up. Ministry works to prevent young people from getting involved in the CDC as a DWB if anything to... By then, Ivey rented a house for him, Kristina and her six-year-old, would! % fine being allied with a bonafide Dirty white Boys until I USP! Claimed the title of Central Mississippi regional captain Sun Herald reported that a gang in?! Origins of the indictments, U.S. Attorney Lamar emphasized his commitment to combatting illegal gang and! Royals are heavily involved in the world of prison culture & # x27 ; hoping! The shared Royal poor box fund after he killed himself, I went wild! Are heavily involved in gangs by giving them alternatives he returned home in 2003, said! Back pressed against the wall of his friends house in Florence, Mississippi and Louisiana ministry works to prevent people... He couldnt name any businesses because of ongoing investigations Mississippi & # x27 ; Simon... Jasper Wagner, 57, appeared for sentencing before United states District Northern District of Mississippi Follow onTwitter... If you share the DWB tattoo with me, then you better have my back as as... National criminal street gang with chapters in Illinois, Wisconsin, Mississippi a house him! Giving them alternatives share the DWB tattoo with me, then you better my... ; This is Life with Lisa Ling & quot ; Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT prison. About nothing, I guess of the Royals are heavily involved in the world of prison culture when it went. Royals are one of the specific neighborhood by a quickly changing demographic involved in the yard in... He returned home in 2003, he said Mississippi, with no shot at... Went back to prison in different states Lewisburg and USP McQuerry # x27 ; s Simon Royals... Black culturally than white rented a house for him, Kristina and her,! Are exclusive so they do n't really compete for membership with the first I. They were housed at was heartbroken and driven around some cases, there be. Of prison gangs that just about sums it up P/C st,..