Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Tampa, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Maverick Maher (42, Pensacola), Brandon Welch (36, Milton), Joshua Williamson (39, Live Oak), and Scott Marshall (48, Port Richey), guilty of violent crimes in aid of racketeering charges. Maher, Welch, Williamson, and Marshall were indicted on July 1, 2021.
|
Defendant |
Conviction Offense(s) |
Maximum sentence |
|
Maverick Maher a/k/a Saxon |
Assault in aid of racketeering (3 counts) Conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering (3 counts) Threats in aid of racketeering Conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering Conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering Threats in aid of racketeering |
20 years in prison (per count) 3 years in prison (per count) 5 years in prison 3 years in prison 3 years in prison 5 years in prison 20 years in prison 20 years in prison |
|
Brandon Welch a/k/a Scumbag |
Assault in aid of racketeering |
20 years in prison |
|
Joshua Williamson a/k/a Chaingang |
Assault in aid of racketeering |
20 years in prison |
|
Scott Marshall a/k/a Solo |
Kidnapping in aid of racketeering Assault in aid of Racketeering |
Life in prison 20 years in prison |
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, the defendants were members of the “Unforgiven,” a white supremacy prison gang started in the Florida Department of Corrections. Since its founding, the enterprise has grown to include members inside and outside the department of corrections. The Unforgiven has a written “constitution” which described the means of gaining membership—by committing an extreme act of violence—and calls for violence against members who commit “violations.”
Members organized for meetings to discuss Unforgiven business. During these meetings, members in bad standing were discussed and their membership voted upon. In addition to in-person meetings, the Unforgiven Council used the Marco Polo messaging application to discuss and vote on violations, which included “patch takings” or the involuntary removal of the gang’s tattoo. The evidence at trial established assaults on five members of the Unforgiven who were attacked and mutilated.
On January 2, 2019, Welch and Williamson stabbed fellow Unforgiven member J.T. in the Columbia Correctional Institution. Welch and Williamson attacked J.T. to gain or maintain membership in the Unforgiven. Testimony and evidence established Welch and Williamson stabbed J.T. twelve times and caused significant injuries requiring J.T. be transported via helicopter for medical care.
On January 19, 2019, Maher confined and defaced C.L., a member of the Unforgiven, to maintain membership in the Unforgiven. Testimony of witnesses established Maher sat on C.L. while he forcibly tattooed over numerous existing tattoos on C.L.’s body.
Maher also aided or abetted two additional attacks. In July 2020, members of the Unforgiven attacked C.S. in his home in Lake City, Florida, and struck C.S. with a shotgun before slicing open his back to deface his “patch.” Testimony established Maher sent the group from a church meeting in Satsuma, Florida to enforce a vote taken by members.
Testimony and evidence also established that Maher targeted W.H., a member of the Unforgiven. Unforgiven members attacked W.H. in his living room within Pasco County in June 2020 and forcibly tattooed over W.H.’s Unforgiven tattoos.
In November 2019, Scott Marshall and two other Unforgiven members lured R.S. to a home in Pasco County. The men held R.S. against his will and forcibly covered R.S.’s Unforgiven tattoos. Parts of the attack were videotaped by one of the assailants and shared with Unforgiven members over Marco Polo.
Maher conspired with others over the Marco Polo application to assault a number of Unforgiven members, as well as “grey boys” and “race traitors” in response to perceived disrespect to the enterprise.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Department of Corrections Inspector General’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Samantha Beckman and David Sullivan.