“These investigations and prosecutions can be lengthy, but when law enforcement and prosecutors work together to hold violent criminals accountable and remove them from our communities, we all benefit from a safer community. We are grateful to the dedicated officers and prosecutors whose hard work and commitment help protect us all.”
CSLEA President Alan Barcelona
SACRAMENTO — On August 26, 2026, an associate of the prison gang Aryan Brotherhood was convicted of executing two men in Lomita on orders given by an Aryan Brotherhood member incarcerated in Kern Valley State Prison, in Kern County.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Oct. 4, 2020, Justin Gray, 40, of San Pedro, California, executed two men on the orders of Aryan Brotherhood Brother Francis Clement, who was serving a prison sentence in Kern Valley State Prison. Justin Gray lured the victims from San Diego to Lomita where, with the aid of another Aryan Brotherhood associate, he shot both victims in the head. The order to kill had been given over “disrespect” one of the victims had shown to the Aryan Brotherhood. Gray is a member of Baby Blue Wrecking Crew, a white-only gang that takes orders from and works under the Aryan Brotherhood. Gray was convicted of two counts of committing murder in aid of racketeering.
“This case lays bare the ruthless reach of the Aryan Brotherhood and the violence its members and associates are willing to inflict,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. “Justin Gray executed two men at point‑blank range because an incarcerated gang member ordered it. Our office remains committed to dismantling violent prison gangs and protecting our communities from their deadly influence.”
“This verdict reflects the serious problem gang violence represents, even from people doing lengthy prison sentences,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department will continue to focus its resources on holding gang members accountable, even if they are already behind bars. Clement, who ordered these executions and has been sentenced to life, and now Gray, who carried them out, will pay a severe price for taking life thanks to the good work of the investigators and prosecutors as well as the careful attention of the jury.”
Gray is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Nov. 23, 2026. Gray faces a mandatory life sentence.
This trial was part of a larger investigation charging Gray and 20 other defendants with a variety of criminal offenses, including RICO conspiracy, VICAR murder, and narcotics offenses, all related to their criminal activities as members and associates of the Aryan Brotherhood.
Additional individuals charged in the case and still pending trial include the following:
- Jayson Weaver, 49, scheduled for trial in September 2027.
- Waylon Pitchford, 48, scheduled for trial in September 2027.
- Andrew Collins, 42, scheduled for trial in September 2027.
- Alexander Van Beusekom, 41, scheduled for trial in September 2027.
- Evan Perkins, 41, scheduled for trial in September 2027.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the:
- Office of Correctional Safety (CDCR),
- United States Marshals Service,
- Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office,
- Pomona Police Department,
- Torrance Police Department,
- San Diego Police Department,
- San Diego County Sheriff’s Office,
- Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office,
- Kern County District Attorney’s Office,
- California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit,
- FBI,
- Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC),
- Fresno County District Attorney’s Office,
- Clovis Police Department,
- and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Conolly for the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Amanda J. Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
