White supremacists murdered Alaska man as part of 'vile and racist gang,' feds say The men allegedly kidnapped, assaulted and murdered Michael Staton in 2017. Federal authorities filed criminal murder charges against members of a "vile and racist" white supremacist gang that operates in state-run prisons across Alaska, Arizona and Colorado, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday. Six of the alleged members of the 1488 prison gang were indicted for murder, assault, kidnapping and a host of other charges in connection with the brutal beating death of Michael Staton, a member whose Nazi tattoo was burned off his rib cage with a hot knife, according to the indictment. "The defendants allegedly participated in the heinous murder of Michael Staton, with the goal of impressing their vile and racist gang," Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski said in a statement Wednesday. "The Criminal Division is committed to bringing the 1488s to justice,