Hate-crimes crackdown

Two Utah men and the leader of a national white supremacist organization who is a former Utahn have been indicted by a federal grand jury on hate-crimes charges.

Shaun A. Walker, the leader of the West Virginia-based National Alliance, is accused of taking part in the December 2002 beating of a Mexican-American man outside O'Shucks bar in Salt Lake City. He is also accused of involvement in the beating of a Native American man outside the Port O' Call bar in March 2003.

Along with 38-year-old Walker, Travis Massey, 29, and Eric Egbert, 21, both of Salt Lake City, were charged with federal civil rights violations in connection with beatings involving "non-whites." Federal prosecutors contend the beatings were part of a campaign to make minorities afraid to appear in public, work or even live in Salt Lake City.

"The acts alleged in this indictment are senseless," said Tim Fuhrman, the special agent-in-charge of the FBI's Salt Lake City office. "Individuals were assaulted merely because of the color of their skin and ethnic background."

On Friday, Massey and Egbert both entered pleas of not guilty to the charges in U.S. District Court. A detention hearing has been scheduled for next Tuesday. Federal officials say Walker, who was taken into federal custody at the National Alliance's compound in West Virginia, has been put aboard a U.S. marshal's air transport and will appear in federal court in Utah to enter his plea.

If convicted of the two felony charges filed against them, the men face up to 10 years in federal prison for each charge. There is no parole in the federal system.

FBI agents said Walker grew up in Utah before going on to lead what some consider one of the most well-organized, well-funded and dangerous white supremacist groups in the country.

The National Alliance has gained notoriety in Utah for blanketing homes with fliers espousing a pro-white agenda. The group also purchased a billboard in 2004 outside Salt Lake Community College at 1700 South and State, proclaiming "Securing the Future for European Americans." The billboards prompted a backlash from the community.

Attempts to reach the National Alliance for comment on Friday were unsuccessful.

Massey has said he is the National Alliance's "local unit coordinator" for Utah. In a 2004 interview on KSL TV, Massey denied the National Alliance was a hate group.

"We're not a hate organization, we're not a white supremacist group. We're simply looking out for the best interests of white Americans," Massey said at the time.