FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                        CRT

OCTOBER 22, 2008                                                        (202) 514-2007

WWW.USDOJ.GOV                                                                  TDD (202) 514-1888

U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Northern District of Illinois

Patrick J. Fitzgerald
United States Attorney

Federal Building
219 South Dearborn Street, 5th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 353-5300

PRESS CONTACTS:
AUSA Michael Ferrara (312) 886-7649
Randall Samborn (312) 353-5318
www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln

SELF-PROCLAIMED WHITE SUPREMACIST WILLIAM WHITE INDICTED
FOR ALLEGEDLY SOLICITING VIOLENCE AGAINST HALE JURY FOREPERSON

CHICAGO-A self-proclaimed white-supremacist who was arrested last week in Roanoke, Va., was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Chicago for allegedly soliciting injury to the foreperson of a federal trial jury in Chicago that convicted another white-supremacist in 2004, federal law enforcement officials announced today. The defendant, William White, was indicted on one count of solicitation, the same charge that was filed against him in a criminal complaint that led to his arrest last Friday, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

White, 31, also known as "Bill White," of Roanoke, remains in federal custody without bond in Roanoke pending transfer to Chicago to face prosecution. He was scheduled to appear at 3:30 p.m. today (Eastern Time) in Federal Court in Roanoke. No date has been set yet for him to appear in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

According to the indictment, White created and maintained a website, "Overthrow.com," which was publicly accessible on the Internet. The website purported to be affiliated with the "American National Socialist Workers Party" (ANSWP), and claimed the organization was comprised of a "convergence of former [white supremacy] 'movement' activists who grew disgusted with the general garbage that 'the movement' has attracted and who formed the ANSWP under the Command of Bill White." Members of the ANSWP were described as "National Socialists...who fight for white working people."

Between Sept. 11 and Oct. 11, 2008, White allegedly used the website to solicit another person to injure Juror A on account of Juror A's role as the foreperson of the jury that convicted Matthew Hale, the leader of a white-supremacist organization known as the World Church of the Creator, who was found guilty and sentenced to 40 years in prison for soliciting the murder of a federal judge in Chicago.

The indictment alleges that as part of the solicitation, inducement and endeavor to persuade a person to use, attempt to use or threaten the use of force against Juror A, White caused derogatory comments and personal information about Juror A, including Juror A's home address and phone numbers, to be posted on the Overthrow.com website on September 11. The solicitation allegedly occurred under circumstances strongly corroborating White's intent that another person engage in criminal conduct using, attempting to use or threatening the use of force against Juror A.

White allegedly was aware that individuals associated with the white-supremacist movement, who were the target audience of his website, at times engaged in acts of violence, directed at non-whites, Jews, gays and persons perceived by white-supremacists as acting contrary to their interests.

Prior to the alleged solicitation against Juror A, White on multiple occasions allegedly caused postings to the website disclosed what purported to be the home address and/or personal identifying information of individuals who were targets of criticism on the Internet. Certain of these postings during the same time period expressed White's desire that acts of violence be committed against these specific individuals, including author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, individuals known as the "Jena 6" and a Canadian civil rights lawyer.

The Government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ferrara. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Roanoke is providing local assistance.

If convicted, White faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Court, however, would determine the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.