High-Ranking Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Member Sentenced

A high-ranking member of an infamous Texas gang has been sentenced for his crimes.

Steven Walter Cooke, also known as “Stainless,” pleaded guilty last March to racketeering aggravated assault for his role in the beating of an Aryan Brotherhood of Texas prospective member.

The 48-year-old Cooke has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison, which will run concurrent with a life sentence for his role in a 2008 Liberty County, Texas, homicide.

Cooke was one of the leaders of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, a race-based, statewide organization that operates inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout the country.

Cooke, along with 11 other ABT members, beat the prospective member for violating their rules of conduct, causing serious bodily injury.

Eleven of the 12 co-defendants have pleaded guilty to violent crimes in aid of racketeering aggravated assault, and the 12^th gang member, David Harlow, was found guilty at trial last march. Harlow received a 10-year prison sentence.