"The attorney, Todd Leras, said in court Wednesday that law enforcement has warned him several times of risks to his life brought about by an alleged murder plot hatched behind bars, including an allegation that a hitman working for the Aryan Brotherhood was assigned to travel to Sacramento on the same day Leras was presenting closing arguments for his client in a racketeering case."
"In a statement to this news organization, Leras a former federal prosecutor who ran for Sacramento County DA in 2014 praised the outstanding work by U.S. Marshals to keep him safe but lamented that they were first informed of this threat in June, 13 months after it was first made. Most defense attorneys feel their safety is not taken as seriously as the safety of prosecutors, Leras said. We're the ones who are much more in harm's way."
Members of the Aryan Brotherhood allegedly plotted to assassinate criminal defense lawyer Todd Leras while he represented a high-ranking gang member, with the conspiracy revealed during a court hearing. Law enforcement warned Leras several times about risks to his life, including an allegation that a gang hitman was assigned to come to Sacramento on the day Leras presented closing arguments in a racketeering case. The hearing included a heated exchange between Leras and Senior U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller, who noted an attempted attack on a federal prosecutor. Leras praised U.S. Marshals for protection but said authorities learned of the threat 13 months after it formed. Prosecutors report other Aryan Brotherhood plots and convictions extending the gang's reach beyond prison.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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