Paradise man sentenced to life in prison for murder in aid fraud case | News

SACRAMENTO, California. – Jason Corbett, a 52-year-old Paradise man, was sentenced today to life in prison for aiding and abetting murder and felony racketeering, according to the California Department of Justice.

According to court documents, between 2011 and 2016, members and associates of the Aryan Brotherhood (AB) were involved in criminal activity and committed multiple crimes, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and drug trafficking. AB members oversaw a significant heroin and methamphetamine trafficking operation from their California prison cells and used smuggled cell phones to direct drug trafficking, order murders, and monitor other criminal activities inside and outside of prisons.

According to Corbett's plea agreement, on July 28, 2018, Corbett murdered an inmate at High Desert Prison as part of an AB-related murder. Corbett admitted that he committed the murder because the victim falsely claimed to be an AB member and had accumulated significant drug debt at his previous prison – both violations of the AB's expected code of conduct. According to the California Department of Justice, Corbett murdered the victim willfully, intentionally, and with premeditation to maintain his status within the gang.

On January 3, 2024, Corbett's co-defendant in the murder, Pat Brady, 54, pleaded guilty to the same murder on a charge of aiding and abetting organized crime. He was sentenced to life in prison on August 5, 2024.

In April 2024, after a nine-week trial, a federal court jury found three of Corbett's co-defendants guilty of RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder, murder in support of organized crime, and multiple counts of drug trafficking. Ronald Yandell, 62, and Billy Sylvester, 56, are scheduled to be sentenced on November 19, 2024. Danny Troxell, 71, will be sentenced on a date to be set by the court.

During a status conference today, Kathleen Nolan, 70, of Calimesa pleaded guilty to her involvement in the drug trafficking conspiracy with AB members and associates. Her sentencing is scheduled for December 17. Charges are pending against Kevin MacNamara, 44, of La Palma. The charges against him are merely allegations.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Vallejo Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, El Dorado County District Attorney's Office, and Nevada County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, Ross Pearson, and David Spencer are prosecuting the case.