NSM: VIOLENCE AND SEX OFFENDERS

Neo-Nazi leader, member jailed on parole violations
By Chris Conrad
Mail Tribune
April 30, 2009 6:00 AM
The leader of a statewide National Socialist Movement group based in Phoenix and a fellow member were arrested Wednesday on parole violations stemming from past felonies.

Andrew Lee Patterson, 30, is on parole until November 2011 for attacking two homeless men and an East Indian motel owner in 2003. According to court records, during the homeless attack he called the men ''a disgrace to the white race."

Though it was not immediately available why Patterson was jailed Wednesday, he was ordered not to have any contact or association with gang members or be involved in any gang activity. In addition, he was barred from possessing any gang-related paraphernalia which advocates hate or violence toward others

Patterson made news last week when he agreed to an interview with the Mail Tribune during which he described his neo-Nazi beliefs, which include holocaust denial and demanding illegal immigrants be deported so the white race does not become extinct.

During an interview with a Mail Tribune reporter last week, he suggested that his parole officer most likely was going to place him in jail for having contact with other neo-Nazis.

Patterson and a small group of followers held Nazi-themed flags Sunday along Main Street in Phoenix. More than 100 people lined the street across from the neo-Nazis in protest.

Also jailed was 22-year-old Levi Dale Lucas, a convicted sex offender. Lucas was stopped by police April 20 as he and other members distributed fliers in the parking lot of Red Robin in honor of Hilter's birthday. No laws were violated, but police worried about the possibility of violence. Lucas has convictions for first-degree sexual abuses, failure to register as a sex offender and criminal mischief.

The Southern Poverty and Law Center points to the national immigration debate, the worsening recession, and Barack Obama's presidency as having fueled recent growth in the number of hate groups in America.

Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security issued a report warning that right-wing extremist groups, including white supremacists, have boosted recruiting and mobilizing efforts.

Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4471; or e-mail cconrad@mailtribune.com.

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