Convicted Cross-Burner Indicted on Federal Gun Charges

       Montgomery, Alabama – Steven Joshua Dinkle, 30, a former Exalted Cyclops of the Ozark, Alabama chapter of the International Keystone Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), was arraigned in federal court on March 22, 2016 on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced George L. Beck, Jr., United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.  The arraignment follows an indictment by a federal grand jury earlier this month.  

       Dinkle was previously convicted in May of 2014 of several federal felonies surrounding the burning of a cross in a predominantly black neighborhood.  Dinkle served his sentence for the convictions and was released in May of 2015.   While on supervised release from May to August 2015, Dinkle was cited for multiple violations of the terms of his probation, including possession of a firearm, and his probation was revoked.  He is still in Bureau of Prison custody following the probation revocation. 

       This past Tuesday, Dinkle entered a plea of not guilty to allegations that he possessed a firearm while he was on supervised release following the 2014 felony convictions. Federal law makes it a crime for anyone who has been convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm, unless they have had their gun rights restored.

       An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  Dinkle faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment if convicted.

       This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the United States Probation Office, and the Dale County Sheriff’s Office.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Redmond.