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twitterImprisoned white supremacist denied liver transplant
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009 | 3:19 p.m.
The Aryan Warriors' reputed leader in Nevada, Ronald "Joey" Sellers (shown in his 1991 booking mug), is serving a life sentence.
Sun Archives
- Lawyers seek liver transplant for Aryan Warrior (8-18-09)
- 5 Aryan Warriors prison gang members found guilty (7-6-09)
- Aryan Warriors meth cook gets 11 years (11-26-2008)
- Aryan Warrior prison gang leader sentenced to more than 16 years (9-17-2008)
- Lockdown hell (9-19-2008)
- Feds may race Grim Reaper in gang case (7-31-2008)
- Aryan Warriors threaten violence (6-6-2008)
A federal court judge today denied a request from an imprisoned white supremacist to receive a liver transplant.
Defense attorneys for Ronald "Joey" Sellers, the reputed leader of the Aryan Warriors prison gang, said the transplant was necessary to save his life.
Judge Kent Dawson said two hospitals have considered placing Sellers, 41, on a transplant list but found it was unnecessary.
The University of Southern California Norris Cancer Hospital did not accept Sellers as a transplant candidate and the USC Medical Center examined Sellers and determined he was "not sick enough" to warrant a transplant, federal prosecutors wrote in opposing the procedure.
His attorneys first tried to have the court order the U.S. Marshals Service to add his name to a donor list in December. Sellers' counsel now says he needs a transplant as soon as it can be arranged.
Sellers has cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C, which he claims he acquired about 10-12 years ago from unsanitary conditions in the Nevada State Prison in Ely, according to court documents. Sellers also has a fist-size hernia and is in constant pain requiring medication.
In their opposition, prosecutors wrote that Sellers is receiving treatment. Attorneys for Sellers declined to comment following today's hearing.
Sellers is the last of 14 defendants to be tried on federal racketeering charges. The gang operates throughout the Nevada prison system to corrupt guards, distribute narcotics and uses violence, according to court records. The others pleaded guilty or were convicted earlier this year.
Sellers also faces a murder charge for the slaying of inmate Anthony Beltran in 2006 in the state prison in Ely.
He is imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution at Terminal Island in Southern California. His trial is on hold while prosecutors weigh options of going through the complicated death penalty process for a man who may not survive his trial.
Discussion: 27 comments so far…
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This criminal has no redeeming value. Save the transplants for those who will do some good.
Why give this guy a liver transplant? People like him should be exterminated instead of jailed so America doesn't have to waste more tax dollars on worthless life forms such as him.
Obviously death panels do exist as part of government run health care...
He didn't get HEP C in prison from unclean conditions...He found himself a "boyfriend" inside(or the boyfriend found him) who was already infected. Save the liver for a worthy soul.
I agree he should not get a liver, but I wonder if the State decision would be the same if he were Black, Mexican, Arab etc., or would the pressure from the ACLU, Jesse, Rev. Al etc. have gotten to them?
Give me a break, tennis. This is guy is a waste. Save your racial hate to a topic that is appropriate. (How can you bring other ethnic backgrounds to this conversation?)
Mr. Cortez,
I agree that he is a waste, and just asking the question does NOT equal "racial hate". Come on man, you know darn well what I said was true. Nothing racial about it, just a double standard!!!
I think prisoners should get nothing but a cot and 3 squares......but I agree 100% with tennis....if the shoe was on the other foot, I dont know if the decison would be the same...the so called rev's Jackson and Sharpton would bring out thier goon squads to protest etc.....the Anti Christ Liberal Union (ACLU) would bring their ungly head into it as well....and if you want to talk racial hate cortz....just look at the backrounds of the above mentioned people/group
His criminal background is irrelevant.
His race would not make any difference.
Pressure from outside sources would not matter.
The Transplant Center decides, based on your medical
condition and your prospects for survival.
Period.
He did not get Hep C from "unsanitary conditions". My guess is he was shooting dope with a unsanitary needle. Hep C is transferred thru blood.
You cannot get hepatitis C from casual contact such as hugging, kissing, sneezing, coughing, or sharing food or water with someone. You can get hepatitis C if you come into contact with the blood of someone who has hepatitis C.
The most common way to get hepatitis C is by sharing needles and other equipment (such as cotton, spoons, and water) used to inject illegal drugs.
Before 1992, people could get hepatitis C through blood transfusions and organ transplants. Since 1992, all donated blood and organs are screened for hepatitis C, so it is now rare to get the virus this way.
Experts are not sure whether you can get hepatitis C through sexual contact. If there is a risk of getting the virus through sexual contact, it is very small.If you live with someone who has hepatitis C or you know someone with hepatitis C, you generally do not need to worry about getting the disease. You can help protect yourself by not sharing anything that may have blood on it, such as razors, toothbrushes, and nail clippers.
www.webmd.com
As for a liver transplant they do not give transplants to people who have used drugs or have abused alcohol.
You are probably wondering how I know this and the answer is I have experienced it threw a family member.
Good. Just tell the idiot the only livers they have are from African American donors.
Good information from pumpkin52 on Hep C.
I also have a family member with Hep C who had a transplant.
They will give a transplant to someone who has used drugs and/or
alcohol, providing they have been clean for at least a year. The transplant
center gives random drug tests to former users who are on the
waiting list. Fail a test, you're kicked off the list.
Many centers require obese patients to lose weight before they can
be listed. They are concerned with saving patients, but also making sure that
a valuable resource (the donated liver) is not wasted.
We have to save the liver transplants and other organ transplants for the illegal aliens.
This guy is in prison, he does not need a liver. Give a liver transplant to someone who is NOT in jail and is a LEGAL citizen of the United States. Thanks.
I'm sure if he were allowed to vote, the Republicans would save him.
I didnt even know Ron Paul was sick. LOL
Good. Just tell the idiot the only livers they have are from African American donors.
-----------------------------------------------------
LOLOLOLOLOLOL!! I like Lenny V's comment. That would have been "karmic".
so howd' this guy get over 2 usc for the check-up
Hey, he's serving a life sentence. If he dies without the transplant, then his term is ended. I just hope the we don't send him to Lybia with the convicted Pan-Am bomber.
No need to waste a transplant on this garbage. Let nature take it's course. We will not miss him.
OK so it's agreed; "Joey" doesn't need to cost us more money.
"Joey" come on' what kind of a warriors name is that?
Oh that's right he's a (Aryan Warrior) not a UFC fighter.
Joey, my friend's Mom used to call him that when we were little kids so grow up dude and drop the "Y" even though its probably Josephine to his cellmate Bubba that's probably so black the brothers can't compete.
And to these attorneys if there being paid with tax dollars "Your Fired" go find another loser to waste your time and our dollars on.
Give him a liver from some "Yom Kipper" dude and tell him about it later.
If he is in prison for for life, he ain't no MORAL SAINT, screw him, let him die in prison....
JS
It warms my heart to see due process in gear. I am on the donor list, but my second hand goods are kind of Goodwill, instead of Nieman Marcus. I have one good eye, and (the last time I checked) most of my limbs. I don't drool.... much, so let them have at it. In some prisons, he would be harvested. On a personal note, I got beat up by a skinhead, I am lacking compassion, cause the suspect looks very similar to this guy in the picture. I was checking on neighbors apt, when I was followed and attacked. It was at night. I could not identify him. He was wearing a hood.I do recognize his voice, but it's not enough for the cops to charge him with anything. I went to the hospital, via ambulance. Anyway, I left my liver in San Francisco, and I know where to go for a cash for clunkers organ; Shanghai. However, I might get some liver, that should have been with the original owner. Where is that milk thistle?
He's a white supremacist, I'm sure he got hep c from prison tattoos! He's probably all marked up.
Also, even if he gets a new liver, he'll still have hep c. Won't the hep c just kill the next liver anyways?
The guy sounds like he's puke but I bet If he was an African-American they would give him the transplant.
This guy needs a 45 caliber enema!