August Kreis III
Encyclopedia
August Kreis III is a neo-Nazi leader. Kreis has been a member of the Ku Klux Klan
(KKK), Posse Comitatus and Aryan Nations
.
high school. It was during his high school days that he became interested and active in the white supremacy
movement. He served in the U.S Navy for nine months aboard a vessel off the coast of Vietnam
, but was discharged early "based on a determination that he was not suited for military service." He then spent 13 years as a member of the KKK eventually becoming a leader and subsequently joined the Posse Comitatus in the late 1980s.
In 1994 and 1995 Kreis and his two daughters appeared on The Jerry Springer Show
and on one episode show host Jerry Springer
kicked Kreis off his show for making threats, and calling his mother a lampshade.
In 1999 Kreis joined the Aryan Nations. After the death of Aryan Nations leader Richard Girnt Butler
, in a power struggle, Kreis assumed leadership positions in the Aryan Nations, which caused a split in the organization.
Kreis is known locally for harassing neighbors and townspeople with whom he disagrees. Police have lodged numerous charges, but he has yet to be convicted of any. After a divorce from his first wife, he was barred from contacting her.
In 2005 he received media attention by seeking an Aryan Nations-al Qaeda alliance. CNN reported that "So while August Kreis may be calling, there is no sign that al Qaeda is listening." His statements raised federal concerns about violations of law which caused the government to look closely at his activities and finances. The federal government concluded he had no link with any terrorist organization. The government, however, in the process discovered “substantial unreported funds” going into his bank accounts with more than $33,000 in unreported income in 2005.
Even though he only spent a short time in the Navy because he served during wartime Kreis received an “improved pension” based on financial need, which is adjusted based on income. In 2009, he moved from Potter County, Pennsylvania
to Lexington, South Carolina
, near Union City, Tennessee
.
In June 2011, Kreis was arrested in Obion County, Tennessee for "felony charges for filing fraudulent statements in an effort to obtain veterans benefits." According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, "The indictment alleges that Kreis provided false information about whether he had any income in reports that he submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs
." Previously he had refused to surrender when the charges were filed. He was held in a federal detention center.
In August 2011, he pled guilty to lying to Veterans Administration officials to get pension money he was not entitled to and faces a possible five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
(KKK), Posse Comitatus and Aryan Nations
Aryan Nations
Aryan Nations is a white supremacist religious organization originally based in Hayden Lake, Idaho. Richard Girnt Butler founded the group in the 1970s, as an arm of the Christian Identity organization Church of Jesus Christ–Christian...
.
Biography
Before joining radical groups, Kreis dropped out of a Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
high school. It was during his high school days that he became interested and active in the white supremacy
White supremacy
White supremacy is the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds. The term is sometimes used specifically to describe a political ideology that advocates the social and political dominance by whites.White supremacy, as with racial...
movement. He served in the U.S Navy for nine months aboard a vessel off the coast of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, but was discharged early "based on a determination that he was not suited for military service." He then spent 13 years as a member of the KKK eventually becoming a leader and subsequently joined the Posse Comitatus in the late 1980s.
In 1994 and 1995 Kreis and his two daughters appeared on The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show
The Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
and on one episode show host Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
kicked Kreis off his show for making threats, and calling his mother a lampshade.
In 1999 Kreis joined the Aryan Nations. After the death of Aryan Nations leader Richard Girnt Butler
Richard Girnt Butler
Richard Girnt Butler was an American aerospace engineer for Lockheed, who later became the leader of the Christian Identity white supremacist group Aryan Nations.-Biography:...
, in a power struggle, Kreis assumed leadership positions in the Aryan Nations, which caused a split in the organization.
Kreis is known locally for harassing neighbors and townspeople with whom he disagrees. Police have lodged numerous charges, but he has yet to be convicted of any. After a divorce from his first wife, he was barred from contacting her.
In 2005 he received media attention by seeking an Aryan Nations-al Qaeda alliance. CNN reported that "So while August Kreis may be calling, there is no sign that al Qaeda is listening." His statements raised federal concerns about violations of law which caused the government to look closely at his activities and finances. The federal government concluded he had no link with any terrorist organization. The government, however, in the process discovered “substantial unreported funds” going into his bank accounts with more than $33,000 in unreported income in 2005.
Even though he only spent a short time in the Navy because he served during wartime Kreis received an “improved pension” based on financial need, which is adjusted based on income. In 2009, he moved from Potter County, Pennsylvania
Potter County, Pennsylvania
Potter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is in the Allegheny Plateau region. As of 2010, the population was 17,457. Its county seat is Coudersport. Potter County was named after James Potter, who was a general from Pennsylvania in the Continental Army during the...
to Lexington, South Carolina
Lexington, South Carolina
Lexington is a town in and the county seat of Lexington County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 17,870 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lexington is located at ....
, near Union City, Tennessee
Union City, Tennessee
Union City is a city in Obion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,876 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Obion County. The name comes from its location at the union of two railroads, one running roughly east-west and the other roughly north-south...
.
In June 2011, Kreis was arrested in Obion County, Tennessee for "felony charges for filing fraudulent statements in an effort to obtain veterans benefits." According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, "The indictment alleges that Kreis provided false information about whether he had any income in reports that he submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans Affairs may refer to:*Department of Veterans' Affairs, Australia*United States Department of Veterans Affairs*Veterans Affairs Canada*Ministry of Patriots' and Veterans' Affairs...
." Previously he had refused to surrender when the charges were filed. He was held in a federal detention center.
In August 2011, he pled guilty to lying to Veterans Administration officials to get pension money he was not entitled to and faces a possible five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
External links
- Kreis faction of Aryan Nations website
- White Supremacist Pleads Guilty in Veterans Affairs Pension Case, FBI Press Release
- Anti-Defamation League listing for Aryan Nations
- Southern Poverty Law Center article
- Anti-Defamation League article on Aryan Nations and the Internet
- Rick Ross article on Aryan Nations succession