Curtis Allgier, the white supremacist accused of killing a corrections officer on campus Monday, has a history of run-ins with the law and involvement with Aryan gangs.
Allgier is covered with tattoos symbolizing his commitment to Aryan brotherhood. A swastika and the words “skin head” are among the many tattoos on his face.
Allgier’s particular affiliation is with a gang called Aryan Empire Warriors, said Jack Ford, a spokesperson for the Utah Department of Corrections.
In a sentencing memorandum from a November 2006 trial where Allgier was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm, his defender, Kristen Angelos, said Allgier “was introduced to a criminal mindset by his family while still a very young child.”
The document says that during his formative years Allgier was exposed to the mindset of a white supremacist, and that he simply followed the example of family members.
“Mr. Allgier had no other route than to follow his parents. As such, a downward departure is warranted,” she said.
However, according to The Salt Lake Tribune, Allgier’s sisters say that he didn’t learn his racist philosophy growing up and that their family isn’t racist. They also said Allgier’s boyhood heroes included black celebrities and that he adopted racist beliefs in prison.
Despite Allgier’s connection with an Aryan gang, he has never been charged with a hate crime.
Ford said Allgier was convicted of burglary and forgery in Logan in 2000. Several other criminal offenses followed.
According to court documents, after already serving time in prison, Allgier was paroled in October 2006. In November 2006 he was again sent back to jail after being charged with criminal possession of a 9 mm handgun. Judge Paul G. Cassell sentenced Allgier to a maximum of 104 months in jail with supervised release in 36 months.
Allgier’s November 2006 arrest came after he skipped parole. According to the Associated Press, he was arrested in a Midvale hotel after barricading himself in a room where he cut a hole in the ceiling and attempted to escape through the attic. He fell through the attic floor and into another room, at which point he was arrested.
According to the Salt Lake County Prisoner Information Center, Allgier will face numerous charges for Monday’s shooting and subsequent chase, including homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault by a prisoner and theft.
