Top 5 Most Dangerous Prisoners Inside United States Penitentiary Canaan

Vidello Productions

Today we discover the dark secrets hidden within the walls of United States Penitentiary Canaan, one of the most notorious federal prisons in the United States and check out some of its most dangerous prisoners.   💬 COMMENT below and let us know what you think!   #USPCanaan #MostDangerousPrisoners #TrueCrime #PrisonLife #criminaljustice   ✏️ Vidello Content Guarantee ✏️   We guarantee that the work you see on this channel is unique, original and created completely by ourselves in a professional recording studio using Sony Vegas 11, this also includes thumbnail images which are created in Photoshop Elements 11.   💬 SOCIAL MEDIA 💬   Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Videllopro  Twitter - https://twitter.com/William84781787  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vidello/  Medium - https://vidello.medium.com/

Transcript

00:00Costing $141 million to build, United States Penitentiary Canaan holds some of Pennsylvania's most dangerous inmates,

00:08housed behind a double electric fence and some segregated in the prison's special housing unit,

00:15reserved for only the most dangerous prisoners.

00:18Welcome to the top 5 most dangerous prisoners serving time inside USP Canaan.

00:24Make sure to comment down below if you think I missed anything,

00:27and throw a like on the video if you enjoy these long-form videos.

00:32Number 5. Benjamin Arellano Felix

00:35Benjamin Arellano Felix, known by the alias El Min or El Señor,

00:42was once one of Mexico's most powerful drug lords, leading the notorious Tijuana cartel,

00:48also known as the Arellano Felix Organisation or AFO.

00:53For decades, he and his brothers commanded a violent empire that controlled a significant portion of the drug flow,

01:01particularly cocaine and marijuana, from Mexico into the United States.

01:06His reign, marked by extreme violence, widespread corruption and vast wealth,

01:11eventually culminated in his capture and incarceration, bringing a symbolic end to an era of cartel dominance.

01:19Born on March 12, 1952, in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico,

01:25Benjamin Arellano Felix, along with his six brothers and four sisters,

01:31inherited a burgeoning criminal enterprise in 1989 from their uncle Miguel Ángel Felix Galardo,

01:40a prominent figure in the Guadalajara cartel.

01:42The Arellano Felix brothers quickly transformed their inheritance into a formidable organisation,

01:50establishing their stronghold in Tijuana and Mexicali,

01:55strategically positioned border cities critical for drug trafficking into California.

02:01Benjamin, often described as the businessman of the family,

02:04provided the strategic direction and management for the cartel's intricate operations.

02:10The AFO became infamous for its ruthless tactics,

02:14including kidnappings, torture, beheadings and assassinations,

02:19ensuring its control over trafficking routes and eliminating rivals.

02:23They were also known for their elaborate bribery schemes,

02:27reportedly spending millions per week to corrupt Mexican politicians and law enforcement officials,

02:34which allowed them to operate with a degree of impunity for many years.

02:38By 1998, the Arellano brothers were under indictment in the US for drug trafficking,

02:45and Benjamin himself was sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury

02:49under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act in 2000,

02:55effectively freezing any assets he held in the US

03:00and prohibiting US citizens and companies from doing business with him.

03:05One particularly high-profile incident that brought international scrutiny to the AFO

03:10was the 1993 murder of Cardinal Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo,

03:17in which Benjamin was implicated.

03:19Although he attempted to clear his name and adopted false identities,

03:23he continued to evade capture for years.

03:26The long and relentless pursuit of Benjamin Arellano Felix by US and Mexican authorities

03:31eventually bore fruit.

03:34A critical breakthrough came when US DEA agents discovered that Benjamin's eldest daughter

03:39had a rare and recognisable facial deformity,

03:44a detail that provided a crucial soft spot for investigators.

03:49By tracing her, they were able to pinpoint her father's location.

03:53On March 9th, 2002, Benjamin Arellano Felix was arrested by the Mexican army in Puebla, Mexico.

04:03At the time of his capture, there was a $2 million USD bounty on his head.

04:08His arrest marked a significant victory in the ongoing fight against drug cartels,

04:13and was a major blow to the Tijuana cartel,

04:16which had long terrorised the US-Mexico border region.

04:20Following his arrest, Benjamin Arellano Felix spent several years incarcerated in Mexico.

04:26After years of legal appeals, he was finally extradited to the United States

04:30on April 29th, 2011,

04:34to face a myriad of charges related to drug trafficking in California.

04:39On January 4th, 2012,

04:42Benjamin Arellano Felix pleaded guilty in a US district court in San Diego

04:47to racketeering and conspiracy to launder money.

04:51On April 2nd, 2012,

04:54he was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison

04:57by US district judge Larry A. Burns.

05:00The court also ordered him to forfeit $100 million in criminal proceeds.

05:06During his sentencing,

05:07prosecutors argued that while Benjamin Arellano Felix

05:10may not have personally carried out all the violent acts,

05:13he was the ultimate decision-maker and orchestrator

05:17of the AFO's extensive criminal operations.

05:21This included the importation of hundreds of tonnes of cocaine and marijuana

05:24and the ordering of numerous kidnappings and murders.

05:28Judge Burns denied Benjamin's request

05:31to credit the nine years he had already spent in Mexican custody

05:34toward his US sentence,

05:37stating that the Mexican incarceration was for different crimes

05:41and under a different legal system.

05:44He was more recently transferred to USP Lee

05:46with a projected release date of April 28th, 2032.

05:52Number 4. Stephen Crayer

05:54Stephen L. Crayer,

05:56better known as Stevie Wonder,

05:59or simply Stevie,

06:00was a prominent figure within the notorious Lucchese crime family,

06:05one of New York City's infamous five families

06:08of La Cosa Nostra.

06:10For decades, Crayer rose through the ranks,

06:13primarily building his power base in the Bronx

06:16and specialising in labour racketeering

06:19within the lucrative construction industry.

06:22His criminal career,

06:23marked by a history of illicit dealings

06:26and ultimately a conviction for murder and racketeering,

06:30culminated in a life sentence,

06:32effectively ending his long association with the mafia.

06:35Born on July 18th, 1947,

06:39Stephen Crayer grew up in the Bronx,

06:42a borough with deep ties to organised crime.

06:45He began his ascent in the late 1970s,

06:48establishing himself in the construction rehab industry.

06:52Early on,

06:53Crayer forged a close working relationship

06:55with Vincent Di Napoli,

06:57a maid member of the Genovese crime family,

07:02engaging in projects funded by the Department of Housing

07:05and Urban Development

07:07through the South East Bronx Community Organisation.

07:12These early ventures allowed Crayer's drywall companies

07:15to secure millions of dollars in construction contracts,

07:19laying the groundwork for his future illicit enterprises.

07:23By the early 1980s,

07:26Crayer was formally inducted into the Lucchese crime family

07:29under then-boss Antony Corralo.

07:33When Di Napoli was imprisoned in 1983,

07:36Crayer took full control of their construction business with Sebco,

07:40further solidifying his position.

07:43His rise continued in 1990 when Victor Amuso,

07:47the Lucchese family boss,

07:49promoted Crayer to captain of a Bronx-based crew.

07:53Crayer quickly distinguished himself

07:55as a specialist in labour racketeering,

07:58gaining control over various unions,

08:01including Carpenters Local 608

08:04and Local 282 of the Cement and Concrete Workers Union.

08:09This control allowed him to extort New York City contractors,

08:13reportedly adding a mob tax

08:15that increased construction costs by as much as 5%.

08:19He also held a no-show job at Inner City Drywall,

08:24one of the city's largest drywall contractors,

08:27a common tactic for siphoning funds from legitimate businesses.

08:32In 1993, while imprisoned,

08:34Vic Amuso elevated Crayer to the influential position

08:38of underboss of the Lucchese family.

08:41This promotion shifted the family's power centre

08:43back to the Bronx and Upper Manhattan crews,

08:45a move that angered the Brooklyn faction

08:49led by former underboss Anthony Casso,

08:52who even plotted to murder Crayer.

08:55However, these plots were thwarted by indictments

08:58that imprisoned Casso's loyalists.

09:01Crayer's criminal activities were not without legal repercussions,

09:05though he managed to evade severe sentences

09:07for a considerable period.

09:09In 1985, he was convicted of conspiracy

09:12to murder a man he believed had assaulted his wife,

09:15but this conviction was overturned in 1987.

09:19In 2000, Crayer, along with other Lucchese figures,

09:23was indicted on racketeering charges,

09:26specifically related to his long-standing control

09:29over the construction industry

09:31through threats, extortion and bribery.

09:34This extensive scheme, which involved bid rigging

09:38and inflating costs, reportedly added millions of dollars

09:41to construction projects throughout New York City.

09:44In 2004, Crayer pleaded guilty to corruption charges

09:48and was sentenced to 34 months in prison.

09:51Despite his previous incarceration,

09:54Crayer returned to a leadership role

09:56within the Lucchese family upon his release.

09:59From 2000 until his arrest in 2017,

10:02he continued to help lead the Lucchese family,

10:06profiting from a wide array of crimes

10:09across New York City, Westchester, Long Island

10:11and New Jersey.

10:13The turning point came with a sweeping indictment

10:15in May 2017,

10:18which charged Crayer and 18 other members

10:21and associates of the Lucchese family

10:23with racketeering, murder, narcotics

10:26and firearms offences.

10:28The indictment highlighted their involvement

10:30in violent acts, including three attempted murders

10:33and multiple assaults,

10:35as well as drug trafficking

10:36and various fraud schemes.

10:38The most serious charge against Crayer

10:40was his role in the 2013 murder

10:43of Michael Meldish.

10:45Meldish, a long-time organised crime associate

10:48whose gang had worked for the Lucchese

10:51and other crime families,

10:53had fallen out of favour

10:54after refusing to collect debts

10:56owed to then-acting boss Matthew Madonna.

10:59After a six-week jury trial,

11:02Stephen Crayer, Matthew Madonna,

11:04Christopher Londonio and Terence Caldwell

11:07were convicted on November 15th, 2019

11:10of murder, racketeering conspiracy

11:13and other felonies.

11:16Crayer was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy,

11:19murder in aid of racketeering,

11:21conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering

11:24and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm

11:28to commit murder.

11:29On August 27th, 2020,

11:32Stephen Crayer, at 73 years old,

11:35was sentenced to life in federal prison

11:37by US District Judge Kathy Seibel.

11:40He was also ordered to pay a $400,000 fine

11:44and forfeit $1 million in criminal proceeds.

11:47Crayer was the last of the dozen maid men

11:50arrested in the 2017 takedown

11:52to be sentenced,

11:54marking a significant victory

11:55for federal prosecutors

11:56in their efforts to dismantle

11:58the Lucchese family's leadership.

12:00Number three,

12:01Chun Yassith.

12:03Born in Cambodia,

12:04Chun Yassith experienced

12:05the profound upheaval

12:07of his country's history,

12:08including the brutal Khmer Rouge regime

12:11and the subsequent Vietnamese invasion.

12:13He fled Cambodia in the early 1980s,

12:16eventually emigrating to the United States in 1982,

12:20where he established a new life

12:22as a tax accountant in Long Beach, California.

12:25Despite his new life,

12:27Chun remained deeply engaged

12:29with Cambodian politics.

12:31In 1988, he returned to Cambodia

12:33and joined the Sam Rainsey Party,

12:36an opposition movement

12:37advocating for democratic change.

12:40However, his disillusionment grew

12:42as he came to believe

12:43that non-violent opposition

12:44was ineffective against

12:45the entrenched government

12:46of Prime Minister Hun Sen,

12:49a former Khmer Rouge commander

12:51who had come to power

12:52after a 1997 coup.

12:55Driven by this conviction in 1998,

12:58Chun Yassith founded

12:59the Cambodian Freedom Fighters, CFF,

13:02a paramilitary group

13:04dedicated to the violent overthrow

13:06of Hun Sen's government.

13:08Operating from a base in Thailand,

13:10Chun, though physically in the US

13:12for much of the time,

13:13directed the group's activities,

13:15fundraising and planning.

13:17The CFF began with a series

13:19of small-scale popcorn attacks,

13:22described as low-level terrorist actions

13:25targeting civilian areas,

13:27which resulted in injuries to civilians

13:30and the deaths of at least

13:31two innocent bystanders.

13:33These actions were a precursor

13:35to their more ambitious plan,

13:37dubbed Operation Volcano.

13:39On November 24, 2000,

13:42Chun Yassith orchestrated

13:44Operation Volcano,

13:46a major assault

13:47on the Cambodian capital

13:49of Phnom Penh.

13:51Around 200 CFF members,

13:53armed with AK-47 rifles,

13:56grenades and rockets,

13:57attacked key government buildings,

14:00including the Ministry of Defence,

14:02the Council of Ministers

14:04and a military headquarters facility.

14:07The attack resulted in several deaths,

14:10including Cambodian police officers

14:12and civilians,

14:13and left more than a dozen severely injured.

14:16Evidence presented during Chun's later trial

14:19revealed the extreme nature of his intentions.

14:23Documents contained handwritten notations

14:25by Chun expressing his desire

14:27to tear Hun Sen apart,

14:29cut their necks,

14:30and send them to hell soon.

14:32His military plans instructed rebels

14:34to look for surviving enemies

14:36very carefully

14:37and take prisoners

14:39or shoot to kill on the spot.

14:41Following the failed coup,

14:43dozens of CFF members

14:44were arrested and jailed in Cambodia.

14:46The Cambodian government

14:48tried Chun in absentia,

14:50and on June 22, 2001,

14:53the Cambodian Criminal Court

14:54found him guilty

14:55and sentenced him to life in prison

14:57for conspiring to commit terrorism.

15:00An international Interpol warrant

15:02was issued for his arrest.

15:04Despite the Cambodian conviction,

15:06Chun Yaseeth remained in the United States,

15:09continuing to advocate for his cause.

15:11However, U.S. authorities,

15:13upholding principles of international neutrality

15:15and the prevention of violent acts

15:18against foreign governments,

15:20began their own investigation.

15:23In June 2005,

15:25Chun Yaseeth was indicted in the U.S.

15:27on charges related to his role

15:30in the 2000 attack.

15:32He was arrested at his home

15:34in Long Beach, California.

15:35The charges against him

15:36included conspiracy to kill

15:38in a foreign country,

15:40conspiracy to destroy property

15:41in a foreign country,

15:43conspiracy to violate the Neutrality Act,

15:45and conspiracy to use

15:47a weapon of mass destruction.

15:49In addition to these charges,

15:51Chun Yaseeth and his wife,

15:53Pech Sras,

15:54were also indicted on charges

15:56of running a fraudulent tax preparation business

15:59in Long Beach,

16:00targeting members of the Cambodian community

16:03on welfare.

16:04After a 10-day trial

16:05in a U.S. federal court in Los Angeles,

16:08Chun Yaseeth was convicted by a jury

16:11on April 17, 2008,

16:13of all four felony counts

16:15related to the coup attempt.

16:17Prosecutors emphasized

16:18that the U.S. cannot allow its citizens

16:21or residents to plan

16:22and execute violent attacks

16:24against foreign governments,

16:27as such actions have broad

16:28international and political ramifications.

16:31On June 22, 2010,

16:34Chun Yaseeth was sentenced

16:35by U.S. District Judge

16:37Dean D. Prigason

16:38to life in federal prison

16:40without the possibility of parole.

16:42The court found sufficient evidence

16:44to conclude that Chun

16:45had the intent to murder his enemies

16:47and rejected his pleas for leniency,

16:51specifically noting

16:52that his actions led

16:53to the deaths of innocent people.

16:55The conviction and sentence

16:56were upheld

16:57by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

16:59in 2014.

17:01Number two,

17:02Charles Carneglia.

17:04Carneglia grew up in Queens, New York,

17:07and along with his brother,

17:08John Carneglia,

17:09became deeply embedded

17:11in the criminal underworld.

17:13The brothers operated a junkyard

17:14in East New York, Brooklyn,

17:16which reportedly served as a hub

17:18for various illicit activities,

17:21including drug trafficking,

17:23disassembling stolen cars,

17:25and, most chillingly,

17:27as a clandestine burial ground

17:29for mob victims.

17:31It was alleged that

17:32John Carneglia would even remove

17:34jewellery from corpses

17:36before dissolving them in acid,

17:38keeping the items

17:39as macabre trophies.

17:41Charles Carneglia's reputation

17:43for violence

17:44and his willingness

17:45to commit unspeakable acts

17:48quickly caught the attention

17:49of John Gotti,

17:50a rising star

17:52within the Gambino family.

17:54During the 1970s,

17:56Carneglia became

17:57a trusted confidant

17:58and a key member

18:00of Gotti's inner circle

18:01of hitmen.

18:02In 1976,

18:04Gelb,

18:04a Brooklyn criminal court officer,

18:06was murdered

18:07just four days

18:08before he was scheduled

18:09to testify against

18:11Carneglia

18:12in a gun case.

18:14Gelb had previously

18:15arrested Carneglia

18:16for weapons possession

18:17after a struggle.

18:19Prosecutors alleged

18:20Carneglia's direct involvement

18:22in Gelb's assassination.

18:24Carneglia was later

18:26convicted of stabbing

18:27Michael Cotillo,

18:28a Gambino associate,

18:30during a dispute

18:31between two rival factions

18:33of the Gambino family

18:34outside a Queen's diner.

18:37Another particularly notorious case

18:39involved John Favara,

18:41a neighbour of John Gotti,

18:43who accidentally hit

18:45and killed Gotti's

18:4712-year-old son,

18:48Frank,

18:49with his car.

18:50Federal court papers

18:51filed by prosecutors

18:53alleged that Carneglia

18:55was involved in Favara's

18:57abduction and murder,

18:58with his body

18:59subsequently dissolved

19:01in acid.

19:02Favara's remains

19:03have never been found.

19:05Beyond these murders,

19:06Carneglia was involved

19:08in other murders

19:09and a vast racketeering

19:11conspiracy

19:12that included

19:13drug trafficking,

19:14specifically marijuana

19:15and cocaine,

19:17robbery,

19:17kidnapping

19:18and securities fraud.

19:20His long association

19:21with the Gambino family

19:23meant he participated

19:24in their wide-ranging

19:25criminal enterprises

19:27that exerted

19:28a corrosive influence

19:30on industries

19:30and communities

19:31in New York City.

19:33The long arm of the law

19:34finally caught up

19:35with Charles Carneglia

19:37on February 7th, 2008,

19:40when he was arrested

19:41as part of a massive

19:4262-defendant

19:44takedown

19:44of the Gambino family.

19:46This extensive operation

19:48targeted the very top

19:49echelons of the syndicate,

19:51including its acting boss,

19:53underboss

19:54and consigliere.

19:56Carneglia's trial commenced

19:58and after a six-week

20:00federal jury trial

20:01in Brooklyn,

20:02he was convicted

20:03on March 17th, 2009

20:05of racketeering conspiracy,

20:08which included

20:09the predicate acts

20:10of four murders,

20:12murder conspiracy,

20:13felony murder,

20:14robbery,

20:15kidnapping,

20:16drug trafficking

20:17and securities fraud.

20:19A crucial piece

20:20of evidence against him

20:21came from Kevin McMahon,

20:23an individual

20:24whom John Carneglia

20:26had unofficially adopted

20:27as a child

20:28and who later

20:29became a Gambino associate

20:31under Charles' supervision.

20:34McMahon turned government witness

20:35and provided critical testimony.

20:38On September 17th, 2009,

20:40Charles Carneglia

20:41was sentenced

20:42by U.S. District Judge

20:44Jack B. Weinstein

20:45to life imprisonment

20:46and ordered to pay

20:48a fine of $500,000.

20:51During the sentencing,

20:53Judge Weinstein

20:53also acknowledged

20:55that the government

20:55had proven

20:56Carneglia's involvement

20:58in the 1976 murder

21:00of Albert Gelb,

21:02though the jury

21:03had not reached

21:04a unanimous verdict

21:05on that specific charge.

21:07Number one,

21:08Frank James.

21:10On April 12th, 2022,

21:12at approximately

21:138.24 a.m.

21:15Eastern Daylight Time,

21:16Frank Robert James,

21:18then 62 years old,

21:19boarded a northbound

21:21end train

21:21in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

21:24Dressed in a reflective

21:25orange jacket

21:26and a yellow hard hat,

21:27seemingly disguised

21:29as an MTA worker,

21:30James executed

21:31a premeditated assault.

21:33As the train approached

21:34the 36th Street station,

21:37he donned a gas mask,

21:38deployed two smoke grenades

21:40into the crowded carriage,

21:42and then opened fire

21:43with a 9mm Glock pistol.

21:45He fired at least

21:4632 rounds,

21:48striking 10 individuals

21:49and causing

21:50widespread panic.

21:51The train,

21:52momentarily stalled

21:53between stations,

21:55trapped the victims,

21:56making them

21:56even more vulnerable.

21:58While no one

21:59was killed by the gunfire,

22:00dozens more

22:01suffered injuries

22:02from smoke inhalation,

22:03falls,

22:04and the sheer terror

22:05of the event.

22:06Investigations later

22:07revealed that James

22:08had meticulously

22:09planned the attack

22:10for years.

22:11He had purchased

22:12smoke bombs,

22:13disguises,

22:14firearms,

22:14and ammunition,

22:16and had even conducted

22:17practice runs

22:17and scouted the location.

22:19His motives,

22:20as evidenced by his rambling

22:22and often hateful videos

22:23posted online,

22:24appeared to be rooted

22:26in extremist views,

22:27including those linked

22:29to black supremacy

22:30and grievances

22:31against perceived

22:32societal failures

22:34and individuals.

22:35Following the attack,

22:36James calmly fled the scene,

22:38changing his clothing

22:40to evade detection.

22:42The NYPD,

22:43FBI,

22:44and other law enforcement

22:44agencies launched

22:46a massive city-wide manhunt,

22:48utilising surveillance footage,

22:50witness accounts,

22:52and a key to a rented

22:53U-Haul van found

22:55at the scene

22:55that was linked to James.

22:57The search intensified

22:58for over 30 hours,

23:00with the public urged

23:02to provide any information.

23:04In an unexpected turn,

23:05Frank James himself

23:06ultimately called

23:07the NYPD Crime Stoppers

23:09Hotline on April 13th,

23:122022,

23:13to turn himself in.

23:15He was apprehended

23:16in Manhattan's East Village.

23:19Frank James was charged

23:20in federal court in Brooklyn

23:21with committing a terrorist attack

23:24on a mass transportation system

23:26and discharging a firearm

23:28during the commission

23:29of a crime of violence.

23:31Initially,

23:31he pleaded not guilty.

23:33However,

23:33on January 3rd,

23:352023,

23:36James reversed course

23:38and pleaded guilty

23:38to all 11 counts

23:40of a superseding indictment.

23:42This included

23:4310 counts

23:44of committing

23:44a terrorist attack

23:46or other violence

23:47against a mass

23:48transportation vehicle,

23:50one for each gunshot victim,

23:52and one count

23:53of discharging a firearm

23:55in furtherance

23:55of his violent attack.

23:57On October 5th,

23:582023,

24:00Frank James was sentenced

24:01by U.S. District Judge

24:02William F.

24:03Kunz,

24:03the second to 10

24:05concurrent life sentences

24:06in prison,

24:07plus an additional 10 years

24:09to run consecutively

24:10for the firearms charge.

24:12The court's decision

24:13effectively ensures

24:14that James will spend

24:16the remainder of his life

24:17in federal prison

24:18without the possibility

24:19of parole.

24:20During the sentencing,

24:22prosecutors emphasised

24:23the cold,

24:24calculated nature

24:25of the attack,

24:26highlighting that James

24:28had aimed for centre mass

24:29and only stopped firing

24:31when his gun jammed.

24:33Several victims

24:34delivered powerful

24:35impact statements,

24:37recounting their enduring

24:38physical and psychological trauma.

24:41While James offered

24:42a contrite apology,

24:44he also criticised

24:45the country's mental health system,

24:47which his defence attorneys

24:49had cited as a factor

24:50in his actions.

24:51Judge Kunz, however,

24:52was unwavering,

24:54declaring James' actions

24:55pure evil.

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