Former Aryan Nations leader arrested

The former Washington state leader of the Aryan Nations who later became a sheriff’s deputy in Arizona was arrested last weekend on seven drug-related felony charges, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Tuesday.

Justin L. Dwyer, 39, remained in jail in Prescott, Ariz., Tuesday under a $25,000 bond set after an initial court appearance, authorities said. He has been suspended without pay.

Dwyer has been a commissioned sheriff’s deputy in Yavapai County since 1999, a decade after he was the featured speaker at a skinhead rally commemorating Hitler’s birthday at the Aryan Nations compound in North Idaho.

Richard Butler, the late founder of the Aryan Nations, introduced Dwyer as “white man” at the 1989 gathering and said the young skinhead was a fine example of his race and future generation.

In 1991, Dwyer recruited skinheads in the Seattle area and staged a neo-Nazi rally on Whidbey Island for the late Bob Mathews, who led a band of domestic terrorists known as The Order.

In 1996, Dwyer got a job as a seasonal federal law enforcement officer, working for the National Park Service at Coulee Dam National Recreation Area, west of Spokane.

Dwyer was arrested Sunday on the charges, including possession of cocaine and involving his 16-year-old son in a drug transaction, said Scott Reed, a public information officer for the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.

Dwyer also is charged with driving while under the influence of drugs, possession of a firearm during a drug transaction, use of cocaine and using electronic communications equipment in a drug transaction.

His arrest stemmed from an investigation handled by his fellow deputies in the 150-member department, Reed said.

The charge of involving a minor in a drug offense stemmed from an April 26 incident in which Dwyer allegedly sent his teenage son to purchase 3.5 grams of cocaine from a drug dealer, Reed said.

On Sunday, while off-duty, Dwyer allegedly attempted to buy cocaine by telephone, the department spokesman said.

Dwyer drove to a convenience store in Prescott hoping to make the drug buy from a man who turned out to be an undercover officer, Reed said.

“Following his arrest, Dwyer admitted to a personal habit of cocaine use,” Reed said.

A urine sample taken from Dwyer when he was booked into jail tested positive for cocaine, the spokesman said.

After Dwyer’s arrest, detectives searched his home where they seized drug paraphernalia and a “useable amount” of cocaine, along with several firearms owned personally by the deputy, Reed said.

During the search, Dwyer’s teenage son was found to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was taken to the Yavapai County Juvenile Detention Facility.

Dwyer, who is divorced, apparently had joint custody and his son would occasionally spend time at Dwyer’s home, Reed said.

Through the spokesman, Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh confirmed that he knew of Dwyer’s previous association with the Aryan Nation.

“Upon looking into the matter, it was determined that Dwyer was hired in 1998 with the approval of then-Sheriff George “Buck” Buchanan, who was aware of Dwyer’s past association with the Aryan Nations,” Waugh said in a statement.

As recently as last year, Waugh said, his office was contacted by the Anti-Defamation League over “concerns about Dwyer’s past.”

“Based upon that contact, our agency again looked to determine whether any current association by Dwyer existed with any subversive organizations,” Waugh said.

“Although no evidence of any such affiliations were found, (our department’s) management consulted with the county’s legal advisors and with the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to evaluate Dwyer’s job status.

“We were advised that no substantive information existed to support a lawful termination of Dwyer’s employment with Yavapai County,” the sheriff said.