Authorities in Smith County, Texas, arrested a reported member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas for numerous felony charges of credit/debit card abuse and fraudulent use of identifying information.

On July 9, 2008, a Smith County constable responded to an assistance call from a motel clerk in Owentown.  The clerk was unable to wake a guest who had slept past the checkout time.  Upon arrival, the constable allegedly discovered Tracy Benson Ledbetter asleep in his room.  When he and Smith County sheriff's deputies could not rouse Ledbetter, they called EMS, who were able to wake him by using ammonia.

Inside Ledbetter's motel room, police found a roll of duct tape, rope, knives, several allegedly stolen identification and credit cards, a spoon with what appeared to be methamphetamine in it, syringes, and scales.  

Ledbetter, 34, of Tyler, Texas, is reputedly a member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, a large and violent racist prison gang (not connected to the original Aryan Brotherhood).  Police in Tyler arrested Ledbetter a month ago on various charges of possessing prohibited weapons.

Authorities have stated that they were most alarmed by the duct tape, rope and knives found, which could possibly be used to carry out a violent crime such as an abduction or home invasion.

According to the arresting constable, at least one of the identification cards found in the motel room belonged to a woman in the Tyler area who did not realize it was missing until her bank called to verify charges.