Records: National president of Ugly Man Cossacks arrested in connection to murder
By Mack Shaw KLTV Tyler, Texas April 24, 20243Published: Apr. 24, 2024 at 11:37 AM EDT|Updated: 22 hours
https://www.kltv.com/2024/04/24/records-national-president-ugly-man-cossacks-arrested-connection-murder/
SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) – A Kemp man was arrested Tuesday in suspicion of leading an outlaw motorcycle club in the murder of an East Texas motorcyclist.
Kevin Dale Higgins, 57, was charged with direct street gang activities, a first degree felony, in connection with the motorcycle club Ugly Man Cossacks. The Cossacks have been reported on for the murder of Brandon Edwards, of Ben Wheeler, who was shot to death in Arp on May 2, 2022, for his membership in a rival club. According to an affidavit for Chad Michael Crowell, 38, of Eustace, Higgins is believed to be the national president of the Ugly Man Cossacks, and ultimately gave the order that resulted in Edwards’ death.
Edwards was a member of the 1%er Cossacks, a gang that Crowell’s affidavit said was believed by the Ugly Man Cossacks to be stealing the name of the “original” club. Due to this disagreement, a “smash on site” order was allegedly given to Crowell, the “national sergeant at arms” for the club, by Higgins for any member of the rival gang. Higgins is quoted in Crowell’s affidavit as saying, “They’re [expletives]. Make em’ look like [expletives],” in the autumn of 2019 in reference to the 1%ers. This information was reportedly given to an investigator in 2021 by Jeffery Ryan Griffin, 34, of Robinson, who was convicted in Edwards’ murder and is serving a 22-year sentence.
Crowell, who was reportedly given the “smash on site” order by Higgins, is quoted as saying:
“If you see one of these (expletive), you are to put him down. You are to hurt him… you are to take his cut (biker vest). If you can’t handle him one on one, watch him and call another brother and get him over there. Tell your members the same thing. If I catch one of y’all around one of them and not putting them down… then you’re going to have to talk to me about it.”
According to the document, Higgins would give direct orders to Crowell, who would then pass them on to the regional members of the club. The document said that Higgins ordered the “regionals” to “hurt em’ (1%ers) until they change their names.”
Following the investigation into Edwards’ murder, Joshua Ray Tibbits, 33, of Waco, Jose Antonio Valenzuela, 35, of Longview, and Griffin were convicted of executing the orders given by Higgins and Crowell. Tibbits is serving 45 years after a late 2023 trial, and Valenzuela is serving 22 years. Crowell was arrested on April 16 for the same charge as Higgins, and is still being held in the Smith County Jail on a $2.5 million bond.
Higgins was booked into the Smith County Jail on Tuesday on a $2.5 million bond.
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