A former gang leader and FBI informant, John Turscak, pleaded not guilty to charges related to the stabbing of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin in federal prison. Turscak, who is currently serving a 30-year sentence for crimes committed as a member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, allegedly attacked Chauvin with an improvised knife in the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona. The incident occurred on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.
Chauvin, who is serving a more than two-decade sentence in connection to George Floyd’s death, was stabbed 22 times in the attack. Turscak’s plea comes after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Chauvin’s appeal of his murder conviction. Chauvin is also attempting to overturn his federal guilty plea, claiming new evidence that he didn’t cause Floyd’s death.
In a statement, Chauvin’s attorney expressed concern for his client’s safety in prison and questioned the facility’s ability to protect him. Turscak allegedly told FBI agents that he attacked Chauvin as a symbolic connection to the Black Lives Matter movement and the “Black Hand” symbol associated with the Mexican Mafia.
Chauvin, who was transferred to FCI Tucson from a maximum-security Minnesota state prison in August 2022, is currently serving a federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights and a state sentence for second-degree murder. His lawyer had advocated for keeping him out of the general population due to safety concerns.
Turscak, once an FBI informant, led a faction of the Mexican Mafia in Los Angeles and provided information about the gang to the authorities. However, he was later dropped as an informant due to allegations of continuing criminal activities.
The trial for Turscak is scheduled to begin on February 13. The stabbing incident has raised concerns about the safety of high-profile inmates in federal prisons and the ability of prison facilities to prevent such attacks.
