Michael Thompson: The Whopper King
The former Aryan Brotherhood member was convicted of fraud and perjury in Lake County
Michael Thompson was convicted of fraud and perjury on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, in Lake County Superior Court. Thompson, who represented himself, was tried in a bench trial before Judge David Markham that began in September 2024.
Thompson, 73, is allegedly a former member of the Aryan Brotherhood and was allegedly on the California Commission before parting ways with the organization in 1984. The term “allegedly” is used because Thompson has told a lot of whoppers over the years, and one suspects he has exaggerated his status in the organization.
Thompson paroled from prison in 2020 after 45 years in the joint and set up shop in Lake County, the poorest county in California known for an abundance of methamphetamine users. (As the old saying goes, “Lake County: Come on vacation, leave on probation.”) Thompson linked up with Eric Hutchins, 48, whom he met in prison, and the two were off to the races.
Thompson and his co-defendant Hutchins filed multiple applications circa 2020 and 2021 for COVID-19 pandemic benefits. The Lake County District Attorney’s Office initially alleged Thompson and Hutchins stole more than $400,000 in benefits when first charged in 2021; however, Judge Markham ultimately determined it was closer to $100,000 and dismissed seven counts during the trial. This was allegedly the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in Lake County.
The Sacramento Bee reported Thompson, who claims to be a reformed man, denied any responsibility and blamed his co-defendant during the trial. Hutchins pleaded guilty in September 2024 and is currently incarcerated at North Kern State Prison in Kern County. Hutchins has a parole eligibility date of October 2025.
California prisoners and parolees were some of the most prolific COVID-19 fraudsters during the pandemic. Everybody from Scott Peterson to the SFV Peckerwoods was allegedly in on the action. An estimated $20 billion to $30 billion was stolen, although no one’s really sure. Former Contra Costa County prosecutor and United States Attorney McGregor Scott has been leading the State effort to recoup the stolen funds, and the Sacramento Bee reported $6 billion has been recovered.
Michael Thompson is out on bail and scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, 2025.
Michael Thompson’s Whoppers
Following his release from prison, Michael Thompson sat for a number of interviews with podcasters, including VLADTV in 2022. Here’s a brief rundown of Thompson’s most dubious claims:
He said he did not commit the two 1973 murders in Orange County he was convicted of. Thompson maintains he is innocent.
He claimed he single-handedly fought off seven Paisas who attempted to ambush him with weapons at Deuel Vocational Institue. He got revenge on his attackers with a baseball bat and a gun he somehow acquired on the yard.
He said he could bench press 600 pounds
He claimed Hugo “Yogi” Pinell attempted to recruit him into the Black Panthers at Old Folsom. Thompson also said Pinell was not a member of the Black Guerrilla Family (BGF). Testimony in the Sacramento AB RICO Trial indicated otherwise.
He stated he and Wendell “Blue” Norris stabbed 16 members of the BGF with buck knives during a “one-day altercation” at Old Folsom. The bloody knives were then “re-keystered.”
He claimed to have been shot “numerous times” in prison with a Mini-14 and a .30-06
He was recruited into the Aryan Brotherhood by four Native Americans
He claimed he took out a Neo-Nazi inmate nicknamed “Der Fuhrer” at San Quentin
He said the Aryan Brotherhood engages in inmate prostitution. No witnesses in the Sacramento AB RICO Trial mentioned this hustle during their testimony.
He claimed he joined the California Commission after being an AB member for only a year. Thompson left the AB in 1984 after his cohorts orchestrated the murder of another dropout’s father. He claimed he called the Director of Corrections in Sacramento to inform him he was dropping out.
He said he was smuggled into an Oregon courthouse inside a hollowed out vending machine to testify in the Margot Compton case. Thompson stands 6 foot 4 inches tall. Most courthouses have secure entry points for in-custody defendants and witnesses. Yet Thompson went into the courthouse concealed in a vending machine because the Hells Angels wanted to kill him.
He claimed he survived an attempt on his life and disarmed his assailant while incarcerated in 2015.
Michael Thompson is now a convicted perjurer, which is very fitting.