Leaders of the notorious Aryan Brotherhood prison gang were indicted in Federal Court Thursday for ordering killings, smuggling drugs, cigarettes and cell phones.  Stan Stanton of the Sacramento Bee reports that the charges are the result of a years long investigation by federal authorities into the gang's activities both in and outside of California prisons. Wiretaps monitored over 1,800 phone calls during the investigation disclosing orders from the gang's leaders for killings, and allowing agents to warn some of the targets before they became victims.  Among the 16 gang members indicted by U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott were two of the gang's leaders, both serving life terms for murder.  Both filed lawsuits against the state regarding solitary confinement at the high security prison at Pelican Bay.  The suits sparked a well- publicized 2014 hunger strike by inmates that resulted in Governor Brown softening state policy and allowing more of the gang's members into the general population.  Investigators say this enabled the gang to expand its illegal activities.  The head of the state prison system, Ralph Diaz disputes this, defending his department's handling of prisons.