Kansas woman sentenced in Irish Mob-linked witness retaliation plot

OMAHA, Neb. — Kate Ruth, 36, of Wichita, Kansas, was sentenced on Thursday in federal court in Omaha for her role in a conspiracy to assault a witness and attempted assault of a witness. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter sentenced Ruth to 24 months in prison, followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.

The case stems from an investigation into Johnny Dolph, a self-proclaimed "shot caller" of the Irish Mob Gang, a notorious street gang originating in Oklahoma. Dolph was under investigation by the United States Secret Service in 2021 for financial crimes, including counterfeit currency and check forgery.

In September 2021, law enforcement arrested the husband of Victim 1 in Nebraska for forgery linked to Dolph's forgery operations. Suspecting Victim 1 and her husband of cooperating with authorities, Dolph and his associate Jennifer Norwood (also known as Jennifer Dolph) attempted to intimidate them into silence. Dolph issued a "green light" on the couple, essentially ordering their harm.

In October 2021, federal agents executed a search warrant on Dolph's Omaha apartment. Dolph and Norwood then began researching the federal agents and magistrate judge involved in the case and continued gathering information on Victim 1 and her family members.

In November 2021, Dolph recruited Ruth to travel from Kansas to Omaha to carry out his retaliation plot. Ruth, along with another associate, Juanita Gibson, traveled in a red pickup truck, receiving funds for gas from Dolph via CashApp. Upon arriving in Omaha, Ruth and Gibson stayed at Dolph’s apartment, where they helped him gather information about Victim 1.

Although Dolph’s efforts were thwarted, the plot resulted in multiple arrests. Dolph was sentenced to 150 months in prison in 2023 on various charges, including conspiracy to tamper with witnesses, assault attempts, and firearms offenses. Norwood received a 37-month sentence in 2024, and Gibson was sentenced to 24 months.

The case was investigated by a joint effort of the FBI, Secret Service, Omaha Police Department, and Richardson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the ATF.