PHOENIX — The Arizona National Guard is investigating one of its members after allegations of ties to white supremacy have come to light.
That same member is also a former part-time band teacher at a Valley high school and is married to a white supremacist and licensed massage therapist in Surprise who is convicted of killing another man.
The allegations were first reported by Left Coast Right Watch, an online news site that monitors "the Far-Right and politics".
The allegations name Ashley Drago and her husband as members of the Asatru Folk Assembly, which is a designated hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The neo-Völkisch hate group is known for taking Viking lore and twisting it for the preservation of white people.
"The ideology is, you know, quite frankly, inherently violent in its ideas," Rachel Carroll Rivas, Interim Director of The Intelligence Project at the center said. "That interracial marriage is not okay, that there is a requirement of biologically - sort of trying to save what is an old idea about a particular type of racialized version of European history in the United States."
Drago has not responded to a voicemail and text requesting comment. However, the Arizona National Guard confirmed to 12News that they're investigating her.
"Extremism has no place in the military, and we are not taking these allegations lightly," Major Erin Hannigan with the Arizona National Guard said.
Drago is assigned to the 108th Army Band and has been with the Arizona National Guard and assigned to that unit since 2020.
"SGT Drago will continue to report to her Guard duties during this investigation. Her duties will vary during this time as required by the unit’s mission requirements. For all soldiers involved in investigations, they are flagged which means they are suspended of any favorable administrative actions. Results of the investigation will then determine next steps in actions taken against a soldier," Major Erin Hannigan with the Arizona National Guard said.
Deer Valley Unified School District also confirmed to 12News that Drago worked as a part-time band coach at Mountain Ridge High School for the past two years.
The District said she is not returning for the 2024-2025 school year as she completed her employment contract.
"During her tenure at MRHS, there were no reports of or concerns related to, her sharing any sort of ideology with students or staff," a Deer Valley Unified School District spokesman said in part of a statement to 12News.
Before she was hired, the district said Drago passed a background/fingerprint check. The legal system, however, did find her husband.
Drago's husband convicted of manslaughter after stabbing friend to death
"David Drake got seven years for killing somebody," retired Mesa Police gang detective and white supremacy expert Matt Browning said. "I've locked up guys for selling marijuana that have gotten 21 years, but he got seven. It makes no sense to me."
Browning was a witness in the case involving Drago's husband, formerly known as David Drake.
Court records obtained by 12News show that back on June 6, 2006, an argument between Drake and his friend escalated, leading to Drake calling his friend a racial slur and stabbing him. Drake and his attorney claim it was self-defense.
12News did make multiple attempts to reach Drake. His defense attorney for the case told 12News Monday that they never believed the stabbing was racially motivated and challenged the prosecution that wanted to show Drake was wearing a swastika armband as part of his National Socialist Movement uniform.
Drake was originally charged with second-degree murder, the defense attorney said. A jury found Drake guilty of manslaughter.
Arizona Department of Corrections records show Drake was admitted in February 2007 and released in May 2015.
"He has not left the hate behind like he left the prison behind. He is just part of a bigger organization," Browning said.
"We don't know who we're dealing with," Browning said. "The problem I have is that you have a guy, David Drake, who goes to prison for murdering a person that was a hate crime - it is a hate crime. A member of a hate organization, National Socialist Movement, and then gets out of prison after too short of a sentence."
Drake legally changed his name and is now known as Ryan Aleksander Drago, or Aleksander Ryan, and is a licensed massage therapist and appears to be available for appointments at a spa in Surprise. The business has not replied to 12News' request for comment.
Drake was granted a license under Ryan Aleksander Drago by the Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy in 2018.
A representative from the State Board of Massage Therapy said the board was aware of the manslaughter conviction, but at the time the qualifications for licensure were around convictions within 5 years of the date of application, and only applied to crimes that had a 'reasonable relationship to the practice of massage therapy', like prostitution or solicitation.
However, Arizona law changed in 2023, requiring new applicants and renewals to get a Level 1 fingerprint clearance card.
Arizona law does not allow a Level 1 fingerprint clearance card to be issued to those with manslaughter charges, and in a manslaughter conviction, does not allow for an option to pursue a good cause exemption in order to get a clearance card.
A spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the agency that issues fingerprint clearance cards, told 12News that someone with a manslaughter conviction needing a Level 1 clearance card would then have to seek a hearing from the Office of Administrative Hearings to try and get the decision changed.
Under Arizona law, Drake is required to report the felony conviction to the Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy, and it doesn't automatically prevent him from getting a license.
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