Officer, Outfit member indicted
Thursday, May 28, 2009 | 5:23 PM
May 28, 2009 (WLS) -- Racketeering indictments have been handed up against a top Outfit member and a current Cicero police officer on charges that include armed robbery, arson and illegal gambling.
The case grew from a 2003
bombing of a gaming house in Berwyn that was allegedly ordered by the mob and carried out by members of a violent motorcycle gang.
The lead defendant is Mike Sarno, a career hoodlum who as a rising mob figure was known as "Fat Boy" due to his bulging, 350 pound waistline. Now, as a 51-year old boss Sarno is known in Outfit circles as "The Large Guy." Sarno's home was among six locations that were the subject of search warrants last summer.
Sarno has already served time in prison for his involvement in organized crime.
The word "mob" is no where to be seen in Thursday's rackets indictments and federal prosecutors declined to speak the words "outfit" or "underworld." But they didn't have to.
Mike Sarno, the lead man charged, is already a convicted mob boss who investigators say has worked his way up through syndicate ranks during the past three decades.
When the I-Team last saw Mike Sarno, it was outside his home in suburban Westchester. On Thursday night, eight months later, Mr. Sarno was named in a federal grand jury indictment.
Sarno is charged with leading an eight year crime spree that featured lucrative jewel heists and forging an alliance with
the outlaws motorcycle gang. Their partnership punctuated by a bombing in west suburban Berwyn, intended to take down a video poker machine company that was competing with the mob's own illegal gambling business.
"Our allegations in the indictment are that people broke the law; and that they broke it in a number of ways. Some having to do with illegal gambling, some having to do with robbery and theft and arson," said Patrick Fitzgerald, United States attorney.
Sarno, newly charged on Thursday, aka Big Mike, Mikey, Large and the Large Guy, allegedly oversaw enterprise gambling and that bomb attack.
From the time Sarno was known as "Fat Boy" and went to prison as a mob soldier 15 years ago, Outfit experts say he was destined to lead a street crew.
That is just what he did with the Enterprise, according to authorities who say the headquarters was a jewelry store in Cicero used to fence stolen goods.
The store, owned by outlaw biker Mark Polchan who was previously charged along with 85-year-old Samuel Volpendesto of Oak Brook and Kyle Knight who has pleaded guilty and is cooperating.
Four other men are charged with the robberies and jewel thefts including Volpendesto's son as well as James Formato, a former Berwyn policeman, and Dino Vitalo, an 18-year Cicero policeman who is still on the job.
"He was sent home on administrative pay leave. That's where he is now. He is off the streets. Town president immediately indicated that if these charges prove to be true they are sickening and there is no room in the Cicero Police Department," said Elio Montenegro, Cicero spokesman
There are no court dates yet in this case.
Cicero officials say at some point Officer Vitalo will be placed on unpaid leave.
Feds are allowing him to turn himself in at the time of arraignment; same for the ex-Berwyn cop. And, curiously, the same consideration is being given to Mike Sarno, the ex-con crime syndicate boss.
Sarno was not one of those arrested on Thursday. The U.S. attorney offered little explanation except to suggest that they do things for a reason.
More details
Here are details provided by the United States Attorney in Chicago:
Five new defendants, together with two others who were initially charged last year with using a pipe bomb to damage a Berwyn video and vending machine business in 2003, were indicted on sweeping racketeering conspiracy charges alleging eight years of criminal activity, federal law enforcement officials announced today. The charges encompass at least nine armed robberies and thefts, arson, illegal gambling and obstruction justice, including by current and former suburban police officers who are among the seven defendants. New defendant, Michael Sarno, allegedly oversaw, directed and guided certain of the group's illegal activities, including causing previously-charged defendants Mark Polchan and Samuel Volpendesto, to bomb C & S Coin Operated Amusements, a video gaming device business in Berwyn, to eliminate competition and to protect and enhance the group's own business relationships, according to the indictment.
The indictment alleges that the seven defendants were associated in a criminal enterprise that existed since at least 2001 to generate income for its members through illegal activities, including: committing armed robberies and thefts from jewelry stores, businesses and private residences; transporting stolen goods across state lines; committing thefts and obtaining stolen items from interstate shipments of goods; purchasing, possessing and selling stolen goods; using threats, violence and intimidation to advance the enterprise's illegal activities; committing arson; operating and facilitating illegal gambling businesses, including the use of video gambling machines; obstructing justice and criminal investigations by tampering with and intimidating witnesses; obstructing justice and criminal investigations by gathering information about the existence and extent of ongoing federal criminal investigations from sources including corrupt local law enforcement officers and law enforcement databases; and traveling in interstate commerce to further the goals of the criminal enterprise.
The indictment seeks forfeiture of at least $1,878,172 from six of the seven defendants as proceeds of the alleged racketeering activity.
Law enforcement agents yesterday executed federal search warrants at more than two dozen suburban locations, including bars and restaurants, in connection with the ongoing investigation.
The 12-count superseding indictment was returned on May 21 and unsealed today, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Andrew L. Traver, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Alvin Patton, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.
All seven defendants, including four currently in custody, will be arraigned at later dates in U.S. District Court.
Sarno, 51, of Westchester, also known as "Big Mike," "Mikey," "Large," and "the Large Guy," allegedly oversaw the group's illegal gambling ventures and received a share of the illegal profits from Polchan, 41, formerly of Justice, who also occupied a leadership role. The indictment alleges that Polchan identified targets for robbery and used his business, a sole proprietorship operating under the names "M. Goldberg Jewelers," and "Goldberg Jewelers," located at 1203 South Cicero Ave., in Cicero, to conduct meetings with criminal associates, as well as to obtain, store, and sell stolen goods that were either transported across state lines, obtained through robbery or thefts from interstate shipments, or obtained through the fraudulent use of access devices, such as credit cards.
Polchan also used Goldberg Jewelers to plan the group's illegal gambling activities with Sarno, and to temporarily house video gambling devices prior to distributing them to various locations, including clubhouses operated by the
Outlaws Motorcycle Club, of which Polchan was a member.
Polchan and Volpendesto, 85, of Oak Brook, remain in federal custody since they were arrested and charged last summer with participating in the bombing of C & S Coin Operated Amusements. On Feb. 25, 2003, a pipe bomb was detonated outside a building at 6508 West 16th St., in Berwyn, that housed several businesses, including C & S, which at the time leased coin-operated vending and video machines. The explosion outside the storefront entrance to C & S caused broken windows and damage to the interior ceiling and wood frame above the doorway to the business. No one was injured in the explosion, which occurred at night. The new indictment contains the same three counts conspiracy to use, and actual use of, an explosive device to damage property, and use of a pipe bomb that were pending against them previously. Polchan and Volpendesto have both pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Also indicted were:
James Formato, 42, a former Berwyn police officer who allegedly acted as an interstate courier for stolen money; conducted physical surveillance of potential targets of illegal activity under the guise of carrying out his duties as a police officer; participated in an attempted armed robbery; and provided information concerning ongoing law enforcement investigation into illegal enterprise activity, including the bombing of C & S Coin Operated Amusements;
Mark Hay, 52, who allegedly participated in robberies of jewelry stores; identified potential targets for robbery; participated in the surveillance of robbery targets; and acquired stolen vehicles for use in robberies;
Anthony Volpendesto, 46, Samuel Volpendesto's son, who also allegedly participated in robberies of jewelry stores; identified potential robbery targets; and participated in the interstate transportation of stolen goods; and
Dino Vitalo, 40, a Cicero police officer since 1991, who allegedly caused law enforcement databases to be used to provide information about potential targets of illegal activity and ongoing federal law enforcement investigations; provided advice on possible federal law enforcement activity; searched the area surrounding Goldberg Jewelers for electronic surveillance equipment used by federal law enforcement; and filed a false police report in order to provide a false alibi for other members of the conspiracy.
As part of the racketeering conspiracy, the indictment alleges that one or more of the defendants participated in robberies, some armed, of jewelry stores and commercial businesses in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, and in some instances caused stolen jewelry to be transported across state lines. The robberies included the:
May 23, 2002, robbery of items valued at approximately $60,000 from Jacqueline's Jewelry in Valparaiso, Ind.;
June 6, 2002, robbery of items valued at approximately $48,000 from Husar's House of Fine Diamonds in West Bend, Wis.;
July 9, 2003, armed robbery of items valued at approximately $78,221 from Uffenbeck Jewelers in Fond du Lac, Wis.;
July 24, 2003, armed robbery of items valued at approximately $236,902 from LD Jewelers, in Hickory Hills, Ill.;
April 26, 2001, robbery of The Gold Mine Jewelry Store, in St. Charles, Illinois, the stolen items having a total value of approximately $29,780;
May 1, 2002, robbery of items valued at $239,752 from Lenna Jewelers in Hinsdale;
March 2003 attempted armed robbery of an individual who resided in Berwyn; and the
Aug. 25, 2003, armed robbery of items valued at approximately $645,517 from Marry Me Jewelry Store in LaGrange Park.
And one or more defendants allegedly participated in the 2002 residential burglary of a home on Rockwell Street in Chicago, stealing approximately $540,000, of which at least $150,000 was later transported to Florida.
In addition to the racketeering conspiracy against all seven defendants, Sarno and Polchan were charged with operating an illegal gambling business between 2002 and at least July 2008.
Formato alone was charged with one count of conspiracy to obstruct of justice, while Polchan and Vitalo were charged together in a separate count with conspiracy to obstruct justice. Polchan alone was also charged with one count of possession of stolen goods from interstate shipments; three counts of filing false individual federal income tax returns; and one count of failing to file a federal income tax return.
An earlier defendant in this investigation, Kyle C. Knight, 45, formerly of Merrillville, Ind., who was charged in 2007, has pleaded guilty to supplying explosives used in the C & S bombing and a series of robberies, and he is cooperating while awaiting sentencing.
Federal officials said the investigation is continuing, and they commended the assistance of the Berwyn Police Department. The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys T. Markus Funk and Amarjeet S. Bhachu.
If convicted, the charges in the indictment carry the following maximum terms of incarceration: racketeering conspiracy 20 years; conspiracy to use an explosive device to damage property and using an explosive device to damage property a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years; using a pipe bomb a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least 30 years and a maximum of life; obstruction of justice 20 years; operating an illegal gambling business 5 years; possession of goods stolen from interstate shipments 10 years; filing false tax returns 3 years; and failing to file a tax return 1 year. In addition, each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000, except the failing to file count, which is a misdemeanor and carries a maximum fine of $100,000. Defendants convicted of tax offenses must be assessed mandatory costs of prosecution and remain liable for any back taxes, interest and penalties owed. The Court, however, would determine the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Reputed Chicago mobster, cop, 5 others indicted
By MIKE ROBINSON –
2 days ago
CHICAGO (AP) — A reputed mob boss, a police officer and five other men were charged Thursday in a sweeping racketeering indictment that alleges eight years of armed robberies, burglaries, jewel thefts and arson based in the western suburbs of Chicago.
Michael "The Large Guy" Sarno, 51, of Westchester allegedly masterminded much of the group's illegal activity, including a February 2003 pipe-bomb explosion that wrecked the storefront offices of a company distributing video poker machines.
Prosecutors say the bombing was a message from organized crime to stop intruding on its $13-million-a-year video poker gambling business.
Sarno, 51, went to prison in the early 1990s as a member of an organized crime family based in the western suburbs headed by Ernest Rocco Infelice.
Federal agents searched Sarno's home last July and also raided the headquarters and various hangouts of the
Outlaws Motorcycle Club. An alliance has developed between the violence-prone club and the Chicago mob, prosecutors say.
Sarno's attorney, Terence P. Gillespie, did not return a message for comment. But he said in a previous interview with The Associated Press that Sarno was not a mob member and was "a legitimate businessman."
Attorneys for the other defendants were not reached immediately. Messages were left at the offices of four defense attorneys whose names were learned.
Two men arrested the day of the July 2008 searches and later indicted, Mark Polchan, 41, an acknowledged member of the Outlaws, and Samuel Volpendesto, 85, were also charged in the fresh indictment. They are accused of setting off the bomb that demolished C&S Coin Operated Amusements of Berwyn, a video poker device distributor.
At the time, a video poker distributing company controlled by members and associates of the Chicago mob had a grip on the market for the devices, experts say.
Video poker devices are legal in Illinois if they are not used for gambling, but bartenders often pay winners under the table in many places and experts say the mob frequently takes a healthy cut of what the machines take in.
Gov. Pat Quinn is deciding whether to sign a bill to make video poker gambling legal to finance public works — something good government forces deplore. They say the machines are addictive and some breadwinners have gambled away their paychecks.
Also charged in the indictment:
_James Formato, 42, a former Berwyn police officer accused of serving as a courier for stolen money, taking part in an attempted robbery and other crimes.
_Mark Hay, 52, described as taking part in the robbery of jewelry stores.
_Anthony Volpendesto, 46, son of Samuel Volpendesto, who also is alleged to have taken part in robbing jewelry stores.
_Dino Vitalo, 40, a Cicero police officer since 1991, accused of searching law enforcement data bases and using the information to tip off criminals and searching for electronic surveillance equipment around a jewelry store operated by Polchan. Cicero officials on Thursday placed Vitalo on administrative leave.
Prosecutors are asking the court to force the defendants if convicted to forfeit $1.8 million — a possible measure of the amount taken in the robberies.
Eight members of rival biker gangs
the Hells Angels and the
Outlaws have been convicted of taking part in a riot inside a Birmingham airport terminal.
The court heard the two gangs had a long-standing rivalry dating back more than 40 years.
Gang members came to meet Flight ZB499 from Alicante armed with machetes, iron bars, knuckle dusters, knives and meat cleavers.
One witness described seeing a man wielding a samurai sword.
But the two warring factions who clashed were not Japanese warriors but biker gangs.
The fight at Terminal Two in January 2008 lasted just 60 seconds but dates back more than 40 years to a feud between the
Hells Angels and the
American Outlaw Association which began in 1969 and, according to detectives, continues to this day.
Global biker wars
Some have called it the "global biker wars".
Members of the Wolverhampton-based chapter of the
Hells Angels and members of the Birmingham
Outlaws clashed after members of both gangs realised they were on the same plane arriving from Spain.
More than 30 people from across the West Midlands gathered at the airport.
Police say the real motive for the riot could be the
Outlaws' move to open a new chapter in Spain, which is seen as
Hells Angels' territory.
While bikers in the UK are traditionally seen as relatively peaceful there has been a vast expansion of chapters across the globe since the 1990s. This growth has also been linked to organised crime and increasingly bitter violence as rival gangs have fought over the drug trade.
The Hells Angels and The Outlaws have chapters in the Midlands
Both gangs have history in the Midlands.
Just five months before the airport riot, Hells Angel Gerry Tobin was riding home from the Bulldog Bash in Warwickshire when he was shot dead in an execution-style killing on the M40.
The seven men jailed for his murder were the entire Chapter of the South Warwickshire Outlaws, based in Coventry.
In recent months biker violence has flared around the world.
Exactly the same scenario as the Birmingham Airport riot was repeated in Australia. At Sydney Airport in March this year a member of the Hells Angels was beaten to death.
His murder has sparked a series of shootings and calls for the government there to ban motorcycle gangs.
In Denmark a hand grenade was thrown into a cafe used by bikers - again ministers are due to meet to discuss tough new laws to crack down on biker gangs.
Silence code
The biker gangs have a strict code of silence. None of the men who appeared at Birmingham Crown Court were prepared to speak to the police let alone give evidence in court.
The men convicted in this crime see themselves as members of the
"1%'s" - elite members of the Biker Gangs who see themselves as being above the law.
Some of the accused had just arrived on a flight from Spain
|
The logo worn by the Outlaws on their back patch is the skull and cross pistons known as Charlie. Their motto is
"God forgives, Outlaws don't".
One Outlaw who was not in court was named during the trial as a prime instigator of the violence which erupted at Birmingham Airport. Captured on CCTV, he was referred to as Bandana man.
The trial was one of the most expensive ever held in the Midlands.
It is believed to have cost more than £2m in legal and security costs alone.
All of the men on trial were on bail and police convoys escorted both gangs to and from their club houses.
Page 1 of 2 View as a single page 4:00AM Saturday May 30, 2009
By Greg Ansley CANBERRA: Adelaide outlaw motorcycle club
the Finks delight in the catch
cry of Bung, the jester in the Wizard of Id comic strip: "The king is a fink."
But this week the South Australian Police launched legal regicide by obtaining two control orders against club members Donald Hudson and Michael Fraser, the first in Australia to feel the weight of the state's draconian new anti-bikie laws.
The club was declared a criminal organisation under the legislation two weeks ago, allowing the imposition of orders that prevent Hudson and Fraser from associating and communicating with other members and associates, and from entering any premises associated with the Finks.
The laws also allow police to seek orders banning declared clubs from specified areas, barring members from displaying colours and insignia, and preventing the purchases or ownership of chemicals and equipment that could be used in the manufacture of illicit drugs. Police may also confiscate wealth and assets gang members cannot explain.
New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have either followed suit, or are in the process of doing so, and the federal Government is cracking down on the use of front companies.
The bikies are fighting back. Hudson and Fraser will appeal the orders and the legislation may be challenged in the High Court.
On the ground, rival clubs have banded together in united organisations and have formed the Free Australia Party to contest elections with a platform focusing on democracy and civil rights.
The Outlaws are not alone. In South Australia amendments will be proposed - almost certainly in vain - by parliament's sole Democrat, David Winderlich, who regards the laws as a threat to the innocent.
Doubts have been expressed by the federal Attorney-General's Department, the Australian Crime Commission, the Law Council of Australia and academics and civil libertarians.
The state of Victoria, while not softening its own hard line against bikie crime, maintained its existing laws contained sufficient powers.
Outlaw clubs are taking legal and public relations advice and stamping on the inter-gang violence that provided other states with the trigger for their own, similar legislation.
The Outlaws do not deny that some members are involved in crime, but reject assertions that their clubs are organised crime associations involved in drugs, murder, violence, standovers, and prostitution.
What they are portraying is a lifestyle of the unconventional, dispossessed, abused and misunderstood, saved from the streets by a tight brotherhood and disciplined by a tough code.
"There have been some horrific crimes committed by a very small minority," Outcast Motorcycle Club spokesman Robbie Fowler told an inquiry into the ACC. "[But] no club has ever proven to be an organised crime body."
Roar of disapproval thunders against anti-bikie laws
Page 2
By Greg Ansley Fowler had a tough life: deserted by his mother at age 2, bounced between grandparents and aunties, various spells at Catholic and Salvation Army homes, and on the streets at 8.
"I grew up fighting for food, stealing to survive, and found myself in and out of other Catholic homes ... I spent most of my teens in lockup, where I was beaten and abused. I learned to fight, and fight well."
After a long spell in jail, Fowler found the Outlaws, married and had five children with a wife who taught him to read and write.
If not as personally, the Law Council opposes the new anti-bikie laws as passionately.
Council president William Ray QC told the federal inquiry that there was no evidence that existing laws were inadequate, nor any evidence to suggest that law enforcement would be enhanced by new measures.
Ray said he opposed "abhorrent" Big Brother laws that would outlaw conduct that was clearly not criminal.
The ACC, which also believes existing measures are adequate, worries that harsh new laws could in time be frustrated as gangs found ways around them, and could make make life harder for law agencies by dispersing members.
Acting chief executive officer Kevin Kitson also suggested that while some individuals - and at times some chapters - were involved in crime networks, not all were criminal organisations.
"It is true to say that in an analysis of nationally significant crime figures you will find people who have associations with outlaw motorcycle gangs, but I do not know that that would necessarily mean you would characterise the gangs themselves as being the primary criminal threat in this country."
Monash University Professor Arthur Veno, an expert on outlaw clubs, also disputes the level of criminal behaviour among bikies.
Condemning what he describes as "moral panic" engineered by politicians and police, he said the best statistical estimates put crime by gangs of any sort at 0.6 per cent of the total.
As for the bikies, they would not roll over, Longriders Christian Motorcycle Club member Edward Hayes said.
"They will not leave [SA] en-masse as has been suggested.
"They will dig their heels in and stand their ground."
Biker-club members charged in bar fight
Published: May 30. 2009
Millcreek police have charged 14 people in a large fight involving a motorcycle club at the Last Shot Bar and Grill on May 9.
Police said several members of the Lucky 13 motorcycle club fought with another group in the parking lot of the bar, 3064 W. 12th St.
Police said knives, crowbars, chains and other weapons were used in the fight, which began shortly before 11 p.m.
Police arrested nine members of the club Thursday and Friday. Several were arraigned before District Judge Paul Manzi, of Millcreek Township, on charges of riot, assault, disorderly conduct and recklessly endangering another person.
Police arrested five members of the other group on similar charges.
Police would not say what started the fight, or whether the other group also was a motorcycle club.
Police arrested Michael J. Henry, 48, and Toby J. Shaffer, 40, both of Erie. They were being held in the Erie County Prison on $50,000 bond.
Police also arrested Joseph A. King, 39; Daniel L. King, 52; Matthew D. Smith, 42; Roger G. Murphy, 59; and Timothy J. Carder, 31.
Those men, all from Erie, have been freed on bail.
Police also charged Frederick Stover. They issued citations to Dara Thompson, 42, of Fairview; Melinda A. Sheckler, 23, of Erie; Edwina Kirby, 32, of Erie; Kevin A. Skrutsky, 45, of Erie; Nicole Spinelli, 38, of Erie; and Kimberly A. Bessette, 42, of Erie.
A man in his mid 20s was shot early Saturday at club in the Dunlap neighborhood, and police say a motorcycle gang was involved.
Police responded to five gunshots heard in the
9100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South about 3:30 a.m. Someone said a person was down inside the club.
Officers reported several vehicles were seen speeding away from the clubhouse of the
Drama Boyz Motorcycle Club. Officers heard several people inside and tried to enter, but were refused entry after identifying themselves as police, according to a report.
They forced their way inside and found no victim. But they did find two handguns and more than a dozen people, including the victim's father.
A witness told police three men arrived together and attempted to enter. One was underage and denied entry, causing an argument. Gunshots were heard shortly after, a witness reported.
The shooting victim arrived at Harborview Medical Center when police were at the club. The Gang Unit responded there to try and interview the victim.
At a news conference earlier this month, Gang Unit Lt. Ron Wilson said officers could probably name 200 gangs in Seattle and surrounding areas, but numbers are fluid because affiliations can change daily.
"If we had to put a number in this area, I would say we certainly think we're looking at about 60 active gangs in this region," he said. "Those gangs go from motorcycle outlaw gangs to 'Sopranos' types of gangs, to the gangs that we're dealing with Bloods, Crips, BGDs and Asian gangs."
Story Created: May 25, 2009 at 10:29 AM PDT
Story Updated: May 25, 2009 at 10:29 AM PDT
By BakersfieldNow.com Staff
A weekend fight outside Iron Hoggs Motor Cycle Club left a man dead and two others injured.
Larry Darnell Allen, 26, died of a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to Bakersfield police.
The two other shooting victims were treated at area hospitals and released. Bruce Leland Cameron, 34, was shot in the shoulder, and Cynthia Denise Langston, 44, was shot in the forearm.
About 200 patrons were leaving the motorcycle club on Wible Road when a "massive" fight broke out in the parking lot, according to police. The fight escalated to a shooting.
No suspect information has been released, and no motive has been announced.
Anyone with information helpful to the investigation is asked to call police at (661) 327-7111.
A KEY player in a multi-million dollar drug syndicate that supplied the Rebels Motorcycle Club has been sentenced to 10 years' jail.
Michael Paul Falzon, 50, was sentenced in the Brisbane Supreme Court today after being found guilty by a jury of trafficking a dangerous drug.
Falzon was also found guilty of one count of possessing and three counts of producing a dangerous drug.
The court heard that between 1999 and 2003 at various properties outside Mackay, Rockhampton and Dalby, Falzon helped produce and traffick methylamphetamine, or ice.
During the sentencing, Justice Roslyn Atkinson said Falzon, who was the "brains of the operation'', made at least $1.5 million profit and with that money bought "massive'' amounts of opal mining machinery.
Justice Atkinson labelled the case as a "very unusual one'', as Falzon was retaining the majority of the profits in the illegal business partnership with a "thug''.
She said the only benefits Falzon's partner apparently received in the partnership were a car, a $79,000 property and a vague promise that he'd be looked after when he was older.
The court heard drugs produced in the operation were mainly handled by Falzon's partner and supplied to the Rebels Motorcycle Club, with some of it travelling as far as South Australia.
She said Falzon, who was not a user, was at the "top of the tree'' and had paid for an accountant to try to make the money look legitimate.
Falzon was also automatically given a declaration of committing a serious violent offence, which means he will have to serve 80 per cent of his sentence before being eligible for parole
| By ELLEN W. TODD
Sanford News Writer
|
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
ALFRED — York County Sheriff Maurice Ouellette said Monday morning the conviction in U.S. District Court in Portland last week of members of the Maine Chapter of the
Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club put a large dent in illegal drug operations in southern Maine.
Richard Szpyt, 49, of Haverhill, Mass., and Old Orchard Beach, the former president of the Iron Horsemen in Maine, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana following a six-day jury trial. Also convicted on drug conspiracy charges were Sherwood Jordan, of Albany Township, Maine, and Ramon Delossantos, of Haverhill, Mass.
Ouellette said the three were "major players" in a drug distribution ring that led to the arrests of a total of 29 people, mostly from southern Maine. He said with the help of several other agencies, law enforcement officials were able to trace the distribution ring back to drug cartels in Mexico.
The convictions are the result of "Operation Trojan Horse," two years of "steady work" on the part of the York County Sheriff's Office and other agencies, including Biddeford and Old Orchard police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
After the arrests of several people in southern Maine on drug charges in early 2008, Ouellette said it became apparent that the case had "international implications." There were "large amounts of cocaine, large amounts of marijuana," guns and money, he said.
"That's when we began to reach out to other agencies," Ouellette added.
The sheriff's office made the decision to pursue the drug distribution trail to the source.
"These are the people we want to keep off the streets," Ouellette said.
Investigators were able to determine that the drugs were coming from Mexico, going to Atlanta, then to Haverhill, Mass., and from there to Maine for distribution. The Iron Horsemen had a clubhouse in an Old Orchard Beach house owned by Szpyt. A house on Summit Street in Old Orchard Beach, owned by Robert and Lara Sanborn, was the primary location for the operation's narcotics transactions, according to the sheriff's office.
Ouellette said the case was the "deepest investigation" in which he had ever been involved during his tenure as York County sheriff.
Among the items seized from those convicted in the drug operation were nine motorcycles; three motor vehicles; two pieces of property in Old Orchard Beach; 10 kilos of cocaine; 600 pounds of marijuana; several weapons, including AK 47s, AR 15s, and handguns; and $37,000 cash. The sheriff's office displayed some of the items at a May 18 news conference in the Community Room of the York County Jail. Two large bales of marijuana, the size of a small suitcase, were stacked at one end of the table, along with three large bags of marijuana, a kilo of cocaine and a zip-lock bag of American currency. At the other side was an array of weapons, scales and cutting tools.
Among the equipment seized were two sets of night vision goggles, Ouellette said, pointing out that members of the drug operation were watching their own people, a factor that made the investigation particularly dangerous for the agents involved.
Operation Trojan Horse was a case which could only have reached a conclusion with the help of local, state and federal agencies, Ouellette said.
In addition to Szpyt, Delossantos and Jordan, several others charged in the alleged drug conspiracy have either entered pleas or were convicted at trial. Ouellette said a few cases remain to be adjudicated.
Szpyt, who has two prior felony convictions, faces a sentence of 10 years to life, Ouellette said. Szpyt, Delossantos and Jordan are in federal custody.
May 23, 2009
SECURITY breaches at one of Australia's largest and most secure military weapons sites involving possible links to outlaw motorcycle clubs and a thief who stole rockets from the army may constitute a breach of national security.
A whistleblower working at the Australian Defence Force weapons storage depot at Orchard Hills, in Sydney's west, has described a string of abuses by some staff working for a private security contactor, ISS Security.
The source described a number of security guards boasting of being members of outlaw motorcycle clubs, carrying mobile phones in explosive storage areas, leaving buildings containing defence ordnance unlocked for hours, stealing military ordnance and even selling pirated movies, including pornography, on base.
One of the ISS security guards was recently revealed to be a long-time acquaintance of Shane Della-Vedova, a former army ammunition technician who was convicted last year of stealing 10 rocket launchers.
At least one rocket made its way to bikie club the
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