NEWS

2 biker gangs toppled; 50 arrested

Mark Reynolds,Tom Mooney
mreynold@providencejournal.com
A rocket launcher, center, was seized in Wednesday's raids, along with guns, drugs and other weapons. [The Providence Journal / Kris Craig]

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — The intelligence developed by Rhode Island State Police detectives last May was alarming: Their sources were saying that some of the most violent motorcycle gangs in the country were establishing local chapters in northwestern Rhode Island.

Some of the early intel focused on a motorcycle gang named the Thugriders. It was breaking up, with the potential for violence at every turn. Seven members eventually removed their gang patches and left.

The seven former Thugriders “patched over” — a motorcycle gang term — and became members of the Rhode Island Pagans.

On Wednesday, the authorities described that transition after more than 150 investigators swarmed through northwestern Rhode Island, carried out 29 raids, seized guns, arrested 50 people and accused them of crimes tied to two Woonsocket-based motorcycle gangs, the Pagans and the Kryptmen.

Rhode Island State Police Col. Ann Assumpico said the raids were the culmination of the yearlong investigation — dubbed Operation Patched Out —  in what is believed to be the “single largest take-down in Rhode Island State Police history.”

The motorcycle gangs had illegally amassed arsenals of guns and other weapons including a rocket launcher, engaged in illegal activity and feuded violently, according to state police Lt. Col. Joseph Philbin.

Philbin, who spearheaded the investigation, said the motorcycle gangs had been involved in numerous acts of violence, including three shootings that had never been reported to law enforcement.

At one point, he said, detectives learned that one of the alleged gang members was en route to commit murder. The suspect was arrested at a motor vehicle stop near the alleged victim’s house; detectives seized a loaded 9mm pistol. The suspect remains held behind bars.

The two Woonsocket gangs were “allegedly involved in gun and drug trafficking” as well as other illicit crimes, say authorities.

Through electronic surveillance and court-ordered wiretaps, state police investigators intercepted thousands of phone conversations and text messages while collecting other evidence detailed in a 1,300-page affidavit used to secure warrants for almost 30 different searches.

The investigation also revealed that the suspects were involved in widespread theft of stolen ATVs, lawn tractors, snow blowers and other equipment, as well as “fraudulent mortgage and bank activity,” Philbin said.

The gangs refer to themselves as “1 percenters.” It’s a way of saying they don’t abide by the law, said Philbin. A major concern to investigators, he said, was the potential for violence.

 “Across the country there had been several violent confrontations between the motorcycle gangs,” he said. “Several of these confrontations had resulted in the loss of life.”

Then, just recently, on May 6, a member of the Massachusetts Pagans was shot on Route 95 north in Connecticut, Philbin said.

In recent days, Philbin said, the investigators decided to “take out” the gangs to prevent further violence.

The raids were carried early Wednesday morning without any shots fired and no injuries to any of the suspects or the police, Assumpico said.

A police K-9 dog was injured, receiving staples to mend torn fur, after battling a pit bull, she said.

During the raids that included searches of the gang houses in Woonsocket, the police seized weapons, gun silencers, ballistic vests, suspected marijuana, heroin and cocaine, motorcycle patches and a large Pagans banner.

The leaders of both groups, Deric “Tuna” McGuire of the Pagans, and Rodney Lambert of the Kryptmen, were both in custody Wednesday afternoon.

Lambert had been arrested in March, and he was already at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.

Search warrants were executed in Woonsocket, Burrillville, Chepachet, North Smithfield and Warwick; as well as in Massachusetts in Bellingham, Blackstone, Charlton and Milford.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin said that about eight suspects were released on bail and 33 would be held without bail pending their appearance in Superior Court, Providence, on Thursday.

Some suspects would be extradited from Massachusetts, he said. At the time of the announcement on Wednesday, 10 people were still wanted by police.

The sheer number of suspects and charges was overwhelming. One of the gang leaders faced more than 230 charges.

“There are so many players and so many charges,” said Kilmartin. “It’s hard to break them down at a press conference.”

“It’s very involved,” he said. “It’s very deep.”

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Arrested

Misael Alicea, Emmanuel Alvarez, Gabriel Alvarez, Pedro Alvarez, Kirsten Anthony, Sabina Archambault, Alexis Cartagena, Marie Cingolani, Ashley Cullerton, Christine Despain, Mark Dipillo, Brandon Douangmala, Daniel Douangmala, Jennifer Doura, Eric Dubois, Jason Elias, Christopher Gauthier, Kim Kaszyk, Christopher Martin, Justin Menard, Kyle Minot, Alexander Negron, Phousith Norsavanh, Marcel Peloquin, David Rivera, Kyle Rivera, Okin Sanethavong, all of Woonsocket.

Pedro Alvarez, Catherine Glaude and Deric McGuire, Nathaniel Pessini, Jared Rodenbaugh, all of Burrillville.

Hana Daher, of Smithfield; Michael Demers and Samuel Steere, of Glocester; David Dunham, Sarina Dunham, Jonathan Giers, Shawn Glassey, Shannon Millette, of Cumberland.

Robert Hamilton, of Franklin, Mass.; Lisa Kakazu, of Bellingham, Mass.; Marc Bunnell, of Blackstone, Mass.; Jason Oliver, of Fall River.

Rodney Lambert, of Cranston; David Leech, Wendy Riccitelli, of North Smithfield. Yevgeniy Mazo, of North Providence; Thomas Mulcahey of North Scituate; and James Peloquin, of Lincoln.

Wanted by police

Christian Castro, Maurice Godin, Brian Guy, Andrew Palin, Joshua Vega, all of Woonsocket; Tyson Rasco, of North Smithfield; Robert Gill, of Blackstone, Mass.; Robert Minior, of Milford, Mass.; Joejihao Qian, of Norwood, Mass.; Jason Lajoye, of Archbald, Penn.

List of those arrested or still being sought