MAJOR BUST
RI State Police-dubbed Operation Patched Out nets 49 arrests while weapons, drugs seized in Woonsocket, area Valley locales
SCITUATE — The Rhode Island State Police and supporting local, federal and Massachusetts agencies conducted a series of pre-dawn raids in Woonsocket, Burrillville, North Smithfield and nearby Massachusetts locales early Wednesday morning while crushing what investigators say was a crime operation involving drugs, weapons, stolen goods and violence run by two rival motorcycle clubs and their associates in the area.
The sweep, titled Operation Patched Out, resulted in the arrest of 49 alleged motorcycle gang members and other suspects with ties to the targeted motorcycle organizations, the The Pagans and The Kryptmen, and the seizure of 53 illegal guns, high-power weapons, such as a rocket launcher and a scoped sniper rifle, large killing knives, as well as a large quantity of crack cocaine, heroin, bagged marijuana and fully-grown marijuana plants.
The R.I. presidents of both motorcycle clubs, Deric McGuire for the Pagans, and Rodney Lambert for the Kryptmen, were both reported in state custody as a result of the ongoing investigation, which also netted the president of the Massachusetts Pagans during sweep activities also involving Fall River, Blackstone and Charlton in Massachusetts.
Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, said the raids included the use of explosive devices to break open heavily fortified entrances to buildings, the use of an armored truck and battering rams to break down doors, and a small army of heavily armed SWAT team members and officers from participating state, federal and local law enforcement agencies.
All of the building entries and arrests were completed without incident, Assumpico said.
The day’s raids, conducted by more that 150 state, federal and local law enforcement officers, were the result warrants obtained for those arrested and more than a dozen additional suspects still being sought that were obtained as the result of the 12-month long Operation Patched Out investigation of the motorcycle clubs alleged criminal operations, according to Assumpico.
Assumpico said Wednesday’s operation is believed to be the single largest takedown in Rhode Island State Police history with those arrested and the others still be sought facing an assortment of charges from crimes including drug trafficking and gun violations that were too numerous to list in totality while their court appearances were still pending.
Many of the suspects taken into custody during the raids were to face initial appearances on the charges Thursday morning in Superior Court, Providence, according to State Police.
The investigation began last May, after detectives in the Special Investigations Unit received information that some of the most violent motorcycle gangs in the country were establishing local chapters in northwestern Rhode Island, according Assumpico. State Police and assisting investigators quickly zeroed in on members of two gangs: The Pagans and Kryptmen, who were allegedly involved in gun and drug trafficking and other criminal activity, she said.
“These gang members are not recreational bikers organizing local charities. These are violent criminals who belong to some of the most sinister motorcycle gangs in this country,” Colonel Assumpico said.
The investigation team, which included members of the Rhode Island State Police Special Investigations Unit with assistance from the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General, as well as members of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), used electronic surveillance and court-ordered wiretaps to intercept thousands of phone conversations and text messages and collected other evidence now detailed in a 1,300-page affidavit used to secure the warrants executed earlier in the day, according to State Police.
“When I learned they were trying to establish a foothold here in Rhode Island, I ordered my detectives to use whatever means necessary to investigate and eradicate these gangs,” Assumpico said.
“Today’s arrests send a clear and convincing message: we will not allow motorcycle gangs and other criminals to sell guns and drugs on our streets and commit violent crimes in our communities,” Assumpico said.
Both of the motorcycle gangs busted during the raids maintained club headquarters in Woonsocket and also had other locations targeted by the investigation with 17 search warrants executed in the city, nine in Burrillville and one in North Smithfield, according to State Police.
Some of the suspects charged with gun violations, were alleged to have purchased parts through the mail order and then manufactured weapons such as handguns with them that had no markings that could be traced back to them, according to investigators.
Lt. Col. Joseph Philbin, who spearheaded the investigation with his State Police detectives unit, gave an overview of the operation that began at approximately 4 a.m. Wednesday as law enforcement members made entries into the locations named in the warrants.
“This morning, a total of 26 search warrants were executed in the Northwestern part of the state,” Philbin said. “The majority of the warrants were executed in the city of Woonsocket and the town of Burrillville. Nine of these warrants required dynamic entry performed by the previously mentioned tactical teams. Along with these search warrants, investigators attempted to effect 59 arrest warrants during the morning and afternoon hours of today,” he said.
“All subjects were taken into custody without incident. With the arrests that were made, the charges range from conspiracy to violate uniformed controlled substances act, conspiracy to possession of firearms by a person convicted of a felony. Conspiracy to sell a concealed weapon, larceny, receiving stolen goods, residential mortgage fraud, and money laundering,” Philbin said.
The year-long investigation by the State Police special investigations unit and its partners focused on the activities of “the Pagans Motorcycle Club, or gang,” who were previously members of the Thug Riders Motorcycle gang, and the Kryptmen motorcycle gang, Philbin said.
The two clubs had established “a stronghold here in Rhode Island,” he said, while noting two of the search warrants that were executed were at the “clubhouses of both of these gangs.’’
“As a result of these search warrants over 56 firearms were seized along with 1,000s of rounds of ammunition, ballistic vests, silencers, ghost weapons which are basically firearms that do not have a serial number, they are created illegally and do not have a serial number, and one rocket launcher was also seized,” Philbin said.
Amounts of suspected cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, and an undetermined amount of U.S. Currency was also seized, he said. Philbin said the investigation is still ongoing, noting “we’re still out there looking for several suspects.”
The investigation began over a year ago when detectives of the special investigations unit developed information that several motorcycle gangs were trying to establish a stronghold in the northwestern portion of the state, Philbin said.
Across the country, he noted, several violent confrontations have occurred between the motorcycle gangs and added that “several of these confrontations have resulted in loss of life.
“Just recently on May 6, a member of the Massachusetts Pagans was shot on Route 95 North in the State of Connecticut. Several of the Rhode Island Pagans were with him when this occurred,” Philbin said.
“This investigation revealed that over the past year there have been several violent confrontations between these motorcycle gangs operating in Rhode Island and these confrontations do not get reported to law enforcement and they were just discovered as a result of this investigation,” Philbin said.
The investigation uncovered information that detectives were forced to act on “because of the potential violence that could have occurre,” he noted.
“During the first week of March, 2018, the president of the Kryptmen Motorcycle Club, Rodney Lambert, was arrested by members of the State Police for possession of a firearm. He remains at the ACI. Due to this and the up-tick in violence between these clubs the decision was made to end the investigation and attempt to prevent future violence that was being discussed,” Philbin said.
“It is our firm belief that taking down this criminal organization possibly prevented future loss of life. It should be noted that the majority of the subjects arrested today are repeat offenders and convicted felons,” he said.
Philbin described thousands of telephone calls and text messages as being intercepted during the yearlong investigation and noted that hundreds of surveillances were conducted as well.
The investigative materials resulted in a the 1,300 page affidavit summarizing the case and the subjects involved, he noted. “The investigation is continuing and it should be noted the president of the RI Pagans was arrested and the President of the Massachusetts Pagans arrested, he said.
Attorney General Peter Kilmartin thanked all the participating Rhode Island, federal and Massachusetts agencies involved in breaking up the motorcycle gangs’ operations, in particular the State Police detectives putting in all the work to ensure the suspects would be prosecuted.
“Without that patience and tenacity we would not be here today making Rhode Island a safer place,” he said.
“The fact of the matter is, this one year now just brings a whole new chapter with the amount of charges that the Lt. Colonel alluded to with the amount of people, the 59 to 60 people arrested, this brings in a whole new phase of this investigation and also continues the nuts and bolts that were created in the past year because it is not over yet,” Kilmartin said.
Assisting agencies included the Woonsocket Police Department, North Smithfield Police Department, Burrillville Police Department, Rhode Attorney General Peter Kilmartin’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police and also the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire- arms (ATF); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), according to State Police.
Search warrants were executed at the following locations:
210 Central Street, Burrillville
KMC Garage, 481 Second Avenue, Woonsocket
Pagans MC CH, 91 Mason Street, Woonsocket
1 Lake Drive, Burrillville 131 Mason Street, Woonsocket (AMCO)
31 Sorrell Road, North Providence
156 Village Road Apt. 10, Woonsocket
527 Fairmount Street #2, Woonsocket
201 Arnold Street, Woonsocket
111 Pulaski Boulevard, Bellingham, Mass.
7 Old Mendon Road, Blackstone, Mass.
30 Old Worcester Road, Charlton, Mass.
484 Prospect Street, Woonsocket
56 Heroux Avenue, Woonsocket
119 East Harkness Road, N. Smithfield
362 2nd Avenue, Woonsocket
541 Pond Street, Woonsocket
56 Marshall Road, Woonsocket
308/310/314 Willow
Street, Woonsocket
88 Fifth Avenue, Woonsocket
46 Reservoir Road, Burrillville
213 High Street, Woonsocket
192 Beacon Avenue, Woonsocket
196 West Street, Milford, Mass.
259 Sixth Avenue, Woonsocket
710 Providence Street, Woonsocket
50 Everson Drive, Chepachet
556 Harris Avenue, Woonsocket
Parmalee, Poirier & Assoc. 469 Centerville Rd. #203, Warwick
Governor Gina M. Raimondo released the following statement on Wednesday noting the the Rhode Island State Police take down of a violent motorcycle gang in northern Rhode Island: