Virginia Pagan pleas to explosives charge

OFF THE WIRE
By Andrew Clevenger

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club admitted Thursday in federal court that he delivered a fragmentation grenade and some military-grade C4 to another biker as part of an ongoing feud with a rival gang.

Richard Howard Lacy Smith, 59, of Roanoke, Va., said that another Pagan gave him the explosives in Virginia, and he took them to Princeton, W.Va, where he gave them to fellow Pagan Ronnie Howerton.

Smith did not know that Howerton was a confidential informant working for the FBI. But he acknowledged that he did know that Howerton wanted to stockpile weapons to use against the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.

Smith also acknowledged that he was not licensed or permitted to possess explosives, and that he knew Howerton was barred from handling explosives because of a previous felony conviction.

Smith had previously entered a similar plea, but U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston set that plea aside after questions arose about the factual basis for the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Loew and defense attorney Richard Gunnoe were able to work out a new plea agreement.

Smith, who is known as "Reverse" in the biker world, faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on Nov. 5.

On Wednesday, a former president of the Charleston chapter of the Pagans was sentenced to time served for participating in a drug conspiracy.

Michael Roy "Butterbean" Sneed, 44, pleaded guilty in December 2009, admitting that he and other Pagans ordered two men, including a prospect for membership into the Pagans, to buy cocaine for them between January and October 2008.

Prosecutors asked Johnston to give Sneed a reduced sentence because he had provided additional information about his involvement, and had testified at the trial of another defendant.

Johnston also fined Sneed $2,000, and ordered him to spend three years on supervised release.

Sneed was the sixth defendant convicted of felony charges to be sentenced in the racketeering case, unsealed in October 2009, against 55 members and associates of the Pagans Motorcycle Club. The indictment included charges against defendants from Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

Many entered into plea deals to vastly reduced charges, and a handful entered into agreements where their charges will be dismissed if they stay out of trouble for a year.

Reach Andrew Clevenger at acleven...@wvgazette.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 304-348-1723.