Friday, February 5, 2010

Motorcycle Gang President Arrested; Agents Raid His Home, Haul Out Truckload Of Evidence

Off the Wire News - MCs in the News PITTSBURGH -- Undercover agents raided a home and hauled out a truckload of evidence. It happened right outside of Channel 11’s doors last week, but investigators kept quiet about what they were doing until now.State agents arrested the president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pagans Richard Speciale, 28. The Pagans is Pittsburgh’s infamous motorcycle gang.After months of top secret surveillance and undercover work, narcotics agents from the State Attorney General’s office arrested Speciale less than a half mile from his Ross Township home on Jan. 28.As Speciale was driven away, state agents, along with Ross Township police, descended on his house. Channel 11 was there as agents filled a U-Haul trailer with evidence they removed from Speciale’s Peebles Road home.According to the criminal complaint, that included no motorcycles, but powdered cocaine, electronic surveillance equipment, packing for illegal drugs and scales and $46,000 in cash.Channel 11 spoke with former FBI agent Larry Likar. Part of his career was putting Pagans behind bars. He said membership may be dwindling due to incarceration."There’s Historical evidence that they are involved in a lot of criminal activity,” said Likar.Speciale is jailed on $500,000 bond. When he was arrested, he was already on federal probation for a cocaine conviction in 1998. If he’s convicted, he’s likely to go back to federal prison.

Original article...

http://www.wpxi.com/news/22467051/detail.html