OFF THE WIRE
By Alex Bridges -- abridges@nvdaily.com
WINCHESTER -- A Frederick County man with links to a motorcycle gang faces gun charges in Maryland, according to authorities.
Stephen Francis Torres, 52, of 302 BobCat Trail, Shawneeland, is charged in Prince George's County (Md.) Circuit Court with five, firearm-related offenses, according to information on the state's online database. The offenses happened Aug. 28, the statement says. A grand jury returned the charges Sept. 9 and Torres is set to appear in the court on Sept. 24.
R.T. Swartz, an investigator with the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, seized items from Torres' home while executing a search warrant Thursday in relation to gun charges and criminal street gang participation. Swartz has been assigned to the Northwest Virginia Regional Gang Task Force since 2005.
Torres was involved in a motorcycle crash in Prince George's County on Aug. 27, according to the affidavit for the search warrant filed in Frederick County Circuit Court. A Prince George's County police officer responded and found Torres in possession of a .45-caliber Taurus handgun which contained five live rounds of ammunition, the affidavit states.
Investigator A.J. Hipple, of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, went to Torres' address on Sept. 3 to find him on an unrelated incident, according to Swartz. Hipple spoke to a man working at the residence who said Torres "had some legal problems in Maryland and he went to take care of the problems."
Swartz and another investigator went to Torres' home on Sept. 7 and saw a black Dodge pickup parked near the residence, the affidavit states. The pickup was registered to Torres.
"Stephens Francis Torres is a documented Gang member," Swartz states. "Cpl. John O'Donnell who is a Investigator with the Gang Unit in Prince Georges County Maryland has documentation that Torres is a member of the Phantoms Outlaw Motorcycle Gang."
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