https://youtu.be/ET_b78GSBUs
Maria Chapa Lopez, the United States
Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, above, released an
unusually half-assed press release today titled, “Sixteen Individuals,
Including Several Members Of The Pagans Motorcycle Club, Charged For
Conspiring To Distribute Methamphetamine.”
Think of those sixteen words as a movie
logline. For the time being, that is almost all the government is
willing to say. Other than that the press release headline is 16 words
long, it is hard to find a connection between what seem to be three
overlapping cases and the Pagans.
In the press release, the Department of
Justice reports the unsealing of three indictments. The multiple
indictments are blatant attempts to try some defendant’s multiple times
for the same offenses
Indictments
One indictment is a case called USA v. Barbara Caylor-Hernandez, aka “Barb,” aka “Barbie” and others.
Barbie’s codefendants in that indictment include Ramiro
Fraire-Chavarria, Michael Babin, Melanie Kerr, Keith Simmons, Carla Ray,
Spencer Burkard, Robert Foster, Daniel Barbarino, Andrew “Yeti”
Shettler, Brian “Sledge” Burt and Lawrence Sann. Everybody except Sann
is accused of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of
methamphetamine. Sann only conspired to distribute five grams. They are
all facing life in prison except Sann, who could be sentenced to 40
years.
A second indictment charges Keith
Kirchoff, Michael “Clutch” Andrews and Shettler with conspiring to
distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Kirchoff allegedly
carried a gun while he allegedly talked about doing his alleged two
ounce drug deals.
And, according to the press release, a
third indictment has been returned against Cindy Bledsoe, Jason Stringer
and Andrews. Bledsoe and Andrews are accused of plotting to get their
hands on 50 grams of crank to sell. There is no indication whether this
is the same drug plot Andrews is charged with in the second indictment.
Stringer is accused of trying to get his hands on five grams of meth.
Pagans
The press release was issued before the
third indictment was filed – if there is actually a third indictment.
And there is no mention of the Pagans or any other motorcycle club in
either of the two filed indictments.
Although the word “Pagans” does not
appear a single time in either of the indictments accessible to the
public, the press release declares, “According to the indictments, the
defendants conspired to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine
to individuals and groups in the Middle District of Florida, including
to members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, an outlaw motorcycle gang.”
And the headline about the case in this morning’s Daytona Beach News-Journal shouted “Volusia, Flagler, Daytona Pagan’s motorcycle gang members rounded up in federal meth bust.”
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