Pagans motorcycle gang leader Deric 'Tuna' McGuire pleads case, will spend a decade behind bars
PROVIDENCE – The leader of the Pagans outlaw motorcycle gang admitted Thursday to conspiring with fellow members to trafficking drugs and firearms and received 10 years behind bars.
Deric “Tuna” McGuire, 38, of North Smithfield, pleaded no contest to nine charges involving drugs, firearms and stolen goods in exchange for the state's dismissal of dozens of other counts, according to Attorney General Peter F. Neronha’s office.
Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause sentenced McGuire to 20 years, with 10 to serve and 20 years probation, said Brian Hodge, spokesman for the office. He must pay $80,229 in restitution and forfeit six cars linked to the sprawling conspiracy.
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The charges against the Pagans Motorcycle Club RI chapter leader
The charges include possession of 1 ounce to 1 kilogram of cocaine; multiple counts of conspiring to violate drug laws by trafficking cocaine and marijuana, conspiring to sell concealed weapons to a prohibited person, conspiring to provide false documents to a public official and conspiring to knowingly receive stolen goods over $10,000 for the purposes of procuring a loan, Hodge said.
He received credit for time he has served since his arrest in 2018 after raids that netted drugs and weapons, including a rocket launcher. McGuire, who had been on home confinement, was taken into custody by deputy sheriffs in court on Thursday and returned to the Adult Correctional Institutions.
He had faced more than 200 counts linked to the alleged conspiracy. He was represented by Jack Cicilline.
“Make no mistake, the defendant and the organized criminal enterprise he stood at the center of represent a significant risk to the safety of Rhode Islanders,” Attorney General Peter F. Neronha said in a statement. “The defendant made it his job to place guns in the hands of those who could otherwise not pass a background check. He funded his criminal enterprise by trafficking drugs and stealing valuables from others. Through the hard work of the Rhode Island State Police, in partnership with our prosecutors, this defendant and his associates are off the streets and unable to threaten public safety.”
Previous coverage:RI Supreme Court upholds suppression of wiretap evidence in motorcycle gang investigation
It was a sudden end to the case against McGuire, whom authorities identify as the leader of the Pagans Motorcycle Club chapter in Rhode Island.
Superior Court Judge Netti C. Vogel dealt state prosecutors a blow in 2019 when she struck key wiretap evidence from the case after determining that only the Superior Court presiding justice or the next-senior Superior Court judge can authorize wiretap interceptions.
In McGuire’s case, Presiding Justice Alice B. Gibney had instead assigned Judge Melanie Wilk Thunberg to handle the warrants in McGuire’s case while she was out on medical leave. Gibney did so to avoid creating a conflict for Krause, the most senior Superior Court judge, who was expected to later preside over McGuire’s case as it worked its way through the courts.
The state Supreme Court in May upheld Vogel’s ruling, meaning the case would proceed without the wiretap evidence. It is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Joseph McBurney and James Baum.
State and federal agents had wiretapped at least seven different telephones used by McGuire over the course of a year, capturing him being recruited to lead a new Rhode Island chapter of the Pagans outlaw motorcycle gang and documenting his illegal drug operation, authorities alleged.
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Operation Patched Out
The investigation, dubbed Operation Patched Out, led to 29 raids in May 2018 and the seizure of drugs and weapons. More than 50 people were arrested and charged with crimes authorities said were tied to two alleged Woonsocket-based motorcycle gangs, the Pagans and the Kryptmen.
McGuire returned to prison for a period of time earlier this year after aurthorities accused him of violating his bail terms by consorting with motorcycle gang members.
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Pagans biker gang leader Deric 'Tuna' McGuire gets 10 years in prison
