high-ranking member of the Pagans motorcycle gang from Ross pleaded guilty today in federal court in West Virginia to distributing cocaine in that state.

Richard J. Speciale, 49, known as "Big Rick," entered the plea in Clarksburg.

FBI agents said he conspired to distribute cocaine from June 2007 to January 2010, when he was arrested by Pittsburgh police and agents with the state attorney general's office as part of a state grand jury investigation of drug-dealing by the Pagans, which has its national headquarters in Washington County.

Agents have said the Pagans distributed cocaine supplied by Mexicans in Atlanta.

Mr. Speciale spent 10 years in federal prison for dealing cocaine in the 1990s and was released in 2007. He was on federal probation when he was arrested and will almost certainly face extra prison time for violating the terms of his supervised release.

Security was tight around the downtown Winnipeg courthouse Monday as a secret police agent took the witness stand against the former president of the Manitoba Hells Angels.
Ernie Dew, 52, has pleaded not guilty to charges of cocaine trafficking and posession of goods obtained by crime. He was previously convicted at trial and sentenced to 13 years in prison, but successfully appealed the verdict and won a new trial which is now being heard by a judge alone.
Dew was one of 13 people charged in February 2006 following a massive police sting that was helped by a career criminal turned secret agent.
Franco Atanasovic was paid more than $500,000 to infiltrate the Hells Angels starting in 2005. He wore a wiretap and allowed police to gather video surveillance of drug deals.
Atanasovic is now in witness protection but was brought to court Monday to testify against Dew, a long-time friend. Several heavily-armed police officers were stationed around the courthouse and in the hallways to ensure his court appearance went without incident.
The Manitoba Court of Appeal previously ruled that Dew did not get a fair trial because the judge in the case neglected to order that he have a lawyer represent him for his full hearing, only parts of it. He is now being represented for the entire trial by defence lawyer Mark Wasyliw.DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.