Eleven Members Of The Pagan’s Motorcycle Club Charged With Narcotics Distribution, Firearms Offenses, And Violent Crimes In Aid Of Racketeering

 The U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Jersey released the below information: 

NEWARK, N.J. – Two high-ranking members of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club were arrested today for assault in aid of racketeering, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. 

Luis Arocho, aka “LuRoc,” 43, of Keansburg, New Jersey, and Maurice Guzman, aka “Dawg,” 51, of Newark, are charged by complaint with one count of aggravated assault in aid of racketeering. They are scheduled to appear by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre. 

“Today’s arrests are the latest in a long-running investigation into the illegal activities of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club,” Acting U.S. Attorney Honig said. “We have now charged 11 members of this outlaw gang with various weapons, drug-trafficking and violent crimes. Together with our federal, state, and local partners, we remain fully committed to combatting violent crime in New Jersey and prosecuting the members of the criminal organizations who are responsible for it.”    

“This investigation has dealt a significant blow to the Pagans motorcycle gang,” Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New Jersey Division Susan A. Gibson said. “The use of violence, weapons, and intimidation was standard for this criminal organization, and law enforcement made it clear that their behavior would not be tolerated. It is a bad day for the Pagans when the combined forces of DEA, ATF, New Jersey State Police and Union County detectives come after you. These arrests made New Jersey safer and this investigation demonstrated the determination of DEA and our amazing partners to pursue the most violent criminal gangs who choose to violate the law.”

“I can say without question that our collective efforts have disrupted and dismantled the daily illegal activities of the Pagans outlaw motorcycle gang, by strategically removing their most violent and most egregious firearm and drug trafficking members and associates,” ATF Newark Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Toby C. Taylor said. “This collaborative investigation will undoubtedly make communities safer throughout our state and beyond.”

“The success and scale of this investigation is a testament to the impact a collaboration between law enforcement agencies can have on the safety and security of our communities,” Acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo said. “Thanks to the hard work and dedication of investigators and prosecutors in this long-term effort, which occurred during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, dangerous actors, along with mass quantities of narcotics and firearms, have been removed from our streets.”

“Long-term operations of this magnitude require a tremendous amount of work and patience by cooperating detectives, and while the full scope and impact of this investigation may yet be fully realized, its success continues a year after it began,” Col. Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said. “I commend the hard work and dedication of all the agencies involved. Their efforts have led to the arrests of violent offenders and the seizure of weapons and drugs, which has undoubtedly made our communities safer.”

According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in court:

On April 24, 2018, Arocho, Guzman, and other associates of the Pagans assaulted an associate of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club at a gas station in Newark. The Pagans and the Hells Angels have a long-standing rivalry. The victim was beaten with an axe handle, punched, and kicked by the Pagans assailants, resulting in significant injuries. Both Arocho and Guzman are high-ranking leaders in the Pagans’ organization. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig also announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging Nicholas Bucciarelli, aka “Booch,” 56, of Brooklawn, New Jersey, with aggravated assault in aid of racketeering, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon, arising from his commission of a gang-related gunpoint assault in which an associate of the Pagans was assaulted for breaking the organization’s rules. Nicholas Marino, aka “Lefty,” 75, of Williamstown, New Jersey, Anthony D’Alessandro, aka “Fugit,” 55, of Williamstown, New Jersey, and Michael Dorazo, aka “Cage,” 42, of Gloucester City, New Jersey, were previously charged by federal criminal complaint for their roles in the assault. At the time of their arrests, Bucciarelli was the sergeant at arms for the Pagans’ Camden County membership chapter, Marino and D’Alessandro served as the president and sergeant at arms, respectively, for the Pagans’ Gloucester County membership chapter, and Dorazo was a member of the Pagans. Bucciarelli was also indicted for distributing five grams or more of methamphetamine.

These charges were filed as part of a multi-agency investigation into the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club – an outlaw motorcycle gang known to engage in illegal activity, including narcotics trafficking, weapons trafficking, and violent crimes. The Pagans have established membership chapters in numerous states and U.S. territories, including multiple active chapters in New Jersey. This investigation involved court-authorized wiretaps, the use of multiple undercover law enforcement agents, and execution of multiple search warrants at physical locations in multiple jurisdictions. Through the investigation, law enforcement seized 10 firearms and more than 800 grams of methamphetamine. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office previously announced the arrest of Keith Richter, aka “Conan” – the national president of the Pagans – in connection with his illegal possession of a firearm on Feb. 20, 2021. Those charges remain pending.

Law enforcement officials also previously arrested the following individuals in connection with the investigation. (Each of the defendants is charged by federal criminal complaint; the specific charges and corresponding penalties are listed in the chart below.)

Larry Ortiz, aka “Savage,” 31, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Junius Aquino, aka “Jayo,” 38, of Vauxhall, New Jersey, were charged with aggravated assault in aid of racketeering and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence for their roles in a gang-related shooting. On Oct. 28, 2020, Ortiz and Aquino shot at an associate of a rival gang while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike. The shooting was committed as part of an ongoing dispute between the Pagans and the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.

Aquino was also charged in a separate criminal complaint with possession of ammunition by a convicted felon in connection with a shooting that occurred three days later. On Oct. 31, 2020, Aquino shot at an occupied vehicle in Elizabeth. Law enforcement officers recovered seven .40 caliber shell casings from the shooting scene. On Nov. 5, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Aquino’s residence and recovered, among other items, multiple .40 caliber rounds of ammunition and approximately 50 grams of cocaine. After law enforcement officers recovered the cocaine from Aquino’s residence, Aquino was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. At the time of Aquino’s arrest, he was the vice president of the Pagans’ Elizabeth membership chapter. 

Ortiz was also charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On Nov. 17, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ortiz’s residence and recovered approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. At the time of his arrest, Ortiz was the president of the Pagans’ Jersey City membership chapter.

Daniel Hooban, aka “Jersey,” 33, of Bayonne, New Jersey, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On June 29, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hooban’s residence and recovered approximately 30 grams of cocaine and a loaded firearm. At the time of Hooban’s arrest, he was the sergeant at arms for the Pagans’ Jersey City membership chapter.

Glen Turner, aka “Glenny,” 73, of Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, was charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Turner is a long-time member of the Pagans. On Dec. 10, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Turner’s residence and recovered approximately 450 grams of methamphetamine.

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited a joint task force comprised of special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gibson; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Taylor; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Ruotolo; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Callahan, with the investigation leading to these charges.

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos Jr.; the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Timothy D. Sini; the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief Giacomo Sacca; special agents of the FBI Cherry Hill Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Driscoll in Philadelphia; and the West Deptford Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Chambers, for their assistance with this investigation.

These cases are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Frazer, R. Joseph Gribko, and Samantha C. Fasanello, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaints and indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Upper Darby Man Pleads Guilty To Straw Purchasing 20+ Handguns Last Summer At Dealers In Southeast PA

 The U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of PA released the below information:

PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Nafez Hutchings, 22, of Upper Darby, PA, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Anita Brody to an Indictment charging 12 counts of providing false information to a federal firearms licensee.

Between June and August 2020, the defendant fraudulently purchased 23 handguns over 12 separate transactions with several different Federal Firearms Licensees (licensed gun stores) in Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties. During each purchase, Hutchings falsely reported his address and declared on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473 that he was the actual purchaser of the firearms, when in reality it was not his intention to keep possession of the weapon. Before his arrest, the defendant admitted to ATF agents that he provided a false address and falsely certified on the ATF forms that he was buying the firearms, when in fact he was buying them on behalf of other individuals.

“Our Office is doing all we can to stem the tide of violent crime in Philadelphia, including indicting and prosecuting criminals who possess firearms when they’re prohibited by law from doing so. But the efforts of law enforcement to keep guns out of the wrong hands are thwarted every time someone straw purchases a weapon like this defendant did, 23 times over,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Make no mistake -- If you knowingly buy a handgun for someone else who cannot legally purchase one, and they use it to commit a crime, it is no better than if you had fired that gun yourself. And that is exactly how you will be treated by the federal authorities.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.

A Little Humor: Olongapo Greeting

As I’ve noted here before, I was a young sailor stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk in 1970 and 1971 during the Viet Nam War. I worked long and hard hours as the carrier operated for long line periods on “Yankee Station” off the coast of North Vietnam, where the warship launched aircraft for combat sorties against the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong in support of American and allied ground forces.

Thankfully, during the WESTPAC (Western Pacific) combat cruise the aircraft carrier also made port of calls to Honolulu, Hawaii, Sasebo, Japan and Hong Kong. And the Kitty Hawk, most thankfully, also visited the American naval base at Subic Bay in the Philippines. 

The Kitty Hawk visited Subic Bay periodically to take on weapons and supplies and do needed repairs before heading back to Yankee Station and the war. The port calls to Subic Bay also provided a rest and relaxation period - called R&R by the military - for the bent-up sailors who went wild in the wide-open sin city of Olongapo.

Nearly every sailor and former sailor I’ve met over the years have described Olongapo as the greatest Navy liberty town they’ve ever visited. Olongapo in 1971 was Dodge City, Las Vegas, and Sodom and Gomorrah all rolled into one.  

Magsaysay, the main drag of the city, was always crowded at night with passing sailors, shoeshine boys, drug dealers, street vendors and the ubiquitous “jeepneys,” the colorfully decorated jeeps that carried the sailors across town. 

Pretty Filipinas gathered outside of the bars on Magsaysay and enticed sailors to enter the bars with hugs, kisses, swaying hips, pushed out breasts and shaking bottoms, as well as more strongarm-style tactics. Come inside and enjoy the music, the dancing, the Sam Miguel beer, and the sweet companionship of the bar girls, the sailors were told by the hawking and preening girls outside of the bars.

Inside the bars, the sailors bought the girls drinks, danced with them, snuggled with them, and kissed them. 

During the early evenings some sailors paid off the mama-san so they could take the girls to a hotel room for “short-time,” as it was called. More patient sailors waited until the end of the evening when the girls could leave the bar without charge and would accompany the dipsy and happy sailors to near-by hotels.   

I recall one early evening standing next to a sailor at the bar at the Stardust on Magsaysay, my favorite hang-out, when one of the bargirls grabbed him by the arm and said, “Come sit with me, Joe. I show you good time.”

The sailor became annoyed, and he brushed her off of him.

He turned back to me and said, “I hate it when these girls call me Joe.”

“Filipinos have called all Americans “Joe” since World War Two,” I explained.

“Yeah, I know,” he replied. “But I really hate it when then they call me Joe.”

“Why?”

“Because my name is Joe.”

Michael Connelly's 'Bosch' Season 7, The Final Season, Now Streaming On Amazon Prime Video

My wife and I began watching season 7 of Bosch tonight on Amazon Prime Video. 

We love the crime series, which is based on Michael Connelly's crime thrillers. 

I've reviewed many of Michael Connelly's Bosch novels at the Washington Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

You can read my Washington Times review of Michael Connelly's The Night Fire via the below link:

Paul Davis On Crime: The Fire That Makes A Good Detective: My Washington Times Review Of Michael Connelly's 'The Night Fire'

You can also read my Philadelphia Inquirer review of Michael Connelly's 9 Dragons via the below link:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Philadelphia Inquirer Review Of Michael Connelly's 'Nine Dragons' 

And you can read my Q&A with Michael Connelly via the below link:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Beat Column: Killers, Cops and Crime Reporters: My Q & A With Crime Writer Michael Connelly 

A Little Humor: The Atheist And The Shark

An atheist was swimming in the ocean when he saw a huge Great White Shark in the water. 

He began swimming furiously towards his boat.

The man turned and saw the jaws of the great white beast open, which revealed its many sharp teeth. 

The atheist cried out, “Oh, Dear Lord! Please save me!”

A bright light shined down from above. 

The man in the water heard the voice of God. 

“You are an avowed atheist,” God said in a thundering voice. “Why do you call upon me when you do not believe in me?”

“Well, yeah, I don’t believe in you,” the atheist admitted. “But how about the shark? Can you make the shark believe in you?”

God replied, “As you wish.”

As the atheist looked back, he saw the jaws of the shark begin to close down on him, when all of sudden the shark stops and pulls back.

“Oh, God, thank you,” the atheist said. 

But then the man looked at the shark again. He was shocked to see the shark’s head come out of the water, close its eyes, bow its head and say, “Thank you Lord for this food which I am about to receive…”

Note: Shark Week coming up on Discovery Channel: Shark Week 2021 schedule: Your guide to all 32 specials | EW.com

Defense Department Linguist Sentenced To 23 Years In Prison For Transmitting Highly Sensitive Classified National Defense Information To Aid A Foreign Government

 The Justice Department released the below information: 

Mariam Taha Thompson (seen in the above photo), 62, formerly of Rochester, Minnesota, was sentenced today to 23 years in prison for delivering classified national defense information to aid a foreign government. As part of her March 26 guilty plea, Thompson admitted that she believed that the classified national defense information that she was passing to a Lebanese national would be provided to Lebanese Hezbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization. 

“Thompson’s sentence reflects the seriousness of her violation of the trust of the American people, of the human sources she jeopardized and of the troops who worked at her side as friends and colleagues,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “That Thompson passed our nation’s sensitive secrets to someone whom she knew had ties to Lebanese Hezbollah made her betrayal all the more serious. Thompson’s sentence should stand as a clear warning to all clearance holders that violations of their oath to this country will not be taken lightly, especially when they put lives at risk.” 

“The defendant’s decision to aid a foreign terrorist organization was a betrayal that endangered the lives of the very American men and women on the battlefield who had served beside her for more than a decade,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia. “Let today’s sentence serve notice that there are serious consequences for anyone who betrays this country by compromising national defense information.” 

“This case should serve as a clear reminder to all of those entrusted with national defense information that unilaterally disclosing such information for personal gain, or that of others, is not selfless or heroic; it is criminal,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler, Jr. of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. “By knowingly distributing classified information that would be passed onto a designated foreign terrorist organization, Mariam Thompson put our national defense in danger. The men and women of the FBI will continue to work tirelessly to defeat hostile intelligence activities targeting the United States and to hold those who assist our adversaries accountable.” 

“Thompson was entrusted with highly sensitive information, and she chose to betray her country by providing classified defense information to a foreign terrorist organization,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Today’s significant sentencing shows the dedicated work of the FBI, the U.S. Intelligence Community and our global partners to work swiftly and diligently to safeguard our national security information and hold accountable those who break our nation’s trust." 

According to court documents, Thompson worked as a contract linguist at an overseas U.S. military facility where she was entrusted with a Top-Secret government security clearance. Thompson admitted that, beginning in 2017, she started communicating with her unindicted co-conspirator using a video-chat feature on a secure text and voice messaging application. Over time, Thompson developed a romantic interest in her co-conspirator. Thompson learned that the unindicted co-conspirator had a family member who was in the Lebanese Ministry of the Interior and that the unindicted co-conspirator claimed to have received a ring from Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Lebanese Hezbollah. 

In December 2019, while Thompson was assigned to a Special Operations Task Force facility in Iraq, the United States launched a series of airstrikes in Iraq targeting Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed foreign terrorist organization. These airstrikes culminated in a Jan. 3, 2020, strike that resulted in the death of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qasem Suleimani, as well as the founder of Kata’ib Hezbollah, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. 

Following Suleimani’s death, the unindicted co-conspirator began asking Thompson to provide “them” with information about the human assets who had helped the United States to target Suleimani. Thompson admitted that she understood “them” to be Lebanese Hezbollah, including an unnamed high-ranking military commander. 

After receiving this request for information in early January 2020, Thompson began accessing dozens of files concerning human intelligence sources, including true names, personal identification data, background information and photographs of the human assets, as well as operational cables detailing information the assets provided to the U.S. government. Thompson used several techniques to pass this information on to the unindicted co-conspirator, who told her that his contacts were pleased with the information and that the Lebanese Hezbollah military commander wanted to meet Thompson when she came to Lebanon. 

When she was arrested by the FBI on Feb. 27, 2020, Thompson had used her access to classified national defense information to provide her co-conspirator with the identities of at least eight clandestine human assets; at least 10 U.S. targets; and multiple tactics, techniques and procedures. Thompson intended and had reason to believe that this classified national defense information would be used to the injury of the United States and to the advantage of Lebanese Hezbollah. 

Today’s sentencing was the result of the significant cooperation between law enforcement, the Department of Defense and the intelligence community in the successful resolution of this investigation led by the FBI Washington Field Office. 

National Security Division Trial Attorneys Jennifer Kennedy Gellie of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Jennifer Levy of the Counterterrorism Section, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cummings for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. 

The Real Sopranos: My Philadelphia Weekly 'Crime Beat' Column On FBI Undercover Operative Giovanni Rocco's Life With The Mob

Philadelphia Weekly published my Crime Beat column on Giovanni Rocco's life uncover with the real Sopranos.

You can read the column via the below link or the below page (click on it to enlarge):

The real Sopranos - Philadelphia Weekly

My Crime Fiction: 'I'm Pack Mule'

The below short story originally appeared in American Crime Magazine. 

“I’m Pack Mule” 

By Paul Davis 

One of the many reasons I’m pleased that the COVID-19 restrictions are finally being lifted is that I can once again go out on ride-alongs with Philadelphia police officers. 

I’ve gone on ride-alongs for many years, and I’ve reported what I observed and experienced in my weekly crime column in the local newspaper. 

While out on a recent ride-along with a 3^rd District officer, I asked about an incident that I read about in which a ten-year-old child was wounded when two competing drug gangs shot it out on a street in South Philadelphia. 

The police officer, a black patrolman named Lenny Jackson, told me about the shooting and the two gangs involved as he drove down the street where the injured child lived. 

Jakson said the child was playing on the sidewalk in front of his home as his grandmother was sitting on the steps leading to the house, or “stoop,” as it was sometimes called in South Philly. 

One drug dealer was running down the street as a car drove by and someone from the car fired several shots at the fleeing man. The man was not hit, but the boy, Martin Dowd, was shot in the leg. 

Jackson recounted how he was the first officer to respond, and he placed direct pressure on the leg wound and hugged the small child as he waited for the ambulance.  

“These drug gangbangers don’t know how to shoot, holding the gun sideways like they do in the movies,” Jackson told me. “If I shot a gun like that on the police range, I’d be sweeping out a district station every day.” 

Jackson explained that poor marksmanship was one reason why innocent bystanders were hit when the drug criminals turned South Philly into the Wild West. Callousness was another reason. 

I mentioned that I often thought about opening a school for drug gang members where I would teach them how to shoot properly. Then they would only kill themselves and spare the innocent. Jackson laughed. 

Jackson said the shooter was finally arrested, but the case was solved under unusual circumstances. He went on to tell me about the case.

 

The day after Martin Dowd was released from the hospital, his grandmother answered her front door. She stepped back, as there was a big white man in the doorway dressed in blue jeans, work boots and a t-shirt with a photo of a mule on it. The man also wore a thin, black mask across his eyes, similar to the mask worn by the Lone Ranger, and he wore a "Smokey the Bear" ranger hat with two fake animal ears rising up through the hat. 

She motioned upstairs when the strange man asked where Martin was. The man rushed past her and headed up the stairs, followed by a man with a TV camera. 

When the man rushed into the boy’s room, the injured child pulled the covers up to his eyes in fear, as he didn’t know what to make of his visitor. 

“Hello, Martin,” the man bellowed. “I’m Pack Mule!”

 The grandmother called the police, and she was grateful that Officer Jackson responded. Jackson rushed up the stairs and looked in the room. The strange man was sitting on the side of the child’s bed, and he was speaking to him in a low voice as the cameraman recorded the scene. 

Jackson turned towards the grandmother and assured her that her grandson was safe. 

“That’s Pack Mule,” he told her. “He’s got a Saturday morning kid’s show and he’s some kind of superhero.” 

Jackson knew about Pack Mule as one Saturday morning he woke up on his couch after drinking the night before, and as he was too hung over to search for the TV remote, he watched “Saturday Morning With Pack Mule,” a cheesy kid show with poor production values and even poorer ratings. 

Pack Mule, aka actor John North, was a character that fought bad guys and bullies with his pack mule strength and a strong sense of justice. North was genuinely concerned about children, and he often filmed remote segments with children who were victims of violence and tragedy. 

North was a sincere and caring man who was deeply religious. Born and raised in a small Pennsylvania town, he joined the Marines and served in Afghanistan. His ambition was to be a circus clown, but he ended up as a superhero character on a children’s TV show.   

The grandmother was glad to hear that her grandson was in no danger, and she saw that Martin was warming up to the strange man. He was laughing at Pack Mule’s jokes and funny faces. 

Jackson left and the cameraman also left, but North stayed. He stayed until the following day.   

North left the bedroom the next afternoon when the boy fell asleep. Still in costume, North sat on the stoop with the grandmother when he saw her stiffen and become scared. 

“What’s wrong?” 

The grandmother looked across the street at a group of seven young men standing around in front of a house. 

“That’s him,” she said softly. 

“Who?” 

“The man who shot my Martin.” 

“I’ll call the police.” 

“No, don’t you dare.” 

“Why not?” 

“I have to live here. The police can’t protect me from these evil street people.” 

“Which one shot Martin?” 

“The one in the red shirt.” 

“Stay here.” 

North walked across the street and stood in front of the drug gang. 

“What the fuck you want?” one of the gang members asked as they all laughed at the ridiculously attired man. 

“I’m Pack Mule,” North replied. 

The gang members all laughed. They didn't know about the TV show. They just thought he was some weird white man.  

“You in the red shirt. You are a coward for shooting a small boy and running away,” North said. “I challenge you to a fight. No gang, no guns.” 

Derick Masters, the criminal in the red shirt, told North to beat it before he shot him. 

Alan “Big Deal” Donald, the leader of the drug gang, spoke up. Donald was displeased with Masters as he had failed to kill the rival drug dealer and shot the boy, bringing heat on the gang. 

“Fight the man,” Donald ordered. 

“What?” 

“You heard me. Fight the man. No gang. No gun. Like the man said.” 

North stripped off his hat and mule ears and laid them on the hood of a car. 

Masters, the veteran of a dozen street beatings of others and the murderer of four, believed he was one tough fighter - a Muhammad Ali of the street. 

“You a crazy white man. I’m going to beat the shit out of you.” 

Masters did some fancy foot work in his gleaming new white sneakers and then moved in and threw a flurry of punches to North’s head. The style looked good to his friends, but the punches had little impact on North. 

North grabbed Masters' arms, lifted him and tossed him into his friends on the sidewalk. Masters charged North and rushed into a wild haymaker punch that crashed into his head and dropped him onto the street.

 The drug gang cheered on Masters, telling him to get up and finish the crazy man. 

North waited for Masters to get up, something that Masters would not have done for North had he gone down. Masters lifted himself up and brought out a knife. North delivered a kick to Masters' knee that any real mule would have been proud of and Masters dropped the knife and fell down. 

When Masters lifted himself up again and staggered forward, North stepped in and punched Masters square in the face. Masters fell again and lay twisted and bleeding in the street.  

As North stood over Masters, Jackson rolled up in his patrol car. Donald and the other members of the drug gang walked away, leaving Masters lying in the street. 

“What’s going on?” Jackson asked North. 

“A private matter,” North said. 

“Arrest this crazy motherfucker!” Masters screamed as he lifted himself up. “Look at him, he’s fucking crazy!” 

Masters leaned on a parked car and spat blood into the street. He shook his head from side to side. 

“Yeah, I shot the boy. It was an accident, I swear,” Masters told Jackson. “But this crazy, mule-looking motherfucker is trying to kill me!” 

©2021 Paul Davis 

Note: You can read my other short stores via the below link:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction Stories   

Here’s Everything You Should Know About The Aircraft Carrier USS Kitty Hawk

Barnell Anderson at Hotcars.com offers a piece that seeks to explains everything you should know about the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk.

The USS Kitty Hawk is one of the most well-known decommissioned United States Navy supercarriers. The warship was an important aspect of many battles from 1960 to as late as 2008 before it was retired. It received its name from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, which was the site of the Wright Brothers’ first powered airplane flight. 

The USS Kitty Hawk is actually the second US Navy military warship named after the site. It followed the SS Seatrain New York, which was a civilian ship that was later acquired by the US Navy.

Many people hear the term supercarrier and are confused about its meaning. A Navy supercarrier is essentially a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase and that allows the servicemen and women on board to store and deploy weapons for battle. It is usually the capital ship of a fleet.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

Here’s Everything you Should Know about the USS Kitty Hawk (hotcars.com) 

I saw the carrier being commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1961 when I was a kid and I reported aboard the Kitty Hawk in 1970 when I was a 17-year-old sailor. I served on the carrier for the next two years and served on "Yankee Station" off the coast of North Vietnam during during the Vietnam War.  

In 1987 the Kitty Hawk returned to Philadelphia for a SLEP overhaul when I was serving as the civilian administrative officer of a Defense Department command that oversaw many of the contractors that worked on the carrier. I oversaw security and safety programs, as well as public affairs, so I arranged for and accompanied several tours of the carrier for the command’s military personnel and civilian employees.

It was good to see the grand, old warship again. 

Like many of her former sailors, I was saddened to learn that the great carrier was being scrapped. But the Kitty Hawk's proud and significant accomplishments will remain in the history books and the memories of her former sailors.   

 

        

Deep Cover- The Real Donnie Brasco: Legendary FBI Undercover Agent Joe Pistone Plays Undercover Tape of Mobster 'Lefty Two Guns' Ruggiero

When I first interviewed legendary undercover FBI Agent Joseph Pistone some years ago, he sent me a DVD of some of the undercover taped conversations he had with the New York mobsters he investigated when he spent six years undercover with the Bonanno Cosa Nostra crime family in the late 1970s. 

It made for interesting listening. 

Now one can listen to a tape of the late Bonanno Cosa Nostra soldier and hitman Benjamin “Lefty Two Guns” Ruggiero talk crime shop with Joe Pistone in his undercover role as “Donnie Brasco” and another undercover FBI Agent, on an episode of the podcast Deep Cover – The Real Donnie Brasco. 

Pistone notes on the podcast that he played the tapes of Ruggiero for actor Al Pacino, who portrayed the mobster in the film, Donnie Brasco. 

You can hear Ruggiero on the tape state his ludicrous claim that he is "known all over the world," which Pacino repeats in the movie. Thanks to the popular movie, Ruggiero is now in fact known all over the world.   

The podcast, hosted by actor Leo Rossi with Joe Pistone, can be heard via the below link:

Deep Cover: The Real Donnie Brasco | Podcast on Spotify

You can also read my Philadelphia Weekly Crime Beat column with Joe Pistone:

Paul Davis On Crime: The Real Donnie Brasco: My Philadelphia Weekly Crime Beat Column on Legendary Undercover FBI Agent Joe Pistone

And you can read my Philadelphia Weekly Crime Beat column with Leo Rossi (seen in the above photo on the left with Robert De Niro and Pat Cooper in the film Analyze This) via the below link:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Philadelphia Weekly Crime Beat Column On Philly Native Leo Rossi And His ‘Deep Cover’ Podcast With Joe Pistone, '10th & Wolf,' and Other Crime Films 

Note: The top photo is of Ruggiero and below are photos of Joe Pistone and Ruggiero, Johnny Depp as Pistone and Al Pacino as Ruggiero in the film Donnie Brasco, and a photo of Pistone undercover and a photo of Depp and Pistone:   

       

Just When We Need Public Safety, Dem Elites Have Alienated Cops Nationwide

 Rich Lowry at the New York Post offers his take on cops and crime:

WANTED: Trained security professionals to deal with ­elevated levels of crime and mayhem at risk to their own life and limb, while getting called racist oppressors and potentially thrown under the bus by elected ­officials.

This has become the de facto employment notice for police around the country, and, unsurprisingly, cops and potential cops don’t find it particularly enticing. Why would they?

America’s cities are feeling the effects of a year’s long experiment in what would happen if political and media elites celebrated a movement based on the idea that police are racist goons, excused rioting and explaining away spiraling crime and made it clear to cops that if they make a mistake, they will, at the very least, ­become instantly infamous.

The experiment hasn’t gone well.

Portland, Ore., has been a veritable research lab for this experiment. The latest blow to the city is the mass resignation of the Portland Police Bureau’s Rapid Response Team, which is responsible for policing protests in the city — a challenging, endless and literally thankless job.

Rioting has become part of the fabric of urban life in Portland, where demonstrators have been doing battle with cops nearly ­every other night since the death of George Floyd.

You can read the rest of the column via the below link:

Just when we need public safety, Dem elites have alienated cops (nypost.com) 

Pennsylvania AG Shapiro Seizes 11 Guns, $150K In Greater Philadelphia Region Drug Ring Takedown

 The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office released the below information:

HARRISBURG—Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that the Office of Attorney General, in collaboration with state and local law enforcement, has taken down a large drug trafficking organization in Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. While executing 25 search warrants related to this case, agents seized 11 firearms, including two stolen pistols.

“Gun and drug trafficking is a violent enterprise, and it’s one that makes our communities less safe. Four of the defendants were convicted felons and charged with illegally possessing firearms,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “My office, along with our state and local law enforcement partners, is working overtime to shut down gun and drug trafficking organizations and protect Pennsylvanians.”

In October 2020, agents from the Pennsylvania State Police, Delaware County Drug Task Force, and Folcroft Police Department began investigating ringleader Luis Llamas for illegally distributing methamphetamine. During the course of the investigation, agents discovered that Llamas distributed a variety of controlled substances, including heroin/fentanyl, and cocaine. Agents also identified several conspirators in Llamas’s operation: Hugo Hyland, Zahid Igbal, Lolyta Lee, Kenneth Simon, Tiffany Simon, Richard Vega, and Juwan Woods.

On June 16, 2021, agents from the Pennsylvania State Police, Delaware County Drug Task Force, and Folcroft Police Department executed 25 search warrants on the homes, vehicles, and personal property of six people suspected to have been operating the drug trafficking organization. During the execution of the search warrants, agents seized 11 guns, 31 pounds of methamphetamine, 45 pounds of marijuana, 1,400 grams of cocaine, 300 grams, or 1,500 doses, of heroin/fentanyl, 50 packets of heroin/fentanyl, and 100 ecstasy pills. Agents also seized $152,820 in cash, as well as drug packaging and distribution supplies.

All defendants have been charges with Possession With Intent To Deliver, Corrupt Organizations, Dealing In Unlawful Proceeds, Criminal Use Of A Communications Facility, and related charges. All defendants except Hyland and Vega have been taken into custody, and warrants have been issued for their arrest. Hyland, Igbal, Lee, and Llamas have also been charged with Violations of the Uniform Firearms Act (VUFA)—Possession By A Prohibited Person.

This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Karin Judge. All charges are accusations. The defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty.

A Little Humor: The Three Surgeons

 Three surgeons were on a break and discussing work. 

The 1st surgeon said, “Accountants are the best to operate on because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered.” 

The 2nd surgeon said, “No, librarians are the best. Everything inside them is in alphabetical order.” 

The 1st surgeon said, “I also like electricians. Everything inside them is color coded.” 

The 3^rd surgeon offered, “I prefer lawyers. They’re heartless, spineless, gutless and their heads and their asses are interchangeable.” 

Note: The above photo is of the Three Stooges. 

Happy Father's Day To All The Good Dads Out There

 

FBI Targets Encrypted Platforms Used By Criminal Groups: Global Partners Announce Results Of Innovative Operation Trojan Shield

 The FBI released the below information on Operation Trojan Shield:

Criminal organizations that rely on hardened, stripped-down devices to send encrypted messages may learn this week they have been using a platform operated by the very investigators they are trying to thwart.

In an innovative effort, the FBI, with the help of the Australian Federal Police, launched their own encrypted communications platform and supplied more than 12,000 devices to hundreds of criminal organizations that operate around the globe.

The FBI, along with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Australian Federal Police, Europol, and law enforcement partners in more than a dozen countries, are announcing the results of that covert effort, known as Operation Trojan Shield. In recent days and weeks, authorities have carried out hundreds of arrests in Australia and across Europe as a result of intelligence gathered during the operation. Law enforcement has also been able to mitigate direct threat-to-life situations.

The FBI’s San Diego Field Office was the hub for the more than 100 agents and analysts and 80 linguists who were pooled together for the operation that began with the takedown of the encrypted phone provider Phantom Secure. In 2018, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California pursued charges against the company’s executives for facilitating the transnational importation and distribution of narcotics by providing encrypted devices to criminals.

You can read the rest of the piece and watch videos via the below link:

 Operation Trojan Shield — FBI

Feds All In: My Philadelphia Weekly 'Crime Beat' Column On Justice Department's All Out Fight Against Drugs And Violent Crime

Philadelphia Weekly published my Crime Beat column on the Fed's all out fight against drugs and violent crime.

You can read the column via the below link or the below pages:

A harder line - Philadelphia Weekly