News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2005

Several Members of Diablos Motorcycle Gang Arrested
Face federal and state drug and gun charges

June W. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England and Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Leonard C. Boyle, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Safety and Waterbury State’s Attorney John A. Connelly today announced the arrests of 16 members and associates of the Diablos Motorcycle Gang on federal and state narcotics and firearms charges. The arrests occurred last night. DEA agents, Connecticut State Police, and several federal and local law enforcement agencies executed federal and state search warrants at residences and clubs in Meriden and Waterbury in conjunction with the arrests.

Eleven of the defendant were arrested on federal criminal complaints. The remaining defendants were arrested pursuant to state charges lodged by the Waterbury States Attorney’s Office.

“Through the use of sophisticated investigative techniques, including electronic surveillance, we have disrupted the activities of a motorcycle gang that we allege was involved in drug and gun trafficking,” U.S. Attorney O’Connor stated. “These arrests and the ongoing federal and state investigations represent law enforcement’s continuing commitment to joint efforts designed to uncover and prosecute gangs, organized crime and all who are responsible for large-scale drug trafficking activities in our state.”

The following nine individuals have been charged federally with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance, conspiracy to posess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and using a telephone to facilitate the transaction of a controlled substance. The controlled substances include cocaine, marijuana and prescription medication:

JERRY FANTAUZZI
Age 33 (DOB: 06/16/1972)
128 Hewey Street, Waterbury, Connecticut

STEVEN RICKEVICIUS, aka “Ox”
Age 31 (DOB: 07/9/1974)
31 Paxton Street, Oakville, Connecticut

BARBARA COSTANZO, aka “Barbara Huckins”
Age 38 (DOB: 07/19/1967)
395 Atwood Avenue, Waterbury

SHARLENE MARTORELLI, aka “Sharlene Sullivan”
Age 38 (DOB: 02/08/1967)
53 Morris Road, Prospect, Connecticut

THOMAS GIACOMI, aka “Talky Tommy”
Age 37 (DOB: 01/23/1968)
74 Meriden Road, 2nd Floor, Waterbury

CHARLES HOYT
Age 24 (DOB: 05/29/1981)
901 Bank Street, Apt. 2nd floor right, Waterbury

PAUL LECLERC, aka “Goof”
Age 35 (DOB: 08/08/1970)
25 Piedmont Street, Apt. 2, Waterbury

STEVEN RADCLIFFE, aka “Red”
Age 48 (DOB: 02/23/1957)
75 Wyoming Avenue, Waterbury

JOSEPH CURTIS
Age 42 (DOB: 10/07/1963)
9½ Summit Street, Waterbury

In addition, RICKEVICIUS and JOSEPH SPINA, JR., aka “Lawsuit,” age 56 (DOB 05/03/1949), of 63/65 Greenleaf Avenue, 2nd floor, Waterbury, have been charged with selling firearms to a convicted felon. CURTIS and STEVEN NOVAK, age 50, (DOB 12/07/1955,) of 73 Prospect Street, 1st floor, Meriden, have been charged with being felons in possession of a firearm.

Earlier today, FANTAUZZI, RICKEVICIUS, COSTANZO, MARTORELLI, GIACOMI, HOYT, LECLERC and RADCLIFFE were presented before United States Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in Bridgeport federal court. Each has been ordered detained pending bond hearings that are scheduled for next week CURTIS, SPINA and NOVAK have also been arrested on state charges and were presented earlier today in state court.

“Today, DEA and our law enforcement partners struck a blow to a chapter of the Diablo’s Outlaw Motorcycle Gang by arresting several full-patch members of the gang. The chapter on this group is closed,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Stansbury.

Commissioner Boyle added, “These arrests are the result of an outstanding cooperative investigation directed by the Connecticut State Police and the DEA, with the assistance of several federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.”

“This is a tremendous example of what can be accomplished when local, state and federal officials work together,” said Waterbury State’s Attorney John A Connelly. December 8, 2005.

Waterbury Police Chief Neil O’Leary stated, “on behalf of the citizens of the city of Waterbury, specifically the Brooklyn neighborhood, we want to express how grateful we are to our state and federal law enforcement partners for the results of this successful long-term investigation.”

The federal drug charges brought against those arrested carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum possible sentence of 40 years. The firearms charges carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

U.S. Attorney O’Connor stressed that a criminal complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to fair trials in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Waterbury, Hartford and Manchester Police Departments and the Connecticut Department of Correction

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Gustafson, James I. Glasser and Edward Kang, and Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin of the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office.