ALFRED — Last week’s conviction of three men involved in a large-scale drug conspiracy was the culmination of a collaborative investigation by local, state and federal agencies. On Monday, officials revealed details of the long-running case.
On May 13, in a federal court, Richard “Zip” Szpyt of Haverhill, Mass. and Old Orchard Beach, Ramon Dellosantos of Haverhill, Mass., and Sherwood Jordan, of Albany Township were found guilty of drug conspiracy charges.
The three men were part of a drug ring that involved members of the Maine chapter of the motorcycle group the Iron Horsemen.
Szpyt, 49, was at the time of arrest the president of the Maine Chapter of the Iron Horsemen. A house he owned at 94 Ross Road in Old Orchard Beach was used as a clubhouse for the motorcycle group.
According to a statement from The U.S. Department of Justice, Jordan and Dellosantos both face a sentence from 10 years to life imprisonment. Szpyt faces a sentence of mandatory life in prison, as this is his third felony drug conviction. Each defendant also faces fines of up to $2,000,000.
The investigation began in 2007, said York County Sheriff Maurice Ouellette, and county investigators soon realized that this case had international implications, he said.
“It became apparent we needed to reach out to other organizations,” he said.
“Operation Trojan Horse,” as the investigation was dubbed, included officials from Old Orchard Beach and Biddeford Police Departments, the York County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Investigators seized firearms, 10 kilograms of cocaine, more than 600 pounds of marijuana, and $37,000 in cash. They also seized nine motorcycles, three cars, Szpyt’s house, and a property at 32 Summit Street in Old Orchard Beach.
The “scariest” items that were seized were night surveillance goggles, said Ouellette. While police were watching the Iron Horsemen, the Iron Horsemen apparently had police under surveillance as well.
More than 25 people were arrested last year in relation to the investigation.
“As sheriff of this county, this is the deepest investigation that I’ve been involved in,” said Ouellette.
Often when there is an arrest for drug sales, the story ends there. However, in this case, officials went straight to the source of the drugs.
“They were able to follow the dope from this small county to the cartels of Mexico,” said Ouellette.
Ouellette referred to the Iron Horsemen as a gang, stating that they “used force and intimidation to sell their products and collect on debts.” He said he was glad to get the drug conspirators off the streets of York County.
Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Dana Kelley said that he was pleased with the results of the investigation.
“It certainly shows what cooperating agencies can do when they put their heads together and work on these cases,” he said.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@gwi.net.
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