Little update on the Rhode Island Pa*an bust:

July. 2019

The Burrillville man depicted by authorities as the leader of a violent motorcycle gang and Woonsocket drug enterprise is out on home confinement after a judge this week threw out the wiretap investigators used on his phones.
Superior Court Judge Netti C. Vogel on Wednesday suppressed the wiretap of Deric McGuire’s phones from July 7, 2017, after concluding that under state law only the Superior Court’s presiding justice or the next-senior Superior Court judge can authorize such interceptions, according to John M. Cicilline, a lawyer involved in the case.

“They lose the wire. It’s far from over, but it’s significant,” said Cicilline, whose father, John F. Cicilline, argued the motion to suppress.
McGuire, who had been held without bail, was released on home confinement the same day.

Kristy dosReis, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Peter F. Neronha’s office, declined comment, other than to say the state planned to appeal.

McGuire, 33, faces more than 220 narcotics and weapons charges.

Donna Uhlmann, who represents Catherine Glaude, joined in the suppression motion, along with lawyers representing with other defendants.

“The Rhode Island wiretap law is so narrow. There’s no room for error,” Uhlmann said.

John F. Cicilline challenged the validity of the wiretap warrants, because state law specifies that only Superior Court Presiding Justice Alice B. Gibney or the most-senior Superior Court judge, in this case Robert Krause, can sign a wiretap warrant in her absence. Instead, Superior Court Judge Melanie Thunberg had signed off on many of the warrants.

“Any wiretap order she signed is out. It’s for all the cellphones involved,” Uhlmann said.


Like McGuire, other defendants are also being released after remaining behind bars for more than a year, she said.