Tri-county Crime Ring Busted

Historic City News reporters attended a press conference this afternoon where Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming announced that six men, believed responsible for ATM, commercial and home burglaries, vehicle thefts and illegal narcotics sales throughout the State of Florida over the past three years, have been taken into custody.

A joint investigation between the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with the Tri-County HIDTA Task Force and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force has culminated in the arrests of:

• Grant V. Morse
• Patrick M. Giovine
• Ryan T. Giovine
• Dave R. Downs
• Ethan D. Gaboury
• James M. O’Brien

St. Johns County Director of Law Enforcement, Art May, told Historic City News that what he now knows is a clearly significant crime spree, started out in April 2008 as the investigation of several seemingly unrelated crimes.

Once the FDLE criminal analysts began to identify patterns that extended beyond county borders, Morse quickly became the prime focus of a joint investigation. Morse was identified as the ring leader and the law enforcement agencies dubbed the investigation “Operation Morse Code” to signify his importance in the hierarchy of the organized crime operation.

The two-year investigation concluded this month with the last of six arrests being completed this morning.

In the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers discovered these six men were involved in an organized crime ring which committed various pharmacy burglaries, residential burglaries, illegal narcotics sales, ATM thefts, vehicle thefts, motorcycle thefts, and other commercial burglaries in numerous counties and municipalities.

This criminal enterprise operated primarily in Flagler, Volusia and St. Johns Counties.

State Attorney R.J. Larizza’s Office will be prosecuting the cases.

“This was a cooperative effort between law enforcement agencies working diligently to break up this organized ring that victimized residents in three counties,” said Sheriff Fleming. “Their crime spree was costly and has now been ended.”

Members of this criminal organization would conduct meetings at Grant V. Morse’s or Patrick M. Giovine’s residence prior to committing a criminal act. Members would conduct mobile surveillances on the target locations prior to committing the crimes.

Grant V. Morse would assign specific job tasks to members. If the crime required specific tools, members would purchase necessary items from local stores in the immediate area.

Depending on the target location, the tools may have been ditched at the site prior to the crime. Often vehicles were stolen for the purpose of being utilized in a criminal act and the stolen vehicle would be staged in the area of the planned crime.

Members would communicate through cellular phones while on the scene of the crime.

Members discussed cover stories if they were encountered by law enforcement.

Members also discussed evasive driving tactics during their mobile surveillances or if they were observed by law enforcement during their criminal activities.

If a pharmacy was burglarized, Grant V. Morse would disperse the narcotics to the members to be sold on the streets.

The criminal monies would be given back to Grant V. Morse and then disbursed accordingly.

One of the primary purposes of this crime ring was to use members to make money and combine their monies to facilitate their criminal activities.

Morse has no documented employment for the past several years.

Arrest Warrants were served for:

Grant Morse, 46, formerly of 27 Patrick Drive, Palm Coast.
Currently incarcerated in federal prison in Miami
RICO (Racketeering Violation) $500,000
Conspiracy to Commit RICO $500,000
Burglary $100,000
Grand Theft $100,000
Total: $1,200,000

Patrick Giovine, 21, 49 Pepper Lane, Palm Coast, incarcerated in state prison.
RICO (Racketeering Violation) $500,000
Conspiracy to Commit RICO $500,000
Burglary $100,000
Grand Theft $100,000
Total: $1,200,000

Dave Downs, 24, 62 Brunning Lane, Palm Coast-arrested this morning.
RICO (Racketeering Violation) $500,000
Conspiracy to Commit RICO $500,000
Burglary $100,000
Grand Theft $100,000
Total: $1,200,000

Ethan Gaboury, 20, 233 Barker Road, East Wareham, Ma. Currently incarcerated in the Flagler County Inmate Facility.
RICO (Racketeering Violation) $500,000
Conspiracy to Commit RICO $500,000
Burglary $100,000
Grand Theft $100,000
Total: $1,200,000

Ryan Giovine, 28, 35A Bunkerview Drive, Palm Coast arrested this morning.
RICO (Racketeering Violation) $500,000
Conspiracy to Commit RICO $500,000
Total: $1,000,000

James O’Brien, 35, Halifax Drive in Daytona Beach. Currently incarcerated at the Volusia County Jail.
RICO (Racketeering Violation) $500,000
Conspiracy to Commit RICO $500,000
Total: $1,000,000

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer