Hell's Angel "Full Patch" Member Detained on Meth Trafficking & Firearm Charges

PROVIDENCE, RI – A “full patch” member of the Rhode Island chapter of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club has been ordered detained in federal custody on a criminal complaint charging him with trafficking methamphetamine and cocaine and on firearms charges.

Douglas Leedham, 54, of North Providence, R.I., was detained Thursday by members of the FBI Rhode Island Safe Street Task Force during the execution of a court-authorized search of his residence. The search was conducted as part of a Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation into Leedham’s alleged drug trafficking activities.

Mr. Leedham was charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and three counts of felon in possession of a firearm.

Leedham was ordered detained in federal custody following his initial appearance today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.

The arrest and detention of Douglas Leedham are announced by United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

According to court documents, during the course of the court-authorized search of Leedham’s residence, members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force seized a total of 44 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 19 grams of cocaine, two handguns and a 12 gauge shotgun, two body armor vests, 35 knives, four hatchets, five expandable and four flashlight batons, a set of brass knuckles, $6,422 in cash, and assorted items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs.

Found throughout the residence were clothing, memorabilia, and documents, which allegedly established Leedham’s membership in the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club.

According to court records, Leedham was convicted in Rhode Island Superior Court in September 2013 of carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced to a term of five years in prison - suspended with five years’ probation.

A federal criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.