Cape Coral Man charged with reckless driving

A Cape Coral man, and a member of the Pagan motorcycle gang, was arrested in Lee County today on a Monroe County warrant charging him with reckless driving and fleeing and eluding police.

Theodore Standish, 38, is a known member of the Pagans, a gang federally recognized as an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMG). The U.S. Department of Justice defines OMGs as “organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises. OMGs are highly structured criminal organizations whose members engage in criminal activities such as violent crime, weapons trafficking, and drug trafficking.

The incident he is charged with took place on February 10th, on the day when the Pagans were holding their annual party on Big Pine Key. According to reports, approximately 150 Pagan gang members were in attendance, along with members from at least three other OMGs.

At 9:35 a.m., traffic enforcement deputies were observing traffic on Highway U.S. One at the 31-mile marker. They saw Standish on his 2013 Harley Davidson motorcycle. The motorcycle had handlebars not in compliance with Florida’s motorcycle handlebar law F.S.S.

316.2095.2. This statute says “no person shall operate any motorcycle with handlebars or with hand grips that are higher than the top of the shoulders of the person operating the motorcycle while properly seated upon the motorcycle.” Standish’s handlebars were approximately eight inches higher than his shoulders, according to the deputies.

The deputy stepped out into the roadway and motioned for Standish to pull over into a nearby parking lot. Instead of complying, Standish fled on his motorcycle, passing several cars parked in traffic and turning onto Chapman Lane.

The deputies attempted to follow him, one on a motorcycle and one in a patrol car. They lost sight of him after he turned onto Quail Roost Trail on Big Pine Key.

Detectives working in the area responded and continued the investigation. They watched video from one of the traffic deputies’ in-car cameras and on the video they saw Standish hiding from the deputies behind a red Dodge RAM Truck on the left side of Quail Roost Drive. The Harley was later located there, parked between two other motorcycles. Its license plate was folded in half so it could not be seen.

Further investigation turned up several videos from various locations on Big Pine Key which showed Standish on the motorcycle. Detectives contacted Cape Coral Police who said they had responded to Standish’s residence in November. Video from that contact showed a red Dodge RAM Truck – the same one Standish was hiding behind on Big Pine – backed into the driveway of the Cape Coral home. Standish speaks with officers on video and identifies himself on the video.

Standish has no Florida driver’s license and his Connecticut license is suspended. A warrant was obtained for his arrest on charges of Reckless Driving, Failing to Obey a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding police. He was arrested in Lee County where he will be held on a $75,000 bond pending extradition to Monroe County.

“We continue to be vigilant in our efforts to keep our community safe,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “Members of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs who travel to our County will not be allowed to break the law with impunity. We will pursue them using all the avenues at our disposal.”

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