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Pasco Deputy Accused Of Using Cruiser To Steal Money

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 17, 2008

Pasco County sheriff's Cpl. Don Riggans used his patrol vehicle to help steal $25,000 in drug money last week, a criminal complaint states.

  Don Riggans

Riggans, a patrol deputy, was arrested on federal drug charges about 6:30 a.m. Sunday. Cpl. Rodney Philon, a jail deputy, was arrested about noon Sunday after a standoff at his house with SWAT members.

Riggans and Philon will be released from jail today on signature bonds of $50,000 each.

Riggans and an unnamed detention deputy – identified today in court as Philon by Assistant U.S.

Attorney Anthony Porcelli – were involved with people who stole and sold hundreds of thousands of prescription drug tablets including hydrocodone, a criminal complaint states.

From December through March 14 in Pasco and Hillsborough counties, Riggans and two other men – Kevin Massimino and Robert Caddick – conspired with one another and others to possess hydrocodone with intent to distribute it, the complaint states.

A judge today delayed a probable cause and bail hearing for Caddick and Massimino until Thursday.

  Rodney Philon

According to the complaint:

In December, Massimino approached a confidential source seeking help stealing 100,000 hydrocodone tablets from a pharmacy warehouse. Massimino told the source that "Bob" would help Massimino get in the warehouse and that Massimino would pay "Bob" for help.

That source met with Massimino and a person named "Don," who later was identified as Donald Riggans. Massimino inferred that another deputy and Riggans would help with illegal activities. The source saw Massimino give Riggans $2,000 during that meeting.

On Jan. 17, Massimino introduced the source to Caddick. Massimino told the source that Caddick could make tablets of varying sizes and strengths. The source told Massimino that his customer in Miami would pay $3.25 for every tablet he could get. At the conversation's end, the source asked Massimino what they were going to do. Said Massimino: "Make me some money, bro!"

On Feb. 13, the source met with Massimino and the unnamed detention deputy. The source proposed a scheme, as directed by law enforcement.

The source said a courier working for his Miami customer would drive to Tampa with money to purchase hydrocodone. The deputy and/or Riggans could use a police vehicle, seize the money and let the courier go, the source suggested. The source then could force the Miami drug customer to pay a second time.

The unnamed deputy told the source that the courier would have to be in Pasco County for the plan to work. The source said this wouldn't be a problem. The deputy later said they would need Riggans' patrol car for the job.

On Feb. 18, the source met with Riggans in a men's restroom in New Port Richey. Riggans searched the source for a recording device and spoke quietly. During a conversation Feb. 28, Riggans said he didn't want to get fired and expressed concern that the courier might call the sheriff's office to complain. Riggans also suggested a Winn-Dixie on Moon Lake as a good location for the operation.

On Tuesday, Riggans stopped the vehicle Massimino and the source rode in, which had the drug money inside. He did so during a time when the alleged courier could see what was going on.

Philon, 38, is charged with distributing the anabolic steroid dianabol. Riggans, 34, is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute hydrocodone, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Tampa.

Both were fired as soon as they were arrested by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
Philon was hired in December 1998 and Riggans in April 1999. Philon worked in booking at the Land O' Lakes Jail; Riggans worked in booking for six years before moving to patrol duty.

Riggans has no disciplinary action listed in his file. Described in a 2007 review as an example to his peers and having good investigative-observation skills, he had many letters of praise in his personnel folder from supervisors.

Philon had no disciplinary action against him from his hire date to 2007 and was described in reviews as a "go getter" with good leadership qualities.

Philon is accused of giving the steroid to a confidential source for the Drug Enforcement Administration on Saturday in Pasco County. According to the criminal complaint affidavit, the source met Philon through Massimino and participated in a weightlifting workout with both Massimino and Philon.

Massimino told the source that Philon had provided him steroids, and the source asked Philon whether he or she could purchase some, the complaint states.

Philon initially said he had just completed his own cycle and was taking a week off and would provide the drugs to the source when he resumed. The source asked whether he or she could start earlier, and Philon said he would try to get the steroids, the complaint states.

The source made arrangements to meet Philon at a Publix supermarket on State Road 54 in Pasco County. There Philon gave the source a plastic sandwich bag with 10 pink tablets of dianabol, the complaint states. Philon told the source how to use the pills.

The arrests ended a three-week investigation that involved the DEA, Pasco County Sheriff's Office and the Tampa Police Department, Pasco Sheriff Bob White said.

The DEA also arrested two men linked to a Tampa pharmacy the agency had targeted in November 2006.

Massimino, 32, of 11234 Blacksmith St., Tampa, and Caddick, 51, of 1007 Egans Creek Court, Oviedo, were arrested on federal charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute hydrocodone, an opiate nearly equivalent to morphine for pain relief. They are being held without bail at the Orient Road Jail.

The U.S. attorney's office said Riggans conspired with Massimino and Caddick to distribute hydrocodone. In the patrol vehicle incident Tuesday, Riggans received $9,000 for his assistance, according to the criminal complaint.

Public records show Caddick has been a registered agent for two companies – Medipharm-RX in Tampa and Medcenter in Lakeland – that were searched by DEA agents in November 2006.

At the time, a DEA spokeswoman said the companies' certificates of registration were being suspended, meaning they could not buy or sell controlled substances.

Agents removed more than 600,000 pills from Medipharm, most of which were hydrocodone and alprazolam.

Massimino listed Medipharm as his employer after a June arrest on charges of driving under the influence and domestic battery, jail records show.

According to the criminal complaint:

A separate confidential source was introduced to Massimino in late 2005 and bought about 100,000 pills including Xanax and hydrocodone from late 2005 to late last year.
Massimino said the source of supply was "The Fat Man," or "Fat Bob," later identified as Caddick. Caddick steals drugs from Medipharm and "cooks the books" to conceal the shortage, Massimino told the source.

In late 2006, the source drove to a Wal-Mart on Dale Mabry Highway. Massimino told the source to get tablets from Caddick's Mercedes once he and Caddick walked into the Wal-Mart. Caddick would leave the Mercedes unlocked, Massimino told the source. The source took the pills home.

Massimino arrived at the source's home about half an hour later and helped remove labels from tablet containers. Massimino left with 10,000 tablets to give a customer at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 5223 Orient Road.

The source received $4,000 for storing the rest of the tablets for a week; Massimino picked them up as needed and sometimes had the source deliver the tablets to Tampa area customers.

During a brief court hearing this morning, Philon shook his head no when the charge was read.
U.S. Magistrate Thomas B. McCoun appointed the federal public defender's office to represent him.

Porcelli, the assistant U.S. attorney, told McCoun that he was concerned about Philon's actions on Sunday, when agents tried to arrest him. Agents arrived at his home about 6:45 a.m., and Philon was not arrested until about noon, Porcelli said.

Philon didn't answer his home or cell phone, despite repeated efforts. At one point, the defendant's stepdaughter told agents he was fishing. At another point, Philon talked to agents on his cell phone, and he was "disingenuous," Porcelli said, telling agents he was driving on Gandy Bridge.

Porcelli told U.S. Magistrate Mark Pizzo that law enforcement officials were concerned about Riggans' state of mind. He asked the judge to order psychological evaluation and treatment, if deemed necessary, as a condition of being released.

Riggans' attorney, Lori D. Palmieri, told Pizzo her client feels fine, except for the normal stress of the circumstances.

Although Palmieri said Riggans' father-in-law was prepared to put up a piece of property he was purchasing to secure his bond, Pizzo said that would not be necessary. The judge allowed Riggans' release with a signature bond to be co-signed by his wife and father-in-law, agreeing to be responsible to pay $50,000 if Riggans fails to show up for court.

Riggans' wife was present in court today but would not talk to reporters.

Porcelli said in court that the investigation is continuing and that more charges could be filed.

Porcelli said the evidence against Riggans is "overwhelming. All his participation has been either on video recorded in this case."

News Channel 8 reporter Claudia DoCampo contributed to this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691. Reporter Elaine Silvestrini can be reached at esilvestrini@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7837.

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