TARANTO – The first degree trial of the 20 defendants involved in the “Taros2” anti-drug investigation who chose to be judged with an abbreviated trial ended with 15 convictions and 5 acquittals. Penalties of over 127 years in prison were inflicted by judge Marcello Rizzo who essentially accepted the thesis of the public prosecutor Milto De Nozza of the Anti-Mafia District Directorate of Lecce.
The highest sentence, 20 years of imprisonment as requested by the prosecution, was decreed for Marcello Lucchese nicknamed “Pupetta” or “Bruce Lee”: thanks to his criminal caliber he could also be the tipping point in an electoral competition, but not only. Lucchese, according to the accusation, managed the kiosk of the municipal villa, blocked unwelcome projects, moved votes from this candidate to that. And then he found work for friends, offered support for car thefts, even managed to neutralize the action of the police thanks to the complicity of the former station commander. Another 20 years in prison were inflicted on Luigi Romano and then 14 years and 10 months on Alessandro Cuppone, 12 years and 2 months on Daniele De Marco, 9 years and 8 months on Giovanni Carella, 8 years and 8 months on Cristian Cervino defended by lawyer Patrizia Boccuni and Cosimo D’ambrogio, 8 years and 4 months for Antonio Bicchierri, 6 years and 8 months for Giovanni Rizzo, 6 years for Giuseppe Merletto, 2 years for Daniele Antonio Pappadà and Nicolò Ursi and 1 year of imprisonment for Gennaro D ‘Imperium. The judge also sentenced the aspiring justice collaborator Giorgio Tocci to 2 years and 8 months and the former commander of the San Giorgio carabinieri station Adriano Meleleo to 4 years and 8 months.
However, Vincenzo Fonseca defended by the lawyer Luigi Danucci (who risked 8 years and 4 months) and Antonio Gigantiello defended by the lawyers Danucci and Salvatore Maggio were acquitted of all charges. Teodosio Nigro was also cleared of the charges: for the latter the prosecutor De Nozza had asked for an 8-year sentence considering him to be a member of the drug trafficking association, but the lawyer Diego Maggi managed to demonstrate his non-involvement in the facts. Finally, Pierantonio Scarciglia and Eugenio Romano were also acquitted, also assisted by the lawyer Danucci.
For the Lecce Anti-Mafia, the investigation conducted by the Carabinieri brought to light an association that had transformed San Giorgio Ionico into a “second Scampia” for drug trafficking…
