Bravo’s Real Housewives of Rhode Island Star Has Close Ties to Accused Drug Dealer

Bravo’s Real Housewives of Rhode Island Star Has Close Ties to Accused Drug Dealer

One of the stars of Bravo’s new Real Housewives of Rhode Island, Elizabeth McGraw, has had a longstanding close relationship with Dino Guilmette, a man who is facing seven felony charges, including intent to manufacture or deliver drugs, obtaining property under false pretenses, and perjury, to name a few of the charges.

According to Rhode Island State Police (RISP) affidavits and court records secured by GoLocal, Guilmette is also known for having fathered a child with Aaron Hernandez’ former fiancée Shayanna Jenkins.

Former New England Patriots star Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015; he died by suicide in 2017.

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Elizabeth McGraw is married to Gerry McGraw, who is the President and CEO of one of Rhode Island’s largest compassion centers, selling millions of dollars of cannabis annually. She is directly involved in running the retail cannabis business.

A GoLocal investigation into the relationship between Guilmette and Elizabeth McGraw uncovered a deeply intertwined series of connections.

According to State Police documents, McGraw and his wife had more than 1,000 phone calls with Dino Guilmette — an individual with strong ties to La Cosa Nostra.

While those calls were uncovered by RISP wiretaps, Elizabeth McGrath was posting photos of herself and Guilmette together on Instagram.

Gerry and Elizabeth McGraw live in a mansion in Cranston on Narragansett Bay, complete with a waterfront swimming pool. Their travels and parties are splashed across social media — flooding Facebook and Instagram with exotic destinations and luxurious celebrations. 

 

 

 

Cranston Incident - McGraws, Guilmette, and Police

In May of 2020, Cranston Police were called to the McGraws' home involving the couple and Guilmette.

GoLocal sought a copy of the police report regarding the incident.

Cranston Police refused to provide a copy of the report, claiming that under the Access to Public Records Act, “Specifically, those reports are exempt from public disclosure…Could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy…”

 

 

The McGraws not only have been socially close to Guilmette but also have other links tied to the drug industry, according to Rhode Island State Police documents.

RISP’s Mathew Lynch, in his affidavit, links Guilmette as a “Consultant” to Organic Bees, a cannabis company. On a group text between Guilmette and Raymond Jenkins — the texts were relating to their involvement with Organic Bees and the “courtesy extended from both Gerald and Elizabeth McGraw to resolve contractional issues."

Jenkins pleaded nolo contendere on July 29, 2021, to one count of Perjury and received two years' probation with a two-year suspended sentence. 

 

 

Previously, Jenkins has had a number of criminal convictions, according to state documents filed with the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations.

“On September 25, 2006, Raymond Jenkins pled nolo contendere in Providence County Superior Court to counts 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 of P1-2006-1173A, State v. Raymond Jenkins; R.I.C.O, Conspiracy to Commit R.I.C.O, Organized Crime Gambling, Bookmaking – 2nd Offense, and Possession with Intent to Deliver a Schedule III/IV Controlled Substance, respectively. Jenkins received a total of ten (10) years suspended, with thirty (30) months to serve, and the remainder suspended with probation. 32. On February 23, 2012, Jenkins pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island to one count of conspiracy to violate the Hobbs Act20 by participating in extortion. Jenkins was sentenced to thirty-seven (37) months in prison.

 

 

 

 

Alleged Ties to La Cosa Nostra

"During this meeting with Source One, he advised that GUILMETTE was working with an individual positively identified as REDACTED, Rhode Island, in distributing kilograms of cocaine. Source One advised that GUILMETTE and REDACTED were believed to be smuggling kilograms of cocaine into the State of Rhode Island from an unknown Caribbean island. Source One also advised that this operation, which was purportedly overseen by GUILMETTE, was done so in furtherance of GUILMETTE's affiliation to the New England Organized Crime Family, also known as the "Patriarca Crime Family," and hereinafter referred to as the NELCN, the "New England La Cosa Nostra," states the RISP document.

"Furthermore, Source One advised that GUILMETTE was responsible for this organization under the authorization of Matthew Guglielmetti, REDACTED. Matthew Guglielmetti is known by members of the State Police Intelligence Unit as a "Capo" or "Capo Regime" within the NELCN. Finally, Source One also advised that GUILMETTE, at this time, was using telephone number REDACTED, hereinafter referred to as Target Telephone I, as a means to communicate with individuals in furtherance of his illegal activities," according to the State Police.

According to a report by CBS News, Gugliemetti ran the New England Crime Family for a number of years.

According to RISP documents,  "Upon acquisition of this information, I [Detective Lynch] made contact with personnel at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - Providence Field Office, and acquired cellular telephone records relating to Target Telephone I. I examined these records which confirmed that GUILMETTE was in contact with both REDACTED and Matthew Guglielmetti consistently during this time period. Additionally, GUILMETTE had been in contact with numerous telephone numbers believed to belong to individuals with narcotics related criminal histories as well as individuals with known allegiances to the NELCN."

 

 

The RISP document by Lynch further states, "I began to conduct intermittent surveillance of GUILMETTE in furtherance of this information. While doing so, I determined that GUILMETTE appeared to be a surveillance conscious individual who, from my opinion, was savvy in his movements and his actions. From this time to August of the year 2021, I, along other members of the State Police Intelligence Unit received information from three additional confidential sources. These sources will hereinafter be referred to as Source Two, Source Three, and Source Four. The cumulative results of these meetings from these confidential sources provided further support that GUILMETTE uses Target Telephone I to communicate with individuals in furtherance of his criminal activities. This source information also shed light on GUILMETTE's involvement in the sale of cocaine as well as his affiliation with the NELCN."

"In August and September 2021, I, along with members of the Intelligence Unit met with a fifth previously reliable confidential source hereinafter referred to as Source Five, and in the masculine gender, to protect his or her identity. Source Five has never provided me with information that has proven to be false. Furthermore, information from Source Five has previously led to the successful arrest of an individual in possession of large quantities of illegal narcotics. Source Five advised that GUILMETTE was, at this time, involved in a large-scale cocaine smuggling and distribution operation. Source Five believed that GUILMETTE was importing large-quantities of cocaine into the State of Rhode Island. Source Five advised that GUILMETTE was using Target Telephone I to orchestrate this operation. Source Five advised that GUILMETTE was responsible for this operation under the approval of Matthew Guglielmetti, and that GUILMETTE was allegedly paying Mathew Guglielmetti with proceeds from his cocaine sales to demonstrate his allegiance to the NELCN," according to the RISP.

"Source Five positively identified REDACTED as an individual involved in GUILMETTE's operation. Additionally, Source Five positively identified two individuals, REDACTED and REDACTED, as two individuals working with GUILMETTE to import and sell cocaine. Another examination of the telephone records for Target Telephone I at this time determined that GUILMETTE was again in contact with phone numbers belonging to Guglielmetti, REDACTED as well as REDACTED and REDACTED. Additionally, GUILMETTE was also in frequent contact with individuals with narcotics related criminal histories as well as suspected telephone numbers belonging to individuals with affiliations to the NELCN," according to the State Police.

"Source Five also advised that he could purchase cocaine directly from GUILMETTE. During the months of September and October 2021, at my direction and supervision, Source Five completed two (2) controlled purchases of cocaine from GUILMETTE. The terms and conditions of these controlled cocaine purchases were negotiated through communication between Source Five and GUILMETTE over Target Telephone I," according to the State Police.

 

Pending Case

Today, Guilmette's case is continued in Providence Superior Court. The next scheduled event in the case is another pre-conference hearing slated for July 9 before Judge David Cruise. There have been more than 50 court entries in the case over the past three years. Guilmette's case continues as Elizabeth McGraw's Real Housewives' career launches.

 

This story was first published 6/27/25 7:15 AM