Former North Prov. Councilman Convicted in Corruption Case

Former North Prov. Councilman Convicted in Corruption Case

A key figure in the North Providence corruption case was convicted by a federal jury yesterday.

Former North Providence councilman and town solicitor Robert S. Ciresi, 77 was found guilty of conspiracy, bribery, and extortion. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28 and faces a maximum of 25 years in federal prison.

“The message we take from this verdict today is that no matter what their role is in public corruption: whether the bagman, the middle man, a lawyer who helps get it done or the public official, this office will aggressively prosecute them. We will keep working as hard as we can to bring them to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha.

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Ciresi had been accused of being the middleman in a bribery and extortion scheme in which several councilmen demanded $25,000 in exchange for a favorable vote on a zoning issue that affected the development of a supermarket. FBI agents witnessed Ciresi delivering the bribe money to one of the councilmen—the very night the vote was taken.

Ciresi also attempted to play the middleman in another $75,000 bribery scheme aimed at helping to grease the wheels for a condominium development in the town.

The three councilmen implicated in the bribery and extortion schemes—Joseph S. Burchfield, Raymond L. Douglas III, and John A. Zambarano—have already pled guilty.

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