Lt. Michael Casey — 22 Who Made a Difference in 2022

Lt. Michael Casey — 22 Who Made a Difference in 2022

Lt. Michael Casey was the State Trooper who initiated the investigation into contaminated soil dumped in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Rhode Island.

The dumping by the lead contractor of the 6/10 project — Barletta Heavy Division — took place under the supervision of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

As a result of Casey’s work, the story of the contamination was unveiled by GoLocal.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Superiors at the State Police threatened Casey with insubordination for investigating the dumping.

Casey’s efforts directly led to actions by the U.S. Attorney.

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management enforcement action on the contamination being dumped next to families and businesses is pending before Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha.

Neronha has been sitting on the case for months.

Casey also was the Trooper that captured former Major Timothy Sanzi on tape reciting the story of former Lt. Col. Joseph Philbin.

Sanzi said in the call with Casey, “I thought about it the other night, and I was like, I can’t believe I didn’t...I forgot all about this, but I think it was like 2012 or 2013. It was around that time, one night I get, I’m sitting in my house, and I get a fucking absolutely panic phone call from Joe [Philbin]."

Sanzi said that when Philbin called him, he sounded very intoxicated.

"He was like, I got something to tell you, you can't tell anybody -- and I never did," Sanzi told Casey. "I never told anybody until right now."

According to Sanzi, Philbin told him that "he hit a guy in a bar in East Greenwich. The guy fell down and split his head open on the curb. He thinks -- he thought that he killed him.”

Sanzi, in the call, said to Casey, “Now...I’m sure it happened…I am positive it happened.”

He provided a glimpse into the inner workings of the Rhode Island State Police — it was not pretty. He retired in June.

Casey made an important difference in 2022.

There are important questions that need to be answered in 2023.