NEW: Conviction of Former North Providence Town Solicitor Upheld

NEW: Conviction of Former North Providence Town Solicitor Upheld

The First Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the federal court conviction and sentence of Robert Ciresi, a former attorney and former North Providence town solicitor, United States Attorney Peter Neronha announced today.

Ciresi was convicted by a federal court jury in April 2011 of conspiracy, bribery and Hobbs Act Extortion. In August 2011, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi sentenced Ciresi to 63 months in federal prison and fined him $10,000 for his role as a middle-man in a corruption and kickback scheme run by three North Providence town councilmen.

Former councilmen Joseph S. Burchfield; Raymond L. Douglas III; and John A. Zambarano pled guilty for their roles in the kickback scheme and are currently serving sentences ranging from 64 to 78 months in federal prison. North Providence businessman Edward Imondi pled guilty to acting as a middle-man in the scheme and was sentenced to serve a 12 month and 1 day federal prison sentence.

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The case was argued before the First Circuit Court of Appeals by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald C. Lockhart. The matter was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. McAdams and Terrence P. Donnelly.