Sin City: The Status of Cranston Officials Tied to Drugs, Sexual Assaults, Vandalism & Embezzlement
GoLocalProv News Team
Sin City: The Status of Cranston Officials Tied to Drugs, Sexual Assaults, Vandalism & Embezzlement
Former City Council members Matthew Reilly and Michael Sepe were arrested, as was State Senator Josh Miller, in a span of under two months.
“Some of the city’s top elected and appointed officials have been charged with a range of crimes. No political party has a monopoly, with both Democrats and Republicans immersed in controversy,” wrote GoLocal. “It is a dizzying array of alleged crimes and misdemeanors.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSince that article, another Cranston official was arrested — for embezzlement.
Here is the update on where their legal proceedings stand.
Matthew Reilly
On May 15, former Republican Councilman Reilly was arrested on drug possession charges — a misdemeanor for “possession of a Schedule 1 to V Controlled Substance of 10 Grams or Less.”
He resigned from the Cranston City Council on May 18.
On June 8, he was arrested again — and charged with three felonies: first-degree child molestation/sexual assault, second-degree child molestation/sexual assault, and enticement of a person under the age of 16.
GoLocal secured copies of court documents relating to Reilly, which included copies of text messages between Reilly and, at the time, a client in which the two discussed drug use, his "medicating" his children, sex, and allegedly perpetrating fraud against the police and the court.
Reilly was given a non-domestic no-contact order; he is due for his next bail hearing on October 11.
He is scheduled for a pre-arraignment conference on the drug charges in February of 2024.
Former Democratic City Council President Sepe was charged with assault in May 2023 — with the victim alleging unwanted sexual contact.
The victim told police that her parents had used Sepe's services before, and that when she met with Sepe, he closed his office door, and at the end of the consultation, forcefully grabbed and kissed her.
Court records show Sepe pleaded not guilty on May 25 — the day he was arrested. He was released on $1,000 personal recognizance on the condition of a “non-domestic no contact order.”
On August 16, Sepe entered a “nolo contendere” plea — and was given a one-year filing and “counseling through justice assistance.”
Joshua Miller
Democratic State Senator Joshua Miller was charged with vandalism — and obstructing an officer in execution of duty — on June 22, 2023.
The report showed that Miller first denied, then admitted, to keying a small family SUV in the parking lot of Garden City.
The occupants were a dad, a mom, and a young girl.
Miller told police he was "threatened" by who he thought was a "gun nut" - and finally argued that the victim "basically dared him" to key his car.
A Cranston police officer, upon viewing the surveillance video, refuted this claim.
"It should be noted, at no time did I observe [the victim] make contact or appear to say anything to Miller prior to him observing the scratch on his vehicle," wrote the officer.
On July 18, Miller pleaded nolo contendere.
He was given a one-year filing and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,850 as well as court costs of $186.75
Tera Norberg
Cranston School committee member Tera Norberg was arrested on July 12 for “unlawful appropriation” of more than $1,000 — a felony charge.
She also was arrested on a second felony of “embezzlement and fraudulent conversion” of more than $100 — a felony — as well as two misdemeanor charges for “giving a false document to agent, employee, or public official” and “obstructing an officer in the execution of duty.”
"During the course of the investigation, Ms. Norberg, who holds key positions in both the Cranston School Committee and the Parent Teacher Group, was asked to provide bank statements for the organization. Ms. Norberg initially reported discovering theft from the account and claimed to have identified the responsible individual. She even went so far as to provide a notarized document to the Business Office, stating that the culprit would fully reimburse the stolen funds.
However, during the subsequent State Police investigation, Norberg admitted to the authorities that she had fabricated the identity of the guilty party and had, in fact, stolen the missing funds using a debit card associated with the parent-teacher group."
Norberg was “given permission to leave the state” by the courts the day she was arrested; she resigned a week after her arrest.
She now has a pre-arraignment conference on October 11.