Who Is the Rhode Island Lawyer That the FBI Raided?
GoLocalProv News Team
Who Is the Rhode Island Lawyer That the FBI Raided?
A lot has happened since then.
One thing that is clear is that Molina Flynn has not been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice and should be considered innocent, but the ramifications of the raid are already rippling through the state.
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Who Is He?
Molina Flynn, who came to the country as an undocumented immigrant, has been rated as a "SuperLawyers - Rising Star" for multiple years, and Boston Magazine named him a top lawyer for immigration.
Since GoLocal’s breaking news report on Thursday, Molina Flynn resigned his municipal judgeship in Central Falls.
He verbally resigned to Mayor Maria Rivera, who appointed him to the position in January of 2021.
"I was deeply concerned to see the reports of an FBI search at the law office of Joseph Molina Flynn. As the Central Falls community knows, transparency and accountability are priorities of mine. In an effort to uphold the integrity and focus of the Municipal Court, Judge Molina Flynn has officially resigned his position. Municipal Court Associate Judge Robert McConnell will serve in his place until the vacancy is filled,” said Rivera.
When asked if he would continue to teach at Rhode Island’s only law school, Jill Pais, Assistant Vice President of Communications & Media Relations, wrote in an email to GoLocal, “Molina Flynn taught one course in the fall as an adjunct faculty member. He is not scheduled to teach this spring.”
When asked if he would teach in the future, Pais said, “We have not yet scheduled any Fall 2025 courses.”
Roger Williams Law School has removed his biography from its website.
From Columbia to Top Lawyer in Rhode Island - Maserati and J-Lo
According to Molina Flynn’s bio, “He was born in Medellin, Colombia, and he experienced the pain of guerrilla warfare of 1980s Colombia before coming to America. As a young boy, he always had a strong sense of justice. His mother and grandmother (always his North Star) said that he should be ‘the people’s lawyer,’ but that was a far away dream for young boy living in war-torn Colombia. His dream of fighting for justice was only emblazoned when the guerrillas knocked on his door to announce that they had killed his beloved uncle. How can a young boy make sense of such evil nonsense. How can he and his family ever get over such a trauma?”
“I often say that 'it is written.' Sometimes, I think our destinies are established before we even come into this world. Joseph Molina arrived in America and began his life here in the great city of Central Falls. Educated in Pawtucket’s public schools, he dropped out of high school because, although he was among the top in his class, at that time, he was undocumented and without much hope of ever using his education. Like so many other talented immigrants, he did what he had to do to survive and to help his family: work,” the bio continued.
His Roger Williams Law School bio stated, “He graduated summa cum laude from Johnson & Wales University with a B.S. in Accounting and obtained his juris doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. In 2021, he was appointed as the Municipal Court Judge for the City of Central Falls becoming the first gay person to hold that seat and the first formerly undocumented Judge in Rhode Island. He also currently serves on the advisory board of the Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams University.”
Molina Flynn has lived the “big life.” He often posted photos of his Maserati, attending Jennifer Lopez concerts, and traveling around the world.
He was widely recognized as an expert on immigration law, appearing on GoLocal LIVE, testifying before the Rhode Island General Assembly, and hosting his own social media show.
Molina-Flynn has repeatedly refused to respond to requests for comment.
This story was first published 1/23/25 5:10 PM