North Providence Corruption Trial in March

WPRI has provided a summary of articles about the North Providence Corruption Investigation that's worth reviewing, including the bookmaking operation run by Raymond Douglas.

Ex-politician charged with bookmaking
Former NP Town Councilman pleads not guilty

Tim White
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Raymond Douglas, the former North Providence town councilor snared in a federal corruption probe, pleaded not guilty Monday to a single charge that he also ran a bookmaking operation.

Douglas was indicted by a grand jury on September 2nd with one count of using extortion as a means to collect gambling debts. Monday he pleaded not guilty to the charge before Federal Magistrate Judge David Martin.

Federal investigators allege Douglas ran an illegal gambling business, taking bets on college and professional sports. Specifically, the indictment highlights an unnamed bettor who had racked up $8,000 in gambling debts. According to court documents, prosecutors say Douglas made numerous attempts to collect the debt, including sending the person approximately 16 text messages. Douglas even sent a third party to the bettor's home to collect the debt.

Court documents reveal Douglas left a message for the bettor stating: "I know where you live, I know where you play golf. I mean I can find you... I guess if you don't want to call me then it's out of my hands and then someone else will knock on your door."

Though Douglas is not charged with physically assaulting the bettor, prosecutors say he offered to damage the bettor's vehicle which would permit him to file a fraudulent insurance claim to pay for the repairs and then allow him to repay the gambling debt.

Neither Douglas nor his attorney, William DiMitri had anything to say to Target 12 when they left court.

Douglas is free on $50,000 unsecured bond. He has to stay in Rhode Island, but is allowed to make day trips to neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The extortion charge against Douglas is the latest development in a sweeping corruption probe in North Providence.

Earlier this month Douglas along with former Town Council President Joseph Burchfield and former councilman John Zambarano were charged in an indictment accusing them of shaking down developers.

Burchfield and Douglas were charged with nine counts including bribery, extortion and conspiracy. Zambarano faces seven counts including extortion, receiving a bribe, conspiracy and lying to federal agents.

Only Douglas is charged with the additional extortion charge involving the alleged bookmaking operation.




NP corruption case headed for trial
Accused town councilmen to face jury in March

Tim White
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Three former North Providence town councilmen facing extortion and bribery charges are scheduled to go to trial on March 2nd, according to court filings.

Former council president Joseph Burchfield and former Councilmen Raymond Douglas and John Zambarano were arrested in May, accused of selling their vote in a failed supermarket development deal.

Also charged are attorney Robert Ciresi and Edward Imondi, accused of taking part in the scheme.

Douglas is also facing separate gambling related charges.

•Complete coverage of the No. Providence Corruption probe
The trial against all five defendants is scheduled for jury selection on March 2nd at 9:30 a.m. before Federal Judge Mary Lisi.


New indictments in No. Prov corruption
One alleged bribe via text message

Tim White
NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - A federal grand jury handed up new indictments Thursday in the corruption crackdown in North Providence, Eyewitness News confirmed.

A total of five people have been charged:

•Attorney Robert Ciresi
•Edward Imondi
•Joseph Burchfield
•John Zambarano
•Raymond Douglas
The 12-count indictment, which was unsealed in Federal court Thursday, charges the defendants with conspiracy, extortion and bribery in connection with four alleged extortion and bribery schemes, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Burchfield, Zambarano and Douglas were all city councilors who resigned in the wake of the first round of indictments. Ciresi and Imondi have just been indicted.

According the U.S. Attorney's Office, the conspiracy includes four alleged extorted bribe attempts, including:

•A $25,000 bribe in exchange for the supermarket development zoning change
•A $75,000 bribe in exchange for a zoning change which would permit residential development at an old mill in the Lymansville section of North Providence (of which $21,000 in cash was delivered).
•The attempted extortion of $3,000 from a bar owner seeking a liquor license (the bribe was not paid).
•The attempted extortion of $5,000 from a restaurant owner seeking an extended hours permit (the bribe was not paid).
“When charges in this matter were first announced, I urged anyone with knowledge related to the conduct alleged would do well to contact the FBI. Some have. Others may not have," said U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha. "As today’s expanded Indictment demonstrates, this investigation is not over, and I reiterate that anyone with information would do well to step forward.”

Burchfield, Zambarano and Douglas were indicted on May 27th. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The three former town council members will be in Federal Court on Monday beginning at 2 p.m. to answer to the charges before Magistrate Judge David Martin. Ciresi and Imondi are scheduled to go before the judge on Wednesday afternoon.


According to court documents, Ciresi, 77 of Hope, RI and a former town solicitor for North Providence, coordinated the bribe between the three town councilors and the failed supermarket development. Target 12 has learned Richard Baccari, a well-known developer who has handled other major construction projects in the state, was the developer in the supermarket plan. Baccari has not been charged.

Imondi, 73 of North Providence, also a developer, is accused by investigators of coordinating the mill project cash delivery. Court documents reveal the bribe was paid in the parking lot of the Cadillac Lounge strip club in Providence (see page 53 of the indictment ).

Prosecutors allege both Ciresi and Imondi acted as “middlemen” in two of the four bribery schemes revealed in the indictment.

Federal investigators also charge Douglas and Burchfield with trying to extort $3,000 from a North Providence businessman in exchange for a liquor license. According to the court document, Burchfield and Douglas asked a third party to text the business owner the solicitation for a bribe.

The document states the third party texted:
“If you do the right thing, you will get the liquor license.”
The business owner replied “Are you [expletive] nuts? Nobody is getting
anything for that license... this is real life, this isn't a movie, like the Sopranos where you have to pay for things." The third party responded, "Just passing along a message." (see page 22 of the indictment ).

In an effort to conceal their plans, investigators said the trio referred to a cash bribes as a “ham sandwich” (see page 23 of the indictment ). This reference was used in an attempt to extort $5,000 from another business owner looking extend his business hours, according to court documents.

The businessman refused to pay the bribe, according to investigators.

Mark Dana, attorney for Joseph Burchfield, said they were just getting the details from the indictment when contacted by Target 12. He said from the beginning, they want to know who the government’s sources are and “how reliable they are.”

In one wiretapped conversation with a FBI cooperating source, Zambarano acknowledged the supermarket plan, which lead to the original $25,000 bribe, was a questionable deal.

“I don’t necessarily agree we were improving the neighborhood with the [supermarket property],” the indictment quotes Zambarano as saying. “…but you know, we did what we had to do.” (see page 27 of the indictment )

In an effort to secure a $75,000 bribe from a different developer looking to renovate the Lymansville Mill, Douglas and Burchfield falsely told the property owner there was serious opposition from the neighborhood, according to the indictment.

In a wiretapped phone conversation, Zambarano allegedly told the confidential source:
“…tell him the councilmen in the area are concerned about some issues that the neighbors are calling up, several calls… I want him to think that the guy has got bigger problems,” according to court documents (see page 33 of the indictment ).

With concerns the $75,000 bribe might be falling through, investigators reveal a conversation where Douglas is concerned they may have gone too far:

"I was thinkin' maybe we were too greedy or somethin'... shoulda just asked for a little bit,” the indictment quotes Douglas. “…maybe should said fifty you know what I mean and not been a pig..." (see page 38 of the indictment ).

Ultimately, prosecutors allege the developer paid an initial sum of $21,000 to secure the votes for a zoning change. The developers of the mill are unnamed in the indictment and have not been charged (see page 53-56 of the indictment ).

A minor detail that may resonate poorly with North Providence residents revealed in the indictment: Zambarano may have halted a new, free sign for the town’s high school.

“Zambarano told [the confidential source] that he… prevented another North Providence Town Councilman from pressuring [Baccari] to purchase a $20,000 digital billboard for North Providence High School, in order to protect [Baccari’s] business interests by keeping the costs of the supermarket project down.” (see page 18 of the indictment )

Zambarano’s attorney, Thomas Briody declined to comment on specifics of the case.

“We plan on addressing this matter in court,” Briody said.