Diamantis Digs His Own Grave, Bribery Scheme, Rhode Island 2023

Developer Charged in North Providence Bribery Scheme

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Richard P. Baccari, Sr., 71, of Narragansett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Churchill & Banks Companies, LLC, and his company, Churchill & Banks Companies, have been charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of bribery in a federal indictment.

The indictment alleges that Baccari and his company paid a $50,000 bribe to three now federally convicted and imprisoned North Providence town councilmen, Joseph S. Burchfield, Raymond L. Douglas III, and John A. Zambarano, in exchange for enough favorable council votes to approve a zoning change to a 6-acre parcel of land for the development of a supermarket.

According to the indictment, the three councilmen allegedly planned the bribe solicitation during a series of telephone conversations and meetings with one another and with a middle-man, Robert S. Ciresi, a former attorney who was convicted and is imprisoned for his role in the bribery scheme.

The indictment alleges that Ciresi was used by the councilmen as a middleman to facilitate communications between Richard Baccari and John Zambarano. It is alleged that Zambarano asked for and Baccari agreed to pay a $25,000 bribe in exchange for Zambarano delivering four council member votes in favor of the zoning change.

The supermarket project was first presented to the Town Council in early October 2008, and came before the council on several occasions before a vote to approve the zoning change occurred on February 10, 2009. The vote to approve the project was 7-0.

Former councilmen Joseph Burchfield, Raymond Douglas III, and John Zambarano were arrested by FBI agents on May 6, 2010. In March 2011, Burchfield, Douglas and Zambarano pled guilty to their roles in the kickback scheme and are currently serving sentences ranging from 64 to 78 months in federal prison.

Robert Ciresi was convicted by a federal court jury in April 2011 of conspiracy, bribery and Hobbs Act extortion, and is currently serving a sentence of 63 months in federal prison.

If convicted of conspiracy, Richard Baccari faces statutory penalties of up to 5 years imprisonment; a fine of up to $250,000; and up to 3 years supervised release. If convicted of bribery, Baccari faces statutory penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment; a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 3 years supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terrence P. Donnelly and John P. McAdams. The matter is being investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police, DEA, and the Internal Revenue Service.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Public Corruption

Victor M. Ortiz-Díaz, Extortion and Soliciting a Bribe, Puerto Rico 2012

Dec 7, 2016

Public Corruption

David Edmonds, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Violation, California 2012

Jun 15, 2012

Public Corruption

R. Brian Tanner, Voter Fraud, Georgia 2016

Oct 26, 2016

Public Corruption

A Mitchell Palmer, Prohibition Enforcement Abuse, Illinois 1919

Jul 10, 1919