« Amgen seeks applicants for science teaching award | Today | Glocester police seek help in hit-and-run incident »

November 2, 2007

Former Rep. Martineau pleads guilty

PROVIDENCE -- A former high-ranking state lawmaker pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges this afternoon in U.S. District Court, Providence.

Former House Majority Leader Gerard Martineau, 49, a former representative from Woonsocket, has admitted that he pushed the legislative agenda of two large companies while accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in business from them.

Martineau pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud. He was released until sentencing, which is scheduled for February 22.

Martineau had previously signed a plea agreement, in which he acknowledged selling his office to the CVS drugstore chain and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island in return for $900,000 worth of contracts to sell paper and plastic bags to the companies.

Martineau, 49, a former Democratic state representative from Woonsocket for 16 years, faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $1.8 million — twice the amount of the gain — on each count.

While doing business with the companies, he worked to kill legislation that both companies opposed. One bill that repeatedly died in his committee would have given customers more choice in where to get their prescriptions filled.

Read a previous story on Martineau's arraignment.

-- The Associated Press and Journal archival reports

Posted by Jack Perry  at 3:01 PM | Permalink

Comments

robert ferland | November 2, 2007 4:22 PM link

Post a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email Address:

URL:
Remember Me? YesNo

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)