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« Saturday is deadline to register to vote in primary | Today | Update: Man shot in Providence ID'd as cab driver » January 30, 2008Oster trial: Ex-detective asked about playground projectPROVIDENCE -- In testimony today in the bribery and conspiracy trial of ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster, a former Lincoln police detective spoke about allegations that Robert Picerno, a former planning official linked with charges against Oster, extorted $5,000 from a town playground renovation contractor. Oster's defense lawyer, C. Leonard O'Brien, this morning questioned Albert A. Martell, former Lincoln detective lieutenant, on complaints police received from contractor Robert Gelfuso, who told Martell that Picerno, a former Lincoln Planning Board member, and another Lincoln official pressured Gelfuso to inflate his bills on the playground project. Under O'Brien's persistent questioning in Providence County Superior Court, Martell said Gelfuso never implicated Oster, who served as town administrator from 2000 to 2002, in any of those efforts. Martell also testified to seeing Picerno on a rear deck of Lincoln Town Hall, a deck that has a door to a large conference room that was next to Oster's office. O'Brien sought to play down the significance of Picerno being seen at the back of Town Hall near the door by getting Martell to describe how the conference room also opened to the town public works and engineering departments -- places that Picerno, as a Planning Board member, could be expected to visit.
Oster is facing two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy in the trial. The state’s case alleges that Picerno collected the bribes and Oster manipulated town government to favor the ones who paid. Yesterday, prosecutors used Oster’s ex-campaign treasurer and a former town consultant to seek to show a Superior Court jury that Oster and Picerno, convicted in 2004 on his own bribery charges, had a close financial and political relationship. The case in part focuses on six Route 116 acres known as the H&H Screw property. Oster is accused of conspiring with Picerno in two instances to solicit bribes to sell the property, which the town controlled. Posted by Mike McKinney CommentsPost a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
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ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006