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February 6, 2008

Oster trial: Political fund-raising tickets at the playground

PROVIDENCE -- Today's testimony in the trial of ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster closed with another account of what it was like to do business with Robert R. Picerno, the former Lincoln planning official who the state says was engaged in a bribery/conspiracy scheme with Oster.

The state called David Wayne Daniel, a contractor who was hired by the town in summer 2001 to do improvements, including building a bathhouse and concession stand at the town’s Fairlawn playground.

Under questioning by prosecutor William Ferland, Daniel testified that shortly after his company, Major Construction Associates, got the approximately $150,000 contract, the work site was visited daily by an assortment of town officials.

He mentioned Stephen Balestra, whose office oversaw the federal money used to pay for the project and whom Daniel said would stay at the site for entire days; Parks and Recreation director Paul Prachniak and then-public works director David T. Harrison.

“It made everyone nervous,” Daniel said of the visits. “This was a small project.”

He said the three officials were constantly criticizing the pace of the work and ordering changes. The situation developed to where Daniel said he had three Friday morning meetings in a row with Oster and others in Town Hall. He described the purpose of the meetings as “jumping on my back.”

The Monday after the third such meeting in Oster’s office Daniel testified that Picerno showed up at the job site.

“He asked me how things were going and I told him they’re busting my ... balls and he started to laugh a little slyly,” Daniel said.

Daniel said Picerno then took out a stack of 100 Oster fundraiser tickets worth $50 a piece -- $5,000 total -- and asked if he could take care of them.

“I said ‘If you can get those ... guys off my back,’ ” Daniel said he told Picerno. “He said `No problem.’ ”

Daniel testified he had his office cut a check for $4,750, because he had already donated $250 to the Oster campaign, and he didn’t want to double pay; but Picerno turned down the check.

“He said `I’m going to need it in a nicer way,’ ” Daniel quoted Picerno as telling him. He said he understood that to mean Picerno wanted the tickets paid for in cash. Daniel said he accommodated him.

Daniel was scheduled to resume testifying tomorrow

-- Journal staff writer John Hill

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 4:55 PM | Permalink

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