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June 25, 2008

Ex-Lincoln official Picerno accused of arranging beating

A corrupt former town official in Lincoln has been arrested by the Rhode Island State Police on charges that he arranged the beating of a Lincoln town councilman.

Robert Picerno, who figured prominently in the Lincoln bribery scandal involving former town administrator Jonathan Oster, was charged this morning with conspiracy and threatening a public official for allegedly arranging for two men to assault and threaten then-councilman Dean L. Lees Jr. in 2001.

Lees, who told the state police at the time that the assault was related to his political stands, said that he was leaving a carpet and tile store on Branch Avenue in Providence when a man attacked him from behind as he got into his car.

Lees said at the time that the man punched him in the back of the head eight to 10 times, and that the other man threatened him, saying, ``If you keep doing what you’re doing in town, we’ll be back.’ ‘’

State Police Maj. Joseph R. Miech says that Picerno, 61, was arrested this morning at his home at 105 Woodside Drive, North Providence, and has already been arraigned in court and released on bail.

Picerno, a former Lincoln Planning Commission member whose son once ran against Lees for Town Council, was sentenced to eight years, with three to serve, after pleading no contest in 2004 to four counts of taking or trying to solicit, bribes, and three counts of conspiracy to solicit bribes.

In a trial earlier this year, the state charged that Oster, with Picerno, conspired to solicit bribes from two potential buyers of a piece of town-controlled land on Route 116 in Lincoln.

Oster was convicted and subsequently committed suicide. Because Oster had not been sentenced before his death, the conviction was set aside.

According to Miech, the state police developed information this year that Picerno had hired one of the men who accosted Lees. Both men were subsequently convicted and sentenced to more than three years in state prison. One was denied parole during his sentence because of his refusal to cooperate with the authorities regarding who put them up to it.

According to an affidavit, Picerno paid $12,500 to have Lees beaten up.

Extra: Read the affidavit in support of Picerno's arrest

-- Journal staff writer Mike Stanton

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 12:56 PM | Permalink

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