Investigative reporter for the CBS affiliate in Providence, R.I. | Co-author of the organized crime book “The Last Good Heist.” | Adjunct professor of media law at Roger Williams University
BREAKING: After 20 years on the lam, sex assault fugitive Ronald Fischer is now back in Rhode Island. He will be processed at the ACI and expected to be in court early next week. Background: www.wpri.com/target-12/mo...
‘Most Wanted’ fugitive Ronald Fischer likely to return to RI FridayRonald Fischer could appear in a Rhode Island courtroom as soon as early next week.www.wpri.comNEW: Fugitive Ronald Fischer is expected to be picked up in NYC Friday and returned to RI, per Manhattan DA spokesperson. Fischer vanished 20 years ago days before being convicted of sexual assault. www.wpri.com/target-12/mo...
‘Most Wanted’ fugitive Ronald Fischer likely to return to RI FridayRonald Fischer could appear in a Rhode Island courtroom as soon as early next week.www.wpri.comA 9-month legal battle over the release of the Mt. Hope Bridge inspection report raises questions about whether RITBA improperly shielded the document for decades. RITBA has said they have applied a TSA policy to reports of all its bridges since 2009. www.wpri.com/target-12/fe...
Feds: Mount Hope Bridge inspection report wasn’t sensitive after allThe Turnpike and Bridge Authority says it has deemed safety inspection reports too sensitive to release since 2009. The TSA disagreed.www.wpri.comNEW: The "Taylor Swift tax" went into effect today. Here's how many properties it could impact... including what the pop star my have to pay come September. www.wpri.com/target-12/ta...
‘Taylor Swift tax’ goes into effect in Rhode Island. Here’s how many could payThe owners of more than 8,000 properties were notified they may be subject to a new tax on certain second homes.www.wpri.comTARGET 12: The state's stockpile of specialty hose to fight wildfires is in rough shape. But help is on the way. A little-known program loans out 35 miles of the hose to local fire departments. www.wpri.com/target-12/fa...
‘Fast-moving fires’: A $50K lifeline for Rhode Island’s aging wildfire hosesThe state loans out specialty hoses to combat wildland fires to local departments. But much of the stockpile has seen better days.www.wpri.comNEW: Dino Guilmette, seen on ‘Real Housewives of RI,’ rejects plea deal in drug case. His lawyer is arguing the evidence against Guilmette was gathered unlawfully. www.wpri.com/target-12/di...
Dino Guilmette, seen on ‘Real Housewives of RI,’ rejects plea deal in drug caseGuilmette is facing 88 years behind bars and rejected an offer of five years of probation.www.wpri.comNEW: The mom of a 15-year-old girl killed in a stairway collapse last year at the Portsmouth Portuguese American Citizens Club has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The suit alleges the club “knew or should have known” the stairs were unsafe. www.wpri.com/target-12/mo...
Mom of teen killed in stairway collapse sues Portuguese American club in PortsmouthThis is the second lawsuit against the club following the deadly incident one year ago this month.www.wpri.comNEW: Bristol bristles at RIPTA's request for yet another delay in the Mt. Hope Bridge inspection report lawsuit. The saga began with a Target 12 investigation that revealed the agency was refusing to release the report on the nearly century-old span. www.wpri.com/target-12/br...
Bristol objects as RITBA seeks more time in Mount Hope Bridge inspection report lawsuitBristol is objected to a request by RITBA for another delay in a lawsuit over the inspection report of the Mount Hope Bridge.www.wpri.comNEW: The judge overseeing the state’s Washington Bridge lawsuit has tapped a special master to resolve ongoing disputes over access to documents, including internal emails at the governor’s office. www.wpri.com/target-12/sp...
Special master appointed in Washington Bridge lawsuit amid fight over McKee, RIDOT emailsNearly one million pages of documents have been produced, but disputes linger over emails of top officials.www.wpri.comNEW: A Newport man is accused of inappropriately touching a 16-year-old girl on a Breeze Airways flight from Tampa to TF Green in November. James Brugman is facing two federal charges. The victim says he also showed her explicit content on the flight. www.wpri.com/target-12/ne...
Newport man accused of touching teen on flight from Tampa to Rhode IslandJames Brugman is facing two federal charges that he inappropriately touched a 16-year-old girl while flying into T.F. Green.www.wpri.comAn Ethics Complaint has been filed in former-Speaker Joe Shekarchi's bid to become a state Supreme Court justice. @rwulaw.bsky.social Prof. @mjyelnosky.bsky.social argues it would violate the state's revolving-door law. www.wpri.com/target-12/la...
Law professor files ethics complaint against Shekarchi over RI Supreme Court applicationRWU professor Michael Yelnosky argues Shekarchi’s application to the state’s highest court would violated the Revolving Door law.www.wpri.comNEW: RI woman convicted in fraud case of falsely claiming to be U.S. Marine with cancer, is denied early release from prison. Sarah Cavanaugh failed to convince Judge John McConnell that she had "extraordinary and compelling" reasons for release. www.wpri.com/target-12/st...
‘Stolen valor’ fraudster denied early prison release in RISarah Jane Cavanaugh claimed she had been assaulted in prison. She is slated to be released in August.www.wpri.comUPDATE: @whitehouse.senate.gov slams Trump DOJ move to keep Calenda effectively serving as RI's US attorney, saying other options with bipartisan Senate support were ignored Administration "is plainly attempting an end run around the law," Whitehouse argues. www.wpri.com/target-12/fe...
Federal court declines to appoint new US Attorney in RI; Calenda stays in chargeThe Trump administration has moved to keep its pick in place to continue as Rhode Island’s top federal prosecutor.www.wpri.comNEW: U.S. District Court declines to tap a new interim top federal prosecutor in RI, which means there is no U.S. Attorney here right now. Charles "Chas" Calenda says he's still in charge. www.wpri.com/target-12/fe...
Federal court declines to appoint new US Attorney in RI; Calenda stays in chargeThe Trump administration has moved to keep its pick in place to continue as Rhode Island’s top federal prosecutor.www.wpri.comNEW: Veteran RI Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Lanphear has sent a letter to the governor announcing he is retiring. Lanphear oversaw the busy land-use calendar launched by Speaker Shekarchi. This will be yet another judgeship for McKee to pick. www.wpri.com/news/politic...
Veteran RI Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Lanphear to retireLanphear took control of the nascent land-use calendar to speed up disputes that had lingered for years.www.wpri.comNEW: RI federal judge John McConnell dealt truckers another loss in legal fight over tolls. The American Trucking Associations sought millions in legal fees for their 2018 lawsuit, but McConnell found their argument that they had "prevailed" dubious. www.wpri.com/target-12/ri...
www.wpri.comNEW: A Boston police officer charged with manslaughter was once a patrolman in Providence. www.wpri.com/target-12/bo...
www.wpri.comLatest from RI State Police: -269 spinouts -25 accidents -40 travel ban citations CT lifting its travel ban presented challenge for troopers, with tractor trailers coming into the state. Truck stop on 102 in Exeter is packed. www.wpri.com/weather/wint...
www.wpri.comProvidence has towed 316 cars and issued 1,273 tickets. With more to come. www.wpri.com/weather/wint...
www.wpri.comHere is the punishment if you don't adhere to RI's travel ban. RI State Police responded to 45 disabled vehicles on highways as of 8:15 a.m. www.wpri.com/news/heres-w...
www.wpri.com