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Arrest made in BB gun vandalism spree

A teen has been charged after an investigation into a weeklong spate of BB gun vandalism that left several vehicle windows damaged.

Matthew R. Fontes, 18, of 51 Homeland St. in Johnston, is charged with nine counts of vandalism and one count of conspiracy. In a statement, Johnston Police Maj. Frank Levesque indicated additional charges were pending against other juvenile suspects.

According to Levesque, police received multiple reports of overnight vandalism between Friday, March 25, and Friday, April 1. All of the victims reported the windows of their vehicles had been shot with a BB or pellet gun.

Levesque said on April 5, Patrolman Adam Parkinson was responding to a Shore Drive address regarding another vandalism complaint when a neighbor provided him with the registration of a suspicious vehicle that had been seen in the area during the early morning hours. That information was forwarded to detectives, and Fortes was identified as the owner of the plate in question.

Detectives Thomas Dwyer and Joshua Heywood located the vehicle parked outside Johnston High School. According to Levesque, they observed several pieces of BB gun ammunition on the front and back floor mats.

At that point, Fortes was removed from class and taken to police headquarters for questioning, the major said. He was subsequently placed under arrest.

Additionally, Levesque said Dwyer and Heywood obtained surveillance footage from a local store that showed Fontes purchasing two Ruger Airsoft BB pistols and one box – a 1,500 count – of Copperhead BBs.

“The Johnston police will seek restitution on behalf of anyone whose property was damaged,” Levesque said through the statement. “We would also like to thank the public for their continued assistance in helping us identify the persons responsible.”

Landscaping exec receives three years’ probation

A man who earlier this year pleaded guilty to scheming to avoid paying benefits to union employees on federally funded projects, and to providing the state with false information regarding the status of some workers to avoid paying wages, has been sentenced to three years of probation.

Steven F. Pagliarini, 57, was additionally ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $171,695. He had entered the guilty plea to three counts of falsification of documents and one count of wire fraud in U.S. District Court in January.

Pagliarini is executive vice president and treasurer of Central Landscape Construction Company in Johnston, and executive vice president of Central Nurseries Inc., located in Chepachet and Johnston.

According to a statement from U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha’s office, Pagliarini admitted in court that “at various times, between January 2007 and December 2010, [he] submitted false documents to union welfare and pension plan administrators of two unions that represent construction equipment operators and other employees of Central Landscaping.”

Those documents “did not accurately reflect the actual number of hours worked by some employees and the actual amount of wages paid to those employees,” the release indicates. Those employees worked on the federally funded Hartford Park project in Providence and I-195 relocation project.

According to the release, Pagliarini also admitted to the court that in a separate scheme, “in order to avoid paying wages to some employees between November 2009 through April 2010, [he] falsely reported to the [Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training] that the employees of Central Nurseries had been laid-off because of a lack of work.”

Pagliarini “required the employees to work part-time but did not pay them,” the release states. Authorities say based on documents filed with RIDLT, “employees were paid a total of $68,487 in unemployment compensation.”

Man charged in theft

of firearm, other items

Patrolman Louis Cotoia reports responding along with other police personnel to a call regarding the theft of a firearm and other items from a residence on April 7.

The reporting party told Cotoia she had started to notice items were missing after a guest began staying with her a week prior. Those items included a Mossberg shotgun and several pieces of jewelry.

A warrant was issued, and Luis J. Delrio, 20, of 487 Niantic Ave. in Cranston, was taken into custody on April 8. He is charged with felony counts of larceny of a firearm and larceny over $1,500.

Delrio was presented as a probation violator at his arraignment, and was given 30 days to serve with substance abuse counseling in connection with the violation.

Bail was set at $2,000 surety on the larceny counts, with a next scheduled court date in June.

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