Thursday, 4:30 PM
Two lawyers indicted in $150G shakedown scam
By Jonathan Saltzman, Globe staff
The two well-known criminal defense lawyers in Rhode Island, one of whom is the brother of Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their alleged roles in an elaborate scheme to obtain $150,000 from two clients, the US Attorney’s Office in Boston announced this morning.
The indictment accuses John M. Cicilline and Joseph A. Bevilacqua Jr. of pressuring a Rhode Island couple arrested on federal drug trafficking charges to give them the money in exchange for promises to negotiate a more lenient sentence with federal prosecutors.
The indictment – which also charges two paralegals – says the lawyers promised John and Jacqueline Mendonca that they would tell prosecutors that the couple had provided ``substantial assistance’’ in the investigation of other drug cases. The lawyers then allegedly misrepresented the couple as being the source of useful information to federal authorities.
Authorities said part of the alleged shakedown occurred at the Plymouth House of Correction where John Mendonca was being held in 2002.
Cicilline and Bevilacqua and two paralegals, Juan Giraldo and Lisa Torres, were each indicted on a charge of conspiracy. Ciccilline was also indicted on two counts of making false statements to prosecutors and one count of obstruction of justice. Torres was indicted on charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice.
Bevilacqua, Cicilline and Torres are scheduled to be arraigned at 3:30 p.m. at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston. Giraldo will be arraigned at a later date because he is currently serving a federal sentence.
Mayor David Cicilline’s office did not immediately respond to phone calls.
Bevilacqua was disbarred for his actions in an unrelated federal case.
He was sentenced to 18 months in prison in September 2005 for leaking an FBI videotape to a television newsman and then lying about it under oath in connection with the federal corruption case against former Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr.
David Cicilline succeeded Cianci as mayor and was reelected to a four year term in November.
Bevilacqua and Cicilline are former law partners. Bevilacqua is the son of former Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph A. Bevilacqua, and the brother of former Senate Majority Leader John Bevilacqua.
