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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Dino Guilmette, a defendant in a high-profile drug case, rejected a plea deal Thursday that would have spared him prison time, telling a judge he wants to go to trial.
Guilmette, 47, has appeared multiple times on Bravo’s hit TV series “Real Housewives of Rhode Island.” He’s facing eight drug-related offenses, including drug conspiracy, perjury and possession of a controlled substance. He faces 88 years behind bars.
On Thursday, Guilmette appeared before R.I. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Gina Lopes to formally reject the plea offer made by Assistant Attorney General Jim Baum.

“My client turned down the offer because he absolutely maintains his innocence,” Guilmette’s attorney John Calcagni said afterward outside court. 
The case has been dragging on for years.
Guilmette was charged in March of 2022, and Calcagni blamed the delay on the R.I. Attorney General’s Office.

“The court had absolutely no hand in the delay in this case,” Calcagni said. “It took a long time for the attorney general’s office, current administration, to extend an offer and that is why this case has dragged on for as long as it has.”
A request for comment from the attorney general’s office was not immediately returned.
In a 2021 search warrant affidavit in the case, R.I. State Police Det. Mathew Lynch wrote Guilmette had ties to members of organized crime, including reputed Mafia captain Matthew Guigliemetti.
In September 2024, Target 12 cameras captured Guilmette outside the wake of Edward “Eddie” Lato, who served as underboss of the New England Crime Family.

Calcagni called the allegations “patently false.”
“If anybody knows anything about organized crime, people will tell you that organized crime is dead — it is in the pages of history,” Calcagni said, describing Guilmette as “an upstanding member of his community.”
Guilmette’s case has drawn more scrutiny in recent months after he appeared and was the focus of discussion on multiple episodes of “Real Housewives of Rhode Island.”

“I know that Dino has personal friendships with some of the people that are on that program,” Calcagni said. “But this case has continued to get media publicity since day one, particularly because of the false statements contained in the warrant affidavit attributing Dino and membership to organized crime, drug trafficking, and many, many other defamatory and false statements.”

In court documents, Calcagni wrote the state didn’t exhaust all other investigatory techniques before obtaining a court-authorized wiretap.
Calcagni argued those gaps in the investigation “suggest that the police obtained the wiretap warrant much too soon.”
Calcagni also asked the judge to throw out the evidence collected from the wiretap. In court documents, he said a friend of Guilmette reached out, saying she’d talked with a mutual friend whom Calcagni suspects is one of the state’s confidential sources — someone who made undercover purchases of cocaine as part of the probe.
The source duped police, according to Calcagni.

“[The source] represented his intent to conceal cocaine in his rectum, meet with Mr. Guilmette, and then meet with police and give them the cocaine that he would say had been purchased from Mr. Guilmette,” Calcagni wrote. “He later said he had done this twice.”
After initially agreeing to meet with Calcagni, the friend who shared that information spoke with an attorney and “refused to cooperate,” the attorney said.

According to court documents, Guilmette then called the friend and recorded the conversation, which Calcagni said “contradicts the only controlled purchases” supporting the wiretap.
Calcagni characterized it as a “reckless disregard for the truth,” calling for a so-called “Franks hearing” where the defense can challenge the truthfulness of statements made by police. The court could also demand that Guilmette’s friend testify.  

Assistant Attorney General James Baum fired back, arguing in court documents that investigators followed the law and took all appropriate investigatory steps before requesting the wiretap, which he highlighted was approved by Gibney.
Baum also said Calcagni’s request for a Franks hearing was based on “an inherently unreliable alleged hearsay statement of a source, through a friend of the defendant, purportedly after the defendant was charged in the matter,” according to court documents.
“Hopefully we’re going to get our day in court and the truth will be told,” Calcagni said on Thursday.

Mugshots in link

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Police have arrested 13 suspects in an effort to combat human trafficking and exploitation during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Rhode Island State Police announced the results of “Operation Red Card” Tuesday, which targeted those allegedly seeking to engage in commercial sex acts, child exploitation and other activities associated with human trafficking.
Police explained that, while major international sporting events bring “significant economic and cultural benefits” to their host cities, they may also create opportunities for traffickers who exploit the vulnerable.

The following suspects are facing various charges linked to human trafficking:
Richard Lallier, 34, of Rehoboth
Attempted enticement
Attempted interstate travel for sexual conduct with a minor under the age of 16
Attempted transmission of obscene material to a minor

Joshua Lincoln, 27, of North Providence
Indecent solicitation of a minor
Electronically disseminating indecent material to a minor

Jacob Palazzo, 26, of Cranston
Indecent solicitation of a minor

Travis Shaw, 38, of Tiverton
Electronically disseminating indecent material to a minor

Rocky Joseph, 38, of Central Falls
Electronically disseminating indecent material to a minor

A 60-year-old Johnston man was also arrested and charged with procurement of sexual conduct for a fee.
Lallier was ordered held without bail, while the five other men were released on personal recognizance.

Similarly, FBI Boston announced the arrest of seven Massachusetts residents as part of ongoing efforts “to address human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children before, during and after World Cup matches.”

The following suspects have each been charged with engaging in sex for a fee with a child under the age of 18, enticement of a child under the age of 16 and attempted rape of a child:
Julio Aguilar, 42, of Saugus
Kenneth Berry, 45, of Middleboro
Manjil Bhusal, 21, of Somerville
Jonathan Matthew William Durocher, 34, of Brockton
Trevon Hubbard, 31, of Middleboro
Krish Patel, 26, of Quincy
Gerald Sabatinelli, 71, of Hyannis
Anyone who suspects human trafficking is urged to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Tips can be submitted confidentially.

How do we get them to stay?!

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Scottish fans who traveled across the pond for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are leaving a lasting impact on the capital city.
The Providence Tartan Army marched through the streets of Providence Wednesday for a special “Good Night Lights,” during which they showed their support for the patients at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.
For the Tartan Army, joining in on a nightly tradition that is known for bringing smiles to children’s faces felt natural to them.

Elisabeth Harrington was emotional as she watched the children shine their flashlights back at the Tartan Army.

The special Good Night Lights was dedicated to her son Thomas, who passed away three years ago from Ewing sarcoma. He spent 10 years battling the rare form of cancer at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.
Harrington knows firsthand what the families shining back at the Tartan Army are facing, and the joy that this sea of lights creates every night.

Thomas would’ve been 23 years old on Monday. His mother believes he’s smiling down on the celebration.
“He would’ve been right there with them … shining his lights and having a good time with everyone,” she said. “He was someone who lived life to the fullest.”
It’s not the only lasting impact the Tartan Army will leave. The Scottish fans are also donating $10,000 to Hasbro Children’s Hospital on Thursday afternoon.
It marks the largest donation that the Tartan Army has ever made.

“It’s just a Scottish thing. Since 2003, every away game we’ll go into — that’s 112 consecutive — we donate money to a children’s charity with no political affiliations in the city or country we’re going to as well,” Providence Tartan Army Organizer Ally Henry told 12 News earlier this month.
The check will officially be presented to the hospital a couple of hours before the Tartan Army’s fan march, which steps off from 195 District Park around 3:30 p.m.

Hard hitting RI news

(WJAR) — The man credited for creating the pizza chip is speaking out, saying the pizza they showed on The Real Housewives of Rhode IslandSeason One, Episode Four, was not a real pizza chip.
Don DePetrillo, the owner and baker at Original Italian Bakery in Johnston, is credited with creating and popularizing the Rhode Island staple, and said there's a very specific way to make them.

NBC 10's Molly Levine asked him what makes a pizza chip, a pizza chip.

"Piece of dough, it has to be very crusty, but you got to have the right sauce, sauce has to taste good," said DePetrillo. "They have to be baked at the right temperature, and consistency is the main factor."
He said his idea for the pizza chip came when he was hungry and goofing around with his nephew back in the day.
"Pizza chips were basically invented in '87," said DePetrillo.
DePetrillo moved to Florida for a few years, perfected the recipe, and came back to Rhode Island in 2001.

He opened The Original Italian Bakery in 2007 and began selling the now Rhode Island staple.
Now, he said the bakery sells about 55,000 pizza chips in one week.
"As the summer keeps going, we'll go up to 60,000, 65,000" said DePetrillo.
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island made mention of pizza chips when one of the housewives brought them to the beach. However, DePetrillo said they weren't showcasing a correct pizza chip.
"I was happy that they mentioned it," said DePetrillo. "The concept wasn't right because that wasn't really a pizza chip."
He claimed what was shown on Bravo was a round pizza, which is much larger than a pizza chip and the crust is not as crispy.
"It's not a pizza chip, pizza chips are totally different," said DePetrillo.

Pizza chips are also different than pizza strips, and party pizza or pizza trays.

Sharing for awareness.

We welcome the Navy Band Northeast Pops Ensemble to the Touro Park Summer Concert Series this year!
Navy Band Northeast's Pops Ensemble is the band's largest ensemble, comprised of 30 wind and percussion instrumentalists, specializing in musical styles that range from patriotic favorites, traditional wind band literature, and Broadway showstoppers. Throughout its 10-state Area of Responsibility, the Pops Ensemble regularly performs for packed performing arts centers as a featured stand-alone concert, while also supporting regional festivals and celebrations, as well as cultural events.
The concert starts at 5:00pm and is free and open to all. Bring a blanket or chairs and have a nice picnic dinner while you enjoy a fantastic evening of music in historic Touro Park.
Stop by our tent before or after the concert and see our Mobile Museum Exhibit and learn more about Newport’s incredible musical history.

On Monday, Dino Guilmette was scheduled to appear in Providence Superior Court for a Frye hearing — it was the 87th court action on his case.  The charges in this case were first filed in March of 2022. The crimes, according to the Court, date back to November, 2021.
Guilmette is facing seven felony charges, including: 
Manuf/Del/Poss w/ Intent Manuf/Del Sch III/IV Controlled Substance-1st Offense
Conspiracy - Drug - Felony Greater Than 5 Years to Life
Conspiracy - Felony Greater Than 5 to 10 Years
 
“The attorneys conferenced the case with the Court this morning and agreed upon a new date of June 25,” Tim Rondeau, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office. told GoLocal in an email on Monday.

A Frye hearing in Rhode Island courts is when the court formally recaps the charges and potential sentences, and the prosecution offers its plea deal — some lawyers call it the last offer.

High Profile
Guilmette has been high profile for years. As GoLocal reported in 2022:
Dino Guilmette is a former boxer and actor. He is also known in celebrity publications for having fathered a child with Aaron Hernandez’ former fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins.
A GoLocal investigation into the relationship between Guilmette and Elizabeth McGraw uncovered a deeply intertwined series of connections.
According to State Police documents, Gerry McGraw and his wife had more than 1,000 phone calls with Dino Guilmette — an individual with strong ties to La Cosa Nostra. READ MORE ABOUT THE STATE POLICE INVESTIGATION HERE
While those calls were uncovered by RISP wiretaps, Elizabeth McGrath was posting photos of herself and Guilmette together on Instagram.

Gerry and Elizabeth McGraw live in a mansion in Cranston on Narragansett Bay, complete with a waterfront swimming pool. Their travels and parties are splashed across social media — flooding Facebook and Instagram with exotic destinations and luxurious celebrations. 
She is a cast member of the Bravo series The Real Housewives of Rhode Island. The couple owns and operates two Rhode Island state-regulated cannabis companies.
And after a two-year Rhode Island State Police Investigation, Guilmette was charged with seven felony charges. Neither of the McGraws was charged, although Elizabeth McGraw was mentioned in many of the State Police documents.
The court documents — including affidavits from the State Police and excerpts from State Police wiretaps — revealed numerous connections between Guilmette and the McGraws. 
According to State Police documents, McGraw and his wife had more than 1,000 phone calls with Guilmette. 
According to court records, there have been 39 court-sanctioned pre-trial conferences.

Neronha Call Situation "Very Frustrating"
“Cases are moving very slowly through the Superior Court,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha.
"We have a court date on the 25th where we expect [SIC] a plea of some kind - if not, then the case will be sent to the trial court/calendar," said Neronha.
"The travel of this case is pretty typical - and that is not ideal.  I have met with the new presiding justice [Joseph Montalbano], and he expressed concern looking at the data/numbers themselves and is committed to improving information things quickly," said Neronha.
"Very frustrating to prosecutors and victims," he said.
"The truth is that when a defendant is not held without bail pre-trial - which cannot happen unless they are charged with a capital offense or they are a probation or bail violator - the cases become harder to move especially if it is a case where a prison sentence is likely to be imposed, because getting a defendant from the street to prison is very difficult, for obvious reasons," said Neronha.
"So, unless the court is really pushing these cases along, and not accepting requests for more time from defense counsel and prosecutors, cases can lag, and sometimes for years," added Neronha.
Neronha said, "Civil cases are even worse than criminal cases."
The next scheduled court case is June 25th.

Video in article.

(WJAR) — The Real Housewives of Rhode Island introduced childhood cancer fighters at Glimmer of Hope's Glimmer Gala Saturday night.
The event featured a runway show and live entertainment.

More about the Glimmer of Hope Foundation can be found at this link :

https://glimmerofhopefoundation.org/

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — The Rhode Island Department of Health and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said that 445 birds at a bird market in Providence were euthanized after the detection of avian flu during routine quarterly testing.
The department said that the asymptomatic birds were located at Antonelli Poultry.

The business must also remain closed until five days after the birds were disposed of and the entire business was cleaned and sanitized.

"Because staff at Antonelli Poultry may have been exposed to avian influenza, and out of an abundance of caution, RIDOH is monitoring all staff for 10 days for symptoms of avian influenza," a release said.

To prevent any foodborne illness, RIDOH recommended:
Wash hands, utensils, and cutting boards before and after contact with raw poultry, meat, seafood, and eggs.
Keep raw poultry and meat away from food that won’t be cooked—like fruits and vegetables.
Cook food to the proper temperature and use a food thermometer to check the food’s internal temperature. You cannot tell by looking at food if it is cooked to the proper temperature.
The following recommendations were also given to avoid avian flu:
Avoid direct contact with birds or other animals infected with, or suspected to be infected with, avian influenza.
Avoid direct contact with sick or dead wild birds, poultry, or other animals.
Do not touch surfaces or materials contaminated with saliva, mucous, or animal feces from wild or domestic birds or other animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza.
Do not touch or drink raw milk (unpasteurized milk), especially from animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza.
Do not handle any sick or dead wild birds or other animals without wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
More information on avian flu in humans can be found here.