Former Representative Ray Gallison charged

By: News Staff

news@abc6.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Former Rhode Island House Finance Chairman Ray Gallison has agreed to plead guilty to federal fraud, aggravated identity theft and tax charges. Nine felony counts in all.

With this plea agreement filed Monday, Ray Gallison will serve at least two years in federal prison on the identity theft charge. His other charges have guidelines but no mandates, so prosecutors will request those sentences be served consecutively. 

The state will be recommending the sentence on his fraud counts be served consecutively. 

Gallison admitted to stealing private money from local man Ray Medley’s estate and also hiding his misuse of public money from his tax-exempt nonprofit, Alternative Educational Programming, when he was a state representative. AEP was primarily funded with the general assembly’s community service grants. Gallison was the assistant director.

ABC6 News learned from Monday’s filing that Gallison also stole from a disabled person’s special needs trust back when he was trustee.

Gallison resigned as house finance chair last May.

Officials on hand at Monday’s press conference were quick to chastise Gallison’s actions and warn any public officials who may be misusing funds, either public or private, that they will be found. 

“When we look at our public officials, we should expect great character across their life. We shouldn’t silo it. And I hear that quite a bit, well he was doing this over there. There is no over there. It’s all the same thing,” said U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha.

The plea agreement was filed in court Monday morning. A change of plea hearing has not been scheduled yet.

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2017