Ex-RI state senator arraigned on charges of band fraud, tax crimes

September 4, 2018 6:26 pm

By: Rebecca Turco

Email: rturco@abc6.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A former Rhode Island state senator appeared in federal court Tuesday on charges he cheated banks and the IRS on hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A federal magistrate entered automatic not guilty pleas to Jamie Doyle’s 33 charges – despite accepting Doyle’s agreement to plead guilty to those charges – because they are felonies. Doyle is set to officially plead guilty at a change of plea hearing at a later date.

"He’s taken responsibility full and fairly for all of his actions and his mistakes and the next court date will be a change of plea to that effect,” said his lawyer, Jeffrey Pine – a former Rhode Island attorney general.

Doyle is accused of swindling three banks out of between $250,000 and $550,000 through a check scheme from 2013 to 2016. Prosecutors say on a single day, Doyle used his Pawtucket-based business to deposit 31 worthless checks totaling about $300,000.

Doyle is also accused of not reporting more than $1-million in income to the IRS and of not even filing a tax return in 2016.

Even though these crimes happened while Doyle was still in office, Pine says one doesn’t have to do with the other. "It’s not a case of public corruption,” he said. “It’s a personal matter involving his business…Everybody in every walk of life makes mistakes and that’s really all that this is about."

Senate President Dominick Ruggerio echoed that sentiment in a statement to ABC6 News: "It is my understanding that these charges have nothing to do with his legislative duties."

Doyle resigned as senator in January, citing his struggle with alcohol. He remains out on bond. The bulk of his charges, 31 counts of bank fraud, each carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and up to a million dollar fine.