Fire Department mechanic wrongfully accepts $15,000
By: News Staff
Email: news@abc6.com
Twitter: @ABC6
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WLNE) – On Thursday, May 31, Thomas Reardon was arrested for accepting a payment of $15,000 in exchange for a fire truck repair he allegedly covered up, but never fixed.
On an emergency call in August 2017, one of the Westport Fire Department Pumpers was damaged, and was leaking water.
The Fire Department resorted to Ocean State Diesel located on Larkin Pond Road for a repair.
The repair quote totaled exactly $15,253. But after supposedly being repaired, the truck was leaking even more water.
Reardon met with to fire personnel admitted that no repairs had been made at all. It appeared that he allegedly covered the rusted area with fresh spray paint.
“This wasn’t a situation where a mechanic did a poor repair job, this was a crime to pretend the truck was fixed and accept over $15,000 dollars from public safety heroes who risk their lives on a regular basis.”
The Town of Westport was in contact with him about paying back the money he accepted, without doing the repair.
He then stopped answering phone calls and emails, and the previous location of his business was found vacant and abandoned.
“Our concern is that Mr. Reardon brought back an emergency tool used by firefighters to rescue people’s lives and protect property while knowing it was still broken.”
Reardon’s was arrested on May 31, turned himself in on Tuesday, June 5, and his arraignment is currently scheduled for June 12.
© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2018
