Former 6/10 construction project supervisor sentenced for making false statements

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha said Tuesday a former superintendent for the 6/10 interchange construction project was sentenced for making multiple false reports to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

Cunha said Dennis Ferreira, a former employee of Barletta Heavy Division, Inc., previously admitted to intentionally misleading other officials about the contaminant levels in the materials imported for the project.

Officials said he falsely reported the origin of 93 truckloads of railroad ballast imported to the 6/10 project from Massachusetts and 52 truckloads of dirt imported to the 6/10 project from the Barletta Pawtucket-Central Falls Rail Station Project, according to prosecutors.

Cunha said Ferreira repeatedly mislead the Department of Transportation and Department of Environmental Management into believing that stone imported from Massachusetts to the 6/10 project had been tested and met established environmental criteria. It turned out, Cunha said, it was not.

Ferreira pleaded guilty on Dec. 14, 2022, to three counts of making false statements in connection with a federally funded highway project and was sentenced Tuesday to one year probation and ordered to pay a fine of $40,000.

In addition to paying a $500,000 criminal fine, Barletta Heavy Division, Inc. must implement ongoing monitoring, reporting, and compliance measures for a period of three years, authorities said.