Johnston judge charged in connection with theft from dead Cranston man

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Attorney General Peter Neronha said Friday that five people, including a local probate judge, have been charged for their roles in the alleged theft of valuable sports cards and firearms collections from a dead Cranston man.

Priscilla Facha DiMaio, who is a probate judge in Johnston, alongside Sylvia Santilli, Luke Baughman, Jillian Chatelle, and James Connors were all accused of taking part in the theft of valuable property from the estate of the late James Barbieri.

Neronha said that Barbieri died on April 26, 2021, without a will, after being sedated and intubated for several days.

It is alleged that two days prior to his death Santilli, who is 71-years-old and a friend of Barbieri’s, began removing valuables from his home without the lawful authority to do so.

Neronha said that after Barbieri’s death Santilli, her daughter 32-year-old Chatelle, and her daughter’s boyfriend 37-year-old Baughman, began researching market rates for sports cards in the deceased’s collection before unlawfully removing more items from the estate.

“It is alleged they later sold a portion of the collection, sought buyers for the collection, and transported the goods to a storage unit for later sale,” Neronha said.

It is separately alleged that Connors, who is 69-years-old and owns Jim’s Firearm Repair and Sales in Johnston, received and sold firearms illegally removed from the estate and submitted a false report about the firearms sold and their approximate value in response to a subpoena.

Finally, 65-year-old DiMao is alleged to have filed attorney’s fees and other charges for work she claimed to have performed for the Barbieri estate that are believed to be false.

The collection of sports cards was estimated to have a value of more than $1 million and firearms are estimated to be worth more than $100,000.

Santilli, Chatelle, and Connors were arraigned on July 27.

Baughman is scheduled for arraignment on July 31, while DiMaio’s arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 2.