Crime & Safety
Bridge Authority Worker Arrested for Vacation Payout Fraud: Police
Police said the Portsmouth woman was arrested after an investigation launched by a complaint filed by the RITBA.
PORTSMOUTH, RI—A Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority employee has been charged with larceny and terminated from her job for fudging employee records to collect extra vacation time, according to the state police.
Police said Barbara X. Donnelly, 39, was arrested on Friday at around 9 a.m. at her Portsmouth home on Middle Road following an investigation launched after a complaint was filed with the Financial Crimes Unit by RITBA officials.
In a statement, the authority said that the amount stolen was “less than $5,000, but an ongoing, full investigation will determine the final exact amount.”
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The authority indicated that it expects the money to be repaid and changes are being made to prevent a similar incident from occuring.
““No customer E-ZPass accounts were affected as this incident solely involved internal RITBA operating funds,” the statement read.
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Donnelly was arraigned in Second Division District Court and released on $1,000 personal recognizance. She is due to return to court on March 10 for a Newport County attorney general screening conference.
Photo courtesy: Oral R. Carter
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