Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Richard Bailey (age 38), of Providence, pleaded nolo contendere on Monday before Superior Court Justice Kristin E. Rodgers to larceny for stealing more than $10,000 worth of jewelry from an elderly couple. Under the terms of the plea, Bailey was sentenced to five years, with 18 months to serve and the remainder suspended with probation. In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,425 and ordered to have no contact with the victims.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove that Bailey stole various pieces of rare and valuable jewelry including an Italian gold blue lapis ring, antique French-made platinum diamond ring, and an ancient cast gold eagle pendant from Costa Rica, from an elderly Providence couple ages, 82 and 84. The defendant was hired by the couple in May of 2015 as a handyman to work on the couple's yard and perform other miscellaneous tasks. The couple noticed items missing and reported the theft to the Providence Police on September 24, 2015.
"Homeowners of all ages should be very careful about who they hire to work in and around their homes," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "I is safer to get references from family and friends and always check with the State's Contractor Registration Board to ensure they are properly licensed and insured."
The case was investigated by Detective Theodore Michael of the Providence Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Diane Daigle, chief of the Elder Abuse Unit at the Office of Attorney General.