In an interview with GoLocal, Vincent Barletta, the CEO and President of Barletta Heavy Division, the lead contractor of the 6/10 construction project, said that Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha is “blackmailing” him and demanding $17 million to settle the environmental contamination case.
Barletta’s firm dumped tons of contaminated material in the Olneyville neighborhood in Providence in the summer of 2020. GoLocal unveiled the dumping in September 2020.
Barletta now says Neronha is demanding a payment of $17 million and threatening criminal arrest.
“We kind of got through a lot of the [BS] and a lot of the blackmailing and kind of got to a little bit more straightforward discussions,” said Barletta said of the discussions with the Attorney General’s office.
Barletta and his firm had been facing both federal and state prosecution.
In October, Barletta settled with the U.S. Attorney’s office in a non-prosecution agreement.
Barletta told GoLocal on Monday that Neronha has threatened to arrest him for weeks.
“We’ve had, you know, out of 12 months, I mean not every week, you know, we were completely convinced but you know from the time from August when the feds had agreed to everything [non-prosecution agreement] to pretty much election week, I was told we were going to get, I had to report for an indictment -- and nothing,” said Barletta.
When asked if the negotiations with the state were fruitful, Barletta said, "Oh no, they're at -- they want -- $17 million...
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