By Jessica Selby

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

It appears that another local man has been arrested in connection to the major undercover investigation operated by the Rhode Island and Massachusetts State Police.

Dominic Lombardi, 74, of 88 West Warwick Ave., West Warwick was arrested on Monday evening by members of the Osceola County Sheriffs office.

Lt. Col. Steven G. O’Donnell, deputy superintendent and chief of field operations for the Rhode Island State Police, said that local law enforcement officers were aware that Lombardi was vacationing in Kissimmee Florida and therefore arranged to have him picked up there. He said the attorney general’s office had drawn up a warrant for Lombardi’s arrest and that local law enforcement officers made arrangements for the Osceola County Sheriffs office officers to pick up Lombardi.

As planned, at approximately 6:30 p.m., at an unknown location in Kissimmee, O’Donnell said that Osceola County officers picked up Lombardi.  

O’Donnell said that Lombardi is being charged with possession with intent (three counts), delivery (three counts), conspiracy and maintaining common nuisance.  O’Donnell said that Lombardi’s charges stem from the illegal selling of vicodin. He said that it should also be known that Lombardi’s residence is an apartment located in a larger commercial building that houses a methadone clinic, Discovery House.

“Lombardi owns the property that he has an apartment in and within that plaza there is a drug rehab facility,” O’Donnell said. “What I find interesting is that those people pay rent to stay in his space and yet their landlord is out there as a conveyor of this much abused drug and that possibly some of the clients of that clinic are his as well.”

O’Donnell said that Lombardi’s arrest was an offshoot of a much larger investigation surrounding three primary suspects, Nicholas S. Pari, age 71, of 4 Eben Street, North Providence, Gerald M. Tillinghast, age 62, of 33 High Meadow Court, Cranston, and Lloyd Morse, age 50, of 46 Cliffdale Avenue, Cranston, all known to have long-standing associations with members of the Patriarca Organized Crime family. He said it was only through the initial investigation that the multiple other arrests — in excess of 20 — were made, he said.

“A lot of the arrests…are offshoots of the three main targets we had; Nick Pari, Gerry Tillinghast and Lloyd Morse,” O’Donnell said. “But any time you are dealing with organized criminal organizations, there are all sorts of people that their tentacles reach, if it is not drug dealing, its stolen goods or counterfeit goods. It is just the unintended consequences of your investigation.”

The investigation started in September 2007 and has since lead to the arrest of more than 20 people. It required the combined efforts of both the Rhode Island State Police Intelligence Unit, the Massachusetts State Police and the Rhode Island Attorney general.

According to O’Donnell, this investigation is still under way and may very well lead to more arrests and he said those who have already been arrested are likely to face additional charges.

Lombardi was ordered held pending extradition proceedings, but O’Donnell said that as of yesterday afternoon he was still unaware if Lombardi had “waived extradition or was fighting it.”