Prosecution Rests in Providence Mayor’s Trial
Prosecutors wrapped up their case against Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr. with a seventh day of testimony from a businessman recruited by the FBI to tape alleged illegal dealings with city officials.
Judge Ernest C. Torres excused the jury for the day to consider defense motions seeking dismissal of charges.
Asst. U.S. Atty. Richard Rose tried to leave jurors with his contention that businessman Antonio Freitas paid bribes to top officials in the Cianci administration.
Cianci, his former top aide Frank Corrente and two are charged with racketeering, extortion, bribery, witness tampering and mail fraud.
Freitas, an air conditioning supplier, made the tapes from April 1998 to April 1999. Two of the tapes show Corrente apparently taking a pair of $1,000 bribes in his City Hall office.
A ruling is expected today on the motion.
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