PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A grand jury has indicted a casino executive and two other people in an alleged kickback scheme, Rhode Island’s attorney general announced Tuesday.
Democrat Peter Neronha said the jury returned an indictment with 30 felony counts, stemming from an investigation into bribery, obtaining property under false pretenses and tax evasion. Michael Barlow, an executive of Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc., a casino vendor and the vendor’s business associate face charges.
Patti Doyle, spokeswoman for Twin River Management Group, said the group has cooperated fully with the investigation and will continue doing so. She said the one employee “involved in this non-gaming matter” is no longer employed by the company.
Barlow, as senior vice president of operations at Twin River, allegedly accepted payments from casino vendor Yehuda Amar as a reward for securing subleases with multiple food court vendors and multiple business contracts, Neronha said.
Barlow and Amar purchased residential and commercial properties together in New London, Connecticut in 2012 and Barlow allegedly steered vendors and contracts to Amar to be relieved of debt from the purchases, according to the indictment.
Amar’s business associate, Jill Feldman, was indicted on tax charges, Neronha said.
It is unclear whether they are represented by attorneys who could comment on their behalf. Their cases were not yet listed in online court records Tuesday, before their arraignments.
Twin River operates casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton, Rhode Island.
