RI AG Files Charges Against Former Bristol Representative-Elect

BRISTOL, RI – A former representative-elect from Bristol was charged with embezzlement from the Rhode Island Chapter of the Sierra Club, and trying to cover up the crime with a failure to report expenditures, during his 2018 campaign. Attorney General Peter Neronha's office announced on Tuesday that Laufton Ascencao was charged with failure to report campaign expenditures on campaign filings, and failure to appoint a treasurer to certify his campaign filings in 2017 and 2018, in a criminal report filed in Providence County Superior Court on April 16.

Ascencao is accused of diverting $16,379 from the Sierra Club's checking account while he served as its treasurer, and using that money to pay for his expenses for his 2018 campaign for the House District 68 seat, which includes portions of Bristol and Warren.

The Rhode Island Board of Elections opened the investigation into Ascencao, also known as Laufton Longo, in 2019. State Police said in September that Ascencao wrote 15 checks totaling $16,379.70 that were used to cover campaign costs without the club's knowledge or permission.

The AG's office also accuses Ascencao of failing to report expenditures of $3,357, which the AG's office said was an attempt to hide the fact that the funds came from the Sierra Club checking account. The AG's office also said that Ascencao failed to appoint a campaign treasurer, which is required by state law, other than himself to certify his 2018 campaign filings.

A Board of Election's audit, dated February 2019, reads in part: "Ascencao, in his capacity as Treasurer of the RI Chapter of Sierra Club, a position he held from January 2017 until December 2018, diverted or expended funds of Sierra Club to pay expenses related to his candidacy, to pay rent for the benefit of a RI-registered Political Action Committee (RI Working Families), and to pay expenses for a candidate related event sponsored by the same RI-registered Political Action Committee (RI Working Families)."

He is scheduled to be arraigned in Providence County Superior Court on July 15.

More Patch Coverage: Former Bristol Representative-Elect Charged With Embezzlement