Richard Gardner, Convicted Child Rapist, Back In Custody: Police

CRANSTON, RI—Convicted child rapist Richard Gardner was arrested Friday by Cranston and Providence police. Gardner, 52, has been the focus of neighborhood outrage since he was released from prison last month. Providence police have been keeping him under constant surveillance. He has been living on New York Avenue in Providence, but recently he got married in Cranston.

Friday's charges stem from an investigation into information he provided for a marriage license in Cranston. Based on the investigation, police obtained a warrant.

According to Cranston police chief Col. Michael J. Winquist, Gardner was arrested"at approximately 3:15 p.m" on Friday.

"The warrant stemmed from an investigation conducted by Cranston Police Detectives into alleged fraudulent activity by Mr. Gardner when applying for a marriage certificate at Cranston City Hall," the chief said. "Gardner is being transported to Cranston Police Department Headquarters to be processed and arraigned."

The arraignment and bail hearing was set for Friday afternoon at the Cranston Municipal Court.

According to charging documents, which Cranston police gave Patch, Gardner is being charged with two misdemeanors. One is for giving a false document to an agent or public official. The second misdemeanor is for giving false information to a Registrar of Vital Statistics. Police allege he committed both offenses on Oct. 12 when he and his then fiancee went to Cranston City Hall to apply for a marriage license.

Police started to investigate the marriage license on Oct. 25 after "it was learned that he possibly gave false information to a public official while completing the application for a marriage license." Gardner gave the Cranston City Clerk an address in Weymouth, Mass., police said, but he was actually living in Providence.

According to the narrative from Det. Robert A. Santagata, Gardner also provided a Bay State identification card when he applied for the marriage license on Oct. 12. The clerk said she asked both Gardner and his fiancee if the addresses they provided were accurate, and both said yes.

Det. Santagata also contacted Weymouth, Mass. police to verify the question about Gardner's current address.

Gardner was released from prison on Oct. 11. At that time, his last known address was 3 Chandler St., Weymouth. Police visited that address and spoke to Gardner's mother, who said he would not be living there.

Santagata also reviewed the Sex Offender Registration Form, which Gardner had filed with Providence Police on Oct. 12 around 11:37 a.m. That time was about two hours before he went for his marriage license.

"On this form, Gardner listed his address as 207 New York Ave., Providence, RI," the detective said. He showed the Massachusetts ID card but told police he did not have anything else to provide.

Santagata also talked to Gardner's probation officer. She first spoke with him on Oct. 11, the day he was released from prison. He told her he planned to go to see the Providence Police on Oct. 12. He also planned to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and to obtain his Rhode Island Identification Card. She told him he would not be able to get the Rhode Island ID card right away.

Police said he received the Rhode Island ID card on Oct. 15.