RI AG Will Pursue Charges Against Former EG Firefighter Warner

EAST GREENWICH, RI — The state Attorney General's Office said Friday it will pursue criminal charges against Robert Warner. (Warner, 42, is the East Greenwich firefighter who was fired last summer for insubordination, as reported by the East Greenwich News.) According to Amy Kempe, spokeswoman for Atty. Gen. Peter Kilmartin, Warner will be arraigned in Kent County Superior Court on Nov. 30. He is being charged with two counts of felony computer trespass.

Warner is accused of deleting files from a town-owned laptop on June 14 and on June 16, Kempe said. According to the police reports, he had been issued the laptop in his role as communications officer. When he resigned from that post, which was in addition to his regular firefighter's job, he deleted files related to fire alarms in Town, police said. He also said he did not know where the alarm circuitry book was located but later handed it over to state police after they visited his home in Warwick.

The State Police investigated and determined Warner's actions were not criminal. But East Greenwich police continued to investigate the case and developed additional information after Kilmartin's office initially decided not to charge Warner.

"After declining to bring forward charges due to lack of evidence to sustain criminal charges after the initial investigation," Kempe said, "additional information and evidence was developed by the East Greenwich Police that warranted a second review by the Attorney General’s Office. Based on that additional information and evidence, the Attorney General’s Office brought forward the two counts of computer trespass against Mr. Warner."

Warner is accused of deleting files from a laptop on June 14 and on June 16, Kempe said.

File Photo: Margo Sullivan/Patch Staff