Deceased trooper worked Op. Deception

WEST GREENWICH, R.I. (WPRI) - The Rhode Island State Police detective killed in a weekend crash was one of the key State Police investigators in “Operation Deception.”

Detective Sergeant James Dougherty Jr., who died in an off-duty car crash in West Greenwich early Sunday morning, helped bust open a lucrative Providence drug operation, according to court documents .

Sergeant Dougherty’s name is all over the documents; intercepting wiretapped phone conversations, executing search warrants, seizing cocaine and working undercover. He often monitored the alleged drug operation of accused drug dealer Albert Hamlin.

In one example, Dougherty, who was a member of the State Police Narcotics unit, along with Detective Todd Neill intercepted a cocaine buy at Hamlin’s Providence home.

Documents reveal a potential buyer reached out to Hamlin to purchase cocaine on January 6th. Unable to set a meeting time, Hamlin agreed to leave the cocaine outside his house for the buyer to pick-up.

According to a transcript of a wiretapped phone conversation, the deal was supposed to happen shortly before 9 p.m.:

Hamlin: I’m going to leave the tiles like on the outside of the door but on bottom like where ah, the step plate is.

Buyer: Yup.

Hamlin: And you can just, there’s a black mailbox on the right on the house, the side of the house.

State Police allege Hamlin refers to the drug as “tiles” in an effort to conceal the illegal activity.

The affidavit revealed with just a 30-minute window from when Hamlin left to when the buyer was to arrive, Dougherty and Neill arrived at Hamlin’s home. As promised, a small bag of white powder was left by the side door. Dougherty field tested the substance and confirmed the narcotic.

The stealth move by Neill and Dougherty caused confusion for the buyer, who arrived to discover the cocaine missing. A phone conversation between Hamlin and the buyer, also intercepted by investigators, revealed Hamlin thought someone stole the dope.

The move was risky, said State Police Captain David Neill, but was necessary to confirm drugs were being sold. He said investigators breathed a sigh of relief when Hamlin assumed it was a theft and not that he was being watched by police.

Dougherty also intercepted a key phone conversation between accused Providence Police Detective Joseph Colanduono and Sergeant Stephen Gonsalves. Investigators said the conversation shows Colanduono setting up a drug deal between Hamlin and Gonsalves.

Colanduono was charged with four counts of conspiracy to deliver drugs and larceny.

On the eve of the arrests in “Operation Deception,” court documents show Dougherty seized 2.3 ounces of cocaine from a garage linked to Hamlin. Investigators said the Briggs Street address in Providence, was where Hamlin stored his drugs before breaking it down into smaller quantities.

Once again Dougherty’s expertise in field testing the substance proved the powder was in fact the illegal drug.

“Operation Deception” has netted 6 people so far, including three Providence Police officers. Beside Colanduono, also charged were Providence Police Sergeant Stephen Gonsalves, Patrolman Robert Hamlin, his brother and alleged ringleader Albert Hamlin, Jameson Hassett and accused drug supplier Khalid Mason. Five have pleaded not guilty, Gonsalves will be arraigned in May.

State police said Dougherty was alone and wearing a seatbelt when his car hydroplaned on route 3 in West Greenwich shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday morning. Dougherty was driving his personal car at the time of the accident.

He was a 20-year veteran of the state police. His father is a retired State Police Lieutenant. His wife, Detective Corporal Diane Dougherty is an 18-year veteran now assigned to the state police Detective Bureau.