'City Slackers' uncovered at Parks Dept

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - With so many out-of-work Rhode Islanders, it's hard to understand why a government worker would seemingly take advantage of the system. However, a month-long undercover investigation by the Target 12 Investigators found some workers with the Providence Parks Department raking in tax dollars, from the comfort of home.

According to public records, Anthony Micheletti is an equipment operator for the Parks department. He works weekdays with a crew on the north side of the city taking care of neighborhood parks.

However, The Target 12 undercover unit repeatedly caught Micheletti punching in at work, then going home for hours on end - miles from his assigned work area.

Surveillance video showed Micheletti getting dropped off. Then two hours later, he came out of his house and was picked up by the same truck that dropped him off. The scene played out over and over, sometimes twice in one work day.

In just four days, Target 12 Investigators tallied a total of 10 hours and 15 minutes where Micheletti was inside his house. In some instances, he was picked up just in time to clock out and return home in his personal car.

Target 12 also obtained Micheletti's timecards, which show the clock was ticking on the taxpayer's time. And he's not the only one.

On one day, undercover cameras caught two other workers arriving at Micheletti's home at 10:15 a.m. and staying in the home for nearly an hour and a half.

Parks department officials identified those workers as Giovani Cardarelli and David Mambro, Micheletti's foreman.

On another day, Joseph Tombleson, another foreman, was seen driving ways from Micheletti’s home. Both Mambro and Tombleson are the ones who are supposed to be supervising the crew.

When confronted by Target 12 Investigator Tim White, Micheletti claimed he did nothing wrong.

Tim White: Mr. Micheletti, come on, just take a minute to answer our questions. If you did nothing wrong you can answer our questions.

Micheletti: You're right. I didn't.

Tim White: If it was all on the up and up, you could talk to us.

Micheletti: How long are you going to follow me around?

Tim White: Well, until you answer my questions.

Micheletti: I’m not going to answer them.

Tombleson did not answer Tim’s questions either and Target 12 was unable to get a comment from Cardarelli or Mambro.

Parks Department Superintendent Robert McMahon said his department would investigate.

"We're going to leave no stone unturned in looking at what that entire crew has been doing," McMahon said. "Our employees work hard and this is discouraging to them to see their peers, their coworkers, abusing a public trust like this."

All four men were immediately suspended without pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

If you'd like to drop a dime on government waste, email the Target 12 Investigators or call the tip line number 401-228-1763.