Whistle blower reflects on FBI sting

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Three North Providence town councilors are accused of extortion and taking bribes.

Town Council President Joseph Burchfield, Councilman Raymond Douglas and Councilman John Zambarano are free following their court appearances Thursday. They have been released on $50,000 unsecured bond and did not enter pleas.

According to court documents written by FBI special agent James D. Pitcavage, the political trio is accused of accepting a $25,000 bribe, splitting it three ways, so that a developer could build a Stop & Shop supermarket in their town. Federal prosecutors say the investigation is not over.

It's been discovered that a confidential informant tipped off federal investigators to what was going on. And, it is not the first time that someone has blown the whistle on public corruption.

Nineteen years ago, then-state lawmaker Robert Weygand secretly taped conversations with then-Pawtucket Mayor Brian Sarault, after the mayor offered him a bribe.

Robert Wegand is a former Lieutenant Governor and former congressman who first came to Providence in 1991. He was a landscape architect who wore a wire for the FBI, and brought down former Pawtucket Mayor Brian Sarault.

Sarault served several years in federal prison.

Now, Weygand is reflecting on what he did, and says he has no regrets, but it wasn't always easy.

"The lion's share of the majority of the people say 'thank you, great job, we're really proud of you'. But, in politics particularly, there is an undercurrent, that you can see it in people's eyes. You can see it when you shake their hand, that it's not really very sincere. And you can see it in different things that occur. So, there's always that undercurrent that 'he was that snitch, he did another democrat in, that type of thing," explained Weygand.

Weygand expects the whistle blower in North Providence will be met with a similar reaction.

"There will be a very subtle alienation of him by other political people. They can't trust him. There are other people that will make him the hero, and talk about what a great job he did, and they will applaud him, rightfully so. But, there will always be, I think, as there's been with me and all the other whistle blowers that I talk to, there is that undercurrent from people who still don't believe that you were honest."

• See What North Providence Town Officials And Residents Are Saying About The Corruption Crackdown.

Extortion is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Bribery is punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.