EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) ─ Two East Providence men were arrested Thursday after they reportedly accessed law enforcement databases for non-law enforcement purposes, according to the Rhode Island State Police.
Police allege that in October, former East Providence police dispatcher James Miller, 61, asked current dispatcher Louis Gelfuso, 51, to run the license plate of an unmarked Rhode Island State Police vehicle.
Investigators were tipped off after receiving two inquiries on the vehicle’s license plate for registration data through a dispatch console within the East Providence Police Department.
The inquiries, police said, are conducted through a network restricted to official law enforcement business, and both men acknowledged those rules when they were hired as dispatchers.
“Any violation of the rules that are reported to appropriate authorities are subject to further actions as deemed appropriate to include, disciplinary, civil, or criminal penalties,” Rhode Island State Police said in a statement.
Miller and Gelfuso were charged with access to a computer for fraudulent purposes, soliciting another to commit a crime, and conspiracy. Both men were arraigned and released on $10,000 personal recognizance.
