PROVIDENCE – Four individuals pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to federal charges related to payments to vendors who performed maintenance to United States Postal Service vehicles in Rhode Island, including the the former Postmaster from Warwick, Gary Neirinckx, according to the U.S. Attorney General for the District of Rhode Island Stephen G. Dambruch Monday.
Neirinckz pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return. Ronald Long and Cheryl Melton Long both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and Donald Tonks plead guilty to one count of failure to file a tax return.
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The Longs ran businesses under various corporate names that were the largest non-fuel vendor of the U.S. Postal Service in Rhode Island between 2006 and 2014 by dollar amount. In exchange for recommending the Longs’ mechinical services to other postmasters, Neirinckx received payment from the Longs to the amount of $66,300.
The Longs used the business to pay their personal living expenses, including rent for their residence, utilities, expenses related to their children and expenses related to their boat.
Tonks, who was an employee of the Longs until 2014, when he divided the Postal Service business with the Longs, stopped filing federal income tax returns around the start of his employment with the Longs.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. McAdams and Denise M. Barton.
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.
