State Police Financial Crimes Unit Arrest East Greenwich Contractor For Obtaining Money Under False Pretenses & Forgery

RI – Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Commissioner of Public Safety, announces that on February 26, 2014, members of the State Police Financial Crimes Unit arrested Thomas J. Primeau, age 56, of 30 Trappers Lane, East Greenwich for the alleged crimes of Obtaining Money Under False Pretenses and Forgery.

The arrest was the result of an investigation by the Financial Crimes Unit of a complaint from an individual who had hired Primeau to build a house in East Greenwich.  Primeau is the owner of Philip Ryan Homes, LTD, which oversees the construction of custom built homes.  The two parties entered into a “cost plus contract,” whereby Primeau would bill the homeowner for the actual cost of the work incurred plus an additional 12% management fee.  The management fee was to compensate Primeau for overseeing the project.

During the course of the project, the homeowner learned that Primeau submitted alleged fraudulent invoices for payment, resulting in overcharges of $28,213.86.  The investigation revealed that Primeau kept the funds for his own use and that none of his subcontractors shared in the fraudulent overcharges.

Primeau was arraigned at Third Division District Court before the Honorable Associate Judge William C. Clifton on the above charges and released on $20,000 personal recognizance.