Exclusive: Cadillac Lounge Scandal: Is Buckles Melise Talking?
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Edward “Buckles” Melise—a former Providence city highway superintendent who served prison time in the 1980s for extortion—could be helping federal prosecutors in their investigation into why the Providence Board of Licenses approved a controversial liquor license for the Cadillac Lounge strip club.
Bob Craven, a former Assistant Attorney General, says there’s one sure sign that Melise is working with prosecutors: this past May, Melise pled guilty to four felony drug charges but his sentencing was pushed out to December. “It is almost unheard of that there would be six months between the plea and the sentence unless someone had to do something else to get a reduction under the sentencing guidelines, such as cooperation,” Craven told GoLocalProv.
Reports: Melise used influence to get liquor license
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn exchange for a potentially reduced sentence, Melise has something to offer prosecutors: according to news reports last summer, Melise used his influence to help the club obtain the license in spite of a ban on serving liquor in adult-entertainment businesses.
Bill Devereaux, a former prosecutor in the Attorney General’s office agreed that the delayed sentencing in the drug case indicates that prosecutors are using Melise for the investigation into the Cadillac Lounge. “Normally, that’s a sign of cooperation,” Devereaux said. During that extra time, he said, prosecutors assess just how cooperative someone will be. He said it also ensures that Melise is available to testify before a grand jury.
It usually takes less time—about three months—for a sentencing to be scheduled, according to Devereaux, who is now a partner at Pannone, Devereaux, Lopes & West. That’s how long it takes for the U.S. Department of Probations to prepare the pre-sentencing report, said Devereaux.
Facing 80 years in prison
Former Attorney General Arlene Violet also agreed the delay was out of the ordinary. “It’s unusual just knowing the structure of the case,” Violet said. “They would no doubt like to see him cooperate but it doesn’t mean he is cooperating. … Sometimes it’s just a mental game.”
The maximum sentence for the drug charges is 80 years in prison, plus fines. Devereaux said prosecutors could be using a stick-and-carrot approach with Melise: offering him less time for cooperation and threatening him with a tougher sentence if he doesn’t.
Melise has been through this before: in 1984 he pled guilty to extorting more than $64,000 from snowplow drivers and served two years in federal prison.
Violet, who was elected Attorney General in 1984, said he was not cooperative with prosecutors back then. People like Melise, she said, “don’t usually change their spots, unless they’re thinking they’re getting too old to spend time in jail.” Melise turns 62 this year.
FBI raids strip club
Craven says there’s another indicator that Melise is working with prosecutors: On May 18 he reached a plea deal on the drug charges. One month later, on June 21, the FBI raided the Cadillac Lounge, seizing potential evidence in the case.
Devereaux also saw the timing as significant. “There aren’t that many coincidences in these types of situations,” he said.
The raid brought the Cadillac Lounge—and the questionable circumstances under which it obtained its liquor license—back into the spotlight. In August 2005, the city license board approved the license on a 2 to 1 vote. One member did not attend and the other abstained. The two members who voted for it were Joan S. Badway and Stephen Daniels—both appointees of Mayor David Cicilline. The license was approved, even though the assistant city solicitor advised against it.
Political fallout?
The issue has yet to have much of a political impact in this election season. In the Democratic primary, Anthony Gemma, cited the FBI’s investigation into the Cadillac Lounge as one reason he was calling on Providence Mayor David Cicilline to end his campaign, just days before the September 14 primary.
But the issue went away with Gemma’s campaign and Republican candidate John Loughlin has not revived it. Violet said it’s unclear when the indictments, if any, will be handed down. But she said it was too late for any indictments to have an impact on the election. “I think if the indictments come out, I don’t think there will be enough time for people to digest what happened,” Violet told GoLocalProv.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office said he could not comment on ongoing investigations—or even confirm that there was an ongoing investigation. Melise also could not be reached for comment, but he has previously denied being a “rat.”
Devereaux didn’t put much stock in the denial. “I don’t think any prosecutor, if he has a witness who is cooperating, wants his witness out there saying ‘Oh by the way I’m cooperating,’” Devereaux said.
Buckles Melise photo credit WPRI-12
