WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — Warwick City Council President Steven Merolla confirmed he was interviewed by the FBI, but he would not discuss the details.

Merolla told Target 12 he did not recall the exact date of the interview but said it occurred earlier this year.



“I don’t know what an FBI investigation is going to entail and what they might be doing,” Merolla said on Dan York State of Mind.

Merolla’s disclosure dovetails with information provided by Mayor Joseph Solomon last month when he confirmed a federal investigation involving city government was underway.

“Federal inquiries have been made in City Hall,” Solomon told Target 12.

Solomon, who said he was not interviewed by investigators, would not comment about what is being investigated, but did say it does not involve his administration.

Solomon became acting mayor last spring after Scott Avedisian stepped down to take over as CEO of RIPTA.

Solomon was the Council president before he was voted into his first term in November.

Avedisian told Target 12 he has not been interviewed by federal investigators and has “not heard anything” regarding an investigation involving his administration.

“I think someone would’ve called me by now,” Avedisian said during a brief February 18 telephone interview.

Avedesian did say he has read media reports about the city’s fire department contract, and the council’s investigation into possible cost overruns involving unused sick time bonuses .

Merolla said the council remains concerned about a 2013 “side agreement” involving firefighters, that he said changed how unused sick time was recorded and monetized.

The firefighters’ contract allows banking 140 days, and then monetizing 75 percent of future unused sick time.

According the Merolla, the the side agreement allows monetizing 100 percent of unused time.

“They signed an agreement and didn’t bring it before us,” Merolla said. “And they paid out the benefits and the previous administration knew it.”

Michael Carreiro, president of Warwick firefighters’ Local 2748, said federal investigators have not contacted him or any union members.

“If they were [contacted], I would hope they would have reached out to me,” Carreiro said.

After Solomon’s comments last month, Carreiro said he is “pretty confident that there will not be any findings.”

FBI Public Affairs Officer Kristen Setera said she could not comment when asked if there is an active federal investigation involving Warwick city government.

Send tips to Target 12 Investigator Walt Buteau at wbuteau@wpri.com and follow him on Twitter @wbuteau.