Money missing at Cranston court

CRANSTON, R.I.. (WPRI) - A criminal investigation is underway after reports of missing money at Cranston Municipal Court.

In January, Cranston's auditor found suspicious shortages at the municipal court, which collects money from traffic fines, ordinance fines and various other fees.

Cranston Police Colonel Marco Palombo says an initial investigation found the shortages were the result of maliciousness.

"Anytime money or funds are missing from a public institution, it's very serious," Palombo said, "It's a felonious act."

The Rhode Island Attorney General's Office is also investigating.  Authorities say they are focusing on an employee who had been in charge of the nighty deposits.

Police would not identify the employee, nor would they say how long he or she had worked for the courts.  They also did not disclose how much money was missing.

"Those are all very good questions, but they're also an integral part of a criminal investigation that's currently being reviewed by the AG's office," Palombo said, "It wouldn't be fair to me to go into detail about that until the matter has been decided upon."

Cranston police are now waiting for the Attorney General's office to complete its investigation before determining if any charges will  be filed.