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Those who are closest to the matter, Mr. Donovan, the Judiciary and the AG all agreed on the disposition.

Mr. Cote shows a lack of respect for the judicial system and those involved to make the right decisions. Plea agreements are standard, especially when the facts at arraignment or pre-trial don't substantiate the charges. Mr. Cote forgets that in America, one is presumed not guilty until proven so. Is incredible that Rob Cote would take the personal time to seek a higher level of prosecution than is warranted.

Perhaps next time Rob Cote is arrested, he will be treated the way he wished others be treated.

HOW MANY GALLONS OF GASOLINE IN THE SEPTIC SYSTEM AND HOW DID IT GET THERE?

PROVIDENCE: A Warwick man was arrested today for allegedly disposing of gasoline by pouring it down the drain at his business. Robert Cote, 39, of 12 Social Drive in Warwick, was arrested by DEM Officers at his place of business and arraigned before Judge Walter Gorman in 6th Division District Court in Warwick. He was charged with a single count of unlawfully disposing of hazardous waste. Cote entered no plea, as typically occurs in felony cases. He was released on $5,000 personal recognizance and faces an arraignment in Superior Court on August 14. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. The RI Attorney General's Office will be prosecuting the case.

According to Sr. Agent Giusto Iannelli, of DEM's Office of Criminal Investigation, the Warwick Fire Department was called to Cote's business, the Pro Divers Shop at 2442 West Shore Road, on April 30 after a neighbor in an adjacent strip mall heard an explosion and observed smoke coming from the dive shop. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire, but an officer at the scene noticed a heavy smell of gasoline coming from the facility. Cote admitted to placing a container with less than a gallon of gasoline in a sink to see if the gasoline was contaminated. Cote claimed that the fumes from the gasoline were ignited by a spark from a hot water heater.

The fire officer at the scene called DEM to determine if there was a remaining hazard. John Leo, a Sanitary Engineer with DEM's Emergency Response Unit, responded and found that a considerable amount of gasoline was present in the septic system. Leo determined that the situation constituted a threat to public safety and the environment, and he immediately called CYN Environmental to come to pump out the septic system.

Subsequent lab tests indicated that there was at least 20 and perhaps as much as 30 gallons of gasoline in the septic system, enough to pose a significant danger of a major explosion. Leo noted that if the fumes had backed up overnight in the pipes and vents associated with the septic system, the result could have been disastrous.

In addition to today's arrest, DEM officers, assisted by officers from the Warwick Police Department, executed a search warrant and removed evidence from the scene.

ROB - PERHAPS NEXT TIME YOU WILL BE TREATED IN THE MANNER YOU WISH FOR OTHERS. NOW GO AWAY AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. WE ARE TIRED OF YOUR RANTS ROB.

From: Donovan felony charges dropped

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