A couple weeks after a sexual harassment lawsuit was filed against the Warwick Water Division and its chief Terry DiPetrillo, the division is facing more trouble.

An investigation conducted by GoLocalProv showed that DiPetrillo’s brother Michael- alleged in the suit as having thrown a power tool at Bree Boulais, a former division employees - received $73,818.49 in overtime and other extra pay over the past 18 months. That made him the highest-paid Warwick Water Division employee by a significant margin, with GoLocalProv claiming that DiPetrillo was paid over $15,000 more than any other Water Division employee over the course of 2023.

In total, Michael DiPetrillo has been paid $194,177.24 over the past year and a half. DiPetrillo’s official role is a foreman within the Water Division.

Mayor Frank Picozzi did not question the accuracy of GoLocalProv’s statistics when asked about it by the Beacon. He said the numbers are being checked. He noted, however,  that Water Division employees had received a significant amount of overtime pay recently due to consistent weekend work.

Following the GoLocalProv story Democratic mayoral candidate Leah Hazelwood  issued a statement calling for an independent audit of the Water Division’s finances.

“The accusations around the misuse of Warwick taxpayer funds by the Warwick Division of Water, relative to excessive overtime payments, justifies the need for an immediate independent audit,” she said. “We must work in an expeditious manner to quickly restore the public’s faith and confidence in our city’s abilities to manage taxpayers’ hard earned funds, in a fiscally responsible manner.”

DiPetrillo also is facing a call for his immediate removal from Ward 9 Councilman Vincent Gebhart, who said the allegations against DiPetrillo were “deeply troubling” and constituted unacceptable behavior. Gebhart also referenced an incident from 2023 when he was arrested after he made a “Nazi joke” that included him slapping a Jewish employee.

“It is imperative that we hold our officials to the highest standards and ensure that no individual feels marginalized or threatened in their role,” Gebhart said. “The safety and dignity of our city’s workforce are paramount, and there is no place for such behavior in our administration.”

DiPetrillo is currently on paid sick leave for most of the rest of the month, informing the city that he would begin taking the leave on June 28. The paid sick leave is set to end on July 29, according to Liz Tufts, Picozzi’s media coordinator.

DiPetrillo declined to comment.