Rhode Island Politician Arrested After Allegedly Smoking Crack In His Car
Councilman Matthew Reilly was absent from a recent Cranston City Council meeting due to being arrested and held in jail, as confirmed by online records.
Reilly, who serves in the government of Cranston, R.I., was allegedly spotted by someone who reported to police that he appeared to be choking in his parked car.
Arrest documents obtained by WPRI state that a patrol officer found Reilly in his vehicle and noticed that he was holding a glass pipe and lighter in his hands.
The officer thought Reilly was having “a medical episode,” and when he awoke, Reilly was “disoriented,” the report said. A “white, rock-like substance” was recovered from the car and reportedly tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl.
Reilly has yet to resign as a member of the Cranston City Council, but he has resigned as the chair of the Cranston Republicans.
He was first elected to the council in 2020 and is running for re-election. His arraignment is set for June 15, and it is unclear if he has retained an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
