PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A former Rhode Island State Police trooper accused of conducting private business while on duty has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges, according to prosecutors.
Lt. John Gibbs, 51, of West Greenwich, pleaded no contest Wednesday to violating the state’s code of ethics and giving a false document to a public official, according to the office of state Attorney General Peter Neronha.
Gibbs received a one-year suspended sentence with probation and was ordered to pay $500.
Gibbs owned a business that sold and serviced commercial scales, according to prosecutors. When state police sought quotes for the purchase of new commercial scales in 2018, Gibbs solicited a quote from a competitor, then shared that information with another company which ultimately was awarded the contract with the lowest bid, prosecutors said.
That was a violation of the ethics code, authorities said.
He also conducted private business during one week in 2018, but claimed to have worked a full week for the state police, prosecutors said.
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