Police Log

Woman pleads guilty to assaulting developmentally disabled child

A woman charged with assaulting a nine-year-old developmentally disabled boy in Cranston nearly three years ago has pleaded guilty.

Kimberly Faneuf, 49, of Cumberland, entered the plea to one count of assault on a severely impaired person last week in Superior Court. She received a five-year sentence, with 18 months to serve and the remainder suspended with probation, under the terms of a plea agreement. She was also ordered to perform 50 hours of community service, seek mental health counseling, and have no contact with the victim.

According to the office of Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin, prosecutors were prepared to prove at trial that Faneuf assaulted the boy on July 29, 2013. A licensed nurse practitioner, she had been hired by a Cranston couple to care for the boy while they went out to dinner.

“While out to dinner, the parents remotely accessed a camera they had placed in his bedroom to monitor their son, who was prone to seizures,” a statement from Kilmartin’s office reads. “They witnessed Faneuf grabbing their son roughly, assaulting him, and tossing him on to his bed. They rushed home to confront Faneuf and provide aid to their son.”

The couple took the boy to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and he was found to have a bruise on his arm, bump on his head, and blood spot in his left eye.

According to the statement, Faneuf was questioned by Cranston police and “offered no acceptable reasons for her behavior towards the boy, except to say she was overworked and tired.” She was then arrested, and her LPN license was suspended by the Rhode Island Department of Health.

“This young boy needed care and compassion, but in a fit of rage and anger, his caretaker physically assaulted him. As a professionally trained LPN, her actions are even more troubling,” Kilmartin said through his office’s statement.

“The developmentally disabled are among our most vulnerable population, often unable to report an assault or abuse. Had it not been for his loving parents installing a video camera to monitor their son’s health, this assault very well may not have been reported and this defendant free to assault more patients.”

Cranston Police Lt. Stephen Brooks investigated the case. Special Assistant Attorney General Kurt Mutter led the prosecution.

Man charged in international pharmaceutical fraud scheme

A Cranston business owner has pleaded guilty in federal court in connection with an international scheme to sell pharmaceuticals bearing false labels.

Arif Diwan, 60, who is identified as owner of Cranston-based Lifescreen LLC, entered the plea Monday in U.S. District Court. He had been charged with conspiracy to engage in false labeling of pre-retail medical products, money laundering, and immigration fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 16.

According to the office of U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha, Diwan’s company “labeled, advertised, and sold drugs and pharmaceutical products under the brand name ‘LifeLogic.’” He is said to have conspired with others to purchase drugs from India and other overseas locations, repackaged and relabeled them so they appeared to have been produced in the United States or Europe and received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and then resold them.

“The drugs were shipped by Diwan to customers in numerous countries. Diwan did not sell misbranded and mislabeled drugs in the United States,” according to prosecutors. The pharmaceuticals involved included “a number of products used in the treatment of cancer.”

A statement from Neronha’s office outlines the findings of an investigation. It traces Diwan’s purchase of drugs from Sara International in India, and subsequent shipment of those drugs to the home of a co-conspirator in Belgium, Bart DeRidder. He “affixed fraudulent labels” indicating LifeLogic had manufactured the drugs at a nonexistent facility in Puerto Rico. DeRidder is facing charges in Belgium.

The statement also indicated the investigation found Diwan had “illegally transferred funds out of the United States to promote his illegal activity, including a January 2014 sale of the drug Caelyx to a purchaser in the United Arab Emirates.”

Diwan is also charged in connection with the 2012 filing of a petition with the U.S. Citizen and Immigrations Service seeking a work visa for an Egyptian national to enter the U.S. and work for Lifescreen as manager of the nonexistent Puerto Rico facility.

“The petition was approved and the person entered the United States in November 2012,” the statement reads. “Lifescreen did not, at any time, have or operate a biopharmaceutical plant in Puerto Rico. The investigation determined that Arif Diwan fraudulently submitted the immigration petition in exchange for payments made to him by the Egyptian national’s brother, a business associate of Diwan.”

“FDA is recognized around the globe for ensuring that drugs are safe and effective. Criminal rings that falsify drugs’ origins to give the appearance of FDA approval put the public’s health at risk,” George M. Karavetsos, director of FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, said through the statement. “We will investigate and bring to justice those who compromise the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain wherever they may be.”

Suspect sought in

use of stolen ATM card

Cranston police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect who used a stolen ATM card at a local bank.

According to a message posted on Facebook, the victim reported her TD Bank debit card was stolen from her vehicle in Scituate on May 31. The card was subsequently used at two banks, including the Santander branch on Reservoir Avenue at 5 a.m. on June 1.

Anyone with information regarding the suspect’s identity is asked to contact Detective Paul Bessette at 401-477-5096. Anonymous tips can also be submitted via the department’s smartphone app or website, cranstonpoliceri.com.