Five, including local judge, charged for roles in allegedly stealing $1+ mill in sports cards, firearms from estate of deceased man

Attorney General Peter Neronha and the Rhode Island State Police announced that the Statewide Grand Jury returned an indictment charging five individuals, including a local probate judge, for their roles in the alleged theft of valuable sports cards and firearms collections from the estate of a deceased Cranston man.

On July 26, 2023, the statewide grand jury returned sealed indictments charging 71-year-old Sylvia Santilli, 37-year-old Luke Baughman, 32-year-old Jillian Chatelle, 69-year-old James Connors, and 65-year-old Priscilla Facha DiMaio with various crimes related to the theft of valuable property from the estate of the late James Barbieri. The estate included collections of sports cards with an estimated value of more than $1 million and firearms worth more than $100,000. DiMaio is a probate judge in the town of Johnston.

The indictment was unsealed on July 27, 2023, at the arraignments of Sylvia Santilli, Jillian Chatelle, and James Connors in Providence Superior Court. Luke Baughman and Priscilla Facha DiMaio are scheduled to be arraigned on July 31 and August 2, respectively.

As alleged in the indictment, James Barbieri passed away on April 26, 2021, at Rhode Island Hospital and did so without a will. During the final days of his life, Barbieri was sedated and intubated. Two days prior to his passing, it is alleged Sylvia Santilli, a close friend of Barbieri, began to remove items from his home without lawful claim or authority to do so.

It is further alleged that on the day of Barbieri’s passing, Santilli, her daughter Jillian Chatelle, and Chatelle’s boyfriend Luke Baughman, conducted internet searches regarding market rates for sports cards contained in Barbieri’s collection. It is alleged the following day the co-defendants unlawfully removed sports cards and other items from the estate. It is alleged they later sold a portion of the collection, sought buyers for the collection, and transported the goods to a storage unit for later sale.

Separately, it is alleged that James Connors, owner of Jim’s Firearm Repair and Sales in Johnston, received and eventually sold firearms unlawfully removed from Barbieri’s estate. It is alleged that in response to a probate court subpoena, Connors knowingly submitted a false accounting and receipts of the firearms sold and their approximate value. It is alleged that Connors sold multiple firearms for more than the value of firearms that he reported to the Cranston Probate Court.

Additionally, it is alleged Priscilla Facha DiMaio filed with the Cranston Probate Court an Application for Approval of Fiduciary’s and Attorney’s Fees for work that she claimed to have performed for the Barbieri Estate for services on the following dates: May 8, May 9, May 12, May 15, and May 21, 2021. These claims are alleged to be substantially false.

Sylvia Santilli (P1-2023-2568A) has been charged with one count of entering a dwelling to commit larceny, two counts of larceny over $1,500, one count of obtaining money under false pretenses over $1,500, one count of conspiracy to obtain money under false pretenses, one count of attempting to obtain money under false pretenses, one count of conspiracy to attempt to obtain money under false pretenses, and one count of conspiracy to commit larceny.

Luke Baughman (P1-2023-2568B) has been charged with one count of receiving stolen goods over $1,500, one count of conspiracy to receive stolen goods, one count of obtaining money under false pretenses over $1,500, one count of conspiracy to obtain money under false pretenses, one count of attempting to obtain money under false pretenses over $1,500, one count of conspiracy to attempt to obtain money under false pretenses, one count of larceny over $1,500 and one count of conspiracy to commit larceny.

Jillian Chatelle (P1-2023-2568C) was charged with one count of receiving stolen goods over $1,500, one count of conspiracy to receive stolen goods, one count of obtaining money under false pretenses over $1,500, one count of conspiracy to obtain money under false pretenses, one count of attempting to obtain money under false pretenses over $1,500, and one count of conspiracy to attempt to obtain money under false pretenses.

Priscilla DiMaio (P1-2023-2568D) was charged with one count of attempting to obtain money under false pretenses over $1,500, and one count of providing a false document to a public official.

James Connors (P1-2023-2568E) was charged with one count of attempting to obtain money under false pretenses over $1,500, one count of unlawful appropriation over $1,000, and three counts of providing a false document to a public official.