Opinion ID: 1968515
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Break-ins

Text: Joseph Nardolillo (defendant) was charged by criminal information filed on January 11, 1994, with having entered into nineteen dwelling houses within the city of Providence between September 28 and December 6, 1992. The trial evidence disclosed that during that period of time the defendant was addicted to cocaine and by his own admission consuming $20-bags of cocaine at the rate of ten to fifteen bags per day. In order to support that expensive addiction the defendant took to stealing. The evidence indicates that the defendant, along with his brother, Nicholas Nardolillo (Nick), would have the defendant's girlfriend, Michelle Denommee (Michelle), chauffeur them through the streets of Providence looking for houses from which to steal. She was induced to do so on the pretext that the brothers were merely interested in going for a ride. However, upon observing what they perceived to be a vulnerable house to break into and steal from, the brothers would then order Michelle to turn into the driveway of the particular house, would break into the house, and then would fill the car's trunk with stolen stereo equipment, televisions, video cassette recorders, and other valuable items taken from the house. Once the break-in was complete, the trio would then drive to a nearby drug dealer and exchange the stolen goods for cocaine and various other narcotics. The stolen goods were purportedly never exchanged for money. Following the iniquitous exchange, the defendant would then spend the rest of the afternoon smoking cocaine. Often he would perform another break-in during the evening in order to obtain more cocaine or Valium to help him sleep.