WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi has asked the R.I. State Police to investigate allegations the school district improperly steered six-figure contracts to a moving company with family ties to a school employee, Target 12 has learned.

The mayor confirmed Friday he’s contacted state police and asked them to independently investigate the circumstances surrounding the city school district awarding the lucrative contracts to Jada Trucking, a Warwick-based moving company that wasn’t licensed to do such work on its own.

“I don’t suspect anything nefarious going on other than procedure wasn’t followed, but we’re going to do our due diligence,” Picozzi told Target 12. “It’s going to be investigated very thoroughly.”

Lt. Col. Robert Creamer confirmed the case has been referred to the state police financial crimes unit. Picozzi said he first learned about the concerns during the week of July 15, and he reached out to state police last week after the school district launched its own internal investigation.

“This important investigatory process will determine whether or not those responsible for our daily facilities management have followed all applicable purchasing laws and regulations,” Warwick School Committee chairman Shaun Galligan said in a statement.

“Until our investigation is complete, the superintendent of schools is instituting additional, temporary purchasing guardrails,” he added. “Once our thorough investigation is complete, the School Committee and superintendent will take any important actions needed relative to personnel and procedures.”

Superintendent Lynn Dambruch said the district is “taking this matter very seriously,” and has hired outside attorney Tim Groves to conduct the internal investigation.

Astro of New England, a different moving company, first raised issues with the bidding process after Astro owner Chuck Lamendola said he noticed Jada had been awarded work in late June without him ever seeing the district advertising the work publicly.

He also highlighted that Jada owner David Oliver is cousins with the school district’s facility director, Kevin Oliver, whose name appeared on Jada contract paperwork submitted over the past couple of months to the School Committee.

“It stinks to high heaven,” Lamendola told Target 12 on Friday.

David Oliver pushed back on the criticism, saying his cousin never had anything to do with him receiving the work. Kevin Oliver did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

David Oliver said he’d heard through word-of-mouth the district would need moving services for a couple of big school projects getting underway, so he approached the school construction office with an offer to take on the work.

He was awarded one contract worth about $105,000, he said. A second contract worth nearly $200,000 was awarded to his company but later rescinded after concerns surfaced about the bidding process.

“Kevin Oliver was not included in anything,” David Oliver told Target 12 on Monday.

David Oliver acknowledged he’d made a mistake asking for the work, saying he didn’t realize he wasn’t properly licensed with the R.I. Division of Public Utilities and Carriers. In the past, David Oliver said he would typically operate as a subcontractor under other company licenses, including Astro’s.

“It was an honest mistake on my end,” David Oliver said, adding that he immediately stopped his work with the school district after realizing he wasn’t licensed. He’s since applied for the proper licensing with the state and said his application is pending.

“This is the first time I went out and did everything on my own,” he said. “It’s just an honest mistake that I missed a filing.”

Lamendola first raised his concerns with the district and then elevated the issue to Picozzi after he said the district “blew me off.” Picozzi confirmed Monday the second contract initially awarded to Jada had been rescinded and the district was putting it back out to bid.

“This is unfolding, so I don’t have a lot of information right now,” he said. “I don’t suspect anything nefarious but I want the state police to validate that.”

Eli Sherman ( esherman@wpri.com ) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook .

Tim White ( twhite@wpri.com ) is Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook .

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