Attorney General Neronha announces promotions and new hires within civil and criminal divisions; creation of cold case unit

Published on Friday, October 06, 2023

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha today announced significant promotions and recent hires within the Office, including appointments to a newly created cold case unit and selections to the 2023 class of the Office’s Honors Fellowship Program.

“Our Office attracts individuals with a deep commitment to public service and justice for those who call Rhode Island home,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Our Office is at the forefront of so many critical issues that matter to Rhode Islanders, such as health care advocacy, public safety, environmental protection, energy advocacy, and more. It is the dedicated members of our team that commit themselves to this work, day in, and day out, and I am grateful for their hard work done on behalf of the people of Rhode Island. I am proud of the leadership of those promoted to key roles within the Office and am excited to welcome the newest members of the team.”

Attorney General Neronha has promoted Assistant Attorney General Katherine Connolly Sadeck to Solicitor General. As Solicitor General, Katherine will handle high-profile appellate litigation for the State and defend the constitutionality of Rhode Island laws. Solicitor General Sadeck is also the Chief of the Open Government Unit within the Civil Division. Solicitor General Sadeck has been with the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office since 2016. Katherine is a native of Little Compton and a graduate of Providence College and Boston College Law School.

Last year, Attorney General Neronha named Assistant Attorney General Sarah W. Rice as a Deputy Chief of the Office’s Civil Division where she leads the Public Protection Bureau, which affirmatively develops legal work and initiatives to advance and protect dignity, quality of life, and equity for all Rhode Islanders. Assistant Attorney General Rice joined the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office in 2022 after nearly 12 years with the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. A native of South Kingstown, Sarah is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College and Harvard Law School.

Attorney General Neronha has appointed Assistant Attorney General James R. Baum, Deputy Chief of the Office’s Criminal Division, to lead the newly created cold case unit. Joining the unit are Special Assistant Attorney General Jessica A. Villella and investigators Timothy C. McGann, a member of the Providence Police Department from 1994 to 2023, and Theodore J. Michael, a member of the Providence Police Department from 2003 to 2023. They will be assisted by Attorney General Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigations (BCI) investigators Scott Sullivan, who was a member of the Pawtucket Police Department from 1996 to 2023, and investigator Eric Yankee, who served as a Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms from 2001 to 2021.

“For too long, our Criminal Division has been under-resourced as it carries out the Office’s mission for public safety and the pursuit of justice. During its latest session, I am grateful that the General Assembly recognized that fact, and authorized additional full-time employees, so that our Office could more efficiently carry out this important goal,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Additionally, the implementation of a dedicated Cold Case Unit will seek to secure long-awaited justice and closure for victims.”

Additionally, Attorney General Neronha has appointed Assistant Attorney General Bethany A. Laskowski to Chief of the Family and District Court Unit, Assistant Attorney General Meghan E. McDonough to Chief of the Special Victims Unit, Assistant Attorney General Timothy G. Healy to Chief of Narcotics and Violent Crimes Unit within the Office’s Criminal Division, and Assistant Attorney General Eric A. Batista to Chief of the Newport County Bureau. Attorney General Neronha has also named Special Assistant Attorney General Genevieve Allaire Johnson as the new head of the Medicare Fraud Control Unit (MFCU).

Attorney General Honors Fellowship Program

Attorney General Neronha also welcomes four individuals to this year’s Honors Fellowship Program. The Program offers recent law school graduates and newly admitted lawyers the opportunity to work in the Office of the Attorney General during a one-year term in which they will gain valuable experience while serving the people of Rhode Island.

Dawson Galluzzi is a graduate of New York University School of Law. Dawson also served as a Brave Justice Intern for the Queen District Attorney focusing on housing and worker protection, a student law clerk for the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, and a JusticeCorps Student Member for AmeriCorps.
Paul Meosky is a graduate of Yale Law School. Paul served as a summer intern to the Honorable Henry J. Nowak of the New York Supreme Court’s 8^th Judicial Circuit, as well as to the US Attorney’s Office in the District of Colorado.
Clare Noone is a graduate of Boston College Law School. Clare has served as a legal intern for the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, as well as for the Center of Human Rights and Global Justice.
Rachel Rebello is a graduate of Georgetown Law and previously served as both a legal intern and William C. Clifton Clerk in the Attorney General’s Office. Rachel also served as an Honors Law Clerk for the Environmental Protection Agency in 2022.

Learn more about our Honors Fellowship Program, and apply, here.

New Hires

Finally, Attorney General Neronha is pleased to announce that the following attorneys have recently joined the ranks of the Civil and Criminal Divisions, including:

Chelsea Baittinger has joined the Office as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the Government Litigation Unit. Chelsea is a graduate of Roger Williams University School of Law and previously worked as an Associate Attorney with the Law Offices of Gregory Schadone, Ltd.;
Lauren Balkcom has joined the office as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the Family/District Court Unit. Lauren is a graduate of Roger Williams University School of Law and previously worked as a Managing Partner with Obolensky and Balkcom Law, LLC.
Jordan Broadbent has joined the Office as a Special Assistant Attorney General and will serve as the Office’s Insurance Advocate. Jordan is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law and previously worked as an Associate Attorney with Chisholm, Chisholm & Kilpatrick;
Taylor Dumpson has joined the office as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the Family/District Court Unit. Taylor is a graduate of Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and previously worked as an Associate Counsel at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C.;
Lisa Raimondi has joined the Office as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the Government Litigation Unit. Lisa is a graduate of University of Massachusetts School of Law and previously worked as an Associate Attorney with the Law Offices of Beauregard, Burke & Franco and previously worked as a legal intern with our Office during the summer of 2020;
Patrick Reynolds has joined the Office as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the Government Litigation Unit. Patrick is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and previously worked as an Associate Appellate Attorney with Chisholm, Chisholm & Kilpatrick, Ltd.;
Matthew Rocheleau has joined the Office as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the Government Litigation Unit. Matthew is a graduate of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and previously worked as a Senior Litigation Attorney with Brosco and Brosco, P.C. since March of 2014;
Rachel Soltysiak has joined the office as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the Family/District Court Unit. Rachel is a graduate of Roger Williams University School of Law and previously worked as a Program Analyst with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Boston and as a police officer with the South Kingstown Police Department.

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