Local
Burrillville man held without bail after postal-facility investigation
Aubrey Dante, 54, faces 26 charges stemming from alleged package thefts at a Providence postal center and items found during a search of his home. Authorities say they seized eight firearms and large quantities of drugs.
A Burrillville man is being held without bail after investigators accused him of taking items from packages at a U.S. Postal Service facility in Providence and found firearms and drugs at his home.
Aubrey Dante, 54, was charged Oct. 22 with 26 offenses following a months-long investigation involving Providence police, federal agencies and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office. Investigators allege that, while working at the USPS Processing and Distribution Center on Corliss Street, Dante intercepted packages and removed their contents between April and September.
Authorities said the investigation began after reports of missing packages containing firearms, coins, trading cards and jewelry. Investigators used surveillance footage and package-tracking records and said they saw Dante opening packages and taking items at the facility.
On Oct. 21, investigators arrested Dante outside his home on Snake Hill Road in Burrillville while executing search warrants. They said a search turned up eight firearms, including three stolen Sig Sauer 9mm pistols, several revolvers and a 12-gauge shotgun. Authorities also reported seizing about 79 pounds of marijuana, more than a kilogram of cocaine, methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms and Xanax pills.
The charges include six counts of larceny of a firearm, four counts of possessing a stolen firearm, five counts of carrying a dangerous weapon while committing a crime of violence, several drug-trafficking offenses, three counts of larceny involving more than $1,500 and one count of maintaining controlled substances.
At Sixth Division District Court, Judge Stephen Isherwood ordered Dante held without bail. Dante is scheduled to return to court Oct. 29 for a status conference.
The investigation involved Providence police, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Attorney General’s Urban Violent Crime Task Force. Dante is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.