State Police Charge East Greenwich Suspect

EAST GREENWICH, RI — An East Greenwich man was charged with the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl and narcotics charges after Rhode Island State Police seized more than $30,000 worth of cocaine, marijuana and amphetamines from his home earlier today.

Austin W. Almeida, 21, of 187 Kent Drive, East Greenwich, was charged with:

• Two (2) counts of 1st Degree Sexual Assault.
• One (1) count of 3rd Degree Sexual Assault.
• One (1) count of Purchase/Procurement of Alcohol for a Minor.
• One (1) count of Possession of One (1) Ounce to One (1) Kilogram of Cocaine.
• One (1) count of Possession with Intent to Deliver Schedule II drug (Adderall).
• One (1) count of Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana.

Major Dennis Fleming, Detective Commander, said Almeida was initially arrested on a warrant stemming from an investigation by the Major Crimes Unit into allegations that Almeida had sex with a 15-year-old girl, in violation of a state law that makes the age of consent 16. In addition, Almeida allegedly forced the girl to have sex without her consent on at least two occasions.

Members of the Major Crimes Unit arrested Almeida at his home without incident, but while there, they allegedly saw a digital scale and large amounts of marijuana in plain view, the commander said.

They obtained a court-authorized search warrant for his house, which resulted in the seizure of approximately 36 grams of cocaine, 468 grams of marijuana, 327 Adderall pills and $32, 670 in United States currency. The street value of the seized narcotics is estimated at $13,000.

Almeida was processed at the Rhode Island State Police Headquarters and later brought before the Honorable Judge Mary E. McCaffrey at 3rd District Court, where he was arraigned and held without bail on the above charges and as a probation violator. Almeida was also ordered to have no contact with the victim.