EXCLUSIVE: Court Docs Show Cranston Councilman Texted He “Medicated” His Children, Then Left for Sex

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

GoLocalProv News Team

GoLocal has secured copies of court documents relating to Cranston Councilman Matthew Reilly - the documents include copies of text messages between Reilly and, at the time, a client in which the two discussed drug use, his "medicating" his children, sex, and allegedly perpetrating a fraud against the police and the court.

This week Reilly was taken into custody, arrested, and charged with one count of Possession of Schedule II narcotics in violation of R.I. General Laws 21-28-4.01(C)(1)(a).

The court filings secured by GoLocal included copies of the text messages submitted to Rhode Island Family Court in August of 2022 before Judge Debra DiSegna.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Reilly, a lawyer, is the father of two young daughters and had a legal battle with his wife during their divorce over custody.

According to multiple sources with direct knowledge, at least two attorneys and a family court judge notified the court's chief disciplinary counsel Kerry Reilly Travers more than six months ago about Reilly’s drug use and his having sex with clients. And according to those sources, Travers took no action against Reilly.

GoLocal reached out to Cranston police in August of 2022, requesting documents relating to an alleged domestic complaint involving Reilly.

But, Cranston Police Major Todd Patalano said in an email to GoLocal News Editor Kate Nagle, “We do not ever confirm there is any ongoing investigation in order to protect the privacy of individuals involved in any investigation, whether or not there is one even occurring, which we cannot confirm by that name you provided.”

 

Reilly's Texts Show Fraud and Drug Abuse 

Reilly’s text messages paint a picture of drug abuse and medicating his own children in order to go to meet with a client for sex late at night.

In a court filing submitted as part of Reilly’s divorce, his wife’s attorney Kathleen Hagerty:

"...Plaintiff and her counsel have come into possession of evidence that the Defendant [Reilly] has committed fraud upon this court, has conspired with a then client of his with whom he was having a sexual relationship to file a false witness statement with the Cranston Police claiming she had witnessed the Plaintiff violate a no-contact order, that he has left the children alone in the middle of the night, that has been using marijuana, Adderall and cocaine in both raw and powdered form."

The court filing also asserts "That we are in possession of approximately a year and a half of text messages between the Defendant's client and the Defendant, a sampling of which are attached hereto as Exhibit 1 that will prove that he often left the children home alone after giving them "sleep medication" and "melatonin" so that he could travel from Cranston to North Kingstown to engage in sexual relations and illicit substances with his then client in the middle of the night."

The children's mother, Reilly's ex-wife, submitted to the court that, "'On numerous occasions, I received phone calls from our eldest daughter in the middle of the night upset that she woke up and her father was not home.' The Defendant's [Reilly's] former client will also testify that the Defendant was with her father [Reilly] in the middle of the night upset that he was not home."

 

 

 

 

Set Up Wife With False Claim That She Violated "No-Contact" Order

"According to one of the text messages presented to the court in September of 2022, Text messages and phone records between Mr. Reilly and his then-client also indicate that on November 22, 2021, the two spoke, and she will testify that he requested she come to his office for 2:30 p.m. when the police would be there to take a report from Mr. Reilly and he requested she tell the police she had had an appointment with him at his law office earlier in the day and that "At around 10 am I heard screaming from the parking lot. I looked out the window and saw a brunette woman standing in front of a black minivan, screaming to get the fuck down here. My lawyer said that was his wife and that there is a no-contact order..."

 

Mr. Reilly wrote out in a text message exactly what his then-client was supposed to say when the police came to his office at 2:30 p.m. The client did as instructed by her lawyer, and a copy of the false witness statement redacting the address, date of birth and telephone number is attached hereto as Exhibit 3. After filing the false report, the client later that day texted Attorney Reilly asking, "If I get summoned to testify, am I lying under oath?" Mr. Reilly never responded. A copy of this text exchange is attached hereto as Exhibit 4.

 

 

 

Cheating the Drug Testing

"Numerous other text messages reference not only that the Defendant was receiving and using marijuana as he tested positive for repeatedly but he was also using Adderall, cocaine and had requested crack cocaine be provided to him by his then client. There are further text messages which are attached hereto as Exhibit 2, documenting the Defendant's use of detoxification substances Avliich would prevent him from testing positive for illicit substances other than marijuana at the Court ordered drug tests," according to the filling.

 

Continues to Serve on the City Council

Reilly has refused to step down as a member of the City Council. On Tuesday, he did resign as the Cranston Republican chair.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on June 15.

GoLocal reached out to multiple times to Reilly by phone and email; he refused to respond. 

Related Articles

• Cranston Councilman Reilly Arrested on Drug Charges—Crack Cocaine and Fentanyl Found

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.