Pawtucket reinstates – Pawtucket, Rhode Island reinstated four firefighters after a yearslong internal investigation tied to alleged marijuana-related misconduct. City officials terminated six firefighters at different times, but union-negotiated settlements and arbitration rulings
By the time the city paperwork caught up with the hearings, the story had already split into two paths: some firefighters returning under strict conditions, and others still fighting to get their jobs back.
In Pawtucket, Rhode Island, four firefighters were reinstated after an internal investigation that began with city officials announcing “a documented unlawful purchase of a controlled substance.” Pawtucket said the substance later turned out to be marijuana.
City officials announced in April 2025 that they were investigating eight firefighters for “possible criminal activity resulting in violations of the public trust.” Two more firefighters were terminated the following month, also tied to the investigation, according to WPRI.
At the center of the allegations was what Chief and Acting Public Safety Director Tina Goncalves described as “the use, purchase, or sale of marijuana, both on and off duty.” Some of those accusations connected to a separate investigation into misconduct within the Pawtucket Fire Department.
Pawtucket police and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office launched the investigation after learning about that “documented unlawful purchase of a controlled substance.” The city noted that while possession and cultivation of marijuana are legal in Rhode Island. the law restricts quantities and where it can be purchased.
The legal fight inside the department was driven by the firefighters’ collective bargaining agreement. Goncalves said that across the process, six firefighters were terminated, three retired, and one resigned. After attorneys for the city advised investigators to pursue settlement agreements. the city moved toward reinstatement for some of the men. citing “the uncertainty of the arbitration process and the significant cost of prolonged litigation. ” Goncalves said.
Steven Gomes, Thomas Trabulsi, and Noah LeBlanc were all terminated but reached union-negotiated agreements to be reinstated. Gomes returned to the department Jan. 1, Trabulsi returned March 15, and LeBlanc is expected to return Oct. 16.
Those reinstatements come with conditions. Under the settlement terms. the firefighters will face drug testing requirements and probationary periods designed to ensure they “comply with the rules and regulations of the Pawtucket Fire Department and uphold their responsibility to protect and serve the residents of Pawtucket. ” Goncalves said.
“The City remains committed to upholding the high standards of conduct expected by residents and by the dedicated firefighters and first responders who serve the community every day,” Goncalves said.
Other firefighters were not immediately brought back. Lareto Guglietta, Jonathon Sunquist, and Clinton Lyles were fired but chose to challenge the decisions through arbitration. Lyles returned to the department May 5 after a ruling in his favor, while Sunquist and Guglietta are still awaiting hearings.
The city said it disagreed with the arbitration ruling but added it “respects the arbitration process.” Goncalves said Guglietta and Sunquist remain terminated unless they receive rulings in their favor.
The consequences of the probe did not stay confined to the department. Terrence O’Neill—the firefighter who resigned—has since been criminally indicted. He was arraigned in December 2025 on three counts of delivery of a controlled substance, according to court records.
O’Neill, 33, pleaded not guilty in Providence/Bristol County Superior Court and was released on $5,000 personal recognizance. Further court action has not yet been taken, records show.
In retirement, Goncalves said James Allen, William Almon, and James Pike were the three firefighters who retired, and Pike has since died.
As the department adjusts to a new roster. the city has made its position clear through its leadership: Pawtucket says it will hold firefighters to high standards of conduct expected by residents—while the outcomes of arbitration still determine whether some cases end in return or remain unresolved. The Pawtucket Fire Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Pawtucket firefighters Rhode Island Attorney General marijuana probe Tina Goncalves arbitration reinstated firefighters drug testing conditions Providence/Bristol County Superior Court