PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The husband of a Johnston state legislator has been indicted on charges he used a Smithfield man's identity to run up $3,000 worth of purchases and illegally collected more than $58,000 in Social Security benefits over eight years by claiming he was homeless when he was living at home with his family, U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha's office announced today.
The five-count indictment had been returned on Wednesday, but wasn't announced until Henry A. Fellela, 55, husband of state Rep. Deborah Fellela, D-Johnston, was arrested Friday morning by inspectors from the U. S. Postal Service, Social Security Administration and Smithfield and Johnston police.
He was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond but subject to home confinement with electric monitoring, Neronha's office said.