Special Olympics head resigns after being charged



EAST GREENWICH, R.I. (AP) -- The head of the Special Olympics Rhode Island resigned after police charged him with making an obscene phone call to a 9-year-old East Greenwich girl.

Lawrence Ruggieri, 56, of Warwick, who is president of the board of directors for the organization, was arrested last Friday after he made the call at about 9 a.m., Police Lt. Jon Chirnside said. Ruggieri allegedly started a sexually explicit conversation with the girl that lasted for several minutes.

The girl eventually ended the call and told her parents. Police traced the call to Ruggieri after her parents reported the exchange. Ruggieri has been released on a $100 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on May 5. He declined to comment when contacted by the Providence Journal Thursday.

Interim President Anthony Scorpio said the organization asked Ruggieri to resign as soon as they learned on Monday of his arrest.

"We are shocked and saddened to hear of the circumstances involving Larry Ruggieri," Scorpio said Thursday.

"While the actions for which he was charged did not occur in his capacity as a member of the Special Olympics Rhode Island board of directors or involve any of our athletes or program participants, we nevertheless take these allegations very seriously."

Scorpio said since members on the board of directs have little direct contact with participants of the program, the Special Olympic does not suspect Ruggieri had conducted anything improper with the participants.

Ruggieri is also a retired vice president at Sovereign Bank and the former Hospital Trust National Bank.