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11/03/2022 04:49 PMThe Director of Public Works for the Town of Old Saybrook has been placed on leave following his Oct. 28 arrest after being arrested and charged with sexual assault and breach of peace charges.
Old Saybrook Police served Lawrence Bonin on an arrest warrant by on Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. He was arrested and charged with sexual assault in the fourth degree and breach of peace in the second degree. Bonin is scheduled to appear in Middletown Superior Court on Nov. 8.
A statement from town officials appeared on the town's website about one hour after Bonin's arrest. According to the statement, Bonin has been placed on administrative leave following the arrest. First Selectman Carl Fortuna confirmed that Bonin has been employed by the town for 22 years but declined further comment.
The town has initiated an internal investigation into the matter.
“The Town of Old Saybrook does not comment on personnel matters. Inquiries regarding the criminal investigation or arrest should be directed to Michael A. Spera, Chief of Police for the town,” according to the statement.
The Harbor News filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for any documents related to Bonin’s arrest and received an arrest warrant from the Old Saybrook Police Department (OSPD). According to an affidavit from Officer Stephanie Milardo, the arrest stems from several alleged interactions between an unnamed person, referred to only as Victim One, and Bonin that occurred between November 2021 and April 2022 at the Old Saybrook Transfer Station. Victim One reported the allegations to OSPD in June of this year, prompting police to open an investigation.
The Allegations
Victim One has alleged that Bonin made a series of inappropriate and unwanted sexual comments toward this person over several months. The allegations include a suggestion that Victim One perform oral sex on Bonin. The affidavit details another incident in which Bonin allegedly pulled Victim One into an unwanted embrace and said, “When are we going to have sex? I’m getting sick and tired of you playing hard to get.”
In the affidavit, Milardo wrote that Victim One further alleged that Bonin took actions such as intentionally blocking the victim’s car in and alleged in a separate encounter that Bonin intentionally stuck a broom handle between the victim’s legs and crotch.
According to Milardo, cameras at the transfer station only retain footage for 45 days. By time OSPD attempted to review the footage, more than 45 days had elapsed from most of the alleged interactions. Milardo also said she attempted to view footage of one alleged incident, but the camera did not cover the area where the episode was said to have happened.
After contacting Bonin in early June, Milardo wrote that Bonin denied speaking with Victim One beyond informal greetings. Additionally, Bonin told Milardo that Victim One had been in spots in the transfer station that this person shouldn’t be and that he had told his employees to tell Victim One to move.
Milardo wrote that Victim One stated that some of Bonin’s alleged actions and comments had were witnessed by transfer station employees Anthony Hunter, James Therrien, William Roscoe. In interviews with Milardo, Therrien and Roscoe acknowledged they were aware of issues between Victim One and Bonin but denied witnessing or hearing the exact allegations described by Victim One. Roscoe echoed Bonin’s comments about Victim One sometimes being in dangerous places in the transfer station and told Milardo that Victim One does not always move when told to. Milardo wrote that Hunter didn’t remember witnessing an encounter between Victim One and Bonin that Victim One alleged he saw.
Victim One again contacted Milardo later in the summer to say they (the victim) was concerned that Roscoe and Therrien were not speaking up out of fear of retaliation. Victim one also shared a text message from Therrien in which he texted in part, “…I am concerned for your safety, however. I am sure that there is some women’s legal defense agency somewhere that could assist you in this issue.”
When Milardo re-interviewed Roscoe and Therrien, she said, both again denied witnessing the events alleged by the victim. Therrien told Milardo he did not recall exactly what the text to Victim One was referring to and responded “no comment” when Milardo asked if he was scared of retaliation.
Roscoe reiterated to Milardo that Bonin and the victim are “like fire and gas” and don’t get along but again denied witnessing the allegations against Bonin, according to Milardo’s report.
The last interviews were conducted in August, and the arrest warrant was submitted on Oct. 21. A judge approved that the affidavit showed probable cause for arrest on Oct. 26.