North Providence employee accused of poisoning co-worker’s Gatorade with window wash fluid

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A North Providence Public Works employee is under investigation after allegedly pouring automobile window wash fluid into a co-worker’s Gatorade.

The incident reportedly took place last week when Alessio Dandrea, 29, emptied a co-worker’s drink and replaced it with the fluid, which typically contains a toxic chemical. 

Multiple employees are said to have witnessed the incident. The affected worker later drank from the bottle and became sick, requiring two hospital visits.

North Providence police have opened an investigation, and Dandrea has been placed on indefinite unpaid leave. He had worked for the department for about a year and is a union member. Acting Public Works Director Bernie Salvatore said he was not aware of Dandrea’s previous federal criminal history.

Mayor Charles Lombardi confirmed the incident and directed further questions to the town’s Human Resources Department, which has not yet provided comment.

Prior Federal Charges:

In 2023, federal authorities charged Dandrea after U.S. Customs intercepted a package shipped from China addressed to Dandrea, that containing a “lightning link” auto sear, a device used to convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon.

A court-approved search of Dandrea’s home on Thursday, conducted by agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the ATF, and the Johnston Police Department, led to the discovery and seizure of six firearms and two firearm silencers. One of the silencers was affixed to a rifle. The investigation determined that neither silencer was registered to Dandrea, making their possession a violation of federal law.

Court documents claim during the search of Dandrea’s Johnston residence they also discovered Nazi flags, while a speech of his phone showed text messages where Dandrea and his brother discussed researching the racial backgrounds of local businesses.