Peter Neronha

Peter’s Quick Bio

  • Elected Attorney General for the State of Rhode Island in 2018.
  • Native Rhode Islander
  • Attended public schools in Jamestown and North Kingstown
  • Son of an immigrant mother and a Korean War Veteran who worked hard to send their kids to college
  • Graduate of Boston College and Boston College Law School
  • Married to primary care doctor, and father of two sons
  • Career state and federal prosecutor, for over twenty years
  • Special Assistant and Assistant Attorney General from 1996 to 2002
  • Assistant United States Attorney from 2002 to 2009
  • Recommended for appointment as United States Attorney for Rhode Island by Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse in 2009
  • Appointed by President Obama as U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island in 2009, serving until 2017

As Attorney General, Peter:

Peter Noronha
  • Has taken on public officials who violate their oath and choose to serve themselves rather than the public, hurting Rhode Island’s economic growth in the process.
  • Has taken on the violent criminals who make neighborhoods and downtowns unsafe, while at the same time recognizing that prevention and prisoner re-entry are just as critical to reducing crime and make good sense economically.
  • Has protected consumers, and protect public funds from being stolen or wasted.
  • Stood up to the Trump administration when its policies involving the environment, civil rights and other issues negatively impact Rhode Islanders

There is much more work to do, work that builds on what I’ve already done.

As U.S. Attorney, Peter:

  • Aggressively fought public corruption, including successful prosecutions against the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the House of Representatives Finance Chair, the Mayor of Central Falls, and three North Providence Town Councilmen
  • Took on the ongoing heroin/opioid public health crisis, bringing major cases against cartel-linked drug trafficking organizations and engaging in prevention outreach to adults and over 10,000 high school students across Rhode Island
  • Prioritized and dramatically increased the number of child sex trafficking prosecutions, and, with public and private partners, developed state-wide protocols for investigation of cases and treatment of victims
  • Investigated Google for assisting non-U.S., on-line pharmacies illegally importing opioids and other drugs into the United States, resulting in a forfeiture by Google of $500 million and the return of $230 million to Rhode Island
  • Brought a smart and effective approach to reducing violent crime, by focusing law enforcement efforts on individuals driving violent crime, while also focusing on crime prevention and successful re-entry
  • Protected consumers by prosecuting mortgage fraud and identity theft cases
  • Safeguarded the environment, enforced civil rights, and protected public money from waste and abuse
Peter Neronha