A Republican city council member in Cranston, Rhode Island, has resigned after police found him passed out in his car with a crack pipe in his hand.
NBC 10 WJAR obtained a copy of Matthew R. Reilly’s one-sentence resignation letter, which was submitted on Thursday, that announced his decision to step down as Cranston’s Ward Six City Councilperson with immediate effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GalWjdBbAro:4
Reilly faced calls to resign after police said they found him in a parked SUV at around 11:30 a.m. on Monday with two crack pipes and a “white, rock-like substance,” which it said was consistent with crack cocaine, per The Providence Journal.
Police tested the substance at the scene and said it was positive for cocaine and fentanyl, the local newspaper reported, citing a police report.
In the footage, Reilly, who is an attorney, said he had a relapse after 13 years of being sober following a bad divorce.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE05X6M2c5o:31
He has been charged with possession of a controlled narcotic and is scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment hearing in June.
Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins said in a statement that Reilly, who was arrested on Monday, had made the “right decision” to resign so that he could focus on his well-being and family.
Hopkins said plans for a special election will be organized in the weeks ahead.