PROVIDENCE, RI – A Milford police officer has not entered a plea and is due back in court in April to appear in Rhode Island Superior Court on drug charges, according to the clerk of the Sixth District Court.
Officer Mark Castiglione, 36, of Milford, appeared in Sixth District Court in Providence on Friday. He and Renee E. Deans, 48, also of Milford, were each arrested Dec. 28 by Rhode Island State Police for drug possession.
The two did not enter pleas and were released on their own recognizance. Their next court date is April 18 for a pre-arraignment conference at the Rhode Island Superior Court.
Previously: Milford police officer among two drug suspects after arrest in Rhode Island
According to a Rhode Island State Police news release, troopers were monitoring a park on Admiral Street in Providence on December 28 for several reports of suspicious drug activity. During their investigation, troopers arrested Castiglione and Deans and charged each with possession of less than 10 grams of fentanyl; and possession of less than 10 grams of cocaine.
The two are represented by William Devine Jr., who could not be reached for comment.
Milford officer rewarded for saving three from burning car
Castiglione is a veteran of the United States Air Force. He received the Lt. Col. Farris Posey Life Saving Hero Award from the American Red Cross of Cape, Islands and Southern Massachusetts in 2015, according to the Cape Cod Times. According to Capecod.com, he received the award after saving three people from a burning car while vacationing in Cape Cod in 2014, ahead of a six-month deployment to Kuwait.
Milford Police Chief Robert Tuino previously told the Daily News he was aware of the arrest but could not comment. He said Castiglione has been on medical leave since September.
Previously: POST Commission Suspends Milford Officer On Drug Charges
The Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission, a Massachusetts agency that collects police misconduct reports from every department in the state, suspended Castiglione following his arrest.
It is unclear how long Castiglione has been a Milford police officer; Salary records show he has worked for the city since at least 2017.
This article originally appeared in The Milford Daily News: Milford police officer facing drug charges has a court hearing in April