CELONA

PROVIDENCE –– John Celona isn’t expected to make an appearance in federal court for the second Roger Williams corruption trial.

But he will be moving soon to another Rhode Island institution –– the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.

While testimony was unfolding in federal court last week about Celona’s misdeeds, the former North Providence senator had a parole hearing before the Rhode Island Parole Board.

Chairman Kenneth Walker said yesterday that the Parole Board has denied Celona’s request for parole.

That means that when Celona completes his 30-month federal prison term for corruption next March, he faces another 10 months of state prison time after pleading guilty to related state corruption charges.

“To parole Mr. Celona at this time would depreciate the serious nature of his crime,” said Walker, reading from the board’s unanimous decision. “He broke the trust of the people of Rhode Island.”

Celona will be eligible to seek parole again next June, at which time he will have seven months left to serve.

Following Providence Journal disclosures in late 2003 and early 2004 regarding Celona’s personal financial dealings with CVS, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and Roger Williams Medical Center, the once high-flying senator from North Providence became the focus of state and federal corruption probes.

He subsequently pleaded guilty to state and federal corruption charges, involving selling his office for political favors. He also agreed to cooperate with federal authorities in an ongoing State House influence-peddling probe known as Operation Dollar Bill.

Celona was sentenced early last year to 30 months in federal prison and 40 months in state prison, with the first 30 months of his state sentence to run concurrently with his federal time. He has been in a federal prison in Loretto, Pa.

Under Rhode Island law, Celona became eligible for state parole after serving one-third, or about 13 months, in prison. But he would first have to complete his federal sentence.

Celona testified at the first Roger Williams trial in 2006, and again this spring at the trial of two former CVS executives who hired him. But after taking a beating for inconsistent and evasive answers in both trials, prosecutors acknowledged his credibility problems by vowing not to call him as a witness in the current Roger Williams trial.

However, Celona was recently moved to the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, in case he is needed as a witness.

Last Wednesday, Celona appeared on a video-conference from Central Falls for his parole hearing with the state Parole Board in Cranston.

Walker said that Celona expressed remorse for his crimes and spoke of the toll it has taken on his wife and two sons, including financial difficulties that have led to the loss of the family’s North Providence home.

“If the same situation arose again, he said he wouldn’t have done it,” said Walker. “Someone [on the board] asked him why. He said that his [lawn-mower] business was failing, so he was trying to provide for his family.”

mstanton@projo.com