Ex-instructor charged with lying about doctorate
A former instructor at the University of Rhode Island is charged with forging his doctoral diploma to get a consulting deal, then lying under oath about his credentials. State Police said Frederick Meli, 64, misrepresented himself to get hired by the town of North Smithfield to examine stone mounds on a property scheduled for development. He was quoted by several news organizations, including the Associated Press and The Boston Globe in 2007, saying the mounds went back thousands of years and were used by Native Americans. Police said the Narragansett man also lied about his diploma when the developer sued. An independent archaeologist determined the mounds were likely built for agrarian use.
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