Golden chains and high positions don’t always equate to higher morals.
The mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, Kenneth Hopkins, is facing a civil lawsuit for allegedly stealing a vintage car from a man named Davide C. Broccoli. Though this is a civil case, not a criminal one, it’s still a highly embarrassing situation for the mayor.
The case revolves around an MGB sports car that Broccoli claims Hopkins took during a test drive, after the two met to discuss a possible sale.
No agreement had been reached when the car went missing with Hopkins behind the wheel, according to Broccoli’s lawyers.
The Boston Globe reported that during the 2021 incident, Hopkins allegedly showed up to view the car and, after picking up a set of sample license plates, placed them on the MGB and drove off.
Broccoli claims that Hopkins later used his position as mayor to cause trouble for him, including pressuring local police to search Broccoli’s property and forcibly remove 35 other cars he had parked there.
Hopkins denies the accusations, dismissing the lawsuit as an attempt to disrupt his upcoming election campaign. He insists that the cars on Broccoli’s property were either illegally parked or creating a nuisance for the city.
In his defense, Hopkins reportedly said, "My lawyer has told me that when you get into a car and drive away, it implies verbal consent to the transaction."
The case, while civil, has attracted media attention.
