Jury selection started Monday in the trial of Dan Doyle, who faces charges of embezzlement and other crimes. The accusations stem from Doyle’s role as founder and director of the Institute for International Sport.
Founded in 1986, the institute was housed at the University of Rhode Island. But in 2012, state auditors announced they could not account for how the organization spent more than $500,000 in grant funding, which was intended to help pay for construction on the facility at URI.
After an investigation, Doyle was indicted in 2013 on 18 counts including embezzlement and forgery.
During a press conference in June of 2016, Doyle maintained his innocence, citing “outside forces” that influenced local media coverage.
“I will not leave this planet until my name is cleared, as in completely cleared,” said Doyle. “And I will not leave this planet until the individuals behind this are held fully accountable within the law.”
The court is scheduled to hear Doyle’s motion to dismiss the case on Wednesday. If that motion is denied, jury selection will continue, and the trial could start as soon as next week.
The Attorney General’s office estimates the trial could last up to four months.
