On May 10, 2009, Robert Ceprano filed a lawsuit against the City of Providence, alleging conspiracy, corruption, libel, and wrongful termination. The suit accused John M. Cicilline, the mayor's imprisoned brother, of attempting to defraud the City of Providence by writing a bad check for $75,000 on behalf of a delinquent taxpayer. Furthermore, it alleged the mayor and his aides “willfully conspired...to conceal John M. Cicilline's illegal activities.” Ceprano also charged that he was fired not for poor job performance, but because he resisted the mayor's efforts to perform tax favors for political friends and supporters. Lawyers for Ceprano asked for $10 million. The single -ount complaint against John M. Cicilline was dismissed by Judge Kristin Rodgers on November 17, 2009.