EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – An East Providence man says he was wrongfully accused of vandalizing a patriotic crosswalk on a neighborhood street, and he’s calling on Mayor Bob DaSilva for an apology as he prepares a lawsuit against the city for damaging his reputation. Michael Dellefratte, 62, was arrested by East Providence police in May and charged with vandalism. Police accused him of spinning the tires of his 1969 Chevy Nova through a red white and blue intersection that had been painted at Turner Avenue and Arnold Street for Memorial Day. But Dellefratte, a self-described patriot who helps maintain a veterans’ memorial along the East Bay Bike Path in Barrington, said he never peeled out in that intersection and that the city got the wrong guy. A judge ordered the misdemeanor charge dismissed this month and the case was expunged from his record. "They were wrong from the start and they should pay," Dellefratte told Target 12. East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva disagreed and he lauded his police officers for their work. “The East Providence Police Department did a great job investigating this case, they were able to come up with sufficient probable cause to charge the defendant criminally,” he said. Dellefratte provided surveillance video police gathered from a home near the intersection showing his car rolling to nearly a stop. It then rolls out of the intersection and there's no clear evidence of burning rubber or smoke billowing up from the pavement. Rhode Island ACLU executive director Steven Brown said he'd reviewed the evidence and he was critical of East Providence for the time and resources it put into the matter. "The enormous amount of time and effort that was used by the police department to track down Mr. Dellefratte is difficult to believe, much less justify, and the same is true of the criminal charges that were initially lodged against him," Brown said. "While we are pleased that the charges were dropped, this incident demonstrates how essential it is for police to use their vast powers proportionately and sparingly, especially in situations like this which involved no harm to the public," he added. 'They robbed me of my reputation' Following his arrest, Dellefratte's mugshot and arrest details were shared with news outlets. He said the story was shared nationally across social media, and it was seen by people he knows in different parts of the country. “Within 50 minutes of taking my fingerprints and my mugshot, it was on the news," he said. "It made it to California, to my cousin, and it made it to Maine to a customer and a friend who were up there." Dellefratte said he’s since become a target of hate from people who think he’s anti-patriotic and anti-America. He shared surveillance videos of multiple drivers spinning tires of their vehicles outside his automotive business in Barrington. Dellefratte said he and his wife have been berated while shopping for groceries and he’s lost customers. He also provided a voicemail from an unidentified caller who left an expletive-filled message about the incident, saying in part, “You anti-American [expletive]... You [expletive] punk.” “You might have thought I robbed a bank or killed somebody,” Dellefratte said, underscoring that he’s never been in criminal trouble before. Court records show he has no past criminal history. While the vandalism case against him has been tossed and expunged, Dellfratte said his reputation has been damaged and he now plans to file a defamation lawsuit against the city. “They robbed me of my reputation, so yes, I’m going after them for monetary damages,” he said. City leaders, however, are pushing back, arguing police got the right man and they highlighted that Dellefratte initially told police he didn’t even remember being in the intersection that day. Body-worn camera video shows Dellefratte denying he drove his Chevy Nova that day, telling police the muscle car had a blown transmission and it was in his garage for repairs. He later told Target 12 he'd been suffering from low-blood sugar that day after forgetting to take his medicine, and he couldn't remember everything that happened. City officials also said they had an eyewitness who said he saw Dellefratte drive through the intersection, although the same witness later acknowledged the tire marks could have been accidental, according to court documents.   City spokesperson Matt Paddock said city attorneys only agreed to dismiss the case after Dellefratte said he would pay $200 toward a veterans’ fund and write “a letter of apology." The city refused to release the letter, saying it was part of the now-expunged court case, and thus couldn't be shared publicly. “The letter is consistent with what the defendant had been stating, however, self-serving, that he did not recall the incident,” Paddock said. “This was sufficient for the city given the defendant was no longer maintaining, as he initially did, that his [motor vehicle] was not involved at all.” Dellefratte and his attorney – Megan Sheehan – disagree. Dellefratte said the surveillance video gathered by police shows their eyewitness wasn't in the place he'd claimed when the Chevy went through the intersection. Sheehan also disputed that Dellefratte's letter was part of the court case, saying the city asked for it after the case had been dismissed and it was sent separately. She shared the letter with Target 12. It does not include an apology. “I am extremely patriotic, fully support veterans who have served our country, and would never deface any American Flag,” Dellefratte wrote, adding that he’s personal built and maintained the memorial and displays American flags at both his garage and his home. “I did not recall driving on that crosswalk on the day in question,” he added. “If my vehicle made any marks on the American flag crosswalk mural in Riverside it was purely accidental and not the result of any intentional action.” 'Out for blood' Dellefratte is now demanding a personal apology from DaSilva, saying the mayor was “out for blood” amid public outcry over the tire marks showing up so close to the patriotic holiday. "I understand they were upset about it, but I wasn't a criminal," Dellefratte said. "He blamed me. It's as simple as that." DaSilva -- who highlighted the incident and arrest on his Facebook page at the time -- told Target 12 that his administration “did not condone anyone, who is being charged in a criminal investigation, being threatened.” But he refused to apologize, standing by the idea that the case ended in a "plea bargain." “Like many thousands of other cases that happen every year, there was a plea bargain with the defendant, where the defendant wrote a letter of apology and made a contribution to a Veteran’s organization,” DaSilva said. Sheehan disputed that the city's characterization of the case ending in a plea bargain. Such bargains are typically associated with criminal cases in which a suspect agrees to pleading guilty in exchange of fewer charges or a lesser sentence. In Dellefratte's case, a judge ordered the vandalism charge be dismissed and the case doesn't even exist publicly in court records because of the expungement. “It was absolutely not a plea bargain, regardless what they want to call it,” she said. Eli Sherman ([email protected]) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook. Tim White ([email protected]) is Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW