Ex-mayor, elected at age 23, gets 6 years in corruption case

3 years ago 269

BOSTON – A erstwhile Massachusetts mayor, erstwhile a rising Democratic prima aft being elected astatine conscionable 23 years old, was sentenced to six years successful situation connected Tuesday aft being convicted of extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from marijuana businesses that wanted to run successful his city.

The justice handed down the punishment for ex-Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia aft tossing respective convictions stemming from allegations that the present 29-year-old swindled investors who backed a smartphone app helium created.

Correia's household members successful the courtroom wept arsenic U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock described his actions arsenic old-style and crude corruption that "eviscerates” a community.

“City Hall was for sale,” the justice said.

Correia, who has insisted that he's guiltless and that the “real truth" volition yet travel out, did not marque a connection during the proceeding successful Boston national tribunal due to the fact that helium is inactive challenging his remaining convictions.

The defence asked for 3 years, telling the justice that portion there's nary “sugarcoating” the case, Correia besides did overmuch bully for Fall River.

“None of that excuses what happened here, but I deliberation it's required to person a fuller representation of the antheral and to recognize however idiosyncratic mightiness get derailed but inactive person anticipation to lend successful a aboriginal section of life,” Attorney William Fick said.

Correia was convicted of May of a slew of charges including fraud and extortion aft a proceedings that shone a airy connected his meteoric emergence to go politician arsenic a caller assemblage graduate. Correia portrayed himself to voters arsenic a palmy entrepreneur who could respire caller beingness into the struggling, aged mill city.

Prosecutors told jurors that successful world Corriea funded his lavish manner with wealth helium stole from investors who pumped currency into his app called “SnoOwl," which was designed to assistance businesses link with consumers. Prosecutors said Correia took astir two-thirds of the astir $400,000 helium took from investors and spent it connected things similar fancy hotels and a Mercedes and to wage down his pupil loans.

After becoming politician successful 2016, prosecutors accidental Correia started a pay-to-play strategy involving bribes from marijuana vendors successful speech for letters of support from the metropolis they needed successful bid to get a license. Prosecutors person called the corruption strategy peculiarly galling due to the fact that overmuch of it occurred erstwhile the erstwhile politician knew helium was already nether probe for the allegations of capitalist fraud.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Hafer — who asked for 11 years down bars — questioned however thing different than greed and hubris could explicate Correia's actions, noting that Correia had a supportive household and was making a bully wage arsenic mayor.

“The currency successful clipboards and successful envelopes and sheds. ... Fall River nether Jasiel Correia was similar Atlantic City during Prohibition successful presumption of the crudeness of the corruption," Hafer said.

Correia was expected to person been sentenced Monday, but the justice alternatively agreed with caller lawyers hired by Correia aft the proceedings to overturn the jury's blameworthy verdict connected respective counts they said the authorities failed to prove.

The justice agreed to flip six counts of ligament fraud due to the fact that of what helium described arsenic a deficiency of grounds astir however the checks were processed. He besides tossed 2 taxation fraud counts due to the fact that helium said prosecutors didn't beryllium that Correia willfully filed mendacious returns.

Correia remains convicted of much than a twelve counts of ligament fraud, extortion and extortion conspiracy. The assemblage acquitted him connected 3 counts, including accusations that helium forced his main of unit to springiness him fractional of her wage successful bid to support her metropolis job.

For months aft his arrest, Correia resisted calls to permission bureau and survived a bizarre predetermination successful March 2019 during which helium was recalled by voters and reelected the aforesaid night. But aft national agents arrested him a 2nd clip — this clip for the extortion strategy — helium agreed successful October 2019 to instrumentality a permission of absence. He was ousted by voters the adjacent month.

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