BOSTON — Grownup leisure. A private coach. A helicopter tour of historic mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. These have been a few of the issues a former younger Massachusetts mayor purchased with cash from buyers who believed they have been supporting the creation of a smartphone app, a federal prosecutor informed jurors Monday.
That was earlier than 23-year-old Jasiel Correia received the race for Fall River mayor in 2015 and turned his administration right into a “authorities of extortion and bribery,” Assistant U.S. Legal professional Zach Hafer stated.
The fraud and corruption case towards Correia kicked off in Boston’s federal courtroom with the prosecutor searching for to painting the now 29-year-old as a con artist who shrewdly stole from buyers to bankroll his grand way of life and construct his bold political profession.
“It is a case about mendacity, dishonest, stealing and shakedowns,” Hafer, chief of the U.S. legal professional’s workplace’s felony division, stated in his opening assertion.
Correia is charged with stealing about two-thirds of just about $400,000 he bought from seven buyers for his app known as SnoOwl, which was designed to assist companies hook up with customers. Prosecutors say that as mayor, Correia additionally extorted a whole lot of hundreds of {dollars} from marijuana companies searching for to function in Fall River and compelled his chief of employees to present him half of her wage to be able to maintain her metropolis job.
It’s the primary high-profile trial to get underway in Boston’s federal courtroom for the reason that starting of the coronavirus pandemic. Solely 26 folks — together with 14 jurors — are allowed within the courtroom, and plexiglass obstacles have been put in across the decide’s bench, the witness stand and between the legal professionals’ tables. Correia, sporting a darkish swimsuit and tie, walked into the courthouse along with his mom and fiance.
Correia has denied any wrongdoing and slammed the case as an effort to carry down his political profession. His protection legal professional informed jurors Correia was working nonstop to make the app successful and by no means promised buyers he wouldn’t take a wage.
“There was no intent to defraud. There was no intent to steal. He above anyone wished to see this enterprise as successful,” stated Kevin Reddington, whose previous high-profile purchasers embrace Catherine Greig. She was the longtime girlfriend of late Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger and went to jail for serving to Bulger evade seize.
Prosecutors say earlier than he turned mayor, Correia duped buyers by falsely telling them he beforehand offered one other app for giant revenue and wouldn’t take any compensation. One investor was so near Correia that he thought-about him a “surrogate son,” and wrote test after test when Correia got here again to him for extra money, Hafer stated.
Hafer listed a litany of issues he says Correia spent buyers’ cash on: a Mercedes sedan, jewellery, luxurious resorts, meals at high-end eating places and procuring at locations like Burberry and Louis Vuitton. Correia additionally spent cash on grownup leisure, Hafter stated, however didn’t present additional particulars. He made charitable donations in his personal title, together with $3,000 to the Fall River Kids’s Aquarium, which later named a room after him, Hafer stated. A few of the cash did certainly go to software program builders, he stated.
As mayor, Correia is accused of soliciting bribes from marijuana firms in change for letters of approval from town they want to be able to get a license. Three of Correia’s associates, who’ve beforehand pleaded responsible in that extortion scheme, are amongst those that are anticipated to testify towards him.
For months after his arrest, Correia resisted calls to depart workplace and survived a weird election in March 2019 throughout which he was recalled by voters and reelected the identical night time. However after federal brokers arrested him a second time — this time for the extortion scheme — he agreed in October 2019 to take a go away of absence. He was ousted by voters the following month.
Reddington denied that Correia extorted his chief of employees into kicking again a part of her wage to him, describing her as a mom determine to him. He additionally indicated he’ll attempt to painting the federal government witnesses, who’ve cooperation agreements, as liars who will say no matter prosecutors need to be able to get a lighter jail sentence.
“The federal government ran out of paper giving out their immunity agreements and plea agreements right here,” Reddington stated.
Story by Alanna Durkin Richer.
