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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 15 Mei 2021

Onetime wunderkind Massachusetts mayor guilty of corruption

(AP) — A former Massa- shoes for his girlfriend. ment's witnesses who had
chusetts mayor first elect- cooperation agreements with
ed at the age of 23 by tout- "These weren't occasional prosecutors, suggesting they
ing himself as a successful purchases, this is shameless were lying in an effort to help
entrepreneur was con- continued stealing without themselves.
victed Friday of stealing any regard for the fact that
money from investors in he is betraying people who One man, who pleaded guilty
his start-up to bankroll his trusted him," Assistant U.S. in the extortion scheme, told
lavish lifestyle and solicit- Attorney Zach Hafer said. jurors about how he col-
ing bribes from marijuana lected an envelope filled with
vendors who wanted to Throughout the trial, pros- $25,000 in cash that a mid-
operate in the struggling ecutors portrayed Correia dleman had put in a shed be-
mill city. as a serial liar, who they said hind his home. The witness,
misled voters in order to get Hildegar Camara, said he
Jasiel Correia was found elected just like they said he opened the envelope in front
guilty of extortion, fraud and duped investors. of Correia and got spooked,
filing false tax returns after 23 telling the mayor, "If you take
hours of jury deliberations In a clip shown to jurors from this or I take this, we're going
over four days in a trial that a 2015 debate during the race to go to jail."
highlighted Correia's swift for mayor, Correia prom-
rise and fall in Fall River, ised taxpayers that he would Another man, who was hop-
where he had dazzled voters "take your money and spend ing to operate a marijuana
at a young age with his prom- it wisely" — because he said business in Fall River, de-
ises to turn the city around. that's what he had done in his scribed how Correia showed
business. His lie about how up at his family's store and
Correia, now 29, was also he previously sold another asked for $250,000, saying
acquitted on three counts, app for big money allowed he needed it for legal de-
including accusations that self and spent it on things like him avoid questions about fense fees. After Correia and
he forced his chief of staff to "Correia made a lot of prom- fancy hotels, casinos, high- how he could afford such a Charles Saliby eventually
give him half of her salary in ises, a lot of bold statements end restaurants and expen- lavish lifestyle on his $17,000 agreed on a lower bribe, Cor-
order to keep her city job. in business, in politics and in sive gifts for his girlfriend. annual salary as a Fall River reia's chief of staff told Saliby:
government," Mendell said. city councilor, prosecutors "You're family now," accord-
Correia, who insisted he was "The jury found today, in its Investors who took the stand said. ing to Saliby's testimony.
innocent and attacked the verdict, the truth." told jurors they handed over
charges as politically moti- their cash because they be- After the Democrat took of- Correia was acquitted of two
vated, never took the stand. Correia's lawyer had argued lieved Correia was bright, fice as mayor in 2016, pros- extortion counts related to
After leaving Boston's fed- his client wasn't a criminal, trustworthy and headed for ecutors say Correia quickly a scheme involving a Rolex
eral courthouse fitted with a but merely an inexperienced great things. One investor turned to "old school pay- watch and one count of brib-
electronic-monitoring brace- businessman who believed said he thought Correia was to-play political corruption," ery stemming from accusa-
let, Correia told reporters that he was free to use inves- a "boy wonder" and that Cor- by soliciting bribes from tions that he convinced his
that his "fight is not over" and tors' money as he deemed fit reia assured him he wasn't marijuana vendors seek- chief of staff to kickback part
predicted he would win on while he was producing the going to "take a dime" out of ing to operate in Fall River. of her salary to him.
appeal. smartphone app. the company so all the money Marijuana business owners,
could go to the development who were given immunity to Correia's lawyers argued it
"Eventually the real truth Before Correia became may- of the app. testify against Correia, told wasn't a bribe but a loan from
will come out," Correia said. or, prosecutors say he lured jurors about how Correia or a mother-like figure to Cor-
"I will be vindicated and my investors to support his app Instead, prosecutors say Cor- middlemen negotiated bribes reia. And though his chief of
future will be very long and called "SnoOwl" by falsely reia looted a bank account in exchange for letters of ap- staff pleaded guilty to charges
great." claiming that he had previ- filled with investor money to proval from the city they including extortion and brib-
ously sold another business pay for things like a helicop- need in order to get a license. ery, she never took the stand
Acting U.S. Attorney Na- for a big profit. Prosecutors ter tour of Newport, Rhode to testify against Correia.
thaniel Mendell called the say he used nearly two-thirds Island, a Mercedes, a $300 Correia's lawyer attacked the
verdict "a fitting end to this of the almost $400,000 he bottle of cologne and a $700 credibility and sought to shift He's scheduled to be sen-
saga." took from investors on him- pair of Christian Louboutin the blame onto the govern- tenced Sept. 20.

NJ Transit settles suits in deadly crash at commuter station

(AP) — NJ Transit has ily of a woman killed slammed into a Hoboken, 2-year-old daughter at day and continue to undertake
reached settlements in and people injured in a New Jersey, station. care. the necessary safety measures
lawsuits filed by the fam- 2016 crash when a train and precautions to ensure
NJ Transit spokesperson The other people who settled a tragedy like the fatal train
Nancy Snyder said settle- lawsuits with the agency for crash at Hoboken never hap-
ments were reached in the injuries were Sheldon Kest, pens again," they said in a
lawsuits on Wednesday eve- of Tenafly; Deepti Chanana statement.
ning, NJ.com reported. Bhalla, of Hoboken; and
Bagyalakshmi Subramaniam, More than 100 people were
The agency did not specify of Bergenfield. injured in the crash. Inves-
the amounts of the settle- tigators found that the engi-
ments, but said each was Attorneys Tom Kline and neer suffered from sleep ap-
more than $500,000. Bob Mongeluzzi, who repre- nea.
sented the De Kroon family,
Fabiola Bittar de Kroon was Subramaniam and Kest, said NJ Transit has since increased
killed by falling debris in the their clients were trying to medical screenings for per-
Sept. 29, 2016, crash. The move on with their lives. sonnel and installed positive
34-year-old Brazil-born law- train control systems.
yer was in the station after "They remain hopeful that
having just dropped off her NJ Transit will undertake