Mayor’s Marijuana Scheme Goes Up in Smoke

Jasiel Correia II, the former mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts, was convicted on four counts of filing false tax returns, wire fraud and extortion.

 

In 2012, before he was mayor, Correia founded SnoOwl, an app designed to connect local businesses with their target market, and raised $360,000 from investors. Of that money he used $230,000 on personal luxury items including a Mercedes, jewelry, designer clothing and to pay for airfare, hotels and adult entertainment. He also paid down his student debt, made charitable contributions and funded his political campaign.

 

Once he became mayor in January 2016, Correia agreed to issue non opposition letters to prospective marijuana vendors in exchange for cash bribes and other payments. As mayor he was solely responsible for approving all non-opposition letters in Fall River. Four marijuana vendors paid bribes between $75,000 and $250,000 in cash, campaign contributions and mortgage payments to Correia and his co-conspirators.

 

Correia faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.