Ex-Mayor Convicted Of Wire Fraud Due In Prison On Monday

FALL RIVER, MA — Former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia is due to report to federal prison Monday to begin serving a six-year sentence for wire fraud unless a judge grants his motion for a third delay.

Correia, who had requests to delay his prison reporting date granted in November and January, filed a motion Wednesday asking for an indefinite delay until his appeal is ruled on. Correia's motion cited a request to delay reporting to prison granted in a similar case on Wednesday. But, in their response, federal prosecutors noted that in the case Correia cited the prosecution with had agreed with defense attorneys on the delay.

"Correia has presented no substantial question of law or fact meriting such stay," the response, which was filed Thursday, said. "What is more, the defendant’s broken record request for additional time for his lawyers to 'permit orderly briefing' rings hollow because Correia’s attorneys have already briefed what they believe to be their most meritorious arguments for appeal...and have now had almost three months to consider any additional issues relevant to their initial motion for a stay."

Correia was granted his first delay in November, when he told the court he needed to help at his family’s "small business through the busy holiday season." Last month, he was granted a delay until Feb. 14 when he argued the COVID-19 surge made it unsafe for him to surrender and he wanted to "continue to work for his family’s small business."

More coverage: Fall River Mayor's 'Lavish Lifestyle' From Fraud

Correia, 30, was found guilty in May 2021 of stealing money from investors of his startup while extorting thousands of dollars from marijuana businesses he said he had planned to open but never did.

A jury originally found Correia guilty of 21 counts of wire fraud, filing false tax returns, and extortion. He was acquitted on three other counts, including extortion, but a judge tossed out 10 counts based on technicalities in the law, a decision the judge said did not affect the length of his sentence.

Correia was 23 when he was elected the youngest mayor ever of Fall River in 2015 and served from 2016 to 2020.

Correia was arrested in 2018 after investors accused him of defrauding them, pocketing nearly $230,000 from his start-up app SnoOwl, and taking bribes from marijuana companies while using the money to uphold a lavish lifestyle. Correia has maintained he is innocent.