BOSTON — The federal government opposed former Fall River mayor Jasiel Correia II’s request for early release from prison in a motion filed in federal court last week.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Tobin and Dustin Chao pulled no punches in their filing, even referring to the classic movie "The Maltese Falcon."
Correia, who is serving a six-year prison sentence inFCI Ashland in Kentucky, filed a request first with the prison warden. After getting no response within 30 days from the Bureau of Prisons, he submitted to the federal court last month a motion seeking “compassionate release,” and citing “extraordinary and compelling circ*mstances,”facts that were unknown to the court at trial and sentencing.
In an 18-day trial in May 2021, a federal jury found Correia guilty of nine counts of wire fraud, four counts of extortion conspiracy, four counts of extortion and four counts of tax fraud. Correia defrauded several investors of hundreds of thousands of dollars in a now-defunct smartphone app he helped created, SnoOwl, and as mayor demanded bribes from marijuana vendors in exchange for letters of non-opposition. Prosecutors said Correia used the money to fund a "lavish lifestyle," spending it on cars, luxury items, expensive travel, student loan repayments and more.
Federal Judge Douglas P. Woodlock later acquitted him on most wire fraud convictions and all tax fraud convictions, but let stand his extortion convictions. Correia was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison.
Extraordinary extortion claims:Convicted ex-mayor Jasiel Correia wants out of prison
Correia unsuccessfully appealed the convictions.
In the early-release motion, Correia, who has hired four attorneys since the FBI began to investigate him in 2016, is apparently representing himself.
Correia blames defense attorney Kevin Reddington
In their opposition motion, filed May 30, prosecutors wrote that the five claims presented in Correia’s filing “essentially fall into two categories.”
“The first is 'I am unhappy with my first defense counsel' category (four claims). The second is the 'I am unhappy other co-conspirators didn’t go to jail' category (one claim). None of these claims on their own, or collectively, are extraordinary or compelling,” wrote the federal prosecutors.
Correia's bid for early release accuses his trial defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, of agreeing to merge the SnoOwl fraud and the marijuana extortion cases without his consent; of failing to repay SnoOwl investors as Correia directed him to; of extorting Correia's family and Correia himself; and of not investigating the source of the marijuana bribes, again as Correia alleged he’d directed.
Reddington has publicly denied all the accusations.
Correia's filing includes sworn and notarized affidavits in support of his claims from his wife, Jenny Correia, mother, Maria Correia, his father, Jasiel Correia, and his sister, Alexandra Correia.
Kevin Reddington:What we know about the attorney representing the former Fall River mayor
Prosecutors take apart Jasiel Correia's claims
The prosecutors dispute all Correia’s claims, including Correia's “claim of ignorance” about merging the SnoOwl and extortion charges into one trial, citing a myriad of pre-trial conferences that addressed this issue.
They also dispute the claim that Reddington failed to help Correia repay over $300,000 to SnoOwl investors before trial.They note that federal prosecutors rejected Reddington's repayment offer.
In a puzzling move, Correia's court filing even included correspondence from Reddington in January 2019 to former Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Hafer, requesting a meeting to discuss repaying the investors.
Prosecutors said Correia's claim that Reddington attempted to extort him wasn’t credible, and “relies upon nothing more than hearsay upon hearsay gussied up in affidavits from the defendant’s wife, sister, and parents, where the source of the hearsay is apparently none other than the defendant himself.”
Timeline:
Where did all the bribe money go?
Prosecutors referenced a classic film noir regarding Correia’s claims that he repeatedly told Reddington to investigate the source of the bribes he was accused of receiving.
“Defendant Correia’s claim that [Reddington] did not sufficiently investigate the source of cash bribes is the ludicrous equivalent of Brigid O’Shaughnessy hiring Sam Spade to find out who murdered Spade’s partner, Miles Archer,” wrote prosecutors.
That’s a reference to the 1941 movie "The Maltese Falcon," where the femme fatale O’Shaughnessy hires private eye Spade investigate a murder, but she herself is the actual murderer.
“As the jury verdict made plain in May 2021, it was defendant Correia – not [Reddington] – who had the most knowledge with respect to the source of the cash bribes,” wrote prosecutors.
Prosecutors say everyone knew co-defendants would get no prison time
Federal prosecutors also debunked Correia’s claim that the federal government attempted to “hide” from the judge that Correia would be the only one of his co-defendants to receive prison time.
In fact, they noted, cooperating witnesses and co-defendants Tony Costa and Hildegard Camara were sentenced by Woodlock before Correia’s sentencing. David Hebert, another cooperating co-defendant, was sentenced later and received no prison time, but that should have been anticipated, said prosecutors.
Fourth co-defendant Gen Andrade did not testify against Correia and did not receive a prison sentence.
Argue Correia’s claims do not rise to compassionate release
Prosecutors argue that the compassionate release provision is meant for prisoners with serious medical circ*mstances, advancing age or a victim of serious sexual or physical abuse. They said Correia has not met those criteria and that his request should be denied.
“Defendant Correia sullied and sold the Fall River mayor’s office for hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, all while under indictment for fleecing his friends and associates for tens of thousands of dollars through his failed startup company, SnoOwl. He was and remains unrepentant of his crimes, and, if released now, would serve less than half of his six-year sentence. Such an outcome would not properly reflect the seriousness of his offenses or provide adequate deterrence to similar criminal conduct,” wrote prosecutors.
Reddington wants to face Correia in court
After Correia filed his motion for release on May 16, Reddington was quick to respond, calling his former client “a liar.”
The veteran defense attorney denied attempting to extort Correia and his family for 20% of SnoOwl, saying "20% of nothing is nothing.”
Reddington said he wants to meet Correia in court to address the allegations the ex-mayor made against him.
“We’ll see where it goes,” said Reddington.
As of early Monday, no hearing has been scheduled to address Correia’s request for early release.
According to BOP online inmate locator, he is set for release on Aug. 30, 2026.
