Ganjapreneur reports..
The former chief of staff for Fall River, Massachusetts Mayor Jasiel Correia — who was arrested and accused of extorting local cannabis businesses — has pleaded guilty to extortion, bribery, and making false statements in the licensing corruption probe.
Here’s a bit of background from prior reports
Mayor & Staff Of Fall River Massachusetts Arrested On Federal Extortion Charges
Cannabis Regulators Revisit Massachusetts Mayor Bribery Case
Massachusetts Former Mayor On Charges Of Extorting Cannabis Businesses Has Trial Pushed Out Until September 2020
More Cannabis Company “Contributions” & Local Govt Issues Raise Their Ugly Head In Massachusetts
Massachusetts: Federal Grand Jury Convened To Investigate, “Host Community Agreements” For Graft
Ganjapreneur write..
Genoveva Andrade, the third chief of staff to former Fall River, Massachusetts Mayor Jasiel Correia, on Monday pleaded guilty to charges of extortion, bribery, and making false statements in connection with Correia’s scheme to extort cannabis businesses.
Andrade, 49, admitted to conspiring with Correia to extort a cannabusiness for $150,000 in return for a letter of non-opposition from the then-mayor. Under Massachusetts law, non-opposition letters from the heads of local governments are required to obtain a cannabis industry license. According to the Justice Department, after the vendor agreed to pay Correia for the letter, Andrade said to him, “you’re family now.”
Read the full report
Former City Official Pleads Guilty to Bribery, Extortion in Cannabis Licensing Probe
Also see
https://wbsm.com/chief-of-staff-to-former-fall-river-mayor-enters-guilty-plea/