First witnesses testify in Correia trial, tracing rise from shoe salesman to mayor of Fall River
Testimony begins this week in the trial of Jasiel Correia, the former mayor of Fall River accused of taking $600,000 in bribes from marijuana companies and defrauding investors in a company he founded before taking office.
Correia’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, offered a first glimpse of the defense’s strategy during opening arguments on Monday, pounding the table and challenging the government to find a single document where Correia promised investors he would not draw income from his startup SnoOwl. The company’s stated intention was to build an app that would connect business owners with social media users looking for local promotions and discounts.
Reddington said Correia openly used SnoOwl’s bank account for personal expenses because they were a legitimate form of compensation.
“You can see every expense that was made,” Reddington said. “He wasn't hiding anything.”
Read more: https://thepublicsradio.org/article/first-witnesses-testify-in-correia-trial-tracing-rise-from-shoe-salesman-to-mayor-of-fall-river