By Staff Writer Tamendy Raymond.
The Fall River Election Commissioners had to wait until 5pm Friday, March 15, to certify official special election results.
Jasiel Correia II is officially the mayor of Fall River after the results of the special election that “saw him recalled then re-elected” according to sources at WPRI.
Federal prosecutors allege Correia misused $231,000 of the $363,000 investment funds and accepted seven investors into SnoOwl, an app that ‘would be’ helpful to businesses and engage consumers while they are out shopping or dining.
According to The Herald News, the shopping app “had taken in hundreds of thousands of dollars from investors and that his goal was to get them a return on their investment.”
Correia dealt with this while opening 1ZERO4 Business academy with his business partner, Alex Vlahos.
However, according to The Herald News, “The FBI cannot confirm or deny the existence of an investigation in keeping The Department of Justice’s policy.”
A Superior Court Judge ruled against a group of voters who “sought to prevent the results from being certified” ruling on the grounds for a recall election that violated the rules of the city charter.
The Fall River mayor has been requesting the judge to allow him access to lenders who invested in his app.
The 27-year-old filed a motion in attempts to repay his investors $300,000.
According to Masslive, representative Scott J. Croteau says he was arrested on October 11 and “now faces nine counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing false tax returns after authorities say he defrauded investors in the SnoOwl app.”
Authorities have accused Correia of using the investors’ money to fund a “lavish lifestyle” and his political career. According to sources, within weeks of receiving his first payment for investors back in January 2013, Correia bought himself a Mercedes, a federal affidavit stated. He is being accused of taking money between 2013 through 2015.
The government is concerned about the timing of the recent motion given that a recall election was on March 12 and is seeking re-election while facing several challengers for the position.
Joe Perreira, was the man who organized the recall election and issued a statement to NBC 10 News about Correia’s motion and says, “It would seem that Jasiel Correia is indeed trying to buy his way out of the federal charges by trying to pay back money he claims to have not stolen in order to clear several charges that have not yet been filed.”
He continued, “to me, that sounds like an admission of guilt.” He is requested to appear to federal court on April 23.
Is Correia guilty? How effective is the SnoOwl app? How serious is this case if the FBI can not confirm or deny the “existence of an investigation?”
What would be the first thing you would buy if given $300,000? Correia purchased a car, and probably a brand new aircraft, the Cessna TTx, who knows?
We will have to just wait and see what lies beneath, and see how the story unfolds.