BOSTON — Former mayor Jasiel Correia II is not giving up on his bid for early release from his six-year prison sentence, doubling down in a response to prosecutors’ opposition and continuing to argue that he’s the victim of ineffective assistance of counsel by his defense attorney, Kevin Reddington.
Correia filed a motion for reduction in his sentence in May, accusing Reddington, a high-profile Massachusetts defense attorney, of several alleged wrong-doings.
Federal prosecutors responded strongly in their motion in opposition to Correia’s claims, saying the former mayor “was and remains unrepentant of his crimes.”
Reddington has denied Correia’s allegations, calling the convicted Fall River mayor “a liar.”
Correia, 32, remains in a federal prison in Kentucky. A jury convicted him after an 18-day trial in May 2021 for defrauding investors of hundreds of thousands of dollars in an app company he founded called SnoOwl before he was elected mayor, and for extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from marijuana business owners as mayor for the right to do business in Fall River.
Prosecutors said Correia used the money to fund a “lavish lifestyle,” spending it on cars, luxury items, expensive travel, student loan repayments and extravagant gifts to a romantic interest at the time.
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Correia accuses Reddington of threatening to try his case unprepared unless he coughed up $50,000
Correia has alleged Reddington attempted to extort from him $50,000 and a 20% stake in his now-defunct company, SnoOwl.
In Correia’s most recent filing, he expounded on the allegation, writing, “[Reddington] attempted to extort $50,000 and 20% of SnoOwl from the Defendant and his family with threats that he would otherwise be unprepared for trial and that Defendant’s family could visit him at [U.S. Penitentiary] Leavenworth while he’s serving thirty years; and he made good on his threat by being utterly unprepared for trial and refusing to call at least a dozen witnesses that the Defendant had asked him to call in his defense.”
Correia also alleges that Reddington’s lack of preparation was “the only reason that your Defendant didn’t testify in his own defense.”
Reddington has denied the accusations, adding, “By the way, 20% of nothing is nothing.”
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Correia again complained in his court filing that Reddington agreed to not sever his case into two separate trials — the SnoOwl fraud case and the corruption case — without being fully informed and with his consent.
Correia made that claim despite being present for multiple pretrial hearings with federal court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock that addressed that issue.
In his latest filing, Correia asserted that, despite his orders, Reddington failed to call multiple witnesses to the stand, including his former staffers Michael Dion, executive director the Community Development Agency, and his co-defendant and former chief of staff Gen Andrade.
Dion had been subpoenaed by Correia to testify. The night before he was to appear for the defense, he was told by Reddington he would not have to take the stand.
It’s unlikely Andrade would be compelled to testify for Correia’s defense, as she was a co-defendant with Correia and awaiting her own pending trial. Andrade later took a negotiated plea deal with the government and was given one year’s probation for her role in the corruption case.
Correia further claims that he has text messages and emails between himself and Reddington that prove his assertions, although the court filing contains no exhibits.
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Analyst: Correia’s filing is ‘a concerted attack’ on Reddington
Somerset attorney and legal analyst Steven Sabra said his review of Correia’s latest filing offers no new insights into his argument for early release.
Federal law allows for a prison sentence to be modified for “extraordinary and compelling” reasons. Sabra said that law is usually invoked for issues like prisoner’s health or safety issues.
“It’s a concerted attack on attorney Reddington, that’s really all it is,” said Sabra on Correia’s recent filing. “He raises the same points here he raised in his initial pleading. The question is still going to come down to whether there are, as the statute reads, whether there are extraordinary or compelling reasons.”
Correia asks why prosecutors didn’t include affidavit from Reddington
Correia’s most recent filing also made an issue of the fact that prosecutors did not include an affidavit from Reddington in their motion opposing his early release.
In his request for early release, Correia had enlisted affidavits from his immediate family, including sworn statements from his wife, Jenny Fernandes Correia, his parents, Jasiel Correia and Maria Correia, and his sister, Alexandra Correia, supporting his allegations.
Sabra said an affidavit from Reddington is not legally required since Correia’s issue is with the government and the court — not his defense attorney.
Sabra noted that Correia also never raised the issue of ineffective assistance of counsel after his conviction in his appeal to overturn the guilty verdict or to give him a new trial.
He lost that appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in November 2022.
Correia has retained a forensic expert, but it’s unclear why
Correia requested and was granted an extension by Woodlock to amend his response to the government’s opposition to his early release. His deadline is June 26.
In his filing, Correia indicates to the court that he “was able to retain forensics expert” and “as soon as the forensics report and affidavit is delivered to his family, he will supplement this supply this Reply with the same.”
It is not immediately clear what forensic information Correia will be submitting to the court.
Sabra said Woodlock may schedule a hearing in federal court on the matter of Correia’s early release or file an order without an in-person hearing.
According to the Bureau of Prisons, Correia’s current release date is Aug. 15, 2026.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Former Fall River mayor Jasiel Correia continues bid for early release
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