Genova Andrade, the one-time chief of staff for the former mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts has plead guilty to extortion, bribery and lying to federal investigators. She confessed to her role in a shakedown of a marijuana vendor and other businessmen in the state.
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On Monday, Andrade admitted that she worked with former Mayor Jasiel Correia to extort a Fall River businessman for $150,000 in exchange for an essential non-opposition letter from the city enabling him to open a recreational marijuana dispensary.
She also confessed to her involvement in two separate criminal schemes exchanging fringe benefits for official action and assistance favorable to business owners. Andrade conspired with Correia to obtain a slew of benefits from one owner, receiving cash and a rolex watch valued at $12,000.
Her employment under Correia proved to be conditional as it was found she paid him nearly half her salary from November 2017 to July 2018. When adding in a Correia approved, $10,000 city-funded “snow stipend”, her payment to the mayor totals almost $25,000.
When a federal corruption investigation into Correia began in late 2018, Andrade was brought in for questioning. In December she lied to agents about her knowledge of his actions as well as her own involvement. The former mayor was arrested twice while in office.
In 2018, he was indicted on charges he stole from investors in an app he developed. Despite the indictment, he survived a recall election in early 2019 before being arrested again on the separate marijuana business extortion charges.
Under Andrade’s the proposed plea agreement, Andrade would avoid prison time but must serve one year of supervised release and pay a $10,000 fine.
Andrade’s sentencing hearing is set for April 27th, however U.S District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock said before formally accepting the guilty plea, he will review her pre-sentencing report and decide whether to adopt the agreed-upon sentence.
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