EX-STATE SEN. FOUND DEAD
Joyce was facing federal trial for corruption
Former state Sen. Brian Joyce, facing a federal trial on charges he took bribes and kickbacks while in office, was found dead in his Westport home yesterday afternoon, officials said.
Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the Bristol District Attorney’s Office said Joyce was found by his wife and no foul play is suspected.
The office of the chief medical examiner took custody of the body and an autopsy will be conducted in the coming days. The investigation is active and ongoing, Miliote said.
Officials reported that Joyce was involved in a car crash on Wednesday in Westport, but it is not related to his death.
Joyce, a Milton Democrat who served for nine terms, was awaiting a trial on federal corruption charges. He was arrested by federal authorities last year on 113 charges including racketeering, extortion, wire fraud and money laundering.
The 104-page, December 2017 indictment listed additional charges including mail fraud, embezzlement and conspiracy to impede and impair the functions of the IRS. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges, was ordered released on a $250,000 bond and was forced to surrender his passport.
Joyce allegedly used his state Senate office to take bribes and kickbacks as well. The kickbacks ranged from pounds of free coffee to a car. In all, the feds say it totaled about $1 million.
Joyce, 56, was first elected to the Senate in 1998 and announced in 2016, while under federal investigation on corruption charges, that he would not run for reelection.
Senate President Karen Spilka tweeted her condolences yesterday saying, “As authorities handle the appropriate investigations, my thoughts are with his family.” The Massachusetts Democratic Party also released a statement, saying, “During this difficult time, our thoughts are with Senator Joyce’s family and friends.”
Joyce was a graduate of Boston College and Suffolk University Law School. He and his wife, Mary, had five children.