Hearing for Fall River mayor’s ex-aide halted
IRS agent admits knowing little about case
A preliminary hearing for Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia’s former chief of staff was derailed Monday when the woman’s lawyer pressed an IRS agent’s knowledge of the case during a round of cross-examination, causing the hearing to conclude without a ruling.
Genoveva Andrade appeared in federal court Monday where she’s charged with extortion, extortion conspiracy, theft and bribery, and false statements for her role in Correia’s alleged extortion of Fall River-area marijuana vendors.
Correia pleaded not guilty to the 11 charges against him less than two weeks ago and has been released on $250,000 bail. A spokeswoman at his office confirmed he was working Monday and said he was unavailable for comment.
Fall River voters today will weigh in on Correia’s fate at the polls, where his name is on the ballot along with two challengers in a mayoral primary.
Andrade was Correia’s campaign manager then his chief of staff between November 2017 and December 2018. She stepped down in January to run Correia’s recall election campaign.
Prosecutors allege Andrade was involved in Correia’s $150,000 extortion of a marijuana vendor seeking a non-opposition letter to operate in Fall River.
Andrade is also alleged to have paid $22,800 of her own $78,780 salary to Correia, a bribe to keep her job, as well as half of a bogus $10,000 “snow stipend” to Correia.
Andrade was visibly distraught in the courtroom and after the hearing Monday as her lawyer, Charles Rankin, grilled IRS special agent Zachariah Marino on his knowledge of the case.
“Basically you’re here to say to Judge (Donald) Cabell you’ve read the affidavit and you know nothing about whether it’s accurate or not, other than it was sworn by agent (Sarah) De Lair?” Rankin asked Marino. “Correct,” Marino said. Rankin asked Marino if he read Correia’s superseding indictment filed Sept. 5 and if he had any knowledge of others named in the scandal, including David Hebert, who’s signed a plea agreement and is expected to plead guilty to extortion charges in a hearing today in federal court.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin objected to Rankin’s continued questioning of Marino, who admitted little knowledge of the case beyond the indictment, forcing Cabell to call a lengthy sidebar.
Cabell allowed to keep the record open for Rankin to submit a motion to request the testimony of agents who produced the information filings, and held off on making a finding with respect to the probable cause. Rankin declined to comment after the hearing.
Correia is due back in court for a status conference Oct. 16.