Mayor indicted for fraud, extortion tossed out of office

 

Fall River Mayor-elect Paul Coogan. File photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News

FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) – Voters in Massachusetts have tossed a mayor under federal indictment out of office.

Paul Coogan, a two-time member of the city’s school committee, cruised to an easy victory in Tuesday’s election in Fall River. Incumbent mayor Jasiel Correia had remained on the ballot despite suspending his reelection campaign last month.

The 27-year-old Correia was first elected at age 23 and finished second to Coogan in September’s primary.

In mid-October, he took a voluntary leave of absence and handed most duties to the city council president.

Correia has pleaded not guilty to extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from marijuana companies.

He has also pleaded not guilty to defrauding investors in a smartphone app he was developing to fund a lavish lifestyle and further his political career.

 

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