Date: March 7, 2022 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov The former chief of staff to the now-convicted former Fall River mayor Jasiel Correia III was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for making false statements in connection with lying to federal authorities about her salary-kickback arrangement with the former mayor. Genoveva Andrade, of Somerset, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to time served, one year of supervised release. Andrade was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine. Earlier in the hearing, Andrade pleaded guilty to making a false statement. "Ms. Andrade had many choices – rather than serve the people of Fall River with the integrity she swore to provide, she chose to support the corrupt leadership of Jasiel Correia by lying to federal authorities in an effort to protect him. This prosecution is about the citizens of Fall River who have every right to expect that their government will focus on improving the lives of the people who live in this great City. The mayor and his chief of staff put their own self interests above the needs of their constituents," said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. "My office will continue to hold government officials who abuse their positions of trust accountable. We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to root out corruption wherever it lies." "Ms. Andrade's admission to making false statements to special agents reveal her efforts to hide facts in this investigation," said Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Office. "Today's sentencing reflects the serious nature of her role in the kickback arrangement for which she will now be held accountable." "Instead of doing right by the citizens of Fall River, Genoveva Andrade repeatedly lied to us about mayor Jasiel Correia's criminal conduct in an effort to obstruct our investigation and protect components of City Hall under their leadership," said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. "Today's sentence brings this sordid chapter in Fall River history to a close, while also making it crystal clear that anyone who lies to the FBI during the course of a public corruption investigation will not get away with it." "Today's events are the result of Ms. Andrade placing her loyalty to Jasiel Correia above her duty to the people of Fall River," said Massachusetts Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha. "My office and our federal partners are committed to ensuring that public officials in Massachusetts who choose a similar path will face consequences for their criminal acts." Soon after Correia hired Andrade as his chief of staff in November 2017, she began kicking back half of her salary to Correia on a bi-weekly basis until July 2018. She also kicked back nearly all of the $10,000 city-funded "snow stipend" that Correia approved for Andrade. Andrade made false statements to federal agents in December 2018 in connection with her salary kickback arrangement with Correia. On May 14, 2021, Correia was convicted by a federal jury of nine counts of wire fraud, four counts of filing false tax returns, four counts of extortion conspiracy and four counts of extortion. Judge Woodlock dismissed six counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing false tax returns, for which the jury convicted Correia. On September 21, 2021, Correia was sentenced by Judge Woodlock to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. He still has yet to surrender. On March 3, 2022, the Court delayed Correia's self-surrender date for the sixth time – he was scheduled to surrender the following day. Correia was previously ordered to report to prison on December 3, 2021; January 10, 2022; January 28, 2022; February 13, 2021; February 14, 2022; and March 4, 2022. He is now scheduled to begin his prison sentence on April 5, 2022. The Government will continue to strongly advocate that Correia begin to serve his sentence. U.S. Attorney Rollins, IRS SAC Simpson, FBI SAC Bonavolonta, Massachusetts Inspector General Cunha, and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Tobin and Dustin Chao, of Rollins' Criminal Division, prosecuted the case.
