Fall River mayor says he won't quit; recall vote next

A Massachusetts mayor facing federal charges says he will not resign from office, setting the stage for a recall election.

The Fall River City Council had given Mayor Jasiel Correia until 5 p.m. Wednesday to decide if would leave office on his own. In a letter shared on social media, Correia said it was up to the "people of our city" to answer the question of whether he should continue serving.

Correia was indicted back in October on 13 counts of fraud and tax charges. According to prosecutors, the mayor allegedly misused $231,000 of the $363,000 that investors gave him for SnoOwl, an app company that Correia founded in 2012. He also allegedly misled investors about the business.

Prosecutors allege that Correia used the funds for a number of personal reasons including to fund his own political campaign, to pay for his personal travel and entertainment, to buy tens of thousands of dollars in luxury items – which included a Mercedes, designer clothes, and jewelry for an ex-girlfriend – and to pay down his student loans. Correia is also alleged to have made charitable donations in his own name with the money.

The mayor pleaded not guilty to the indictment and has denied the allegations.

Nearly two months after Correia was charged, the city's Board of Election Commissioners certified more than 4,000 signatures to recall the mayor. Correia, however, has doubted the legitimacy of the signatures, claiming they have been forged or duplicated. He now wants their authenticity to be proved.

Last week, the Fall River City Council sent Correia a letter requesting his resignation. If he refuses to comply, the city will hold a recall election. A special city council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 2 at 5:45 p.m.

In the past, Correia has said he has no plans to step down.

"I want to just continue doing my job and being the great mayor that I believe I can continue to be," Correia said. "And with the people's support, I'll stay in office. So, I don't get weary, I just wake up and try to do the best job I can."

Correia was elected mayor of Fall River in 2015 after serving as a city councilor for one term; he was reelected in November 2017. He is the youngest mayor in the city’s history.

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