Rep. Christopher Asselin (D-Springfield)
Posted on 07/12/2004 1:35:48 PM PDT by Redcoat LI
Springfield political family indicted for corruption Monday, July 12, 2004
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Nine members of a politically connected family, including a Democratic state legislator and his father, the former head of the Springfield Housing Authority, were charged Monday with corruption.
The 95-count federal indictment, filed in U.S. District Court, Springfield, names 13 people in all, including three contractors and the Housing Authority's former head of maintenance.
They are charged with skimming money from the Housing Authority and using it to make improvements to their own homes, and to aid the re-election campaign of state Rep. Christopher Asselin, D-Springfield.
``It was an objective of the defendants to conduct the business and affairs of the Springfield Housing Authority for the personal pecuniary and political benefit of (the Asselin family)'', the indictment says.
Twelve people have been arrested, including eight members of the Asselin family, according to the FBI. Five family members were arrested early Monday morning at their home in Chatham, on Cape Cod. Three others were arrested at their homes in western Massachusetts. Christopher's Asselin's wife, Merylina Asselin, was expected to surrender to authorities later Monday.
The family patriarch, Raymond Asselin Sr., headed the housing authority for 33 years until he resigned in May 2003 as investigators were closing in. His three other sons, Raymond Jr., James and Joseph were also charged, along with several of their wives and children.
The charges include racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, mail fraud, extortion, money laundering and witness tampering.
Christopher Asselin's legislative aide, Matt Kosciusko, did not comment on the arrests. His attorney and other lawyers for the Asselins did not return telephone calls to The Associated Press.
The Springfield Housing Authority allegedly served as a public trough for the politically connected family, which regularly dipped into it to pay for home improvements, including furnishings and landscaping equipment, as well as free work on their houses for over a decade, according to the indictment.
Christopher Asselin, a two-term Democrat from East Springfield, had renovations to his home and campaign office done by housing authority employees, according to the indictment.
One witness told the FBI that he installed carpeting, wallboard and a water fountain at Asselin's campaign office, while others painted and delivered truckloads of loam to his house.
Witnesses also said Raymond Asselin Sr. diverted authority funds to improve his $1.1 million Cape Cod home and the residences of his five children, instructing workers to use housing authority money to order everything from paint to granite countertops.
He allegedly ordered authority workers to falsify time slips to make it appear that authority staff were working on public property when they were actually renovating the Asselins' homes.
One FBI witness said Raymond Asselin instructed his children to drop written requests for home improvements into a basket outside his back door.
The oldest of his sons, James W. Asselin, was sentenced last month to three years and five months in federal prison after pleading guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from the city-run small business loan program he headed. He was also ordered to pay back more than $720,000 he stole with a cohort, James Krzystofik.
As co-managers of the Greater Springfield Entrepreneurial Fund, Asselin and Krzystofik paid themselves more than $300,000 in unauthorized ``consulting'' and ``technical assistance'' fees between 1998 and their resignations in June 2002, and attempted to cover up the deals.
Also named in the indictment were Raymond Asselin's wife, Janet Asselin; Raymond Jr.'s wife, Melinda, and daughter, Maria Serrazina; and Christopher Asselin's wife, Merylina.
Arthur G. Sotirion, the authority's former head of maintenance, was also charged, along with contractors Peter Davis, John Spano, and Paul Bannick.
Even though I live in 16 Acres, I hope Mitt sticks to his guns and doesn't bail-out this den of criminal nepotists.
I grew up about 3 miles away in wilbraham. Nice neighborhood.
You remember a True Value hardware store up on Boston Road?
Used to be my fathers place.
Yes, used to go in there a bunch. My dad had his office upstairs across from McFarland the dentist. I got in trouble one year for hanging out too long at the christmas party in the back.
Does this mean that Springfield will never get its monorail?
A nest of crooked democrats??? I just can't believe this! <;9/>
They still have "The Escalator to Nowhere."
This guy's forehead starts at his neck.
My Dad knew your Dad well!
That whole "plaza" has changed. The HW store is now split in half - liquor store on the right, and nail salon on the left.
Still a restaurant/bar on the corner, but now mostly Portuguese fare.
I hope your dad is well. Mine is now enjoying the fruits of his labor, retired and loving it.
What a small world! (i hate to have to mow it all, though)
Dang. That's what put Ogdenville, North Haverbrook and Brockway on the map.
Nonsense! DemonRats are the nicest, kindest, most gentle people on earth and they would never lie, or steal, or cheat, or misuse public funds in any way,......hey give me another hit of that smack so I can keep on writing,...........ssssssnnnnnnzzzzzzzzzzzz!
And you're right, it is a small world.
Back on topic: The Springfield Union has a nice picture of the Asselin gang being rounded up.
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