Camara allegedly aided Fall River mayor in extortion a month before his appointment to BCTC

FALL RIVER — The month before Hildegar Camara was appointed Bristol County Training Consortium director by Jasiel Correia II, federal prosecutors claim he assisted the mayor in a corruption plot to bribe a local businessman seeking letters of non-opposition to establish marijuana businesses in the city.

The alleged crime is listed in a 40-page indictment handed up Friday as “Conspiracy to Commit Extortion #1” and one of the two bribery schemes in which federal prosecutors implicate Camara.

In June 2016, Camara is alleged to have met the businessman at a local Dunkin’ Donuts to inform the man that Correia wanted $250,000 in exchange for a letter of non-opposition and host agreement to open a marijuana dispensary.

Camara is alleged to have told the marijuana businessman that it was what “other groups had paid,” although there is no indication that he or Correia had previously requested bribes from marijuana business owners.

Correia, who pleaded not guilty to 11 additional federal charges in addition to 13 previous counts Friday after his arrest at his Peckham Street residence, had only been in office for six months at the time of Camara’s meeting with the alleged victim.

The mayor appointed Camara head of BTCT in July 2016.

A source close to the issue who asked for anonymity confirmed that the alleged victim in the conspiracy to commit "Extortion #1,” as described in court documents, is Tiverton resident David Brayton, who started the medical marijuana company Xiphias Wellness.

The company, now named Nature’s Medicine, is located at 482 Globe St., the location of the former Polish Home, and is a medical marijuana dispensary.

The company has a provisional license from the state Cannabis Control Commission to sell recreational marijuana.

Brayton did not respond to a request for comment.

Federal prosecutors also allege co-conspirator Antonio Costa, a former neighbor of Camara, was also involved in what they claim was the first of four bribery shakedowns.

Prosecutors claim that on July 14, 2016, Correia received a check from Brayton for $100,000 as part of the bribe payment. The memo line said the check was written for “Property Management Fees/Retainer."

The same day Costa told Correia that he had received the first payment, Correia issued a letter of non-opposition to Brayton.

According to Correia’s indictment, in the ensuing weeks, the mayor visited Costa’s then-home on North Main Street to pick up additional bribe payments in $10,000 to $20,000 installments as his cut of the bribe.

In total, Correia received approximately $70,000 of the $100,000 and Costa’s cut was about $30,000, according to the indictment.

The indictment indicates that Correia would have received all of the $150,000 balance of the bribe.

Email Jo C. Goode at jgoode@heraldnews.com.