CHICOPEE MAYOR PLEADS GUILTY TO CORRUPTION CHARGES

Springfield, MA... The former Mayor of Chicopee pled guilty today on federal extortion charges in connection with his alleged solicitation and acceptance of illegal campaign contributions from a towing company owner and a Chicopee developer.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation New England Field Division; Douglas A. Bricker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Boston Field Division; and Peter C. Emerzian, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General, announced today that RICHARD GOYETTE, age 36, of 51 Providence Street, Chicopee, Massachusetts, pled guilty to a two count indictment charging him with use of his position under color of official right to extort two illegal campaign contributions, each in the amount of $5,000.

U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan said, “Mr. Goyette’s actions were an unconscionable breach of the public trust. As in all public corruption cases, it only serves to undermine citizens’ confidence that their government, which is supported by their tax dollars, is being run honestly. Citizens expect their elected public officials to represent the interests of all constituents, not just the ones who pay.”

At today’s plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that an individual referred to as Concerned Citizen-1 (“CC-1"), agreed to cooperate with investigators and record conversations with GOYETTE. GOYETTE expected to receive substantial campaign contributions from towing companies contracted to tow for the City of Chicopee. In a conversation that took place in the Mayor’s office on August 30, 2005, GOYETTE, CC-1 and GOYETTE’s campaign manager discussed how much money GOYETTE could expect from the towing company owners contracted to tow for the City of Chicopee. During the conversation the issue of a towing company owner possibly balking at paying $5,000 was raised, to which GOYETTE allegedly commented, “What a bunch of (expletive deleted) cry babies” and “They’re all greedy.”

The Government’s evidence would have also proved that GOYETTE sought an illegal campaign contribution of $5,000 from an individual who owned a towing company that had a towing contract with the City of Chicopee in order to continue the contract. The owner of the towing company, Concerned Citizen-2 (“CC-2"), cooperated with law enforcement and recorded a conversation he had on August 31, 2005 with GOYETTE concerning the payment. Additionally, on September 2, 2005, GOYETTE met with CC-2 at the towing company office where CC-2 gave GOYETTE $5,000 in cash. This meeting was recorded via video as well as audio.

A businessman who was developing a project in Chicopee on land purchased from the Office of Community Development, Concerned Citizen-4 (“CC-4"), was experiencing a number of difficulties in dealing with the Office of Community Development and its many requirements and restrictions on his project. CC-4 had a recorded conversation on August 26, 2005, with GOYETTE in which CC-4 agreed to pay GOYETTE $5,000 for GOYETTE to intervene on CC-4's behalf with the City of Chicopee’s Office of Community Development. In an undercover videotaped meeting that took place on September 2, 2005, CC-4 paid GOYETTE $5,000 in cash.

GOYETTE’S sentencing is scheduled for October 3, 2007.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is part of the ongoing public corruption investigation being conducted in western Massachusetts by the FBI, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Regan in Sullivan’s Springfield Office.