Cathy Ann Viveiros Jumps Into Fall River Mayor’s Race as Write-In

FALL RIVER — Just one day after embattled Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia announced he’d be taking a leave of absence in order to resolve his pending legal issues, City Administrator Cathy Ann Viveiros replaced him as a write-in candidate on Wednesday.

The Herald News reports that Viveiros made the announcement in front of roughly two-dozen supporters, many of who are also loyal supporters of Correia.  The Herald adds that it’s her sixth run for the City’s top office.

Mayor Corriea is facing a litany of federal charges pending from two separate cases. His most recent arrest at the hands of the FBI was in September on a 13-count federal indictment charging him with extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from marijuana vendors looking to do business in the city.

In September of 2018, he was arrested by federal authorities for the first time for allegedly defrauding investors in the SnoOwl app he created out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

City Council President Cliff Ponte became acting mayor Tuesday afternoon.

Viveiros will be running against School Committee member Paul Coogan. The final election is scheduled for November 5.