Former Providence City Councilman Jackson Sentenced to One-and-a-Half Years in Prison
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Former Providence City Councilman Kevin Jackson has been sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison.
Jackson, who was first elected to the Providence City Council in 1994, was recalled from office in May 2017.
He was arrested in May 2016 on charges of improper use of campaign funds, and embezzlement totaling nearly $140,000. Judge Brian Stern handed down the sentence on Wednesday in Superior Court.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTEfforts to reach Jackson for comment were unsuccessful.
Restitution, Jail Time
Jackson has also been ordered to pay restitution of $117,000. The funds he is convicted of taking were from a sports team that he helped to co-found the Providence Cobras running team. The team was very successful working with inner-city kids primarily in Providence and Pawtucket and helping them achieve track success and a number of them were recruited for Division I scholarships.
After his indictment in 2016, many of his former athletes spoke out about the impact Jackson had made of their lives. “I’m sorry to hear something happened. From what I knew from a personal perspective, Kevin spared no expense in allowing these kids to achieve, and get the experience they needed. We were truly grateful. There's no other program like it,” said Vanessa Dailey Harris, whose daughter Dakota is a Cobras alum — and an All-American and graduate of the University of Miami this year and competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials this summer.
Cobras alum Stacey Smith grew up in Mt. Hope and went on to compete at Ohio State.
“I started with the Cobras in 1984-85, having Kevin there and as my high school coach at Hope. He taught me how to throw the shot,” said Smith. “He was a counselor at the [YMCA], he really put himself out there in a predominantly black part of town. He wasn't very welcomed at first, but he gained the trust of the community. He means a lot to us, his athletes -- and at our age now, we're not athletes, we’re just his friends.”
“I directly relate everything in my college success to what I learned from high school and the Cobras,” said Smith. “All the kids on the Cobras, we all grew up together, and that kept us out of trouble. We all had the same goals and ideals and a large part of that is due to the coaches.”
Jackson pled not guilty in Providence County Superior court in August, but soon faced a recall effort that GoLocal dubbed "The Biggest Political Brawl of 2016." As GoLocal reported:
The fight over City Councilman Kevin Jackson’s seat is loaded with some of the state’s most influential political and legal players. As of today, about half a dozen lawyers are now brawling over the outcome and that list may grow.
Some of the players in this political and legal tussle include one of Rhode Island’s top judges, Bernie Sanders’ top backers in Rhode Island, one of the State’s top criminal defense attorneys, the ACLU, the legacy of a dead Mayor, and to top it off, Goldman Sachs' top staffer in Rhode Island.
This story was first published 12/12/18 12:27 PM
Related Articles
- Elorza Picks $1,000 Donor to Represent City in Jackson Recall Case
- Handwriting Expert Says Some Signatures in Jackson Recall Maybe Fraudulent
- NEW: Jackson’s Legal Team Alleges Open Meeting Violation by Providence Board of Canvassers
- Guest MINDSETTER ™ Art Norwalk: Vote Yes to Remove Jackson From Office
- Providence Board of Canvassers Votes to Allow Jackson Recall Effort to Move Forward
- Guest MINDSETTER™ James Monteiro: Vote No in Recall Effort of Councilman Jackson
- Providence City Council Members Vote to Schedule Jackson Recall Election
- GoLocalTV: Jackson Recall Organizers Make Case for Signatures on Election Day
- Wood and Kammerer Responded to Jackson’s Objections Filed With the Board of Canvassers
- Providence Board of Canvassers Flip-Flop on Councilman Jackson Recall
- Jackson Recall Organizers File Motion to Continue Collecting Signatures
- Jackson Recalled by Ward 3 Voters in Providence
- Providence’s Use of City Solicitor in Jackson Recall Could be Conflict
- Jackson Recall Organizers Object to Latest Court Ruling