Congressman Denies Charges of Extortion

Rep. Nicholas Mavroules (D-Mass.) pleaded innocent Friday after a grand jury indicted him on extortion and other charges, some dating to his tenure as mayor of suburban Peabody in the 1970s.

Mavroules, a Democrat, is charged with racketeering, extortion, illegally accepting a gratuity, filing false tax returns and making false statements. He called the charges “absolutely a bunch of lies” and pledged to fight for reelection to an eighth term. The primary is Sept. 15.

The charges include accusations that, as a congressman, Mavroules extorted $12,000 from a federal prisoner’s family to help move the man to a better prison; and that he conspired to extort $25,000 and a job for his brother at a liquor store in exchange for a liquor license while he was mayor of Peabody.

If convicted on all counts, Mavroules could face a maximum sentence of more than 20 years in prison. U.S. Atty. A. John Pappalardo said he expected that the congressman would spend at least two years behind bars if convicted.

“Congressman Mavroules used the power of his office to enrich himself,” Pappalardo said.

Mavroules was released on his own recognizance.

Mavroules, 62, grew up in a working-class Peabody neighborhood of Greek, Polish and Portuguese immigrants. He began his political career on the Peabody City Council in 1958 and served as mayor from 1968 to 1979.

As mayor he earned praise for laying the groundwork for future industrial growth, but he was criticized when an influx of massage parlors and related businesses earned Peabody the nickname “Combat Zone of the North.”

After entering Congress in 1978, he moved into a senior seat on the House Armed Services Committee. An outspoken opponent of the MX missile, he earned a reputation as a crusader against Pentagon waste.

But Mavroules also helped land projects for defense contractors in his district. Last month he helped secure a $754-million contract for the General Electric Co. plant in Lynn, Mass., to build engines for F-18 fighter planes.