By Joshua Resnek
A Nahant developer with a criminal record, who was associated with a land swap in Everett that nearly scuttled the $2.1 billion Wynn casino project now going up, has been charged by Federal prosecutors again.
Gary P. DeCicco, already being held in Federal custody on extortion charges, and Pamela Avedisian, a friend with whom he has a child, faced charges by prosecutors in Federal Court in Boston last week.
A series of real estate and insurance claims by the duo led to a number of fraud charges against them, according to the US Attorney’s office.
DeCicco and his woman friend pleaded not guilty to the numerous charges at an arraignment last Tuesday. She was released on $50,000 bail. He remains in Federal custody.
This continuing Federal investigation into DeCicco’s business life may be connected to the government’s alleged effort to gain access to everything DeCicco knows about his numerous real estate deals in Everett, according to those familiar with his difficulties.
According to Federal sentencing guidelines, if DeCicco is found guilty of all charges in the extortion case and in this new array of allegedly fraudulent transactions he has been charged with, he will be facing more than 30 years in prison.
These most recent charges of wire fraud and conspiracy, as well as bank fraud and conspiracy, provides for a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of wire fraud and attempted wire fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An official in the FBI’s Boston’s office refused to acknowledge whether or not there is an ongoing or renewed investigation regarding Everett land transactions DeCicco apparently participated in, which would include the former Monsanto site, now a popular shopping center anchored by Home Depot, and the casino site respectively.
At the time of the investigation, which began in 2013, the Boston Business Journal reported that DeCicco owned a part of FBT Everett Realty, the company that owned the land being sold to Wynn.
These allegations persisted but were never proven in court although the Boston Globe reported that DeCicco and a Revere businessman owned the property but their names disappeared from official documents by the time Wynn expressed an interest in the property in 2012.
Wynn Resorts had to re-write its sales agreement for the land it bought from FBT, slashing the price the company would pay if the casino was built in order to minimize the liability for the gambling giant if undisclosed partners were revealed who could benefit from the gambling business going on the land.
The grand jury investigation was apparently at an end in 2016 when the defendants who had been indicted were acquitted of any wrongdoing.
From 2013 until 2016, the FBI was active in Everett, conducting interviews with businesspeople and a number of elected public officials, some of whom were required to appear before the grand jury.
It is not publicaly known and will not be revealed by the US Attorney’s office whether or not DeCicco’s deepening legal problems represent a renewed effort by the government to secure new or additional information from him about elected public officials in Everett in return for a lighter sentence or a plea deal.