Former Providence City Council Majority Leader Kevin Jackson due in court today

By: News Staff

news@abc6.com

Former Providence City Council Majority Leader Kevin Jackson is set to be arraigned for embezzlement charges in superior court later today.

The longtime capital city lawmaker is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the youth program he founded.

Jackson will face a judge today but these allegations are nothing new.

Police say Jackson has been embezzling money since as far back as the early 2000s.

Jackson is facing several charges related to that and is accused of unlawfully embezzling more than $127,000 from the Cobras, a city youth program he founded, and for spending more than $12,000 in campaign funds.

It is also alleged that Jackson received nearly $70,000 from multiple city sources over the past decade for the Cobras.

Jackson was arrested in May.

In the wake of that, he resigned from his leadership post and his role on the finance committee, but not his seat.

Mayor Jorge Elorza commented on the matter to ABC6 last month saying he believes public officials should be held to a higher standard of accountability.

“If those allegations are true then that is absolutely unacceptable and the people of the city deserve better.”

At this point it is still unclear whether Jackson used his position on the city council to direct city funds to the Cobra Youth Program.

City council president Luis Aponte said that Jackson will remain a member of the city council until the end of the criminal investigation or he resigns.

© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2016