BOSTON, Nov. 5, 2014—A Revere man today admitted to filing false nomination papers with the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

JOSEPH CURRAN (D.O.B. 6/17/89) pleaded guilty to 16 counts of filing false nomination papers, a misdemeanor that carries up to a year in a house of correction. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Carol Ball sentenced him to two years of probation.

Curran had also been indicted for 16 counts of forgery for filing nomination papers with forged signatures. Over prosecutors’ objections, Judge Carol Ball continued those felony charges without a finding for two years, meaning that they will be dismissed if Curran abides by an order not to work or volunteer on any political campaign,. Assistant District Attorney Michele Granda had sought guilty findings on those indictments and concurrent sentences of one year of probation.

Had the case proceeded to trial, Granda would have introduced evidence and testimony to prove that Curran was working for a political consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., in May of this year when he filed 16 sheets of nomination papers containing more than 100 false signatures with the Secretary of State.

Questions about some of those signatures were first raised by the Revere Elections Commissioner, who notified the Secretary of State’s office; the Secretary of State in turn referred the matter to Conley’s office. The candidate who retained Curran’s consulting firm was cooperative at every stage of the investigation that followed and was not charged; Curran was indicted on Aug. 8.

The case was investigated by the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit and prosecutors of the DA’s Special Prosecutions Unit. Curran was represented by attorney Lawrence Kelly

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.