An elected Massachusetts Democrat might be going to prison. .Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson has agreed to plead guilty to federal corruption charges connected to an alleged kickback scheme that netted her thousands of dollars in cash from a staff member in exchange for an inflated bonus, according to a press release from the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.Additionally, the lawmaker announced she will resign from the Boston City Council.Federal prosecutors announced that Fernandes Anderson, 46, will plead guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. The plea deal recommends a sentence of one year and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and $13,000 in restitution.A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.Fernandes Anderson currently represents District 7 on the Boston City Council, covering Roxbury, parts of Dorchester, the South End, and Fenway. She was first elected in 2021 and re-elected in 2023. However, In December 2024, a federal grand jury indicted her following a lengthy investigation.Fernandes Anderson apologized for her actions in a public statement. I have decided to plead guilty and resolve the case brought against me. I would like to apologize to my constituents, supporters, and all who have been impacted. Please forgive me. I will be resigning. It is the right thing to do. In coming days, I will evaluate transition plans and timeline with the District 7 Advisory Council. I will do everything possible to make an orderly exit to ensure my constituents’ needs are met. I will have more to say at the appropriate time in court but I will not be commenting further beyond this statement. I pray that the press will respect my privacy, as well as the privacy of my family. Prosecutors say Fernandes Anderson illegally hired two immediate family members to her City Council staff in 2022, despite city laws prohibiting such hires. After being forced to end their employment in August 2022, she later hired another relative and falsely claimed in official communications that they were not related.In 2023, facing financial woes — including a $5,000 civil penalty from the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission — Fernandes Anderson orchestrated a kickback scheme, according to federal prosecutors.She promised a relative a substantial bonus but required that the person return a portion of it to her in cash.In May 2023, she authorized a $13,000 bonus in city funds for the $65,000-a-year staffer — more than double the combined bonuses of all other staff — and failed to disclose the arrangement to the city.The staffer deposited the check and, at Fernandes Anderson’s direction, withdrew thousands in cash over several days. On June 9, 2023, prosecutors say, they met in a bathroom at Boston City Hall, where the staffer handed her $7,000 in cash.The federal charges also accuse Fernandes Anderson of filing false tax returns in 2021, 2022, and 2023. She failed to report around $11,000 in outside income, personal use of campaign funds, plus the $7,000 kickback from her staffer, according to prosecutors.Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, while theft from a federally funded program carries up to 10 years and a similar fine. However, actual sentencing will be determined by a federal judge based on U.S. sentencing guidelines.The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service conducted the investigation.Despite the plea agreement, Fernandes Anderson remains presumed innocent until her guilty plea is formally accepted by the court, the U.S. Attorney's press release said.If a Boston district city council seat becomes vacant more than 180 days before a general election, the city council must schedule a special preliminary election within 62 to 76 days to nominate two candidates. Then, a special municipal election is held 28 days later to choose the new councillor, according to the city's web site.
An elected Massachusetts Democrat might be going to prison. .Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson has agreed to plead guilty to federal corruption charges connected to an alleged kickback scheme that netted her thousands of dollars in cash from a staff member in exchange for an inflated bonus, according to a press release from the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.Additionally, the lawmaker announced she will resign from the Boston City Council.Federal prosecutors announced that Fernandes Anderson, 46, will plead guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. The plea deal recommends a sentence of one year and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and $13,000 in restitution.A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.Fernandes Anderson currently represents District 7 on the Boston City Council, covering Roxbury, parts of Dorchester, the South End, and Fenway. She was first elected in 2021 and re-elected in 2023. However, In December 2024, a federal grand jury indicted her following a lengthy investigation.Fernandes Anderson apologized for her actions in a public statement. I have decided to plead guilty and resolve the case brought against me. I would like to apologize to my constituents, supporters, and all who have been impacted. Please forgive me. I will be resigning. It is the right thing to do. In coming days, I will evaluate transition plans and timeline with the District 7 Advisory Council. I will do everything possible to make an orderly exit to ensure my constituents’ needs are met. I will have more to say at the appropriate time in court but I will not be commenting further beyond this statement. I pray that the press will respect my privacy, as well as the privacy of my family. Prosecutors say Fernandes Anderson illegally hired two immediate family members to her City Council staff in 2022, despite city laws prohibiting such hires. After being forced to end their employment in August 2022, she later hired another relative and falsely claimed in official communications that they were not related.In 2023, facing financial woes — including a $5,000 civil penalty from the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission — Fernandes Anderson orchestrated a kickback scheme, according to federal prosecutors.She promised a relative a substantial bonus but required that the person return a portion of it to her in cash.In May 2023, she authorized a $13,000 bonus in city funds for the $65,000-a-year staffer — more than double the combined bonuses of all other staff — and failed to disclose the arrangement to the city.The staffer deposited the check and, at Fernandes Anderson’s direction, withdrew thousands in cash over several days. On June 9, 2023, prosecutors say, they met in a bathroom at Boston City Hall, where the staffer handed her $7,000 in cash.The federal charges also accuse Fernandes Anderson of filing false tax returns in 2021, 2022, and 2023. She failed to report around $11,000 in outside income, personal use of campaign funds, plus the $7,000 kickback from her staffer, according to prosecutors.Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, while theft from a federally funded program carries up to 10 years and a similar fine. However, actual sentencing will be determined by a federal judge based on U.S. sentencing guidelines.The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service conducted the investigation.Despite the plea agreement, Fernandes Anderson remains presumed innocent until her guilty plea is formally accepted by the court, the U.S. Attorney's press release said.If a Boston district city council seat becomes vacant more than 180 days before a general election, the city council must schedule a special preliminary election within 62 to 76 days to nominate two candidates. Then, a special municipal election is held 28 days later to choose the new councillor, according to the city's web site.
