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Epoch Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson Pleads Guilty to Federal Corruption Charges
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to federal charges of embezzling $7,000 in public funds on May 5 at the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The second-term city councilor was arrested by federal authorities in December 2024 and signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in April of this year. At the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston, District Judge Indira Talwani read charges and explained the defendant's rights to Fernandes Anderson, confirming that she understood the legal documents. When the clerk of the court asked whether Anderson pleaded guilty or not guilty, the 46-year-old defendant wept and answered, 'Guilty.' She is scheduled for sentencing on July 29. Anderson said she would resign from the city council after signing the plea agreement in April. Related Stories 5/2/2025 5/2/2025 After the plea hearing on Monday, she told reporters outside the courthouse that she will complete her transitional plan, and step down before her sentencing. 'District 7 doesn't deserve not to have a vote in the budget,' she said. Anderson was elected to the Boston City Council in 2021. According to the She was the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the Boston City Council, representing District 7, consisting of Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway, and part of the South End. She said that she was working on a 'District 7 workbook,' entailing every important policy and project in the district. 'From the beginning when I decided that I needed to agree to a plea, I have been planning, so as to make sure that my staff was ok, that my constituents were ok, for this is a softer landing, that my family, my children were secured and ok,' Anderson said. A Transaction in the Bathroom According to the indictment, Anderson hired a family member (Staff Member A) to her city councilor office in late 2022, at an annual salary of approximately $65,000. In November 2022, Anderson emailed a City of Boston employee regarding her hiring of the staff, falsely representing that she and the staff member were not related. In early May 2023, Anderson told Staff Member A, that she would give the staff member extra pay in the form of a large bonus, but that Staff Member A would have to give a portion of the bonus back to the defendant. Staff Member A agreed to the arrangement. On May 3, 2023, Anderson sent an email to a City of Boston employee, instructing the employee to process a bonus payment of $13,000 to Staff Member A. Staff Member A's bonus was more than twice as large as the total amount of all bonus payments to the city councilor's other staff combined. On May 26, 2023, Staff Member A deposited the bonus check. Later, at Anderson's instructions, the staff member made three separate withdrawals of the money. On June 9, 2023, Anderson and Staff Member A exchanged texts to arrange a meeting at a bathroom at the Boston City Hall, where Staff Member A would hand approximately $7,000 in cash to the city councilor. According to the U.S. District Attorney's The defendant has agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. According to the plea agreement, the prosecutor agreed not to charge her with four other counts of wire fraud. The U.S. Attorney recommended sentencing the defendant to 12 months and one day incarceration, 36 months of supervised release, a restitution of $13,000, and a mandatory special assessment of $200.
06-05-2025
- Politics
Boston councilwoman pleads guilty to federal corruption charges in a kickback scheme
BOSTON -- A Boston city councilor on Monday pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges after prosecutors accused her of taking most of an inflated bonus that she paid to a relative who worked for her. Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. In exchange, prosecutors dropped four wire fraud counts against the 46-year-old lawmaker, who in 2021 became the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the council. Anderson was going through financial difficulties in 2023, partly because the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission told her it would fine her $5,000 for hiring immediate family members, according to prosecutors. Council members aren't permitted to hire immediate family members as paid staff. 'Councilor Fernandes Anderson abused her position of trust for personal gain and turned a public checkbook into her own private slush fund,' United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement. 'Her constituents deserve better than this. They deserve a city representative who respects the role of public service and does not use the power and position to line her own pockets ... Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed, and deceit.' According to prosecutors, Anderson told her relative that she would give her a $13,000 bonus, which was more than twice as much as the combined bonuses she gave to the rest of the staff. After taxes, the staffer received about $10,000. She withdrew the money in several bank transactions in May and June of 2023 before exchanging texts to meet Anderson in a City Hall bathroom that June 9, where she gave Anderson $7,000 of the money. The government is seeking a sentence of one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $13,000 when she is sentenced on July 29. Anderson could have faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the fraud charges. The theft count carried a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. Outside of court, Anderson didn't directly address the allegations that led to her guilty plea. She said she 'loved' her constituents and would remain focused on putting together a transitional plan for whomever replaces her. 'When I knew or decided that I needed to agree to a plea, I've been planning to make sure that my staff was OK, that my constituents were OK so that there's a softer landing, that my family, my children are secure and OK,' she said, adding that she hoped the media would forget her in the weeks ahead. When the plea deal was announced in April, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said Anderson had agreed to resign. Anderson indicated she planned to do that this summer. 'Our residents look to elected officials to lead with integrity, and the Boston City Council must continue to do just that,' Louijeune said. 'I am coordinating with counsel and staff to ensure that the rule of law and the rules of the body are executed effectively as we continue to receive information.' ___
Toronto Star
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Boston councilwoman pleads guilty to federal corruption charges in a kickback scheme
BOSTON (AP) — A Boston city councilor on Monday pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges after prosecutors accused her of taking most of an inflated bonus that she paid to a relative who worked for her. Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. In exchange, prosecutors dropped four wire fraud counts against the 46-year-old lawmaker, who in 2021 became the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the council.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Boston councilwoman pleads guilty to federal corruption charges in a kickback scheme
BOSTON (AP) — A Boston city councilor on Monday pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges after prosecutors accused her of taking most of an inflated bonus that she paid to a relative who worked for her. Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. In exchange, prosecutors dropped four wire fraud counts against the 46-year-old lawmaker, who in 2021 became the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the council. Anderson was going through financial difficulties in 2023, partly because the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission told her it would fine her $5,000 for hiring immediate family members, according to prosecutors. Council members aren't permitted to hire immediate family members as paid staff. 'Councilor Fernandes Anderson abused her position of trust for personal gain and turned a public checkbook into her own private slush fund,' United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement. 'Her constituents deserve better than this. They deserve a city representative who respects the role of public service and does not use the power and position to line her own pockets ... Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed, and deceit.' According to prosecutors, Anderson told her relative that she would give her a $13,000 bonus, which was more than twice as much as the combined bonuses she gave to the rest of the staff. After taxes, the staffer received about $10,000. She withdrew the money in several bank transactions in May and June of 2023 before exchanging texts to meet Anderson in a City Hall bathroom that June 9, where she gave Anderson $7,000 of the money. The government is seeking a sentence of one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $13,000 when she is sentenced on July 29. Anderson could have faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the fraud charges. The theft count carried a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. Outside of court, Anderson didn't directly address the allegations that led to her guilty plea. She said she 'loved' her constituents and would remain focused on putting together a transitional plan for whomever replaces her. 'When I knew or decided that I needed to agree to a plea, I've been planning to make sure that my staff was OK, that my constituents were OK so that there's a softer landing, that my family, my children are secure and OK,' she said, adding that she hoped the media would forget her in the weeks ahead. When the plea deal was announced earlier this month, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said Anderson had agreed to resign. Anderson indicated she planned to do that this summer. 'Our residents look to elected officials to lead with integrity, and the Boston City Council must continue to do just that,' Louijeune said. 'I am coordinating with counsel and staff to ensure that the rule of law and the rules of the body are executed effectively as we continue to receive information.'
Winnipeg Free Press
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Boston councilwoman pleads guilty to federal corruption charges in a kickback scheme
BOSTON (AP) — A Boston city councilor on Monday pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges after prosecutors accused her of taking most of an inflated bonus that she paid to a relative who worked for her. Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. In exchange, prosecutors dropped four wire fraud counts against the 46-year-old lawmaker, who in 2021 became the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the council. Anderson was going through financial difficulties in 2023, partly because the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission told her it would fine her $5,000 for hiring immediate family members, according to prosecutors. Council members aren't permitted to hire immediate family members as paid staff. 'Councilor Fernandes Anderson abused her position of trust for personal gain and turned a public checkbook into her own private slush fund,' United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement. 'Her constituents deserve better than this. They deserve a city representative who respects the role of public service and does not use the power and position to line her own pockets … Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed, and deceit.' According to prosecutors, Anderson told her relative that she would give her a $13,000 bonus, which was more than twice as much as the combined bonuses she gave to the rest of the staff. After taxes, the staffer received about $10,000. She withdrew the money in several bank transactions in May and June of 2023 before exchanging texts to meet Anderson in a City Hall bathroom that June 9, where she gave Anderson $7,000 of the money. The government is seeking a sentence of one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $13,000 when she is sentenced on July 29. Anderson could have faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the fraud charges. The theft count carried a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. Outside of court, Anderson didn't directly address the allegations that led to her guilty plea. She said she 'loved' her constituents and would remain focused on putting together a transitional plan for whomever replaces her. 'When I knew or decided that I needed to agree to a plea, I've been planning to make sure that my staff was OK, that my constituents were OK so that there's a softer landing, that my family, my children are secure and OK,' she said, adding that she hoped the media would forget her in the weeks ahead. When the plea deal was announced earlier this month, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said Anderson had agreed to resign. Anderson indicated she planned to do that this summer. 'Our residents look to elected officials to lead with integrity, and the Boston City Council must continue to do just that,' Louijeune said. 'I am coordinating with counsel and staff to ensure that the rule of law and the rules of the body are executed effectively as we continue to receive information.'
