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FBI Arrests Boston Councilor Fernandes Anderson on Wire Fraud and Theft Charges

Dec 6, 2024, 04:55 PM

Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested on federal public corruption charges on Friday morning at 6 AM. FBI agents apprehended her at her home in Dorchester. She faces five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, charges that carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years per count. Fernandes Anderson is accused of orchestrating a kickback scheme involving a relative she hired on her staff, diverting taxpayer money into her own pocket. According to federal prosecutors, she awarded the staffer a $13,000 bonus with the expectation that they would return a portion to her, resulting in a $7,000 cash handoff in a City Hall bathroom. Fernandes Anderson pleaded not guilty to all charges during her arraignment in federal court on Friday afternoon. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has called for her resignation, and other city officials have expressed concern over the allegations.