Boston Metropolis Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson is predicted to seem in federal court docket for a listening to Monday to plead responsible to 2 corruption costs associated to an alleged kickback scheme.
Fernandes Anderson, 46, has agreed to plead responsible to 1 depend of wire fraud and one depend of theft involving public funds associated to a scheme prosecutors say stole 1000’s of {dollars}.
Within the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop 4 wire fraud costs leveled in opposition to Fernandes Anderson when she was federally indicted and arrested final December. The councilor has initially pleaded not responsible to all six costs.
U.S. Lawyer Leah Foley has really helpful Fernandes Anderson be sentenced to a yr and a day in jail adopted by three years of supervised launch and pay $13,000 in restitution. The councilor could also be sentenced at Monday’s listening to or that may very well be scheduled for a later date.
The cost of wire fraud can carry a sentence as much as 20 years in jail and a $250,000 wonderful, whereas the sentence for a cost of theft regarding packages receiving federal funds go as much as 10 years in jail.
The federal government has alleged that in Might 2023 whereas she was dealing with “personal financial difficulty,” Fernandes Anderson gave considered one of her employees members, a relative, a $13,000 bonus with the understanding that $7,000 could be returned to the councilor. Feds say the 2 deliberate the change over textual content and the handoff occurred with money in a Metropolis Corridor rest room in June 2023.
Prosecutors have additionally alleged Fernandes Anderson filed fraudulent tax returns for 2021, 2022, and 2023, together with “willfully omitting campaign funds that she used for her own personal enrichment.”
The District 7 councilor, who has represented Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and a part of the South Finish since 2022, beforehand stated she would resign her submit however has not said when she plans to take action. Boston Metropolis Councilors could also be faraway from their positions after prison sentencing.
