The FBI arrested a Massachusetts mayor at his home on fraud charges tied to pandemic relief money.
Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña got hauled in by federal agents on Friday morning, accused of siphoning more than $1.5 million in COVID-era small business loans meant for his tire company, according to reports. A criminal complaint filed in Boston's U.S. District Court hits him with wire fraud and money laundering allegations. Prosecutors say he grabbed federal pandemic funds earmarked for his business, then funneled the cash into personal and political spending.
And oh, it gets wild.
Prosecutors allege DePeña poured portions of the stolen funds into his mayoral campaign, settled personal tax bills, and knocked down over $880,000 in high-interest mortgages on properties he owned in Lawrence. All of that money was supposed to help businesses survive the COVID economic disaster. Instead, authorities say it padded his pockets.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley came out swinging. She said DePeña was someone the people of Lawrence looked up to and trusted, but he allegedly repaid that trust with corruption and lies. She made clear that federal prosecutors will go after fraud no matter who commits it, elected officials included.
DePeña, 61 years old, won the mayor's office back in 2021 and secured reelection in 2025. He previously sat on the Lawrence City Council from 2016 through 2021. Now he could be staring down up to 30 years behind bars if convicted.
But the courtroom appearance itself spawned an entirely separate fiasco. Video captured after the hearing shows a Dodge Charger carrying DePeña apparently slamming into the back of another vehicle, reversing, and then driving away from the scene. Leaving after a collision is itself a crime in most places.
Then there is the language situation. Reports indicate that DePeña's staff told reporters outside the courthouse that the mayor does not speak English. Let that marinate for a second. The sitting mayor of a Massachusetts city allegedly cannot communicate in English. When a Telemundo reporter asked what message he had for Lawrence residents, DePeña responded in Spanish, calling himself an honest and decent man who loves his community.
He is not going quietly, either. DePeña told Telemundo he has zero intention of resigning. He blamed enemies for the accusations, asking rhetorically what they have not fabricated about him. He appeared in federal court Friday and was released with conditions, including giving up his passport and a ban on applying for new loans without court approval. No plea has been entered yet.
FBI Boston Special Agent Ted Docks put it bluntly, saying that when elected officials steal federal funds for personal benefit, they betray their constituents and violate the law.
These charges land as federal investigators continue chasing fraud across the country's pandemic relief programs, which pushed hundreds of billions of dollars out the door and have sparked countless prosecutions targeting individuals, businesses, and public officials alike. Lawrence just became the latest city caught in the dragnet.
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