BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson intends to plead guilty to federal public corruption charges in connection with an alleged kickback scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s office said Tuesday. In doing so, she is resigning from her position as well.
Fernandes Anderson, 46, was indicted by a federal grand jury last December and she originally pleaded not guilty. Federal prosecutors say she stole thousands of taxpayer dollars.
She is accused of being involved in a kickback scheme in which she allegedly hired a relative as a salaried employee and gave them a bonus of $13,000. Then, prosecutors say the relative gave the councilor $7,000 of the money in a City Hall bathroom.
The councilor agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds, according to the U.S. Attorney.
Fernandes Anderson released a statement in light of the situation, saying in part, “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.”
The government is recommending a sentence of one year and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and $13,000 in restitution, the plea agreement said.
Fernandes Anderson serves as city councilor for Boston’s District 7, which includes Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway, and a portion of the South End.
“It’s an incredibly unfortunate situation,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “Residents of District 7 and across the city rightly should have representation and public officials rightly should be held to a high standard.”
Some of Fernandes Anderson’s fellow city councilors spoke out about her situation.
“I think it’s important that she resigns quickly so that we can schedule a special election, because this could take months and then it could turn into the general election. So, my concern is that we don’t move quickly,” said Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy.
Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn said his focus was on rebuilding public trust.
“We lost a lot of credibility, we lost a lot of respect that we’ve had from the residents of Boston. We have to regain that,” he said.
She was not at Boston City Hall Tuesday afternoon. No date has been set for a plea hearing.
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