BOSTON (AP) — A former Massachusetts state lawmaker was sentenced Wednesday to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to illegally using campaign funds to pay for personal expenses, defrauding a bank to obtain loans to buy a home and repay personal debts, and collecting income that he failed to report to the IRS.
Former Democratic state Rep. David M. Nangle, 60, of Lowell, was also sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay more than $33,000 in restitution to the IRS and forfeit nearly $16,000.
“Former Representative Nangle was a 22-year veteran of the Massachusetts State House and former chairman of the Ethics Committee when he illegally used campaign funds for private golf club dues, trips to casinos and expensive dinners,” acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Nathaniel Mendell said in a statement.
Nangle “betrayed his constituents’ trust,” Joseph Bonavolonta, agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston office said.
“Today’s sentence shows there are serious consequences for corrupt public officials who try to undermine the integrity of our government,” he said.
Nangle was heavily in debt and gambled extensively at casinos and online, and then used thousands of dollars in campaign funds to pay for personal expenses such as golf club dues, rental cars, flowers for his girlfriend, gas, hotels and restaurants, prosecutors said.
He concealed his theft by filing false reports that disguised the personal nature of the spending, they said.
He also devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain loans from a bank in order to finance the purchase of his home, fund his gambling activities and repay his personal debts by making false statements on multiple loan applications, misstating his income and understating his debt, authorities said.
Nangle also filed false tax returns for tax years 2014 to 2018 by reporting fictitious business deductions for purported “consulting” work.
Nangle said in court that he takes full responsibility for his actions.
“I’d also like to publicly apologize to my constituents and my beloved city of Lowell,” Nangle said.
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