Tania Fernandes Anderson, a Democrat on the Boston City Council, has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges.
Fernandes Anderson, the first Muslim elected to the council admitted to running a kickback scheme involving taxpayer funds.
Background
Born in Cape Verde, Fernandes Anderson entered the United States illegally at the age of 10.
She lived for years without legal status before eventually obtaining citizenship in 2019.
In 2021, she became the first Muslim elected to the Boston City Council, running on a progressive platform that embraced BLM and “equity” politics.
The Arrest
She was arrested by FBI agents last December while serving as Vice Chair of the Post Audit Committee.
That panel is tasked with overseeing government accountability and taxpayer funds.
Federal prosecutors charged her with five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal money.
According to the indictment, Fernandes Anderson awarded a $13,000 bonus to a staffer who was also a relative.
In exchange, she demanded the staffer return roughly $7,000 of the bonus directly to her.
The transaction reportedly took place in a bathroom at City Hall.
Prosecutors said text messages documented the kickback arrangement.
The scheme was described by U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy as a clear case of bribery and theft.
IRS criminal investigators also assisted in the case.
The Sentence
On Friday, Fernandes Anderson was sentenced to one month in prison.
She will also serve three years of supervised release and repay $13,000 in restitution.
Prosecutors had asked for a one-year prison term, but the judge handed down a lighter sentence.
Her Response
Speaking outside court, Fernandes Anderson asked the media to “let the story go.”
“It happened, I took responsibility,” she said.
“I actually don’t like being in the media… it’s just too much.”
