Boston City Councilor and Dorchester resident Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday, May 5, to charges of wire fraud and theft involving public funds. She admitted to taking a $7,000 kickback from a staff member’s city-funded bonus.
Fernandes Anderson, 46, entered her plea before U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani. Sentencing is set for July 29, 2025. Prosecutors are recommending a sentence of one year and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, and $13,000 in restitution.
The charges arise from a 2023 scheme in which Fernandes Anderson directed a $13,000 bonus to a staff member and then secretly took back $7,000 in cash. The cash was handed to her in a City Hall bathroom.
She also admitted to using campaign funds for personal expenses and filing false tax returns from 2021 to 2023, omitting income, and failing to report the kickback.
Federal officials condemned her actions, calling them a betrayal of public trust. “She used her office for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Leah Foley. “Her constituents deserved better.”
“Councilor Fernandes Anderson abused her position of trust for personal gain and turned a public checkbook into her own private slush fund. Her constituents deserve better than this. They deserve a city representative who respects the role of public service and does not use the power and position to line her own pockets,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Her guilty plea today says what she refuses to admit in her media interviews: she broke the law, lied to the public, and used her office for her own personal gain. Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed, and deceit. The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring elected officials are held accountable for this kind of corruption and dishonesty.”
Fernandes Anderson has served as City Councilor for District 7, which includes Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway, and part of the South End, since 2021. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Public Corruption Unit, with investigations led by the FBI and IRS.
