FBI special agents in Boston arrested City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson on Friday morning on public corruption charges. Fernandes Anderson was under investigation by federal authorities, and FBI agents were seen outside her home in Dorchester as she was taken into custody.
According to a court filing by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Fernandes Anderson is facing five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. The federal prosecutors allege that she hired a staff member who was related to her and defrauded the city by proposing a kickback scheme.
The court document revealed that Fernandes Anderson faced financial difficulties in early to mid-2023, including missing rent and car payments, bank overdraft fees, and a pending civil penalty from the Ethics Commission. The filing detailed an incident where she accepted $7,000 in cash as a kickback from a staff member in a City Hall bathroom.
Prosecutors also noted that Boston City Councilors were prohibited from hiring immediate family members, yet Fernandes Anderson hired two such individuals in 2022. She later fired them and was fined $5,000 by the Ethics Commission. Additionally, her campaign received contributions over the legal limit and failed to file deposit information promptly.
Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen condemned Fernandes Anderson's alleged actions, stating that they undermine the public's trust in government. Anderson, who represents District 7 in Boston, was elected in 2021 as the first African immigrant and Muslim-American on the City Council.
Before her councilor role, Anderson held various positions, including Executive Director of Bowdoin Geneva Main Streets, parent advocate with Boston Public Schools, program manager for a homeless women’s shelter, business owner, and child social worker. She has also been a foster parent to 17 children while raising two biological kids.
Anderson is expected to appear in federal court in Boston later today to face the charges against her.
