BOSTON – Boston Councilwoman Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested Friday on federal government corruption charges, authorities said.
According to an indictment, Fernandes Anderson is accused of bank fraud, theft from programs that receive federal funds and forfeiture charges.
U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy will hold a news conference to discuss the charges at 9:30 a.m. at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston.
John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Who is Tania Fernandes Anderson?
Fernandes Anderson, 45, lives in Dorchester. She represents Boston’s District 7, which includes Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and part of the South End.
She was last year too ordered pay a $5,000 fine after admitting to hiring her son and sister for full-time positions on her staff. The state ethics commission said these hires violated conflict of interest laws.
Shortly after being elected to her first two-year term in November 2021, Fernandes Anderson hired her sister as director of constituent services at a salary of $65,000 per year. It was increased to $70,000 and she later got a $7,000 bonus in June 2022.
That same month, Fernandes Anderson hires her son as an office manager. The starting salary was $52,000 per year. Just weeks later, she gave him an $18,000 raise.
Fernandes Anderson was re-elected in November 2023.
