Massachusetts Mayor Arrested on Federal Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Charges
The arrest of a sitting mayor on charges tied to federal COVID relief funds illustrates how the $800 billion-plus pandemic spending program continues to generate criminal prosecutions more than...
Lawrence, Massachusetts Mayor Brian DePeña, 61, was arrested on August 14, 2026, by FBI agents on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges related to the alleged misappropriation of approximately $1.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds, according to a report by WCVB5 Boston citing federal authorities. DePeña is a Democrat who has served as mayor of Lawrence, a city of roughly 90,000 residents located approximately 25 miles north of Boston.
Federal wire fraud charges under 18 U.S.C. Section 1343 carry a maximum penalty of 20 years per count, and money laundering charges under 18 U.S.C. Section 1956 carry a maximum penalty of 20 years per count. The specific counts and alleged conduct are detailed in the federal criminal complaint, which is a public record filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The Congressional Times has requested that filing and will update this report upon receipt.
The COVID-19 relief funds in question were distributed under one or more of several federal programs, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act, P.L. 116-136), the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA, P.L. 117-2), or associated Community Development Block Grant emergency allocations administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Which specific program or programs the allegedly misused funds originated from has not been confirmed in available public records as of publication. USASpending.gov lists federal awards to the City of Lawrence across multiple COVID-era programs; the precise allocation at issue would be identified in the criminal complaint.
The FBI Boston field office stated, according to WCVB5, that DePeña allegedly used public health emergency funds as a personal financial resource, a characterization that reflects the language of the criminal complaint rather than a judicial finding. DePeña has not been convicted of any crime, and under the U.S. legal system he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. It is unknown as of publication whether DePeña has retained legal counsel or entered a plea.
The Department of Justice has prosecuted more than 3,500 individuals for COVID-relief fraud nationally since 2020, according to the DOJ's own public reporting as of its most recent update. Those prosecutions have included elected officials, local administrators, and private contractors across both major political parties. The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, established under P.L. 116-136, maintains a public database of oversight actions related to COVID spending that would include any referrals involving Lawrence.
What remains unknown at this time includes the full list of federal counts, the names of any co-defendants or unindicted co-conspirators, whether the City of Lawrence has taken any administrative action regarding mayoral duties during the pending case, and which specific federal COVID program accounts the funds were drawn from. The federal criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts is the primary public record that would answer all of these questions.