Boston City Council Member arrested for fraud and theft.

A Boston city councilor was taken into custody on Friday on federal fraud charges for reportedly diverting a portion of an inflated bonus to a relative on her staff and ultimately keeping it for herself in a transaction that took place in a City Hall restroom, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

The councilor, Tania Fernandes Anderson, aged 45, who had been experiencing financial struggles, was apprehended near her residence for allegedly committing five wire fraud offenses and one theft count involving federal funds, stated acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy.

Anderson, wearing a red winter jacket, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released. A grand jury indicted her this week.

In 2023, Anderson encountered financial challenges, partly triggered by the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission notifying her of a potential $5,000 penalty for employing close family members within her office, which is prohibited for council members, as confirmed by Levy.

“Despite the fact that she was under investigation by the state ethics commission, Ms. Fernandes Anderson hired another family member on her staff at Boston City Hall to handle constituent services,” Levy said. “That staff member was related to her, but Ms. Fernandes Anderson falsely represented to City Hall that there was no familial relationship.”

She went on to tell the staffer, a woman, that she would give her a $13,000 bonus, more than twice as much as she was paying to the rest of the staff combined in bonuses, Levy said.

“That supersized bonus came with a hitch,” Levy said, with the staffer being told they had to “fork over $7,000 in cash back” to her. The staffer, referred to as “staff member A” in the indictment, agreed, Levy said.

After taxes, the staffer received about $10,000 in her bank account. She withdrew the money in several transactions in May and June of 2023 before exchanging texts to meet at the City Hall bathroom that June 9, Levy said. The staffer gave her $7,000, he said.

Each of the five wire fraud charges carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The theft count carries a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

In a statement to her constituents Wednesday, Anderson said, “You know that I am always transparent with you and always available. My job is to show up and fight for you, and I will continue to do just that.”

Anderson became the first African immigrant and first Muslim elected to the council in November 2021. She was reelected in 2023.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu urged Anderson to resign, saying the charges “undermine the public trust and will prevent her from effectively serving the city.”

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