Posted on 08/14/2026 6:46:07 AM PDT by CFW
LAWRENCE, Mass. — Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña has been arrested on wire fraud and money laundering charges.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts, DePeña allegedly obtained more than $1.5 million in COVID small-business loans and used the money for personal and political expenses.
DePeña, 61, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
According to federal prosecutors, DePena used the money to pay personal tax debts, fund his mayoral campaign and pay off more than $880,000 in high-interest mortgages on properties he owned in Lawrence.
The charges center on Economic Injury Disaster Loans, or EIDLs, that DePena allegedly obtained through Tenares Tire Services Inc., a Lawrence tire sales and automotive services business he owned.
According to prosecutors, DePena first obtained a $150,000 EIDL for Tenares Tire in June 2020.
In 2021, prosecutors allege DePena asked for additional money as his mayoral campaign faced financial problems, he owed back taxes to the IRS, and he owed nearly $900,000 to two private lenders.
In July 2021, while waiting for the SBA to approve an increase in the loan, DePena allegedly sent several messages to his accountant and financial adviser asking for help.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston25news.com ...
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I can't understand why sane people don't trust government.
In Wisconsin, he'd be laughed out of office. That wouldn't put him close to the big leagues.
Laz has been arrested?
- Clinton-initiated law fare against first a presidential candidate, then a sitting President.
- Fauci lying about the origins of Covid and his role in all of it - including hiding vaccination data.
- A presidential administration lied about the health of President Biden, using his cognitive issues to run the presidency without his awareness, consent, or approval.
- The immense amounts of state and federal fraud that has been uncovered.
- The FBI colluding with the Biden administration to bury the Hunter Biden laptop information.
- Biden pushing for and obtaining the removal from office of the prosecutor who was working on the Burisma corruption case (involving his son Hunter) in Ukraine.
We could all go on and on and on - including all of the vote fraud. There is probably more honor in some prison cell blocks. This has gone way, way too far.
At EVERY level of government.
It’s way, way past time for us to admit, as Americans, that ‘public service’ has become synonymous with criminal activity.
Agreed. Why else would candidates pay millions of dollars to gain a job as a House representative that pays $170K a year?
Why would a candidate pay thousands dollars to gain the job of mayor of a mid-sized town that pays ~100K a year.
Graft, fraud, and corruption pays wells. That’s why.
No mention that he’s a Democrat in the entire article. Wonder if that detail would have been left out if he were a Republican.
obtained more than $1.5 million in COVID small-business loans and used the money for personal and political expenses.
The Covid response came with its own “easy to steal money “ built in.
It is taken for granted in the Commonwealth. Especially in a SH#T Hole town like Lawrence, MA.
This is full of Hispanic people. Many illegals that move here. It is one of those old mill towns along the Merrimack River where almost all the textile mills have shut down and moved over seas. Leaving lots of older buildings that need to be redone.
In places like Nashua and Manchester many of those old buildings have been remade into apartments, light industry and even restaurants/bars. Where as Lawrence is the center for drug distribution amongst the Hispanic cartels bringing their products into New England.
A corrupt Massachusetts politician seems highly unusual.
sarc//
No mention of political party, which means he’s a Democrat.
On Nov. 30, 2021, more than $1.154 million was deposited into the Tenares Tire account, according to prosecutors. DePeña allegedly transferred the entire amount to a personal account that had a balance of just $1,401.
I wonder if he is still smiling?
And the liberal Boston news station neglected to mention he’s a....Democrat.
My days working in Nashua, at a now defunct computer company, would have cars stolen from the expansive parking lots. The last drive for each was normally to Lawrence where they’d be
‘butchered’ for parts.
It would have been played up big time.
The excerpt, from a Boston station, doesn’t mention his party affiliation, so I’d say there’s about a 99% chance he’s a Democrat.
The mayor needs a translator for English (press 2)
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