Former Boston councilor sentenced for kickback scheme
A former Boston city councilor convicted on federal corruption charges has been sentenced to one month in prison after pleading guilty to a kickback scheme earlier this year.
Tania Fernandes Anderson , who represented District 7 on the council until her resignation in July , spoke through tears during a sentencing hearing in federal court in Boston Friday afternoon, during which she repeatedly asked for forgiveness from the court, her friends and family, constituents and God.
"The truth is, I never wanted to hurt people, so I put everything into my work," she said, referring to the situation as "disgusting" and "very serious."
"Hurting people is worse than hurting myself," she said.
In addition to the prison time, she will serve three years of supervised release, during which she cannot hold any position with financial discretion, among other conditions. She will also be required to pay restitution and forfeiture of $13,000 and special assessments of $200.
Fernandes Anderson, who was first elected in 2021, was arrested in December on charges that she ran a kickback scheme with a family member whom she employed in her City Hall office, using public money to help with her own financial struggles.
She pleaded guilty in May to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft involving federal funds.
She was originally scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, but the hearing was postponed until Friday.
Prosecutors say that in June 2023, Fernandes Anderson paid a $13,000 bonus to a family member employed in her office at City Hall, who has not been publicly identified. She then arranged to meet the person in a City Hall bathroom, where they handed over $7,000 in cash.
The former councilor's defense attorney asked for a sentence of probation and community service, highlighting in a sentencing memo her history as a human services professional, community advocate and foster parent.
"She has attempted to reflect on her experiences and learn from them," public defender Scott Lauer wrote. "While her conduct in this case and conviction will certainly not be forgotten any time soon, she looks forward to returning to the sort of grassroots human services work which has defined her both personally and professionally."
More than 90 people submitted letters in support of Fernandes Anderson, including family, friends, former constituents, City Hall staff, non-government colleagues, and community and religious leaders. Multiple elected officials also sent in letters, including City Councilors Brian Worrell, Julia Mejia and Liz Breadon, state Reps. Chris Worrell, D-5th Suffolk, and Russell Holmes, D-6th Suffolk, and state Sen. Liz Miranda, D-2nd Suffolk.
"While I fully acknowledge the unfortunate circumstances that have led to the need for this letter, it is crucial to emphasize the heart and intention behind Ms. Anderson's efforts in the community," Mejia wrote. "She has consistently demonstrated compassion, and an unwavering commitment to the principles of equity and justice. Her work has not only uplifted individuals, but also has strengthened the fabric of the community as a whole."
Fernandes Anderson's husband, Tanzerius Anderson , hand-wrote a multi-page letter in support of his wife from Northeast Correctional Center, where he is serving a sentence for his conviction on a 2000 murder and awaiting a decision from the Parole Board after an Aug. 12 hearing.
"I pray this Honorable Court will see my wife's true nature and consider as mitigation the intense hardships she has overcome throughout her life, her selfless lifelong commitment to others, and the traumatizing consequences she has suffered during this process," he wrote.
"I never realized how much people actually love me," Fernandes Anderson said during the hearing in response to her supporters, who also filled the courtroom Friday. "I'm sorry for all the pain. I'm deeply sorry for all the disappointment and the burden."
Prosecutors said Friday that the more than 140 pages of letters dealt with a different part of Fernandes Anderson's character than that of the crime, adding that her actions seemed inconsistent with how her supporters portrayed her. Prosecutor John Mulcahy said her conduct since her December arrest — including waiting to resign for months and recently endorsing a candidate to replace her — appeared to indicate that she was not remorseful for her actions.
"It does not seem compatible with the humility and honesty one would expect if someone is truly remorseful for what they did," he said.
Lauer and Fernandes Anderson, however, defended her actions, saying that constituents had asked her not to resign to avoid a special election and to ensure that District 7 had representation on the City Council as it prepared the next year's budget.
The U.S. Attorney's Office requested a sentence of one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In a sentencing memo, they wrote that as a councilor, she showed "anything but true faith and allegiance to her constituents and to the city of Boston," noting previous ethics violations that included hiring immediate family members to her staff.
"Fernandes Anderson's bribe scheme cannot be chalked up to inexperience or ignorance — instead it is part of a pattern of putting herself first at the expense of her constituents," they wrote.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Fernandes Anderson condemned the media coverage of her case. Holding a paperback copy of "The Meaning of Freedom" by activist Angela Davis, she said the news media hurts people and families by disregarding their humanity.
"You don't care that I'm a Black woman, that I'm an immigrant, that I'm getting death threats," she said. "I'm not a victim. I'm not saying any of that. I took responsibility. I'm asking you to humanize Black people, especially Black women, especially Black immigrants."
A Cape Verdean immigrant who came to the United States as a child, Fernandes Anderson was the first Muslim, first formerly undocumented immigrant and first African immigrant to serve on the Boston City Council. She won reelection in 2023 with more than 70% of the vote in her district.
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