Tania Fernandes Anderson, a former member of the Boston City Council, was sentenced to one month in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges related to a kickback scheme involving public funds.
Fernandes Anderson, a Democrat and the first Muslim elected to the council, was arrested in December following an investigation by the FBI. She faced six felony charges: five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.
According to U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy, the charges stemmed from a scheme in which Fernandes Anderson allegedly awarded a $13,000 bonus to a staff member—identified in the indictment as a relative—with the agreement that approximately $7,000 would be returned to her in cash. The exchange reportedly took place in a City Hall bathroom and was documented through text messages.
At the time of the alleged offenses, Fernandes Anderson served as Vice Chair of the Post Audit Committee, responsible for overseeing government accountability.
After entering a guilty plea in May, Fernandes Anderson received a sentence of one month in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution. Federal prosecutors had recommended a sentence of one year and one day.
Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse after her sentencing, Fernandes Anderson said, “I actually don’t like being in the media. It’s just too much. And so can you please, I’m asking you for the love of God, stop talking about me? Just let the story go. It happened, I took responsibility.”