Lawrence Mayor Indicted on 11 Federal Counts
Brian DePeña faces four wire-fraud counts and seven money-laundering counts
By SyndicatedNews | SNN.BZ
BOSTON — Lawrence, Massachusetts Mayor Brian DePeña has been indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations that he fraudulently obtained more than $1.5 million in COVID-era small-business loans and diverted portions of the money to personal debts, political activity and real-estate obligations. Contrary to the previous SNN.BZ headline, DePeña has not been “tried” on these charges.
The federal indictment contains 11 counts: four counts of wire fraud and seven counts of money laundering. The indictment replaced the narrower criminal complaint under which DePeña was arrested on August 14, 2026. He remains presumed innocent unless and until the government proves the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Federal prosecutors allege DePeña obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds through Tenares Tire Services Inc., a Lawrence tire and automotive-services business he owns. The pandemic-era program was designed to provide working capital to eligible businesses suffering economic injury.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, prosecutors allege DePeña ultimately obtained more than $1.5 million and used portions of the proceeds for purposes that were not authorized under the loan program. The government alleges money went toward personal tax obligations, campaign-related expenditures and more than $880,000 in high-interest mortgages on properties he owned.
DePeña was elected mayor of Lawrence in November 2021 and reelected in November 2025 after previously serving on the Lawrence City Council. The criminal case therefore places a sitting mayor under federal indictment while he continues to face the ordinary obligations of municipal government.
An indictment is an accusation, not evidence of guilt by itself. The government must prove every element of the charged offenses at trial unless the case is resolved through some other lawful disposition such as a plea. No verdict has been entered in this case.
The wire-fraud and money-laundering statutes carry potentially substantial prison terms, but any sentence would depend on conviction, the specific counts sustained and federal sentencing law. It would be premature to describe DePeña as convicted or to characterize the case as having gone to trial.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts with investigative assistance from federal agencies including the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. The federal grand-jury indictment is the controlling development for purposes of SNN.BZ’s current headline and story.
Primary source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts — August 26, 2026 indictment announcement.
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